Swiss skincare without additives: what the term really means

SWISS CONTEXT

What does Swiss skincare without additives mean in legal terms?

In legal terms, the phrase means nothing binding. In Switzerland, Article 54 of the Swiss Ordinance on Foodstuffs and Utility Articles sets out which substances are banned in cosmetic products, which may only be used with restrictions, and which colourants, preservatives and UV filters are permitted at all. For this it refers to the annexes of the EU Cosmetics Regulation, which therefore also apply to the Swiss market. Substances not regulated there may be used, provided their safety is documented in a product safety report. There is, however, no official list of additives that a formula must leave out in order to call itself additive-free. The term can be used freely as long as it isn’t misleading. For you, this means that two creams can both say without additives on the front and still have completely different compositions. The only binding information is the full declaration of ingredients that every product in Switzerland must carry.

Which additives really matter for sensitive skin?

One group matters above all: fragrances. They are among the most common triggers of contact allergies in the population, while many other groups of substances labelled as problematic remain harmless for most people. A long way behind come alcohol in high concentrations, which can dry out the skin, and essential oils, which as a natural source of fragrance bring the same allergens as synthetic perfume. Colourants are rarely necessary in facial skincare and almost always serve to make the product look good in the jar. Preservatives, on the other hand, have a safety function and don’t belong on a blanket blacklist. Plant-based ingredients aren’t automatically problematic either: an aqueous extract such as gentian root brings no fragrance allergens with it, whereas an essential oil from the same plant world does. So if your skin reacts to a lot of things, a sweeping ban on everything synthetic won’t help – a targeted look at two or three groups will. This distinction is often lost in discussions about irritation and an unsettled complexion, because they usually focus on active ingredients and hardly ever on the rest of the formula.

What does fragrance-free skincare actually achieve?

Fragrance-free skincare lowers the risk of an allergic reaction – but no more than that. In a population study from five European countries, 2.6% of those tested reacted to fragrance mix I in a patch test and 1.9% to fragrance mix II. That is a small share of the population as a whole, and a lot if you happen to be one of them. To make matters more complicated, fragrance ingredients may be grouped together in the ingredient list: a single entry reading Parfum can stand for dozens of individual substances. Only particularly allergenic fragrances must also be listed by name above a set concentration – currently 81 substances. For very reactive skin, avoiding fragrance altogether is therefore the more pragmatic solution than studying individual names on the pack. You can read in the feedback from our customers that fragrance-free skincare can still feel pleasant on the skin and doesn’t have to smell of sacrifice.

Are preservatives an additive you should avoid?

No, in water-based products they are necessary. As soon as a formula contains water, microbes can multiply, and a contaminated cream is far riskier for your skin than the preservative itself. In Switzerland, only what is listed in the relevant annex of the EU Cosmetics Regulation is permitted, including maximum amounts and restrictions on use. Products advertised as preservative-free are either water-free, such as pure oils and balms, or use substances with a preserving side effect that do not formally count as preservatives. Both are legitimate, but neither is proof of quality. A more useful question than whether is which: a gently dosed system based on salts of organic acids is something quite different from a high-dose formaldehyde releaser. Hardly any advertising copy on the front makes this distinction – but the ingredient list on the back does, if you know which names belong to which group.

How do you check an ingredient list in one minute?

You read it from top to bottom and look out for three things. First, the order: all ingredients above one per cent are listed in descending order by weight, and anything below that may follow in any order. So an active ingredient right at the end is only present in a small amount. Second, the first five entries, because they make up the bulk of the formula and determine how a product feels. Third, a search for the groups in the table above, above all Parfum. Position alone doesn’t tell you whether an ingredient is effectively dosed, though – for that you need a stated percentage. This is exactly where many products fall short: they name active ingredients prominently but, unlike the stated concentrations in the Duo, don’t put a figure on them. For how differently two well-known active ingredients perform, and what matters when it comes to dosage, see the direct comparison of vitamin C and niacinamide.

When is skincare no longer enough?

If your skin keeps burning, weeping or flaking, or its condition gets worse over weeks despite a pared-back, fragrance-free routine, it needs to be looked at. Skincare cares for and supports the appearance of the skin; it doesn’t replace a diagnosis. A genuine contact allergy can’t be identified by trial and error, only by a patch test carried out by a dermatologist – and only that result tells you which individual substance you need to avoid in future. With skin conditions under medical treatment, too, skincare remains an accompaniment and never becomes a therapy. We draw this line very clearly on purpose, because the world of natural skincare often suggests exactly the opposite. If you are unsure, it is worth making an appointment sooner rather than later. It saves you from trying one new product after another, which puts extra strain on your skin and tends to obscure the real cause rather than clarify it.

Frequently asked questions