3 reasons to stay away from artifical fragrances in skincare

Fragrances are the norm in many skincare products. They are used to enhance our experience and make us like the product more. However, these fragrances are not going to make your skin appear younger or treat your acne. And yet we want them and even expect them to be an ingredient in skincare. Unfortunately we have been psychologically conditioned to like them after decades of marketing. They have absolutely no benefit other than to increase the marketability of a product. On the contrary, when it comes to skin health, they do the absolute opposite. Not only can they cause allergic reactions, they are sensitising to your skin health in long term. Here are three reasons to stay away from any sort fragrance in your skincare, be it natural or synthetic.

It is a well-known fact that fragrances, whether natural or synthetic, are harmful ingredients for skin in the short and long term. Any product that has any sort of fragrance is immediately unsuitable for sensitive skin. This is because any fragrant ingredient will impart scent through a volatile reaction. Sensitive skin shows this reaction much quicker than normal skin. But just because you don’t see any reaction when using fragrant products, doesn’t mean you are lucky. Your skin may not react instantly but these volatile reactions are sure to cause problems in the long term.

If you were to eat food with natural or synthetic fragrances day-in day-out, will it not cause health problems over the years? No matter how minor the problem, the fact is, it is not good for your health. As we age, preserving our skin to its natural health is important and any fragrance is counterproductive.

Fragrance formulas are considered trade secrets, so brands don’t have to disclose what’s in them. By not disclosing the ingredients, consumers will never know what is it that they are putting on their skin. In fact, these fragrances can contain up to 30 ingredients in them, both toxic and allergic and yet it will be listed as only one ingredient. That’s why fragrances are a leading cause of triggering a reaction on the skin and harming it in over the long-term.

At Okana, we believe that as a consumer, you have an absolute right to know about each and every ingredient included in your skincare. We want you to feel sure about the safety of our products and their quality. This is why we believe in minimum ingredients. By focusing only on natural ingredients that your skin will benefit from, we have created a skincare range that is most effective.

Many natural skincare companies add perfume or fragrant essential oils to hide the unpleasant aroma of a skincare product. That would be fine, if that was the only reason. Unfortunately, by adding fragrance you also hide the freshness and quality of the ingredients. Natural skincare contains oil. Lots of it. One way of knowing the quality of a natural oil is to smell it. Fresh oils do not smell. But as they start to age and oxidise they will develop a foul smell. Unfortunately for an unassuming consumer, when they open the jar all they smell is the perfume, never knowing the quality of its ingredients or when it is not safe to use. A company may use old, oxidised oils that are cheaper to buy and add perfume in their product and you, as a customer will never know of its quality. Or worse, you are unaware of when the product has gone off and you continue to put oxidised oils on your face.

Sadly, the majority of natural skincare companies use fragrance to hide the quality of their product to ensure they last longer. Natural products go off earlier than synthetic ones as they contain more natural, unprocessed fresh quality ingredients.

That’s why, here at Okana, all our products are made with fresh quality ingredients to achieve a fragrance free state. We are one of the few natural skincare companies that are bold enough to take this step. This is an absolute testament to the quality and freshness of our ingredients used. You can smell our products and know they are made with quality ingredients.