Why are unscented after-shave so uncommon, most of after-shave I can find at a reasonable price have that typical cheap cologne smell which is going to wreck any perfume you wear.
But when looking in most shop, most of them still have some fragance in-it and often, so looks like that people shaving their face buy-it
Many skin care products have fragrance to mask the aroma of the finished product (and the skin).
Unless the products are made with essential oils, they [skin care products] have “masking fragrance” in the ingredients list on Unscented Products. These essential oils serve a dual purpose by enhancing a product’s skin care benefits and providing aroma.
Crafters and hobbyists will tell you that their finished candle, soap, lip balm, lotion, etc. smells unpleasant or off until fragrance and/or essential oil is added.
@DagwoodIll@piefed.social is spot on, witch hazel can be used as an after shave. Don’t worry about the aroma, it dissipates rather quickly.
Source: I was a hobbyist/crafter when I was younger and went to esthiology school a loooooooong time ago.
This is the answer.
The more insidious bit?
Most manufacturers don’t actually know what’s in the masking fragrance, because they buy it from a third party who has no legal requirement to list the ingredients.
So even “unscented” products have this stuff in them that’s a mixture of perfume and preservative, the contents of which are a trade secret. There’s very few soap, deodorant and aftershave suppliers who actually know all the chemical contents of their products, and even fewer who are willing to share that information with the customer.