Fragrance allergens in cosmetics

Short answer. "Parfum" can hide many substances. EU law requires named fragrance allergens above a set concentration. Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 grew the list from 26 to 82 substances. New products must follow the longer list since 31 July 2026.

What "Parfum" means

Parfum or Aroma on a cosmetic label stands for a fragrance mixture. A mixture can hold dozens of substances, and a few of them, such as limonene, linalool and citral, can cause contact allergy in sensitive people.

What the EU requires

Certain fragrance allergens must appear by name in the ingredient list, in addition to Parfum.
A name is required when the allergen exceeds 0.001 % in a leave-on product or 0.01 % in a rinse-off product.
Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 changed Annex III of the Cosmetics Regulation. The list grew from 26 to 82 substances.
New products placed on the EU market must follow the longer list since 31 July 2026.
Products already on the market may use the old labels until 31 July 2028.

Until then, you will see both kinds of label on shelves.

In practice

A product with a short allergen list is not necessarily free of allergens. It may carry an older label.
"Fragrance-free" means no added fragrance. "Unscented" can still contain a masking fragrance. Check the list for Parfum.
For babies and for sensitive skin, a product with no fragrance is the simpler choice.
Rinse-off products touch the skin for a short time. Leave-on products stay on it.

What IngrediScan does

The app finds Parfum and named fragrance allergens in the cosmetic ingredient list, and shows a level for each profile with the reason. See the pages for parfum and limonene.

Sources

Ingredient pages

Last reviewed: 2026-10

The assessment is for information only. It does not replace the manufacturer's label or advice from a doctor or vet. Text recognition (OCR) can miss part of a label. No result does not mean the product is safe.