On the label of a perfume sold in Europe, the word "parfum" stands for the entire fragrance formula. Only certain substances known to cause contact allergies must be named separately, once they exceed a threshold set by the EU Cosmetics Regulation. IFRA standards never appear on the label: they are industry rules that limit or ban materials before a perfume is even made.
What a perfume label must show in Europe
The legal framework is Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products. Perfume falls under it, whether it is an eau de toilette or an extrait de parfum. Article 19 lists the mandatory information on the container and the packaging.
That includes the name and address of the responsible person, a batch number, precautions for use, the function of the product and the list of ingredients. The list follows the international INCI nomenclature, in descending order of weight at the time the ingredients are added. In an alcohol-based perfume it usually starts with "Alcohol denat.", the alcohol that carries the scent, followed by "Parfum".
That single word covers dozens, sometimes hundreds of materials. The regulation explicitly allows it: perfume and aromatic compositions are listed under the term "parfum" or "aroma". This is what protects a house's formula. A competitor cannot read the recipe off the box.
On a niche bottle, this information is often printed on the outer carton rather than on the glass. Keep the box if you have sensitive skin. That is usually where the full list is.
Declarable allergens and the 0.001% and 0.01% thresholds
The exception to the word "parfum" concerns substances listed in Annex III of the regulation with a labelling requirement. They must appear individually in the ingredient list as soon as their concentration exceeds 0.001% in a leave-on product and 0.01% in a rinse-off product. Perfume is sprayed and stays on the skin, so the 0.001% threshold applies.
For a long time the list had 26 substances. Their names are familiar from the back of perfume boxes: Linalool, Limonene, Citronellol, Geraniol, Coumarin, Eugenol, Citral, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Salicylate. The list also included two natural extracts, oakmoss and treemoss, under their Latin names Evernia Prunastri and Evernia Furfuracea.
Many of these molecules occur in essential oils. Linalool is found in lavender and bergamot. Limonene dominates citrus oils. Coumarin gives tonka bean its smell. Citronellol and geraniol are part of the scent of rose. A perfume built on natural materials can therefore show a longer allergen list than a largely synthetic one. We cover this in our article on natural materials and synthetic molecules.
One important point: the mention does not mean the product is dangerous. It is there for people who are already sensitized to a substance. Someone allergic to geraniol can spot the word on the label and avoid the product.
Regulation 2023/1545 and the new allergens since 2026
In 2012, the EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) issued an opinion on fragrance allergens. It identified 56 additional substances that had clearly caused allergies in humans. The European Commission turned this opinion into Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 of 26 July 2023, which adds these 56 entries to Annex III.
The thresholds stay the same: 0.001% for leave-on, 0.01% for rinse-off. The timeline comes in two stages:
- since 31 July 2026, any product newly placed on the EU market must carry the expanded labelling;
- products placed on the market before that date may still be sold until 31 July 2028.
In practice, you will see two versions of the same box side by side for the next few years. The old, shorter list and the new, longer one. The perfume has not necessarily changed. What has changed first is the information printed on the box.
IFRA: industry standards, not law
IFRA, the International Fragrance Association, publishes standards that its members commit to follow. They rest on safety assessments by RIFM, the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials. These standards come in three types:
- prohibitions, which exclude a material from any formula;
- restrictions, which set a maximum concentration depending on the type of product;
- specifications, which set purity criteria for a material.
Limits depend on how the product is used. IFRA sorts products into exposure categories: a lip balm, a body cream, a deodorant and a candle raise different questions. Fine fragrance, from eau de toilette to extrait de parfum, falls under Category 4. The same ingredient can therefore be allowed at one level in an extrait and at a lower level in a cream.
The standards change through amendments. The 51st Amendment was notified on 30 June 2023. The consultation on the 52nd Amendment closed in June 2026, and the final version had not yet been notified at the time of writing.
