By Thom Watson, founder of Phatstix who has spent nearly two decades in beauty and started making lip balm in his kitchen because everything else smelled great and did very little.
Most lip balms smell of vanilla, raspberry, mint, or something vaguely tropical. It's a nice trick. The problem is that fragrance and artificial flavour are often the very things that irritate the skin they are supposed to be helping, and they do nothing for your lips at all. An unscented lip balm skips the nice smell entirely and puts those grams to work on conditioning ingredients instead.
What actually is an unscented lip balm?
An unscented lip balm contains no added fragrance, no flavour (natural or artificial), and no essential oils included for scent. What it does contain is the actual formulation: the butters, waxes and oils that condition and protect.
Unscented is not the same as unflavoured, though the two usually go together. A balm can be marketed as unflavoured but still contain lavender essential oil (a fragrance ingredient) or "natural flavourings" that are chemically identical to synthetic ones. The honest version of unscented skips both.
Phatstix is genuinely fragrance-free: no added fragrance, no flavour, no essential oils. The only scent is the faint, pleasant smell of the butters themselves. Shea and cocoa butter have a mild natural aroma. That isn't added; it is just what the ingredients smell like.
Why do so many lip balms contain fragrance?
The short answer: because it sells. A balm that smells of strawberries or mint feels more pleasant at the point of purchase, creates a memory association, and gives the marketing team something to photograph against a pastel background.
It is also cheap. Fragrance is often a filler, a way to make a product feel premium without adding any active benefit. Essential oils, "natural flavours" and synthetic fragrance compounds all do the same job: they make the balm smell interesting. None of them moisturises, protects, conditions or restores your lips.
There is a case for essential oils in skincare when they are included at functional concentrations for a defined purpose. In most flavoured lip balms, that is not what is happening. You are getting trace amounts of flavour compound for sensory appeal.
Can fragrance in lip balm cause irritation?
Fragrance is one of the most common causes of contact dermatitis in cosmetics. Dermatology bodies consistently identify fragrance as a leading allergen in skincare products, and this applies to both synthetic fragrance and natural fragrance (including essential oils and botanical extracts used for scent).
For the lips specifically, the skin is thinner, more permeable, and in near-constant contact with the product. If any ingredient is going to trigger a reaction (redness, tingling, peeling, or that slightly uncomfortable feeling after application) fragrance compounds are the first suspects.
Important: if you are experiencing persistent irritation or skin reactions from a cosmetic product, speak to your GP or pharmacist. This post is general information, not medical advice.
The relevant point for this comparison is simpler: fragrance contributes zero to the conditioning job of a lip balm. It is extra weight in the formula that some people react to and nobody's lips need. Cutting it out is not a sacrifice.
What about menthol and mint?
Menthol and peppermint derivatives are worth separating from general fragrance because they are so common and because their mechanism is distinct. Menthol creates a cooling sensation by activating cold-sensitive nerve receptors in the skin. It does not actually cool anything down.
That tingle people associate with "working" is a neurological effect, not a therapeutic one. Menthol is also a known irritant at higher concentrations, and there is some evidence that it can drive repeated application by creating a mildly uncomfortable baseline sensation when it wears off. It is one of the main ingredients discussed in the lip balm addiction myth, not a genuine dependency, but a product-driven use cycle that serves the brand more than your lips.
Phatstix contains no menthol, no mint, no cooling agents.
Are flavoured lip balms actually bad for you?
No, not as a blanket statement. Most flavoured lip balms are safe to use and most people use them without any issue. The question is not safety, it is purpose.
If the brief is to condition, nourish, and protect dry lips, fragrance and flavour are passengers in the formula. They occupy space and cost that could go on butters and oils. If the brief is to enjoy a product that smells of cherry in a handbag, they deliver.
The problem with products that prioritise the sensory experience over the formula is that they can create a loop: pleasant-smelling product with a modest formulation, moderate results, reapply frequently, become a heavy daily user of something that is working moderately well. A properly formulated balm, fragrance-free, with a high ratio of nourishing ingredients, tends to need less frequent application.
What should an unscented lip balm contain instead?
