What “Fragrance-Free” Really Means

“Fragrance-free” is one of the most misunderstood labels in home care. It’s often assumed to mean scentless, but that isn’t always the case.

Fragrance-Free vs. Scentless

Fragrance-free means no fragrance ingredients are added to a formula. No perfume or fragrance blends designed to scent the product. What it does not guarantee is the absence of smell.

Many functional ingredients have their own natural odor. Surfactants, enzymes, minerals, and preservatives all carry a scent profile. To manage that, some brands use masking agents (compounds designed to cover-up or soften those smells without being labeled as fragrance).

From a regulatory standpoint, this is allowed. From a sensory and sensitivity standpoint, it can be a problem.

Masking Agents & the Illusion of Scentless

Masking agents are often synthetic compounds. Even when used at low levels, they can still irritate sensitive systems. Especially for people prone to headaches, respiratory responses, or skin reactivity.

A product may appear scentless, yet still rely on chemistry intended to manipulate odor perception. The absence of smell does not always mean the absence of triggers.

Natuary’s Approach

Natuary does not aim to disguise smell.

We formulate our products with zero added fragrance and no masking agents. Instead, we focus on ingredients that rinse clean and leave no residue behind.

Any light scent comes from the raw materials themselves. It is functional, temporary, and dissipates quickly with use. Nothing is added to cover it up.

The goal is simple: Clean completely & leave nothing behind.

For laundry, that approach often surprises people. When odor is removed at the source, there’s nothing left to perfume. One customer described it this way:

“I'm obsessed with this detergent. The best one I've tried thus far and have been living the nontoxic life for nearly a decade. Can't thank you enough for bringing this into creation! Truly clean smelling laundry is scent-free and it's magical! I can't stop ‘smelling’ my clothes once they come out of the dryer. It's perfection!”

That experience is the result of enzymes breaking down odor-causing compounds and odor-neutralizing ingredients. No fragrance is needed once the work is done!

A Note on Scent Going Forward

Our current Household Cleaning Concentrate contains zero added fragrance. That decision was intentional. We can (and will!) add scented options to the Household Cleaning Concentrate in the future. When we do, they’ll follow the same standard as everything else: full ingredient integrity, no masking agents, and nothing that hides what’s inside.

We’re also open to scent suggestions from our community, so leave a comment letting us know what scent you would like in our Household Cleaning Concentrate.

The Takeaway

The distinction between fragrance-free and scentless is small on a label, but meaningful in practice. It’s the difference between managing perception and prioritizing performance.