Why we name every oil
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The short version: most skincare hides its scent under one word — "parfum" (sometimes listed as "fragrance") — which can legally stand in for an entire undisclosed blend. At Audere Pure we never use it. Every scent in our products is pure essential oils, and each one is printed on the label by name. What you smell is the plant, and you can read exactly what it is.
What does "parfum" actually mean on a skincare label?
Turn over almost any bottle of skincare, scroll to the end of the ingredients, and you'll usually find a single word doing an enormous amount of work: parfum. It looks like one ingredient. It isn't.
Parfum, fragrance or perfume — what's the difference?
They're mostly the same thing wearing different outfits.
The official labelling term on UK and European ingredient lists. One word, whole blend.
The everyday English word — and the term used on US labels. Same catch-all, different spelling.
The finished product you spray on your wrist — not an ingredient at all.
So if you've ever wondered "what is fragrance in my skincare?", the answer on a UK label is that little word parfum — and it tells you almost nothing.
So why do most brands use "parfum"?
Not because they're hiding something sinister — it's mostly practical. But once you see the reasons, the choice to name everything makes a lot more sense.
Fragrance houses treat their blends as trade secrets. We'd rather our scent be the point than a secret.
A lab-built scent costs a fraction of pure essential oils — and under one word, the label can't tell you which you're getting.
Naming oils means declaring the allergens they naturally contain — UK and EU rules require recognised fragrance allergens like linalool and limonene to be named above just 0.001% in leave-on products, and the EU's allergen list is expanding from 26 to more than 80. "Parfum" glosses over the rest. We list them.
A brand can switch fragrance suppliers and the label never changes. Ours would — because the label is a promise.
None of this makes other brands villains. It's simply how the industry tends to work. We just made a different call.
The difference, on the label
Why we name every oil
- You can see what's on your skin. Sensitive skin, pregnant, or choosing for a tween? You don't have to guess — it's all on the pack.
- The allergens are declared honestly. Where an oil naturally contains something like linalool or limonene above the legal threshold, we name it rather than hide it inside "parfum".
- What you smell is the real plant. Pure essential oils smell like sweet orange, lavender or cedar — because that's exactly what they are — and they fade softly rather than lingering.
What it means for you
When you turn over an Audere Pure product, the scent isn't a mystery word — it's a short list you can read and understand. That's the whole idea behind everything we make: skincare with nothing to hide. And if you ever want to know why a particular oil is in one of our products, it's already answered in plain English in the “Every ingredient, explained” section on each product page.
Frequently asked
Is "parfum" bad for you?
Not inherently — it's a labelling term, not a single ingredient, and it's used safely across the industry. The issue isn't danger, it's transparency: "parfum" simply tells you very little about what's creating the scent. We prefer to give you the full picture so you can decide for yourself.
Are Audere Pure products fragrance-free?
No — they're fragrance-transparent. Our products are scented, but never with "parfum". Every scent comes from named essential oils listed in full on the label, so unlike "fragrance-free" claims, you can see precisely what is (and isn't) in the bottle.
Are essential oils better than synthetic fragrance?
They're different. Essential oils are the scent of the actual plant, and because we name each one, you always know exactly what's on your skin — including any naturally-occurring allergens. Whether that suits you is your call to make, which is rather the point of naming them.
How do I know if I'm sensitive to something in the scent?
Because every oil and its declared allergens are named on the label, you can check before you buy — and we'd always suggest a small patch test with any new product if your skin is easily upset.