EU Expands Fragrance Allergen Labeling to 80 Substances

New EU regulations will require beauty brands to declare approximately 80 fragrance allergens on cosmetic product labels, a significant expansion from the previous 26. The rules, which take effect July 31, 2026, for all new products placed on the market, are part of Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 amending Annex III of the Cosmetics Products Regulation.

Under the updated law, any cosmetic containing one or more of the listed allergenic fragrance substances must specify each one individually on the label. Thresholds are set at 0.001% for leave-on products and 0.01% for rinse-off products, above which disclosure is mandatory.

Products already on the EU market before the deadline have until July 31, 2028, to be sold under the old labeling rules. After that date, noncompliant items may be withdrawn from sale.

The regulation applies across all EU member states and Northern Ireland. It aims to better inform consumers and protect individuals with fragrance allergies, but industry groups have noted the sweeping changes pose one of the biggest compliance challenges in recent years due to the breadth of substances and reformulation required.