Fragrance allergens on cosmetic labels
Why names such as linalool or limonene appear after “parfum”, what the thresholds are and what the 2023 EU update changes.
Updated: 30 October 2026 · Reviewed by: Kamil Pyziak
Why some fragrance ingredients are named separately
A fragrance blend is listed as “parfum” (or “aroma” in oral products). EU law additionally requires certain fragrance ingredients known to cause contact allergy in some people to be named individually when they exceed set thresholds, so that people who already know they are allergic can avoid them.
The thresholds
A listed fragrance allergen must be named when its concentration exceeds 0.001% in leave-on products or 0.01% in rinse-off products. Below those levels it may be present without being named.
The 2023 update
Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 extended the list of fragrance allergens that must be labelled from 24 to over 80 entries. New products placed on the EU market must comply from 31 July 2026; products already on the market may continue to be sold until 31 July 2028. You will therefore see longer lists of names after “parfum” on many products.
What the names do and do not mean
A named allergen is not a warning that the product is unsafe. Most people do not react to these ingredients. The labelling helps people with a diagnosed fragrance allergy, ideally confirmed by patch testing with a dermatologist, to identify products to avoid. Many of these substances also occur naturally in essential oils, so “natural” fragrances are labelled in the same way.