What “Fragrance” on a Label Can Hide: Phthalates and More

Turn over almost any lotion, deodorant or dry shampoo and you’ll find one word near the end of the ingredient list: fragrance (or parfum). It looks like one ingredient. It usually isn’t, and that’s where the question of phthalates in fragrance starts.

One word, many chemicals: phthalates in fragrance and more

US labels can list a blend of many chemicals as just “fragrance.” That’s allowed under trade-secret protection, so brands don’t have to name what’s in the blend.

For you, that means a label can’t tell you whether the scent contains something flagged elsewhere. Diethyl phthalate (DEP) is a common fragrance solvent, and phthalates are among the ingredients regulators and researchers have linked to endocrine disruption. The point isn’t that every blend contains it. It’s that you can’t verify from the label which chemicals are in a given blend.

That uncertainty is why ToxFree flags undisclosed fragrance as a precaution. It’s not a claim that every fragrance harms anyone. A flag is a reason to look closer, not proof of harm.

What we found

We scanned 133 beauty and personal care products between September 23 and October 5, 2026, mostly Ulta and drugstore best-sellers, and re-scored them all on October 6. Our sample was best-sellers we chose, not a random sample of the market.

65 of the 133 had at least one hormone flag, and 59 of those 65 had a fragrance flag. Fragrance was the most common hormone flag by a wide margin.

Dry shampoo, body care and deodorant sit at the top of that table. Mascara is at the bottom, with no hormone flags at all.

The other 6 flagged products had no fragrance flag. Five were chemical sunscreens with homosalate and one was a shampoo with methylparaben. Everywhere else in our data, the hormone flags came down to that one word on the label.

The same data shows you can avoid it. Of the products we scanned, Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Lotion Fragrance Free and Drunk Elephant Sweet Pitti Deodorant Cream both scored 8 out of 10 with no hormone flags. Formulas change; check the label on the bottle you buy.

For product-type guides, see non-toxic deodorant and non-toxic dry shampoo.

Why it shows up in so many places

In our scans, fragrance flagged 59 products across seven different product types, from lip products to hair care to cleansers. It isn’t confined to perfume. If a product has any scent at all, check whether the word is on the label before assuming the smell comes from something harmless.

Fragrance-free vs. unscented

These two aren’t interchangeable.

• Fragrance-free means no fragrance was added. Essential oils can still add scent, though, so a plant-scented product isn’t automatically fragrance-free.
• Unscented can mean a masking fragrance was added to cover base smells. It usually isn’t the same as having none.

If you’re trying to avoid fragrance, check the ingredient list for “fragrance” or “parfum” rather than trusting the front label. Natural doesn’t settle it either: lavender oil has been studied for hormone-related activity, and it can be part of a scent blend.

The law that’s supposed to help

The Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act (MoCRA, 2022) requires the FDA to make brands disclose fragrance allergens. The FDA missed its June 2024 deadline. It now expects to propose the rule around November 2026.

The rule is about allergens, so it’s a narrower thing than a full ingredient list for every blend. Until it’s proposed and finalized, the label in your hand is the main tool you have.

What to do

• Start with products you use daily and leave on: body lotion, deodorant, anything on large areas of skin.
• Choose “fragrance-free,” not just “unscented,” and then confirm on the ingredient list.
• Treat dry shampoo with extra suspicion on this front. All 10 we scanned carried a fragrance flag.
• Don’t overhaul everything. One swap in the product you use most often is a reasonable start.

If you’re pregnant or managing a health condition, talk to your doctor about what applies to you.

Sources

• Chemlinked: FDA sets November 2026 timeline for the fragrance allergen rule
• EU endocrine disruptor lists (edlists.org)
• ToxFree scans of 133 products, September 23 – October 5, 2026, re-scored October 6, 2026

Educational information, not medical advice. Formulas change, so check the label on the product you buy.