Scent

This is a dealbreaker for me, even when it creates an awkward situation. My nose is so sensitive that there is no way around it. I once had to leave a beautiful, luxurious Airbnb because it had 8 plug-in air fresheners, and the smell would not air out.

The owner was taken aback. Fragrance is beloved in Spain. In my opinion, though, the level of fumes was toxic even for a few hours of exposure. I could not imagine letting children stay there overnight with a clear conscience. So we checked out early, received no refund, and it was worth it.

So remember this: a good hotel room leaves the nose alone. Cool air, clean linen and an open window do the job beautifully.

Beautiful scents belong in a room when they are chosen. A real essential oil names the plant and where it grew, so you know what you are bringing inside. The word fragrance tells you far less.

1 word is doing too much

Pick up a cream or shampoo and run your eye to the end of the ingredient list. Fragrance, parfum or aroma may be the only name given to the whole scent blend.

US cosmetic rules permit the single word fragrance. In Europe, the same blend may appear as parfum or aroma, although listed allergens must be named separately above set limits.

Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 adds 56 more allergens to the European list. The new rules apply to products placed on the market from 31 July 2026. Products already on the market have until 31 July 2028 to update their labels.

California requires companies to report fragrance ingredients found on designated lists. The bottle may still show you only fragrance.

Unscented is the slippery one

Unscented describes the smell you notice when you interact with the product. Producers can achieve the neutral smell in various ways. A masking fragrance can be added to cover the other ingredients.

Fragrance-free means that no scent ingredients were added. This term is more straightforward and useful during shopping.

The formula may still smell of its raw materials. A substance also used in fragrance may be present for another job, perhaps as a preservative, but it has to appear by name.

The US Food and Drug Administration does not regulate either term. Europe requires cosmetic claims to be truthful and supported. Either way, read the full list.

42 baby products in the laboratory

In 2018, researchers tested 42 fragranced baby products: shampoos, washes, lotions, creams, oils and sprays.

The instruments counted 684 emissions across those products, representing 228 different volatile organic compounds. Only 5% appeared on a label, safety sheet or website.

Worse, half of the tested products carried green, organic or all-natural claims. Their most common emissions were not significantly different from the rest of the products. Those reassuring words told the buyer very little about what the bottles released.

Hotels may be fonder of their signature scent than their guests are. In a 2016 survey, 1,136 US adults chose between 2 hotels. 55.5% chose the room without fragranced air. Another 27.8% chose the fragranced room.

Back to the room

Pull out the plug-ins and put away the sprays. Open windows on opposite sides, then smell the room as it is. A drain that needs cleaning is easier to find without perfume over it. The open windows are also the first step in clearing stale air.

Next, laundry. Because the same detergent goes into every wash, changing it takes care of your sheets, towels and clothes at the same time.

The Vanity keeps what stays on the body simple. Check creams, oils, deodorant and sunscreen. Rinse-off products spend less time on your body, so I am not so strict with them.

Keep using anything that already works for you. When a bottle empties, replace it with the plain version. The Vanity directory shows the full ingredient lists.

When you want a scent, choose it for that day. Put oranges in a bowl, coffee on the stove, rosemary in warm water or 1 drop of essential oil on a cloth. Open the window when you are finished.