Fragrance-free moisturizers compared

Fragrance-free face cream is one of the most common searches once ingredient lists start to matter. We picked eight face moisturizers where we find no fragrance in the list: no Parfum or Fragrance entry and none of the EU's 26 declared fragrance allergens. The set covers plain creams, gel creams and lotions across price levels.

What fragrance-free means here

On SkinIndex, fragrance-free is computed from the ingredient list: it has no Parfum or Fragrance entry and no fragrance allergens such as Linalool, Limonene or Citronellol. It is not the brand's own claim. Essential oils are a flag of their own here, and none of the lists below has one. In a product that stays on the skin, the threshold above which a fragrance compound must be declared is lower than in a rinse-off product, but a list is still only a list.

What to read besides fragrance

Fragrance-free does not mean a list holds nothing that someone wants to avoid. Two examples from the picks: the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion list includes Lanolin Alcohol and sesame oil, and the COSRX Full Fit Propolis Light Cream list includes propolis, honey extract, royal jelly extract and beeswax. These are facts from the lists, not verdicts on the products.

The same list can be checked for drying alcohol, silicones and the ingredients on our watchlist; none of these eight lists carries any of those flags. The Ingredient checker helps, and the basics are in the guide How to read an ingredient list.

Eight face moisturizers with no fragrance

The full list is on Fragrance-free moisturizers, and every moisturizer is on Moisturizers. The ones below were picked from our catalog by their lists. They are examples, not a recommendation list.

Q+A Vitamin C Face Cream (50 ml). The list opens with Aqua, grape seed oil (Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride and Glycerin. Ascorbic Acid is at position 7, Hyaluronic Acid at position 8 and Centella extract at position 9.

Haruharu Wonder Centella 5% Niacinamide Radiance Gel Cream (40 ml). Aqua, with Niacinamide right behind it at position 2, then Propanediol, Centella Asiatica Leaf Water and Glycerin. Squalane is at position 7 and Panthenol at position 10.

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion (50 ml, the “Very Dry & Combination Skin” version). Water, Mineral Oil, Glycerin and Petrolatum first. Urea is at position 8, and the list has 22 ingredients.

The Inkey List Omega Water Cream Moisturizer (50 ml). Water, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glycerin and Niacinamide at position 4. Betaine is at position 6, and the list has 16 ingredients.

Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream (50 ml). Aqua, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Polydecene and 1,2-Hexanediol first. Niacinamide is at position 5 and Squalane at position 6. The list has 38 ingredients.

The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + PhytoCeramides (100 ml). Aqua, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Isodecyl Neopentanoate and Glycerin at position 5. It is a long list, 53 ingredients, with Urea at position 38.

The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + Beta Glucan (100 ml). Aqua, PPG-24-Glycereth-24, Propanediol and Betaine, then Beta-Glucan at position 5 and a run of amino acids (Arginine, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Proline). The list has 40 ingredients.

COSRX Full Fit Propolis Light Cream (65 ml). The list starts with Propolis Extract, followed by Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride and sunflower seed oil. The list has 18 ingredients.

What the start of a list shows

Most of the lists start with Aqua. After that the formulas differ: humectants such as Glycerin and Betaine, emollient oils and esters (Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Squalane), and thickeners. The Clinique lotion has Mineral Oil and Petrolatum at positions 2 and 4, while the Inkey List Omega Water Cream has Dicaprylyl Carbonate. These describe the job of an ingredient in the formula, not a promise about how the cream feels.

Price range

At the time of writing these cost roughly €15–35 in the Finnish stores we compare. Prices move daily: the cards at the end of the page show the current price of each product.

What a list cannot tell you

An ingredient list shows what a product contains and in what order, not how it works on your skin. We make no promise about results, and a fragrance-free cream is not better for everyone. If your skin reacts or a problem keeps going, a dermatologist can answer what a list cannot. If you are also looking for a cleanser, the comparison is in the guide Fragrance-free face cleansers compared.