Ingredient Spotlight: Parfum

1 & 1/2 minute read

So, you’re reading the ingredients label on a bottle of fragrance free  body wash one day and you see the word ‘Parfum’ and you think – wait, what? After all, you know that Parfum is French for perfume. How can that be when the product is meant to be fragrance free?

Not only that. You are also aware that perfume and fragrance ingredients can sometimes be comprised of a veritable cocktail of synthetic chemicals and toxic ingredients. That’s why many natural and organic brands choose to scent their products with pure essential oils instead.

Ingredient label showing 'Parfum' - image source Naturally Safe Cosmetics

So, what’s the story behind the term ‘Parfum’?

When it comes to natural and organic brands, the word Parfum can often be found on product labels but it might not be what you think. In many cases, Parfum is used to describe a popular, broad-spectrum, clear liquid preservative otherwise known as Naticide®. Derived from essential oil fractions, Naticide® inhibits bacteria, mould and yeasts. Because Naticide® is a proprietary name (Trademarked), however, it cannot be used on product labels. Hence, the correct name for this ingredient for use on labels is ‘Parfum’, ‘Fragrance’ or 'Natural Fragrance'. Or, you might see 'Parfum (Natural Preservative)' as in the example above.

Naticide® naturally has a subtle Vanilla and Almond aroma which may or may not be noticeable depending on the other ingredients in a product. Although it acts as a preservative, Naticide® is classed as a natural fragrance, which means products containing it can be labelled ‘preservative free’. So, it’s kind of a 2-in-1 product - preservative and natural fragrance.

Naticide® is also approved by organic certifiers Ecocert and COSMOS.

So, the next time you see the ingredient ‘Parfum’ or ‘Natural Fragrance’ on a label, especially for a natural and/or organic brand, it could very well be Naticide®. If you want to know for certain what it is, you can always contact the brand direct for more information.