IFRA is not a public authority. In the European Union, the rule that binds everyone is the Cosmetics Regulation. The two often meet. Oakmoss is a good example: IFRA has long limited its content of atranol and chloroatranol, two strong sensitizers. Regulation (EU) 2017/1410 then banned both substances in cosmetics. Products containing them could no longer be placed on the EU market from 23 August 2019, nor sold there from 23 August 2021. Perfumers now use oakmoss extracts with these compounds removed.
The responsible person and the product file
Every cosmetic sold in the EU must have a responsible person established in the EU. This is often the manufacturer or the importer. Their name and address appear on the packaging. They guarantee that the product complies with the regulation.
To do so, they keep a product information file. It includes a safety report drawn up by a qualified assessor. The product is also notified on the EU cosmetic products portal before it goes on sale. All of this happens behind the scenes. The customer only sees the address printed on the back of the box.
For a niche house based outside Europe, in Thailand or the United Kingdom for example, that European address is a useful sign. It shows that someone has taken charge of the product's compliance for the EU market.
Examples from the Passion Parfum catalog
Our product pages list the notes, not the INCI list. The examples below only show which materials, judging by their notes, belong to the groups of substances covered by labelling. The exact list depends on the formula and is printed on each perfume's packaging.
- Maverick, Aaron Terence Hughes. Bergamot, mandarin and lemon in the top notes, tonka bean in the heart, then white musk, patchouli, nutmeg and cedarwood. The citrus brings limonene, the tonka bean brings coumarin. Both substances are on the original list of declarable allergens. For the material itself, read our article on tonka bean.
- Red Fever, Aaron Terence Hughes. Bergamot and pear, then lily, raspberry, plum, peach and rose absolute, over a base of almond, vanilla, amber, oakmoss and ambergris. It combines rose, a source of citronellol and geraniol, with oakmoss, one of the two natural extracts on the original list.
- Sugidama, Tada Parfumeur. Sugi oil, lavender, bergamot and saffron in the top notes, lily of the valley and cedar in the heart, guaiac wood, musk, sandalwood and patchouli in the base. Lavender and bergamot are two major natural sources of linalool.
- Night Tempo, Tada Parfumeur. Sugar, metallic notes, lime and vinyl, then suede, iris and rose, over ambroxan, leather and oakmoss. Its oakmoss note points to one of the most closely regulated materials, by IFRA and by EU law alike.
- Rosanostra, Spiritica. Bitter orange and a blood note on top, black Taif rose, Damask rose, rose centifolia and burnt paper in the heart, frankincense and damp earth in the base. Three roses in one formula: if you react to geraniol or citronellol, this is the kind of perfume whose box you should read carefully.
Find more rose compositions in our floral collection, and the other creations of both houses in the Aaron Terence Hughes and Tada Parfumeur collections.
Frequently asked questions
Is a perfume with no allergens on the label risk-free?
No. The absence of a mention only means that no listed substance exceeds the 0.001% threshold. You can be allergic to a material that is not on the list. A short label is still useful information for someone who is already sensitized.
What does "Parfum" mean in the ingredient list?
The word covers the whole fragrance composition. EU law allows it to be grouped under one term to protect the formula. Only regulated allergens above the threshold are named separately.
Is an IFRA-compliant perfume hypoallergenic?
No. IFRA compliance means the materials stay within the limits the industry sets for each product category. It lowers the risk of sensitization for the general population. It does not protect someone who is already allergic to a substance in the formula.
How do I know if I am allergic to a perfume?
Redness or itching where you apply fragrance is a warning sign. Only a dermatologist or an allergist can identify the substance involved, usually with patch tests. Write down its INCI name and look for it on labels.
Why has the ingredient list on my perfume changed?
Most often it is the effect of Regulation 2023/1545: since 31 July 2026, new batches sold in the EU must declare 56 additional allergens. The formula may be identical. A reformulation is still possible, but the new label alone does not prove it.
To go further, our Understanding perfume page gathers our articles on how perfume is made and worn, including the one on how each skin reacts. If your skin is reactive, start with a 2 ml sample: every perfume in the catalog comes in this size, so you can wear it for several days before buying the bottle.