Condition guide

The 26 Named Fragrance Allergens (UK/EU): The Hub

The UK/EU register of individually-declared fragrance allergens - what they are, where they come from, and how to find them on any cosmetic label. The parent hub for the individual allergen deep-dives.

Short answer. UK cosmetic law (retained EU Regulation 1223/2009) requires that when a product contains one of a specific list of individually-named fragrance allergens above a low threshold, that allergen must be spelled out on the ingredients list. The register started at 26 and is being expanded. Learning the 26 names is the single most useful thing you can do to shop safely with fragrance-sensitive skin.

Why the list exists

Before 2003, fragrance in cosmetics could appear on labels as one word - Parfum or Fragrance - covering any of tens of thousands of possible fragrance ingredients. That opacity made it structurally impossible for a fragrance-sensitised person to shop safely. The EU response, adopted by the UK before Brexit and retained since, was to require the 26 most-commonly-sensitising fragrance ingredients to be individually declared on the ingredients list whenever they exceed the declaration threshold:

Above those thresholds, the specific allergen must be named. Below them, it can hide inside Parfum. The thresholds are low enough that most fragranced products will show individual allergens.

The list of 26

The named allergens fall into four broad groups. Below each is what it usually smells like and where it typically comes from.

The most common - the ones you will see on nearly every fragranced label

Regularly seen

The high-risk ones now restricted or banned

The less common

Where they come from - natural or synthetic

The most important thing to understand about this list: the allergen is the same molecule whether it comes from a plant or a lab. Linalool in lavender oil is chemically identical to synthetic linalool. Limonene in an orange peel is chemically identical to synthetic limonene. The immune system does not distinguish.

This is why “natural fragrance” is not safer for someone allergic to a named ingredient - and often it is worse, because natural sources deliver several allergens together in one oil.

How to read a label for these

Step 1. Turn the product over.

Step 2. Look at the last third of the INCI list. Fragrance ingredients almost always sit at the end because they are used at low percentages.

Step 3. Scan for any of the 26 names above. Also scan for essential-oil-style names (a Latin genus followed by Oil, Extract, Absolute or Water), because essential oils release these same allergens.

Step 4. If you have a known allergy to a specific one from a patch test, that is a hard no. If you are avoiding fragrance in general, any of the 26 in the last third of the INCI means fragrance is present regardless of the front-of-pack claim.

The transition to the expanded list

The EU/UK 3rd amendment to the Cosmetics Regulation adds more named fragrance allergens to the register beyond the original 26. The transition is running through 2026 into 2028 depending on product category (leave-on vs rinse-off, and depending on shelf-life clearance windows for pre-existing stock). During this window:

For fragrance-sensitive shoppers, this is broadly positive - more names on the label means more information. It also means the “hidden” pool of fragrance ingredients that used to sit inside Parfum gets smaller.

Individual allergen deep-dives

Where we have written the ingredient-level page:

Each page covers where the ingredient is found, who reacts, how it typically presents, and what to look for on the label. The remaining names above are planned deep-dives.

The habit that keeps this working

Learn five names at a time. