Understanding Fragrance vs. Essential Oils

Why “Paraben-Free” Isn’t the Same as Truly Clean

I’ve spent many years immersed in natural wellness and skincare, both professionally and personally. Along the way, I’ve learned that what we put on our skin matters just as much as what we put in our bodies.

That awareness deepened during pregnancy, when I began reading every ingredient label in my home. I started noticing a pattern. Even products marketed as “natural” or “clean” almost always included fragrance, often paired with essential oils and reassuring claims like “98% naturally derived.”

At first, it sounded safe. But the more I researched, the more uneasy I felt. Fragrance, even when labeled as paraben-free or natural, can still pose real risks to skin health and overall wellness.

That realization changed everything.

If I couldn’t confidently use these products during such a vulnerable season, how could I trust them for my child, or recommend them to anyone else?

Fragrance vs. Essential Oils: What’s the Difference?

The distinction is critical and often misunderstood.

Essential oils are concentrated plant extracts chosen for their specific therapeutic properties. When sourced responsibly and used with intention, they can support the skin barrier, calm inflammation, balance oil production, and even influence the nervous system through aromatherapeutic pathways.

Fragrance, however, is a completely different category.

“Fragrance” or “parfum” is a legally protected umbrella term that can represent dozens or even hundreds of undisclosed chemical components, both synthetic and natural. Companies are not required to list these ingredients individually, which means consumers often have no idea what they are actually applying to their skin.

Even fragrances labeled as paraben-free or phthalate-free can still:

• Act as endocrine disruptors that interfere with hormone signaling
• Trigger irritation, eczema, or contact dermatitis
• Disrupt the skin’s microbiome
• Accumulate in the body through repeated daily exposure

Research has shown that certain fragrance compounds can mimic or interfere with estrogen and other hormones — a concern especially relevant during pregnancy, childhood, and periods of hormonal imbalance. For more on this, here’s Educational Links: What is Fragrance? – Environmental Working Group; What Are Endocrine Disruptors? – National Institute of Environmental Health Studies.

Unlike essential oils, fragrance provides no therapeutic benefit to the skin. Its sole purpose is scent, often at the expense of long-term skin health.

Tallow, Trends, and the Problem with “Natural Fragrance”

Tallow has become a major trend in the natural skincare world, and for good reason. It is rich in bioavailable vitamins, deeply nourishing, and highly compatible with human skin. But as tallow has gained popularity, many brands have started adding “paraben-free fragrance oils” to make products smell more appealing or more marketable.

This is where things get tricky.

You can have an incredible base ingredient like grass-fed tallow, and still compromise the integrity of the product by adding fragrance oils, even ones marketed as “paraben-free fragrance.”

Those phrases sound safe, but they do not equal transparency.

A product can be paraben-free, sulfate-free, and labeled natural, while still containing undisclosed fragrance blends that sensitize the skin or disrupt hormones over time.

Read more in Why We Use Essential Oils Thoughtfully.

Essential Oils Used Safely and With Intention

Essential oils are powerful. That is their beauty but also comes with responsibility.

In holistic formulation, essential oils should never be added casually or in excess. Safe usage depends on the specific oil, the concentration, the application area, and the individual using it. More is not better.

Properly formulated skincare typically uses essential oils at very low dilutions, often well under one percent for facial products. Some formulations avoid them altogether, especially for babies, sensitive skin, or those navigating autoimmune or hormonal concerns.

When used intentionally, essential oils can enhance a formula’s therapeutic effect. When overused, they can overwhelm the skin, disrupt the barrier, or cause sensitization over time.

Transparency matters here too. You should always be able to see exactly which essential oils are used and why. Because we value ingredient transparency, you can always find a full ingredient list under each of our products in our online store, nothing hidden.

Check this out for a deeper dive into our hero ingredients: Our Ingredient Transparency.

Why “Paraben-Free” Isn’t Enough

One of the most misleading aspects of modern skincare marketing is how narrowly “clean” is defined.

A product can be:

• Paraben-free

• Sulfate-free

• Marketed as “natural”

…and still contain fragrance blends that disrupt hormones or sensitize the skin over time.

This is why ingredient transparency matters more than buzzwords. If a label simply says fragrance, there is no way to assess safety, purity, or long-term impact.

This realization was one of the main reasons I went to my mom with the idea to create skincare we could fully trust. We wanted every ingredient to serve a purpose — no fillers, no masking scents, no shortcuts.

Read more about our motivation and beginnings in The Story Behind Meadowlark Made.

How This Philosophy Shaped Meadowlark Made

Our very first product was a simple tallow moisturizer for our family.

Every ingredient was chosen with intention, sourced from our family farm or responsibly wild-foraged. I brought my background in skin health and esthetic practice; my mom brought a love of herbal wisdom. Together, we focused on purity, transparency, and efficacy.

We don’t formulate to chase trends or create artificially scented experiences. Our facial balms, body butters, and salves are designed to nourish, protect, and restore the skin’s natural intelligence, not override it.

You’ll never find undisclosed fragrance in our products. Only purposeful ingredients that support the skin’s barrier and the body’s natural rhythms.

Further Reading: A Holistic Esthetician’s Guide to Our Tallow Facial Balms

A Faith-Based Perspective on Ingredient Integrity

For us, ingredient integrity is more than a professional standard — it’s an act of stewardship.

We believe the world was created with wisdom and balance, and that our bodies are part of that design. Modern skincare often tries to imitate nature, but nothing outperforms what God has already created.

Choosing ingredients thoughtfully — without deception or excess — is a way to honor both creation and the bodies we’ve been entrusted with.

Every Meadowlark Made batch reflects patience, restraint, and reverence. Nothing is added “just because.” Everything has a reason.

Learn how we source and prioritize traceable ingredients: Our Traceable Ingredients: How We Source, Wild-Forage, and Reduce Our Footprint.