The SkinSort Blog

EU Allergens List (2023)

Updated: November 09, 2023

The EU allergens list is comprised of 82 ingredients known to cause skin sensitivity and contact allergy. Prior to 2023, the list comprised of 26 ingredients.

These ingredients are required to be listed if they exceed:

  • 0.01% in rinse-off products
  • 0.001% in leave-on products

These are ingredients that must be listed separately (not grouped under the umbrella term ‘parfum’ .

Definition

The European Commission defines contact allergies as this:

"Contact allergy to fragrance ingredients occurs when an individual has been exposed, on the skin, to a sufficient degree of fragrance contact allergens.

Contact allergy is a life-long, specifically altered reactivity in the immune system. This means that once contact allergy is developed, cells in the immune system will be present which can recognise and react towards the allergen."

2023 Update

In the past few years, the EU has worked on altering the EU allergens list. Once the new and updated list it confirmed, brands will have some time to update their labels in the EU market:

  • 2028 to be compliant with new label regulations
  • 2026 to sell products already on the market. Unsold products after this time must be recalled

As of 2023, the European commission expanded the list to 82 ingredients.

26 EU Allergens

Here are the original 26:

  1. Alpha isomethyl ionone
  2. Amyl cinnamal (Jasmonal A)
  3. Amylcinnamyl alcohol
  4. Anisyl alcohol
  5. Benzyl alcohol
  6. Benzyl benzoate
  7. Benzyl cinnamate
  8. Benzyl salicylate
  9. Butylphenyl methylpropional (Lilial)
  10. Cinnamal
  11. Cinnamyl alcohol
  12. Citral
  13. Citronellol
  14. Coumarin
  15. Eugenol
  16. Farnesol
  17. Geraniol
  18. Hexyl cinnamal (Jasmonal h)
  19. Hydroxycitronellal
  20. Hydroxyisohexyl 3-cyclohexene carboxaldehyde (Lyral)
  21. Isoeugenol
  22. Limonene
  23. Linalool
  24. Methyl 2-octynoate
  25. Evernia furfuracea (Treemoss) extract
  26. Evernia prunastri (Oakmoss) extract

Check Ingredients

We made a tool for you to easily check the ingredients in any product. Use the Ingredient Checker here now.

2023 New Allergens

  1. 3-Propylidenephthalide
  2. Acetyl Cedrene
  3. Alpha-Terpinene
  4. Amyl Salicylate
  5. Anethole
  6. Benzaldehyde
  7. Beta-Caryophyllene
  8. Camphor
  9. Cananga Odorata Oil/Extract
  10. Carvone
  11. Cedrus Atlantica Oil/Extract
  12. Cinnamomum Cassia Leaf Oil
  13. Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Bark Oil
  14. Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Peel Oil
  15. Citrus Aurantium Flower Oil
  16. Citrus Aurantium Peel Oil
  17. Citrus Limon Peel Oil
  18. Dimethyl Phenethyl Acetate
  19. Eugenia Caryophyllus Oil
  20. Eugenyl Acetate
  21. Eucalyptus Globulus Oil
  22. Geranyl Acetate
  23. Hexadecanolactone
  24. Hexamethylindanopyran
  25. Isoeugenyl Acetate
  26. Jasmine Oil/Extract
  27. Juniperus Virginiana Oil
  28. Laurus Nobilis Leaf Oil
  29. Lavandula Oil/Extract
  30. Lemongrass Oil
  31. Linalyl Acetate
  32. Lippia Citriodora Absolute. 'Absolute' is a perfumery term meaning 'concentrated, highly aromatic, oily mixtures extracted from plants'.
  33. Mentha Piperita Oil
  34. Mentha Viridis Leaf Oil
  35. Menthol
  36. Methyl Salicylate
  37. Myroxylon Pereirae Oil/Extract
  38. Narcissus Extract
  39. Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
  40. Pogostemon Cablin Oil
  41. Pinene
  42. Pinus Mugo
  43. Pinus Pumila
  44. Rose Flower Oil/Extract
  45. Rose Ketones
  46. Salicylaldehyde
  47. Santalol
  48. Santalum Album Oil
  49. Sclareol
  50. Terpineol
  51. Terpinolene
  52. Tetramethyl acetyloctahydronaphthalenes
  53. Trimethylbenzenepropanol
  54. Trimethylcyclopentenyl Methylisopentenol
  55. Turpentine
  56. Vanillin