Hypoallergenic, fragrance-free and unscented products abound in the market place. But why the different terms? After all, if there is no scent, shouldn't it be considered unscented? Not necessarily.

Women who struggle with itchy, dry or easily irritated skin often prefer a product that has little or no scent, oils or smells in the belief that the less ingredients in a product, the less chance for an reaction for their sensitive skin. It would make sense for these customers to choose a product marketed specifically for them. But with the dizzying variations in product name, which do they choose?

Consumers will find hundreds of products marketed to those with sensitive skin, each carrying its own specific term.

How does the savvy consumer choose between products listed as fragrance-free, unscented, hypoallergenic or simply marketed for sensitive skin?

What do all these terms, which sound so similar, really mean.

Hypoalergenic is defined as "designed to reduce or minimize the possibility of an allergic response, as by containing relatively few or no potentially irritating substances." Consumers may be surprised to find, however, that according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) there is no federal definition for hypoallergenic so "the term can mean whatever a particular company wants it to mean."

Fragrance-Free.   This term implies no fragrance at all, but should not be taken literally. The FDA term for fragrance-free is specifically required when products are altered so consumers can know that there are potential chemical allergens in the product even if they cannot smell them.

This means if the manufacturer adds ingredients to the product to cover some type of smell, it can still be marketed as fragrance-free. For example, if the body lotion is made from lavender and the manufacturer adds a chemical to mask that scent they can still call it "fragrance-free." This is important for people with allergies, who need to know exactly what is in a product even if there is no identifying smell.

Dermatologist Dr Pamela Scheinman, from the Tufts-New England Medical Center says that many so-called fragrance-free products still contain fragrances used for their preservative qualities.

Benzyl alcohol, for example, is a preservative, but it is also a fragrance. It is rated 6 Moderate Hazard on the Skin Deep Database and is used in 3,08l products

Under US Food and Drug Administration rules this is perfectly legal. Other examples include coriander, cardamom and myrrh - all fragrance chemicals - and Vaseline Intensive  Care advanced healing lotion which includes the fragrance chemical ethaline bracelate.

Eugenol also acts as a preservative and a emi's a spicy fragrance It is rated High Hazard on the Skin Deep Database which is toxic to the immune and nervous systems, an endocrine disruptor , and an allergen.

Read the ingredients and if it sounds like a plant, flower or spice, it probably has a fragrance you should avoid if you have allergies.