There are 9 product categories in the Fragrance Free Awards — 8 for cosmetics and skincare, and 1 for house & home — plus a special innovation category, a product achievement category, a category for best fragrance free range, as well as the overall champion prize:
1/ Family & Health Care
Cosmetic products for babies, toddlers, children, teenagers and expectant or new mums, including but not limited to baby washes, nappy balms, cradle cap oils, stretchmark creams, nipple balms, kids’ lotions, teenage skin products, and other products used on the skin and body and aimed at the family market or suitable for health and wellbeing — such as sun creams, sun lotions, aftersun, insect bite protection / aftercare, muscle care, massage oils, joint care, exercise care (products for chaffing, friction), hand sanitiser, toothpaste, oral rinse, hay fever balms, and magnesium / CBD products.
2/ Hair & Scalp Care
Shampoos and shampoo bars, conditioners and conditioner bars, hair gels, hair treatment serums / masks / oils, hair colours, and scalp oils and treatments.
3/ Hand, Foot & Body Care
Creams, gels or balms for use on the body, including body creams, moisturisers, lotions and tanning products; body and bath oils; cleansing or bathing skincare products for the body, such as body scrubs and shower gels / washes — as well as bath salts / bath infusions, bath milks, and bath bombs — and deodorants; hand or foot creams; hand washes, and all nail-care products.
4/ Lips, Eyes & Make-up
Lip balms, lipsticks and lip scrubs; eyeshadow, eyeliners and eye creams; foundations, cheek tints, primers, concealers, and more.
5/ Soap Bars
Bars of soap, for hands and/or body; shaving soap bars; body detergent bars.
6/ Face Care (Leave On)
Creams, balms, serums and oils for use on the face, including anti-ageing creams, night or day creams, all-purpose moisturisers, face balms, plus tinted moisturisers, facial oils; leave-on facial toners, micellar waters, facial mists, and facial spritzes.
7/ Face Care (Rinse Off)
Facial cleaning or cleansing products such as masks, cleansers, cleansing oils / balms, facial washes / gels / scrubs, and make-up removers (including wipes), and rinse-off / cleansing toners or waters.
8/ Problem Skin
Any skincare product which may be suitable for consumers with skin prone to eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis, acne, rosacea or other allergic, sensitive or problem skin condition (chafing, sores, tattoos, itching, dry skin etc).
A/ Home, Household and Pet Care
Household cleaning and sundry consumables for in and around the home, including but not limited to laundry detergent, laundry sheets, fabric softener, kitchen detergents, bathroom cleaners, carpet freshener, furniture polishes and waxes, disinfectants, glass / window sprays, and car cleaning products; Grooming and non-food care products to help look after your cat, dog, or other treasured pet, including fur shampoos, paw balms, dog soaps, and flea care.
NB. Depending on entry levels, some categories may be later split — e.g. Face Care (Leave On) may be split into creams/balms and oils.
Special Categories
* The Innovation Award
Innovation can take many forms, be it for an individual product — such as innovative use of one or more unusual ingredients, innovation in packaging and delivery format, innovation in communication of key information — or it can apply to a whole brand — such as innovation in marketing, policy, ethos, sustainability, or anything else. What are you doing that few others, if anybody, is doing in the ‘fragrance free’ sphere? Surprise our judges! They will be looking for brand or product innovation of all kinds.
* The Achievement Award
Brands may enter this additional special Award with any product submitted in any of the categories 1–8 and A above. The Award celebrates products with particularly strong free from or ‘hypoallergenic’ qualities — which are perhaps very low in or free from preservatives, food allergens and other sensitisers — or which meet a particular need in skincare for consumers with skin allergies or ultra-sensitive skin, or who have to avoid multiple other ingredients, as well as fragrance.
* Best Fragrance Free Range
Brands with at least three products in their fragrance free lines, at least two of which are participating in categories 1–8 and A above, may participate in the Best Fragrance Free Range category.
* Best Fragrance Free Product
The overall ‘winner of winners’ and champion of the Fragrance Free Awards will be chosen from the Gold winners of the product categories (1–8 and A) above.