Fragrance free toilet paper foam

Fragrance free and unscented are not the same thing

The two words get used as if they mean the same thing, and on a label they often don't. Fragrance free should mean no fragrance has been added. Unscented usually means the product doesn't have a noticeable smell, which is a description of the result rather than the recipe.

The US Food and Drug Administration points out that even some products labelled unscented may contain fragrance ingredients, because a manufacturer may add just enough fragrance to mask the unpleasant smell of other ingredients. Its advice to people who want to avoid fragrance is to choose products that are fragrance free and to check the ingredient list carefully.

So the front of the bottle is a starting point. The ingredient list is the answer.

How to read the ingredient list

Cosmetic ingredient lists use standard international names, often called INCI names. Ingredients are usually listed from the largest amount to the smallest, so a toilet paper foam will normally start with Aqua, which is water.

Fragrance shows up in one of two ways. It may be a single word, Parfum or Fragrance, which can stand for a blend of many scent components. The FDA notes that under US rules fragrance can be listed simply as Fragrance rather than naming every component. Or it may appear as named essential oils and scent compounds further down the list.

• Look for Parfum or Fragrance anywhere in the list. If either is there, the product is scented.
• Look for essential oils, often written as a plant name followed by oil, such as a flower, leaf or peel oil.
• Don't rely on words like natural, gentle or pure on the front. They say nothing about fragrance.
• If there is no ingredient list at all, treat the product as unknown and skip it.

Why some people choose fragrance free

Some people simply prefer no scent in the bathroom, or share a home with someone who dislikes perfume. Others have found that fragranced products don't agree with them and would rather avoid fragrance altogether.

If that is you, a fragrance free foam is the sensible place to start, and the general rule for any new cosmetic product applies: try a small amount first, and stop using anything that irritates.

Where Foamie fits in

Foamie Gentle Toilet Paper Foam is a scented product. Its full ingredient list is Aqua, Lauryl Glucoside, Sodium Coco-Sulfate, Glycerine, Parfum, Panthenol, Citric Acid, Benzyl Alcohol and Dehydroacetic Acid. Parfum is the fragrance, so if you are looking strictly for fragrance free, this formula isn't it.

If you are happy with a light scent, the rest of the list is short and readable. Lauryl Glucoside and Sodium Coco-Sulfate are the cleansers that make the foam, Glycerine helps keep the paper soft, Citric Acid adjusts the formula, and Benzyl Alcohol and Dehydroacetic Acid are the preservatives that keep an opened bottle stable.

A 60 ml bottle is NZ$19.95 and gives roughly 400 pumps, which is about 5 cents a use. It is sent from Auckland by NZ Post, free across New Zealand on orders over $25.

Choosing between scented and fragrance free

Choose fragrance free if you want to avoid fragrance for any reason, and confirm it by reading the full ingredient list rather than the front label. Choose a scented foam if you like a light fragrance and have used fragranced cosmetics without any trouble.

Either way, the way you use a foam is the same: fold three or four sheets of toilet paper, put one pump on the centre, give it about two seconds to soak in, wipe and flush the paper. Our how to use toilet paper foam guide has the details, and our best toilet paper foam NZ checklist covers the other things worth checking before you buy. If you decide the scented Foamie formula suits you, it is on the product page, with a sign-up to hear when stock is back if it has sold out.

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