"Fragrance," one word that can hide 3,200+ undisclosed ingredients
Most perfumes hide behind the word fragrance on their labels. That one word can cover a cocktail of chemicals — more than 3,200 undisclosed ingredients, including endocrine disruptors.
And here’s the hardest part: brands aren’t legally required to tell you. So you’re left in the dark about what you’re actually putting on your skin. No wonder scientists advise us to steer clear.
Transparency is only the first step. Safety is the standard.
What "Clean" Actually Means
The word "clean" gets thrown around a lot, but the truth is, it has no regulated definition. Any brand can call themselves clean without backing it up.
At Layermor, we define it through:
- Rigorous safety standards (toxicologist review, clinical testing, EWG verification)
- Full ingredient transparency (no "fragrance" loopholes)
- Independent scientific review (not just internal claims)
OUR RIGOROUS STANDARD
How We Ensure Safety
Below, explore how we verify every ingredient meets the highest safety standards:
100% Ingredient Transparency
We disclose every single ingredient. 'Fragrance' on a label can hide 3,200+ undisclosed ingredients, including known toxins and hormone disruptors like phthalates, parabens, and formaldehyde-releasing preservatives.
We're pulling back the curtain. Every ingredient is listed, every time.
The Fragrance Black Box
The fragrance industry can legally hide thousands of chemicals behind the single word "fragrance" on ingredient labels. This loophole was meant to protect trade secrets, but it's left consumers in the dark.
What can hide under "fragrance":
- Phthalates (hormone disruptors used as solvents)
- Synthetic musks (some linked to bioaccumulation and endocrine disruption)
- Parabens and formaldehyde-releasing preservatives
- Allergens and sensitizers
- Fragrance stabilizers and fixatives
This loophole still exists today. We refuse to use it.
EWG-Verified
Layermor is one of very few fragrance brands to carry this certification, the gold standard for ingredient safety and transparency.
Why EWG Verification Matters
EWG, or the Environmental Working Group, sets the gold standard with extensive safety criteria, including a restricted list that excludes any ingredient banned in the EU, Canada, or California.
The EWG VERIFIED™ program is the only third-party certification that:
- Publicly discloses its full criteria
- Has scientists on staff
- Requires full transparency of ingredients, including fragrance
What This Actually Means for Our Perfumers
Most perfumers have access to 2,000-3,000+ fragrance materials. EWG verification narrows that palette down to approximately 200-300 safe, vetted ingredients.
This isn't an easy constraint. It requires creativity, expertise, and a willingness to prioritize safety over convenience. But it's how we ensure that every scent we create is as safe as it is beautiful.
The Safety Gap
Cosmetics sold in the U.S. can contain:
- 33 ingredients banned in Canadian cosmetics
- 85 ingredients banned in European cosmetics
- 25 ingredients not allowed in EU hair dyes
- 27 ingredients known to the state of California to cause cancer
- 8 ingredients known to the state of California to be developmental toxins
We exceed these standards. Our commitment to EWG verification means every ingredient is screened against over 2,500 harmful chemicals, and we meet the strictest safety thresholds.
Toxicologist Vetted
It’s not enough to avoid the worst offenders. What we do include matters just as much. That’s why every single ingredient in our formulas is reviewed and signed off by an independent PhD toxicologist specializing in ingredient safety and clean beauty.
Each ingredient undergoes a thorough hazard and risk assessment, with particular attention to endpoints including:
- Endocrine disruption
- Carcinogenicity
- Reproductive and developmental toxicity
- Systemic toxicity
- Skin sensitization and irritation
- Environmental persistence and bioaccumulation
Our toxicological reviews are conducted using authoritative scientific frameworks and regulatory references. These include—but are not limited to—the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR), International Fragrance Association (IFRA) standards, Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS), European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), and OECD guidelines.
Importantly, our evaluations account for not just the hazard profile of an ingredient, but also its concentration in the final formula and real-world exposure scenarios. If there’s any uncertainty or data gap, we don’t use it—period.
We don’t rely solely on outdated or inconsistent global standards. We use them as a baseline, then apply stricter, evidence-based criteria to ensure every formula reflects the highest level of safety science available today.
Clinically Tested
Our perfumes are clinically tested and dermatologist-approved via a 52-subject Human Repeat Insult Patch Test (HRIPT).
Results:
- 0 cases of irritation or sensitization
- No adverse events
- 100% dermatologist clearance
Found it to be:
- Non-Irritating
- Non-Sensitizing
This repeated testing protocol helps demonstrate our formulas are safe for real-world use.
Smarter Synthetics
Science-First, Not Natural-First
We evaluate every ingredient on evidence, not origin. Safety, sustainability, and performance is what matters.
Why We Use Next-Generation Synthetics
Some of the most iconic scent notes like musk and ambergris simply can't be replicated naturally without ethical or safety issues. That's why we use next-generation synthetic molecules that are biodegradable, non-bioaccumulative, and rigorously reviewed.
The musk evolution:
Older synthetic musks — nitro musks (like musk ketone) and polycyclic musks (like galaxolide) — are persistent, bioaccumulative, and linked to hormone disruption. Many have been banned or restricted in the EU.
We use newer generations: macrocyclic musks (like ambrettolide) and alicyclic musks (like helvetolide). These are structurally different from older musks and carefully selected for their safety, biodegradability, and clean profile.
Why We Don't Choose "All Natural"
Allergens & Sensitizers:
Many natural ingredients AND many synthetic ingredients are classified as sensitizers, irritants, and EU-labelled allergens. Choosing all-natural or all-synthetic will not guarantee a safer product—it's about choosing the right materials based on safety data.
Precision & Consistency:
Essential oils are complex substances, and their composition can vary significantly from crop to crop, season to season, and even chemotype to chemotype. This makes it difficult to perfectly replicate natural fragrances from batch to batch. Synthetic materials offer olfactive and economic consistency, ensuring your favorite scent smells the same every time.
Environmental Impact:
Some natural ingredients require enormous amounts of raw material to produce small quantities of fragrance oil—sometimes thousands of kilograms of flower petals per kilogram of final oil, for example. While some naturals are sustainable byproducts of juice and paper industries (a great form of waste reduction), others are far from eco-friendly.
Synthetics can be derived from various feedstocks (plants, petrochemicals, etc.), and the materials used in refinement processes vary widely. When evaluating environmental impact, we look for synthetics that use green chemistry principles and renewable energy.
Fragrance biotech—using living organisms or enzymes to produce fragrance ingredients—is a growing and exciting area of research. Biotech ingredients are often fully renewable and biodegradable, representing the future of sustainable fragrance.
Our Standard
Every ingredient — natural, synthetic, or biotech — is chosen based on:
- Safety
- Environmental sustainability
- Olfactive performance and consistency
- Full transparency
Ongoing Research & Transparency
We're Always Learning
Fragrance science is evolving. New research emerges, safety standards change, and we're committed to staying ahead.
Our commitments:
- We review new peer-reviewed research regularly
- If evidence shows an ingredient is unsafe, we reformulate, even if it's expensive
- We publish updates to our ingredient standards and Never List
- We're transparent when we make changes and why
A Better Standard for Scent
We believe fragrance deserves the same scrutiny as skincare and wellness. That means:
- 100% ingredient transparency (no secrets, ever)
- Toxin-free formulas backed by independent science
- Sustainable design choices that protect both people and planet
- Performance without compromise—clean fragrances that actually last
Layermor is building a new category in fragrance: one where safety, transparency, and performance coexist.
