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:
- Alpha isomethyl ionone
- Amyl cinnamal (Jasmonal A)
- Amylcinnamyl alcohol
- Anisyl alcohol
- Benzyl alcohol
- Benzyl benzoate
- Benzyl cinnamate
- Benzyl salicylate
- Butylphenyl methylpropional (Lilial)
- Cinnamal
- Cinnamyl alcohol
- Citral
- Citronellol
- Coumarin
- Eugenol
- Farnesol
- Geraniol
- Hexyl cinnamal (Jasmonal h)
- Hydroxycitronellal
- Hydroxyisohexyl 3-cyclohexene carboxaldehyde (Lyral)
- Isoeugenol
- Limonene
- Linalool
- Methyl 2-octynoate
- Evernia furfuracea (Treemoss) extract
- 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
- 3-Propylidenephthalide
- Acetyl Cedrene
- Alpha-Terpinene
- Amyl Salicylate
- Anethole
- Benzaldehyde
- Beta-Caryophyllene
- Camphor
- Cananga Odorata Oil/Extract
- Carvone
- Cedrus Atlantica Oil/Extract
- Cinnamomum Cassia Leaf Oil
- Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Bark Oil
- Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Peel Oil
- Citrus Aurantium Flower Oil
- Citrus Aurantium Peel Oil
- Citrus Limon Peel Oil
- Dimethyl Phenethyl Acetate
- Eugenia Caryophyllus Oil
- Eugenyl Acetate
- Eucalyptus Globulus Oil
- Geranyl Acetate
- Hexadecanolactone
- Hexamethylindanopyran
- Isoeugenyl Acetate
- Jasmine Oil/Extract
- Juniperus Virginiana Oil
- Laurus Nobilis Leaf Oil
- Lavandula Oil/Extract
- Lemongrass Oil
- Linalyl Acetate
- Lippia Citriodora Absolute. 'Absolute' is a perfumery term meaning 'concentrated, highly aromatic, oily mixtures extracted from plants'.
- Mentha Piperita Oil
- Mentha Viridis Leaf Oil
- Menthol
- Methyl Salicylate
- Myroxylon Pereirae Oil/Extract
- Narcissus Extract
- Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
- Pogostemon Cablin Oil
- Pinene
- Pinus Mugo
- Pinus Pumila
- Rose Flower Oil/Extract
- Rose Ketones
- Salicylaldehyde
- Santalol
- Santalum Album Oil
- Sclareol
- Terpineol
- Terpinolene
- Tetramethyl acetyloctahydronaphthalenes
- Trimethylbenzenepropanol
- Trimethylcyclopentenyl Methylisopentenol
- Turpentine
- Vanillin