I Formulate With Essential Oils. Here's Why I Also Made Fragrance-Free Versions.
Are essential oils safe for skin? For most people, yes. I've been formulating with essential oils since Stark launched in 2011, and I use them intentionally for their functional properties as much as their scent. Blood orange and Palo Santo in Aurora. Black spruce for its grounding, skin-soothing properties. Yarrow for calming reactive skin. Neroli for its regenerative properties. Each one is there for a reason beyond smelling really, really good.
I have a very specific way of layering scent and very safe method of working with essential oils, I only use oils from the best sources who rigorously test quality, and the concentrations I use are way, waaaay below the recommended dermal limits, which is why most people, even with sensitive skin, will be able to use Stark products for years and years.
So why, after all these years, am I releasing fragrance-free skincare options?
Because some skin simply cannot tolerate essential oils at all, despite safety measures. Not because the oils are bad or because I've been formulating wrong. Because skin is individual, and certain conditions make any essential oil a problem, regardless of quality or concentration. (Plus, I have been asked very nicely a few times and decided it was a good idea.)
The Science of Sensitization
Essential oils are complex. A single oil can contain over 100 chemical constituents, which is part of what makes them effective. It's also what makes them potential sensitizers.
Contact allergy to essential oils is a delayed reaction. You don't react the first time, or even the tenth. Sensitization builds with repeated exposure. Then one day, a product you've used for years suddenly causes redness, itching, or irritation. This isn't the product changing. It's your skin reaching its threshold. It doesn't mean it will happen when you've used a product for a long time, simply that it can.
As someone in close contact with essential oils I am very careful about not over-exposing myself, as I want to work with them for a long time to come AND be able to use them on my own skin. I never ingest them, I am very careful about using them in my bath water, I never apply them directly to my skin undiluted and I no longer diffuse them in my home. Any one of these practices, on it's own, could be safe for a period of time but accumulation and exposure make a difference. Because I am careful with the other ways that I am exposed to essential oils, I have never had a bad reaction to my own products (but have been sensitized by other brands from time to time, unfortunately.)
A large European study found that 8.3% of dermatitis patients reacted to at least one essential oil on patch testing. Around 80 essential oils have been documented as potential contact allergens.
Two compounds appear in almost every essential oil: limonene and linalool. On their own, they're relatively low-risk. The problem is oxidation. When exposed to air over time, they form hydroperoxides, which are significantly more sensitizing than the original compounds.
Why Aurora and Solstice
Aurora is a multi-purpose balm. You can use it as a cleansing balm and rinse it off, or apply it as a leave-on moisturizer. That versatility is why people love it, but it also means extended skin contact for those using it as a moisturizer. The unscented version keeps everything people love about Aurora (the texture, the butters, the way it melts off makeup and also doubles as moisturizer) without the essential oil component.
Solstice is a ceramide balm designed for harsh weather and reactive skin. It's what you reach for when your skin is struggling. The thing is, if your skin is already reactive, adding essential oils into the mix could be counterproductive. Unscented Solstice delivers the same protective, barrier-supporting formula for skin that needs the ceramides but can't handle fragrance.
Both unscented versions use identical base formulations. You're not getting a lesser product. You're getting the same product, minus the essential oils.
Important to note: Don't stop using the scented Aurora and Solstice if you've never had an issue! Most people will not become intolerant... so keep using what you love!
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Who Should Consider Fragrance-Free
Most people tolerate essential oils well (especially when properly used). But certain situations change the equation.
If you have eczema or atopic dermatitis: Your barrier is already compromised, so allergens penetrate more easily and sensitization happens faster. Research specifically recommends against essential oil use for people with atopic dermatitis.
If you've developed new sensitivities: Reacting to products that used to work fine is a sign your skin has hit its threshold. Continuing to use essential oils often makes things worse.
If your barrier is currently damaged: Whether from over-exfoliation, harsh weather, or a recent procedure, compromised skin is more vulnerable. Giving it a break from potential allergens while it heals makes sense.
If you've always suspected fragrance was a problem: Switching to fragrance-free for a few weeks can be diagnostic.
How I Approach Essential Oils
I use essential oils at functional but very conservative amounts. Instead of only using 1-2 oils, I tend to carefully layer essential oils that partner well together both functionally and aromatically, giving the scent a robust-ness without having to use much.
The trend toward high concentrations of single essential oils has caused unnecessary sensitization. More is not better, but I suspect some manufacturers use higher percentages as some scents dissipate quickly, they don't want to learn how to blend essential oils properly (plus, it's way more expensive with my technique) and they want to create products that can sit on the shelves for 18+ months.
I also buffer potentially irritating ingredients with soothing ones, which is why you'll see bisabolol, allantoin, and gentle plant butters alongside any active in my formulas.
I've been making these products for over a decade with very few reported reactions. The formulations work for the vast majority of skin. But "vast majority" isn't everyone.
The Bottom Line
I made unscented Aurora and Solstice because some of my customers needed them. Not because essential oils are dangerous, or because I've changed my mind about using them.
If your skin is happy with scented products, there's no reason to change. But if you have eczema, a damaged barrier, or sensitivities you can't explain, fragrance-free gives you options. Now you don't have to compromise on quality to get them.
Citations:
Geier J, et al. (2022). Contact sensitization to essential oils: IVDK data of the years 2010–2019. Contact Dermatitis, 86(4), 229-237.
De Groot AC, Schmidt E. (2016). Essential oils, part IV: Contact allergy. Dermatitis, 27(4), 170-175.
Bråred Christensson J, et al. (2016). Oxidized limonene and oxidized linalool. Contact Dermatitis, 74(5), 273-280.
