Fragranced body lotion swap to Pure shea butter

Why make the swap

• Why switch to pure shea butter

  Raw shea butter is one plant ingredient with nothing added: no fragrance, and no silicone or synthetic thickener. Going fragrance-free is the route FDA suggests for anyone avoiding DEP.

• What's the concern with fragranced body lotion

  US labels can list a whole scent formula as just ‘fragrance’, and some of its ingredients can trigger skin allergies. It can include DEP, the phthalate most used in fragrance, which FDA says poses no known risk as used, yet women who’d used body lotion in the past day had more of its breakdown product in their urine.

• General information, not medical advice. Ask your doctor, especially if you’re pregnant, nursing or have a health condition.

• Good to know before you buy

  It’s richer than lotion and has an earthy smell of its own; warm a little between your palms and smooth it on while skin is still damp. It comes from the shea nut, so skip it if you have a nut allergy.

• Sources (3)

  1. FDA: 'fragrance' can stand in for undisclosed ingredients, some of which can cause allergies (opens in a new tab)
  2. FDA: DEP is the phthalate used in fragrance; to avoid it, choose products without 'fragrance' (opens in a new tab)
  3. Fisher et al. 2019: DEP's breakdown product was higher in women who'd used body lotion in the past 24 h (opens in a new tab)

  Health and safety facts on this page come from these sources. What a pick is made of comes from its maker's listing or website, as stated on the date we checked.