Fragrance Free Products

Ok, so we've got shaving all taken care of but what about that hair and the rest of your face? Get the low down on shampoo's, conditioners, finishers, cleansers, toners and moisturizers right here!
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casecracker
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Fragrance Free Products

Post by casecracker »

As you know, the word "fragrance" in a product's ingredients often means a chemical (or several chemicals) that provide an odor. I dislike this odor except in very few instances (for example, I wear Zegna Intenso aftershave balm that has fragrance in it, but am not too bothered.)

Most really quality products will either not hide behind the word "fragrance" or will not have artificial scents and chemicals.

I've been looking at some of the products discussed here regularly (Harris, Trumper's, Musgo, etc.) but can't find ingredients listed on-line. Can anyone let me know about the ingredients of these products?

Does anyone know of a good fragrance-free line of products otherwise?

(Note: Fragrance-free is different than unscented. I like scents - it's the artificial scents.)
CMur12
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Post by CMur12 »

Hi Jevon -

I'm very sensitive to perfumery, so I can't use most of the shaving soaps, creams, and aftershaves - not to mention colognes, that are popular here.

Shaving creams tend to be more strongly scented that soaps, for starters, so most English soaps and creams are out of the question for me.

Art of Shaving soaps come in Unsented, Lavender, Lemon, and Sandalwood. The Lavender and Lemon are scented with EO (essential oil - natrual scent), which doesn't tend to bother me. I also use the Unscented.
Mitchell's Wool Fat, an exception among English soaps, has a very light pleasant fragrance that I can actually enjoy without ill effect.
The Valobra Shave Stick and Institut Karite soaps tend to have muted fragrances that I tolerate well, though they vary somewhat in their intensity when new. If a little strong at first, I take the soap out and leave it in the garage to "outgas" for a couple of months.
(I really like Valobra hard soap = shave stick, which I grate up and compress into a covered glass dish. It is essentially the same as Art Of Shaving soap, however, other than the scent, and Valobra is generally accepted as the manufacturer of AoS soaps.)
I believe most AoS creams, especially the Lavender and Lemon, are scented with EO, also.

Many here look down on glycerin-based soaps, but they work quite well for me. Many artisan-made glycerin-based soaps are scented with EO, which can provide olfactory delight without noxious effects. These soaps tend to offer more glide/lubricity and less cushion than traditional hard soaps. Since this is exactly what I look for, and I mix lather from my hard soaps specifically for this effect, glycerin-based soaps work just dandy for me.

The only soft soap that I have used is Cella, which has a mild natural almond scent. This soap is another of my favorites.

For aftershave products, I use Thayer's Witch Hazel astringents (10% alcohol, but no parabens and no burn), which have a very soothing feeling to the skin. The astringents come in Original (unscented), Lemon, and Peach, which are all scented with EO. The Thayer's toners have no alcohol, but they do have propylene glycol and methylparaben, which may or may not be an issue for you.

Hope this helps -

- Murray
casecracker
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Post by casecracker »

Thank you for the very detailed response. I tend to like the more natural products but also know some chemicals and preservatives are not completely avoidable. My after shave balm probably has all sorts of petroleum products and so forth. But since you brought it up...

Is it better to use a 10% alcohol astringent for healthy skin, or are these controversial and potentially harmful preservatives actually beneficial? I know some products put all sorts of chemicals that leave your skin "feeling moisturized" while actualy drying it out. What are some of the things I should look out for in using daily products?
notthesharpest
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Post by notthesharpest »

Regarding alcohol, you will get valid opinions on both sides.

My own opinion is that every product I use should be there to solve a problem. For me, there is no problem that aftershave would solve, so I don't use any, regardless of alcohol content.
Flash G
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Post by Flash G »

Sounds like you should check out T&H´s Ultimate Comfort series. They are unscented and have a faint lavender scent due to the lavender oil in the products. I like the cream and the aftershave balm.
Eric
CMur12
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Post by CMur12 »

Thayer's also makes an Aftershave that is 20% alcohol, for those who feel that alcohol is a needed part of an aftershave.

The Thayer's Astringents, that are 10% alcohol don't have enough of the ingredient to cause any burning sensation. The low proportion of alcohol, combined with other ingredients, provides a very skin-nurturing product.

As far as the methylparaben and propylene glycol are concerned, those are mentioned for individual consideration. Two types of products that I distrust are artificial sweeteners and preservatives, as they are two groups that seem to have a higher rate of release to, and withdrawal from, the market. There is some scientific evidence suggestive of problems with methylparaben, but there is no conclusive evidence of such at this time. I don't boycott all products that contain parabens, but as a preventive measure I keep their use to a minimum. I bring this up in my original post for those who have similar reservations.

- Murray
notthesharpest
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Post by notthesharpest »

Just to throw a semi-random tidbit out there - there are several things called "___ (fill in the blank) Alcohol" , and while their molecules fit the definition, they don't (in layman's terms) feel or act like alcohol.
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Squire
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Post by Squire »

Good questions. I don't normally jump in these discussions because my skin tolerates just about all shaving products so I don't experiment rather just use the traditional alcohol based aftershaves. Hopefully some knowledgeable members will chime in.
Regards,
Squire
notthesharpest
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Post by notthesharpest »

We do have some members who have educated themselves very intelligently and well on this subject. I hope they see the thread and respond.
casecracker
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Post by casecracker »

I ended up finding a good way to handle this question! I just discovered the review section of badgerandblade.com. Very informative and helpful and very detailed reviews. I bought some Anthony Glycolic Facial Cleanser and will give it a shot tomorrow.
JimT
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Post by JimT »

There is a product ingredient database on the SMF website at the link below which I have referred to countless times. If the link below does not work, use the search function for "ingredients database" with the author "lyrt" and you should find it.

http://www.shavemyface.com/forum/viewto ... s+database

Products which do not list "fragrance":

Tom's of Maine Bar Soaps
Whole Foods Market Brand Premium Organic bar soap (all palm oil soap)
Kiss My Face Lavendar and Shea, and Unscented Shave Creams
Basis Sensitive Skin Bar
Kiss My Face Pure Olive Oil Soap Bar (the scent and soap characteristics take some getting used to)
Dr. Bronner Classic Bar and Liquid Soaps
Thayers Witch Hazels with 10% alcohol (just as Murray has already stated)

I hope this information helps you out. Product ingredients can sometimes be found on www.drugstore.com and sometimes on Amazon. The Nancy Boy website also lists all ingredients for their products.

JimT
The Riehle Axiom - "One test is worth a thousand expert opinions"
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