Frequently Asked Questions

We know that for people with fragrance sensitivity and reactive skin, trust is not given freely - it is earned. The questions below are the ones we hear most often, and we have answered them the way we answer everything at Akiba: honestly, specifically, and without fine print.

If your question is not here, reach out. We will always tell you exactly what is in our products, why it is there, and whether it is right for your specific sensitivity.

1. Are all Akiba body care products fragrance-free?

Yes. Every Akiba body care product is strictly fragrance-free - no added fragrance, no masking scents, and no essential oils. Nothing that hides a known irritant under a different name. Any natural aroma you detect comes only from the raw ingredients themselves - the plant butters and oils chosen for what they do on skin, not for how they smell.

2. Who are these products designed for?

Akiba body care is designed for people with fragrance sensitivity and reactive skin who have read every label, tried every gentle formula, and still reacted. If you have been failed by products that promised to be safe and weren't - this is where that stops.

Our products are also a thoughtful choice for caregivers buying for a child, partner, or family member with eczema, fragrance allergies, or reactive skin. And for anyone who simply wants to know exactly what is going on their skin - and why.

3. What if I've reacted to other "sensitive skin" products?

We understand - and we want to explain why that happens. Most products labelled "fragrance-free" or "sensitive skin" can still contain masking scents added to neutralise the natural smell of their ingredients, and essential oils classified as botanical ingredients rather than fragrance. Both can trigger reactions in sensitive skin without appearing on the label as fragrance.

At Akiba, fragrance-free means three things simultaneously: no added fragrance, no masking scents, and no essential oils. No loopholes. No surprises on day four.

4. Which product should I start with?

If you are new to Akiba, we recommend starting with the Akiba Treasures Discovery Collection. It contains seven sample-size products across three formulas - plain, cooling, and warming - in both scoopable butter and solid bar formats. It is designed exactly for this moment: to let you try everything before you commit, at a price that removes the risk.

If you prefer to start with a single product, the Satin Kpangnan Lip Butter Stick is a gentle, low-barrier introduction to Akiba and to our hero ingredient, Kpangnan butter. Fragrance-free, flavour-free, and made with no essential oils - it is a simple, reliable first step for skin that needs to trust before it commits.

5. Do your products contain essential oils?

No. Never. Not in any Akiba body care formula - not for scent, not for function, and not under any other name or botanical classification. Essential oils are among the common triggers for fragrance-sensitive and reactive skin, and they can appear in products labelled fragrance-free because they are classified as botanical ingredients rather than fragrance. At Akiba, that loophole is closed completely.

6. Where are your products made?

Akiba products are handmade in small batches in Fredericksburg, Virginia by our founder Aba. Every formula is created with the same standard - ingredients chosen for how they perform on sensitive skin, nothing else. Small batch production means close attention to every product that leaves our hands, and consistency you can trust from the first use to the last.

 

 

 

EXPLORE OUR COLLECTIONS

Meet the Maker

Hi, I'm Aba, founder of Akiba.

I've always loved fragrance, beauty, and thoughtfully crafted things. I'm drawn to care that feels intentional, well made, and grounded in daily life. That love is what started Akiba.

But it was loss that gave it purpose.

In 2017, I lost my sense of smell for several months. When it returned, it came back altered - a condition called parosmia that made many everyday scents difficult and sometimes unbearable. Products I had loved became impossible to use.

Then the pandemic arrived, and I watched the same thing happen to so many others - people losing their smell, developing sensitivities, suddenly struggling with products they had used their whole lives. And beyond them, a much larger world of people navigating fragrance sensitivity and reactive skin, who had been quietly managing the same frustration for years.

So I rebuilt Akiba around that need.

What I learned through my own experience - and through listening to theirs - is that there is a significant difference between something that feels impressive once and something that feels safe to return to. That distinction guides every formula I create, every ingredient I select, and every product I put my name on.

No added fragrance. No masking scents. No essential oils. Nothing that hides a known irritant under a different name.

I built Akiba once as someone who loved fragrance. I rebuilt it as someone who had learned what fragrance could do to people that couldn't tolerate it. That second perspective is the one that made it worth something."

If you have spent years reading labels, switching products, and still reacting - Akiba was rebuilt for you. I'm glad you are here.

With care, Aba

Connect with me