I get a lot of questions on fragrance safety and how to make sure your perfume is IFRA compliant so today I decided to create a summary of the most common ones to get you started. I also have a free tutorial HERE for those who need a bit more help with making sure your perfumes are safe to sell.
What is IFRA?
- IFRA is the self-regulating body of the international fragrance industry and was set up to help fragrance creators produce safe perfumes.
- IFRA compliance is voluntary (but advised). You do not need to become an IFRA member to comply but if you are a member you must comply.
- IFRA Compliance Certificates are provided by fragrance producers, therefore if you make perfume, you are the producer and need to fill in your own IFRA certificate which can be downloaded from their website
- Even if you are not selling your perfumes, I would advise any serious perfume maker to understand IFRA and why certain materials are restricted as a part of your ongoing education
How to find out if your perfume has any IFRA restricted components?
- To see if any of your fragrance materials (or components of your essential oils or absolutes) are restricted by IFRA you can search the database here: https://ifrafragrance.org/safe-use/library
- Every restricted component is listed on the database (if it’s not there, or you can’t find it, do not assume as it may be listed under a different name) but I’d suggest cross-checking with Good Scents Company in case.
- Many natural materials are not restricted but components are, so you need to be familiar with the chemical breakdown of your essential oils.
- The amount of restricted materials allowed in your products depends on the category of the product (Skincare is different from fine fragrance for example) so you must check which category your product falls into.
What about labelling your perfume?
- IFRA and labelling regulations are different things. Labelling cosmetics for selling products in the E.U for example comes under the E.U cosmetics regs (For the USA it will be the FDA) – make sure you look up your own country’s safety requirements
- One of the reasons you can list *Parfum on a fragrance without disclosing the whole formulation is down to IFRA’s work to protect the intellectual property of the perfumer.
- Listing *Parfum on a label does not mean the fragrance is “full of nasties” – it is simply to protect the formulation. It can be used for all fragrances regardless of whether they contain all naturals or synthetic components.
Many natural perfumers choose to disclose their entire fragrance ingredients list – that is your choice. You can still use *Parfum for an all-natural fragrance if you wish. - You must however (under E.U law) disclose any allergens from the 26 listed on the packaging if they are over a certain amount. This is separate from IFRA restrictions.
- In the E.U you must also have a CPSR (Cosmetics Products Safety Report) done by a qualified individual to make sure your labels are compliant. For other countries check your own government website for requirements.
- Room fragrances and reed diffusers are not cosmetics so there are different label requirements (CLP) but allergens must still be listed and they do still come under IFRA regulations as this is not solely for cosmetics.
As you can see, there is a lot to it! For further info you can watch the tutorial & Q&A I did here for my mastermind group here.
If you need more in depth help on safety regulations for selling your perfumes the doors to the Artisan Perfumery Mastermind are open!