This is the better question. Removing fragrance only improves things if the space is filled with something useful. In a well-formulated unscented balm, that means:
Occlusives: ingredients that form a physical barrier and reduce water loss through the skin. Beeswax is the natural benchmark: ancient, well-tested, and effective at locking in moisture without feeling suffocating.
Emollients: oils that fill the gaps between skin cells, leaving lips softer and more flexible. Jojoba, sunflower, sweet almond, grapeseed. These are doing the conditioning work.
Butters: shea, cocoa and mango butter add richness, improve the texture of the product, and carry additional emollient and protective properties. Shea in particular is well-researched for skin conditioning (see Honfo et al., 2014).
Phatstix The Balm is 100% natural and contains nothing that is not pulling its weight: white beeswax, sunflower seed oil, jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, grapeseed oil, raspberry seed oil, shea butter, cocoa butter and mango butter. No water, no emulsifiers, no preservatives, no fragrance, no flavour. Nine ingredients, all of them there because they do something. You can read more about what each one does in our guide to what's actually in your lip balm.
Unscented vs flavoured: a quick comparison
| Unscented lip balm | Flavoured / scented lip balm | |
|---|---|---|
| Fragrance / flavour | None | Added (natural or synthetic) |
| Sensory experience at application | Mild, the natural scent of butters | Pleasant, distinct scent |
| Conditioning ingredients | Higher ratio (no formula space used for scent) | Variable, depends on overall formula quality |
| Fragrance allergen risk | Minimal | Present, fragrance is a common contact allergen |
| Good choice for reactive or eczema-prone skin | Yes | Worth checking the full INCI |
| Does the fragrance condition your lips? | N/A | No |
Why did Phatstix choose to make The Balm unscented?
The honest answer is: because we thought about what a lip balm is supposed to do and took it from there.
The formulation goal was a balm that genuinely conditions, protects and lasts: 30g of something so effective you only need one stick for a year, not a drawerful of smaller ones. Fragrance did not make that list. Neither did artificial flavour. Every gram is butters, oils and beeswax.
There was also a practical reason. I started making the balm partly because I have eczema-prone skin and the fragrance in most high-street products was doing me no favours. Cutting it entirely was an obvious call. (Note: if you have eczema or a skin condition, please speak to your GP or pharmacist about what is right for you. Personal anecdote is not the same as a recommendation.)
The result is a balm that smells faintly of cocoa and shea when you first open it, because that is what cocoa butter and shea butter smell like, and then mostly of nothing. Which, as it turns out, is exactly right.
FAQ
What does "fragrance-free" actually mean on a lip balm?
It means no fragrance ingredients have been added to the formula: no synthetic fragrance compounds, no essential oils included for scent, and no flavours. A product labelled "unscented" can sometimes still contain masking fragrances to cover the smell of other ingredients, so checking the full INCI list is always the thorough move.
Is unscented lip balm better for reactive or eczema-prone skin?
Fragrance is one of the most widely identified causes of contact reactions in cosmetics, so removing it reduces a common variable. If you have reactive or eczema-prone skin, a fragrance-free product is a sensible starting point. If reactions persist, speak to a GP or dermatologist. This is general information, not medical advice.
Does unscented mean the balm has no smell at all?
Not always. Natural ingredients have their own scent. A balm made with shea butter, cocoa butter and beeswax will have a faint, pleasant natural smell. It's just not added fragrance. Phatstix The Balm has a mild natural aroma from the butters that fades quickly after application.
Why do most lip balms contain fragrance?
Primarily for sensory appeal and marketability. Fragrance makes a product feel more premium at the point of purchase and creates a brand experience. It does not condition or protect lips, so it is best understood as a cosmetic addition to the experience rather than a formulation decision.
Is flavoured lip balm safe?
Most flavoured and scented lip balms are safe for general use. Fragrance is a common contact allergen for some people, so those with known sensitivities or reactive skin are often advised to choose fragrance-free products. If you are experiencing any persistent skin reactions, seek advice from your GP or pharmacist.
The Balm, Phatstix
30g. Fragrance-free. No flavour. 100% natural ingredients. One stick that lasts up to a year.
Butters and oils that do the job, without anything they don't need.