Dear Valerie: I formulated a fragrance-free skin moisturizer, but I find it still has a detectable scent. I isolated the source to the phenoxyethanol in my preservation system. Are you aware of any ingredients I can use to mask the scent?

—Rosy the Chemist

Dear Rosy:

During the past few years, I’ve realized there two types of people—those who can’t really detect phenoxyethanol in a product, and those who identify the scent like a truffle-seeking pig. I’m in the latter camp. I can detect phenoxyethanol in a finished good a mile away. While I do have a heightened sense of smell, I would like to think I can detect it because I work with it frequently. As an aside, I find its scent completely repulsive.

Phenoxyethanol on its own has a slight, rosy odor. It’s even used in the perfuming industry. However, as a preservative, its use level is too low to contribute a significant scent that an ordinary person would notice. Except for people like you and me!

Not much can be done to mask it. While fragrance companies do offer masking ingredients or odor neutralization technologies, some of them are indeed fragrances themselves. It could be worth asking your preferred fragrance vendors if they have such a technology geared toward phenoxy.

However, I think the easiest course of action is to remove the source of the unwanted odor and change preservatives. There are many effective preservation technologies available that don’t leave phenoxy’s signature scent, have lower price points, look friendly on the consumer label and are compatible with your system.

Valerie George

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Valerie George is a cosmetic chemist, science communicator, educator, leader, and avid proponent of transparency in the beauty industry. She works on the latest research in hair color and hair care at her company, Simply Formulas, and is the co-host of The Beauty Brains podcast. You can find her on Instagram at @cosmetic_chemist or showcasing her favorite ingredients to small brands and home formulators at simply-ingredients.com