Unscented and fragrance-free sunscreens are not the same thing. Fragrance-free means no fragrance ingredients were added to the formula. Unscented just means the product has no noticeable smell, and that can be achieved by adding a masking fragrance to cancel out the base formula's odor. If you're avoiding fragrance for your skin's sake, fragrance-free is the claim that actually matters.
Why the Difference Matters
Fragrance is one of the most common triggers for reactive and sensitive skin. So an unscented product that smells like nothing can still carry the very ingredients you're trying to avoid, working invisibly. Which is arguably worse, because nothing warns you it's there.
How to Read the Label
Skip the front-of-pack claim and read the ingredient list. Fragrance, parfum, and aroma are the words to scan for. For choosing a genuinely fragrance-free SPF, our guide to the best fragrance-free face sunscreens does the shortlisting for you.
At Naked Sundays, when we say a formula is fragrance-free we mean the ingredient list, not the smell. Nothing aromatic riding along with your SPF.
The One-Line Rule
Unscented describes the smell. Fragrance-free describes the formula. Sensitive skin should always shop by the formula.