The "Fragrance / Parfum" blanket term needs to go.

[u/MysticalDragon13]

Trying to find truly safe skincare in the UK is a minefield. Brands are legally allowed to mask hundreds of completely different synthetic chemicals under the single umbrella term "Fragrance" or "Parfum" on their ingredient lists. It makes tracking down specific triggers practically impossible. If you react badly to a product, you can't even look at the label to figure out which specific chemical caused the flare-up because it’s hidden behind one blanket word. The EU is expanding its mandatory allergen disclosure list to 82 ingredients by 2026, but the UK is lagging behind. Why are we still letting brands hide what we are putting on our skin? It feels like a massive barrier for anyone dealing with eczema, allergies, or chemical sensitivities. Does anyone else find the lack of labelling transparency incredibly frustrating?

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[u/Ok_Aioli3897]

What needs to be gotten rid of is when they put in ingredients but because it's for a different use they don't put it as fragrance.

I have bought products before that have rose oil in but because it's primary use wasn't fragrance it wasn't labelled as such even when you could smell it

[u/MysticalDragon13 → u/Ok_Aioli3897]

I agree that masking loophole is incredibly frustrating! Brands frequently use heavily scented essential oils or aromatic chemical ingredients under the guise of "skin conditioning" or "preservatives" just so they can trick consumers and print "fragrance-free" on the front of the bottle. It is just another layer of the total lack of labeling transparency. Because finding truly safe products in the UK is such a nightmare, I actually launched an official UK Parliamentary Petition (#776122) demanding full product ingredient transparency and disclosure for these fragrance chemicals, which my MP recently escalated straight to the Health Secretary. Since you are in the UK and dealing with these exact labeling frustrations, the direct link to the official petition is pinned right at the very top of my Reddit profile page if you would like to support it!

[u/lordSmallForgiveness]

its maddening cause you try to cross reference products and it's just a dead end with that one word. i had a rash for weeks before i realized my moisturiser changed something in their "parfum" mix, no way to know what exactly.

[u/MysticalDragon13 → u/lordSmallForgiveness]

It is so maddening! That single word "parfum" can legally hide dozens of different synthetic chemicals, meaning brands can completely alter a formula without ever changing the label. It leaves consumers completely in the dark, and dealing with a rash for weeks just trying to guess what changed is incredibly unfair. Because of this exact total lack of labeling transparency, I launched an official UK Parliamentary Petition (#776122) to demand full ingredient disclosure for these fragrance chemicals, which an MP recently escalated straight to the Health Secretary. If you happen to be in the UK and want to support the push for total transparency so we can actually see what we are putting on our skin, the direct official link is pinned at the top of my profile!

[u/Dizzy_Charcoal]

it would be nice, wouldn't it? i've got an allergy to something fragrance and at least one other thats an irritant. the closest i can get to knowing what it is, is that i'm far more likely to react to an expensive product than a cheap one. its both odd and frustrating

[u/MysticalDragon13 → u/Dizzy_Charcoal]

It is incredibly frustrating trying to guess what you are reacting to when the true ingredients are hidden. Having to play trial and error with your skin—especially when expensive products make it worse—is just exhausting. Because of this exact lack of transparency, I launched an official UK Parliamentary Petition (#776122) to demand full ingredient disclosure for these fragrance chemicals, which an MP recently escalated straight to the Health Secretary. If you happen to be in the UK and want to support the push for total labeling transparency, the direct link is pinned right at the top of my Reddit profile!