There is one word on more ingredient labels than almost any other, and it tells you almost nothing: fragrance. Under current US regulations, a single "fragrance" listing can represent dozens or hundreds of undisclosed chemical compounds. The International Fragrance Association's Transparency List catalogs over 3,600 materials currently used in fragrance formulas worldwide. When you see "fragrance" or "parfum" on a cleaning product, you are reading a placeholder, not an ingredient.
The No Nines™ Standard™ excludes synthetic fragrance as Category 2 of nine chemical categories we will not formulate with. This is not because every fragrance compound is harmful. It is because "fragrance" as a label term makes informed decision-making impossible.
What does "fragrance" actually mean on a label?
The answer depends on which country you live in. In the United States, fragrance formulations are treated as trade secrets. The Fair Packaging and Labeling Act, administered jointly by the FDA and FTC, does not require manufacturers to disclose the individual components of a fragrance blend. Instead, companies are permitted to list the entire mixture as a single word: "fragrance" or "parfum." This exemption was established to protect proprietary formulas from competitors, but it has a practical consequence for consumers: you cannot see what you are being exposed to.
The word "fragrance" on a US product label can encompass synthetic musks, phthalates (used as fragrance solvents), allergens, solvents, preservatives, and fixatives. A single scented product may contain anywhere from a handful to several hundred individual fragrance chemicals, and none of them need to appear on the label.
A related point of confusion: the terms "unscented" and "fragrance-free" do not mean the same thing. "Unscented" products can still contain fragrance compounds, provided those compounds are used to mask or neutralize odor rather than add a noticeable scent. "Fragrance-free" means no fragrance compounds were added, though even this term is not formally regulated in the US and relies on the manufacturer's own definition. The distinction matters because it means an "unscented" product can still expose you to undisclosed fragrance chemicals.
What the research says
Research on fragrance exposure spans several areas, including indoor air quality, dermatological effects, and respiratory health.
A 2011 study led by Anne Steinemann at the University of Washington tested 25 common scented consumer products, including air fresheners, laundry detergents, cleaners, and personal care products. The analysis detected 133 different volatile organic compounds (VOCs) across the products, with an average of 17 VOCs per product. Of those 133 compounds, 24 are classified as toxic or hazardous under US federal law. Each product emitted at least one of these regulated chemicals. Nearly half (44%) generated at least one of 24 carcinogenic hazardous air pollutants, including acetaldehyde, 1,4-dioxane, formaldehyde, and methylene chloride.
Of the 133 VOCs detected across 25 scented products in Steinemann's 2011 study, only one appeared on any product label. Only two appeared on any material safety data sheet.
The labeling gap identified in that study is worth sitting with. Products emitted chemicals classified as hazardous under federal law, yet disclosure was virtually nonexistent.
Beyond air quality, fragrance compounds are a well-documented cause of allergic contact dermatitis. The European Commission's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has identified fragrance ingredients as one of the most common causes of contact allergy in Europe. Fragrances are also recognized as asthma triggers by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, particularly in enclosed indoor environments where VOC concentrations can accumulate.
Steinemann's later work, a 2016 population survey published in Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health, found that 34.7% of the US population reported adverse health effects from exposure to fragranced products, including respiratory difficulties, migraines, and skin reactions. Self-reported data has inherent limitations, but the scale of the finding is consistent with the clinical literature on fragrance sensitivity.
The cumulative exposure problem is often overlooked. Most people use multiple fragranced products daily: laundry detergent, fabric softener, dish soap, surface cleaner, hand soap, air freshener. Each product contributes its own set of undisclosed VOCs to indoor air, and the combined exposure profile is essentially uncharacterizable because the individual components are not disclosed.
The disclosure gap
The core issue with "fragrance" is not that every compound within it is dangerous. Some fragrance materials have been extensively tested and present minimal risk at typical exposure levels. The problem is that consumers have no way to distinguish between those materials and the ones that have not been adequately tested, or the ones that are known allergens, because none of them are named.
The European Union took a different approach. In 1999, the EU began requiring manufacturers to individually disclose 26 specific fragrance allergens by their INCI (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients) name on product labels when they exceed certain concentration thresholds. Compounds like limonene, linalool, citronellol, and geraniol must be listed individually, giving consumers with known sensitivities the ability to identify and avoid them. In 2023, the EU expanded this requirement under Regulation (EU) 2023/1545, increasing the list to over 80 declarable fragrance allergens, with full compliance required by July 2026.
The United States has no equivalent requirement. The Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act (MoCRA), signed in December 2022, introduced new allergen disclosure rules for cosmetics, but the implementing regulations are still in development and the scope of required disclosure remains to be seen. For cleaning products specifically, there is no federal disclosure mandate for fragrance components.
One more nuance worth noting: "natural fragrance" is not necessarily a safer alternative. Essential oils and botanical extracts contain many of the same allergenic compounds that the EU requires disclosure for. Limonene, linalool, citral, and eugenol are naturally occurring and can cause contact sensitization regardless of their source. The issue the No Nines Standard addresses is not synthetic versus natural. It is disclosed versus undisclosed, and present versus absent.
What No Nines uses instead
Nothing. Every No Nines product is fragrance-free. Not "unscented" with masking agents. Not "naturally scented" with essential oil blends. Zero fragrance compounds, synthetic or natural.
This is a structural decision, not a marketing claim. By eliminating fragrance entirely, we eliminate the disclosure problem at its root. There is nothing hidden inside a placeholder word because there is no placeholder word on any No Nines label.
Every ingredient in every product is listed by name on our Ingredient Transparency page. If a compound is in the bottle, it is on the page. This includes everything from the active ingredients to the water. You do not need to trust a trade secret exemption because we do not use one.
This approach also eliminates an entire category of potential allergens. For products like the Foaming Hand Wash and Face + Body Mist, which contact skin directly, the absence of fragrance removes one of the most common sources of contact sensitization in consumer products.
The bottom line
"Fragrance" is not an ingredient. It is a disclosure gap. It tells you that scent compounds are present but gives you no information about what those compounds are, how many there are, or whether any of them have been associated with adverse health effects.
The No Nines Standard excludes synthetic fragrance as Category 2 because we believe ingredient transparency requires that every compound in a product be identifiable by name. You cannot make an informed choice about something you cannot see on the label.
Every No Nines product is formulated without fragrance, and every ingredient is listed by name. That is the standard.
See every ingredient in every No Nines product.
Related reading: Phthalates in Cleaning Products (commonly hidden inside fragrance blends) and Synthetic Dyes in Cleaning Products.
