Snug Scent study finds most UK home fragrance brands omit full ingredient lists

Snug Scent reviewed 117 UK home fragrance brands and found widespread gaps in ingredient disclosure and hazard information. The company says the findings point to greenwashing in a category where shoppers often cannot tell what is actually in candles and reed diffusers.

Why it matters: - Shoppers buying candles and reed diffusers often cannot see a complete ingredient list before purchase. - The missing disclosures make it harder to compare products, spot allergens, and judge whether a fragrance is actually natural. - The research also raises questions about greenwashing in the UK home fragrance market.

What happened: - Snug Scent reviewed 117 other home fragrance brands over several months during a website redesign project. - The audit looked at how brands displayed claims, evidence, ingredient lists and CLP hazard information online. - The research found that only 3% of brands provided a full ingredient list. - The research found that 72% did not say what the scent is made of at all. - Rita, Snug Scent co-founder, carried out the audit.

The details: - Snug Scent is based in Rochester, Kent, and is an independent home fragrance brand. - Rita has a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering with a focus on organic chemistry and an MSc in Environmental Engineering. - Snug Scent says Rita formulates each product in a home lab from natural ingredients and lists every ingredient on the product page. - The only full ingredient lists found in the review came from three small independent makers. - Across 302 named substances, 50 were synthetic aroma chemicals. - Another 116 were molecules such as linalool and limonene that can come from either a plant or a factory. - Snug Scent says an allergen list cannot show whether a product is natural, and only a botanical ingredients list can. - The study is available online for a full breakdown.

Between the lines: - The audit suggests many fragrance brands are giving shoppers partial information while still making natural or clean-sounding claims. - The findings also show a gap between marketing language and ingredient transparency in a category where formulation details matter to sensitive consumers.

What's next: - Snug Scent says the research will inform its own website redesign and how it presents claims, evidence and hazard information. - The company is continuing to position full ingredient disclosure as a central part of its product pages.

The bottom line: - In UK home fragrance, the biggest transparency gap is not just safety labeling, but whether brands reveal what their products are made of at all.