Well + Good posted "This in-everything ingredient lurking in your lotion could be drying out your skin" featuring Dr. Purvisha Patel.
The article includes Dr. Patel's expert commentary on fragrance in skin care products.
Raise your hand if you’ve ever had this feeling: You’re dutifully slathering on your trusty lotion from your appendages to your fingertips, only to feel dry and itchy hours later. I feel you.
To combat the mysterious issue, I’ve cycled through product after product with the ultimate goal of achieving lasting hydration for my skin (moisture is the essence of beauty, after all)—only to face the same problem. Then I discovered that there’s a culprit lurking in the lotions I’ve been buying, and it’s one that seems innocuous (but it ain’t): fragrance.
“Fragrance in skin care means that a smell is added to the product—it can be either synthetic or natural, and is usually a blend of chemicals to impart a particular scent,” says Purvisha Patel, MD, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Visha Skincare. “Whether natural or synthetic, fragrances can be sensitizers to the skin. Some, if used in higher doses, can cause rashes and irritation, especially in those with sensitive skin.”