Fragrance allergens on labels: the EU rule

Why are fragrance allergens on labels?

Because the EU asks for them by name. 🌸 Fragrance allergens on labels show up when a product passes a set amount of certain scent ingredients known to cause allergies.

Then each one has to be named in the ingredient list, one by one, instead of hiding inside the single word parfum. A 2023 EU rule added more of them.

Reference: European Commission, 2023

A named allergen is a label rule at work. Names like limonene and linalool each have their own page.

Checking one name? Copy it exactly as printed. "Some scent stuff" is too vague to look up later. 📝

At what amount must a fragrance allergen be named?

It depends on whether the product stays on skin or washes off. 💧 In a product left on skin, a listed allergen is named above 0.001%.

In a product rinsed off, the line is 0.01%. So a cream and a face wash with the same scent can follow different lines.

Reference: European Commission, 2023

Reference: European Commission, 2023

The directions decide the line, not the smell or the bottle size. A cream that stays on belongs in the leave-on row. A wash goes in the rinse-off row.

Does a named fragrance allergen mean it is banned?

No. 🙅 Naming is a label rule. It isn't a ban, and it isn't a safety verdict.

It tells a reader that a listed scent ingredient passed the naming amount. It can't say whether the product suits one person, or whether that person is allergic to it.

Reference: European Commission, 2023

A name on the list is information, not a warning label. The ingredient page is the next stop for what PERBETE found about it. 🔎

Scented products bothered your skin before? Then the fragrance page and these names are good ones to look for.

Does a missing allergen name mean there is none?

Not always. 🤔 The rule works with amounts, so a scent allergen below the line doesn't have to be named.

On top of that, older products got extra time to switch to the longer list. So a missing name can't promise zero allergen.

Reference: European Commission, 2023

No name means "not above the line", or an older label. For a name that really matters, ask the brand whether the formula contains it.

When do the new EU fragrance allergen rules apply?

There are two dates, and they do different jobs. 📅 Products that met the older rules could still be put on the EU market until 31 July 2026.

They can stay on sale until 31 July 2028. So new products have to follow the longer list from 1 August 2026, and everything on sale from 1 August 2028.

Reference: European Commission, 2023

Until August 2028, an older label can still be on a shelf. A shorter list during that time doesn't mean the product broke the rule.

How do you compare two fragrance labels?

Start with the directions, then copy the scent names from each list. 🏷️ Use the leave-on line for a product that stays on, and the rinse-off line for a wash.

Keep the dates in mind too. A name on one list and not on the other isn't enough to rank the two products.

Reference: European Commission, 2023

Compare the same kind of product, with the same line. For the rest of the list, see how to read a skincare ingredient list.

Easily upset skin? See the redness page. For a routine built from your own skin answers, take the free skin quiz. ✨