New fragrance allergens on cosmetic labels — what Regulation 2023/1545 changes
For products placed on the EU market after 31 July 2026, the label on the EU market must name far more fragrance allergens than before. Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 extended the list of substances requiring individual labelling from 24 to roughly 80 entries. Products placed on the market earlier may still be sold until 31 July 2028.
What exactly changed?
The rule itself is unchanged: when an allergen's concentration exceeds 0.001% in leave-on products (creams) or 0.01% in rinse-off products (shampoos), its name must appear in the ingredients list (INCI) — it may not hide inside a collective "Parfum" or "Aroma". The new regulation adds 56 further substances identified by the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS).
The big shift: the list now includes natural oils and extracts at scale. The old list was almost entirely single molecules — its only natural entries were oakmoss (Evernia Prunastri) and treemoss (Evernia Furfuracea) extracts.
New substances — single molecules
- 3-Propylidenephthalide
- 6-Methyl Coumarin
- Acetyl Cedrene
- Alpha-Terpinene
- Amyl Salicylate
- Anethole
- Benzaldehyde
- Beta-Caryophyllene
- Camphor
- Carvone
- Dimethyl Phenethyl Acetate
- Eugenyl Acetate
- Geranyl Acetate
- Hexadecanolactone
- Hexamethylindanopyran
- Isoeugenyl Acetate
- Linalyl Acetate
- Menthol
- Methyl Salicylate
- Pinene
- Rose Ketones
- Salicylaldehyde
- Santalol
- Sclareol
- Terpineol
- Terpinolene
- Tetramethyl Acetyloctahydronaphthalenes
- Trimethylbenzenepropanol
- Trimethylcyclopentenyl Methylisopentenol
- Vanillin
New substances — natural oils and extracts
- Cananga Odorata Oil/Extract
- 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
- Eucalyptus Globulus Oil
- Eugenia Caryophyllus Oil
- Jasmine Oil/Extract
- Juniperus Virginiana Oil
- Laurus Nobilis Leaf Oil
- Lavandula Oil/Extract
- Lemongrass Oil
- Lippia Citriodora Absolute
- Mentha Piperita Oil
- Mentha Viridis Leaf Oil
- Myroxylon Pereirae Oil/Extract
- Narcissus Extract
- Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
- Pinus Mugo
- Pinus Pumila
- Pogostemon Cablin Oil
- Rose Flower Oil/Extract
- Santalum Album Oil
- Turpentine
The names above are the annex's "name to use on the label" — some cover several INCI variants (e.g. "Lavandula Oil/Extract" covers both Lavandula Angustifolia Oil and the hybrid varieties).
What does this mean for you as a consumer?
If you live with a contact allergy, the new labels are a real improvement: substances that used to be invisible inside "Parfum" will be named. Until the transition ends, remember that products placed on the market before the deadline can legally be made available until 31 July 2028 — two versions of the same label will coexist for a while.
You can check any product's ingredients in our free INCI checker — we flag allergens from both the old and the new list, and show whether a substance has appeared in EU cosmetic recall alerts.
What does this mean for a cosmetics brand?
If you are placing products on the market today, the obligation already applies to you. In practice it comes down to two steps:
- Reviewing formulas and labels — which products contain new-list substances directly (e.g. lavender oil), and which carry a fragrance compound of unknown composition;
- Allergen declarations from your fragrance suppliers — in practice these are what settles whether allergens hidden in "Parfum" exceed the thresholds.
BeautyGuard for business now includes an automated 2023/1545 catalogue review: it points out the products that need supplier verification and those that already declare the new allergens.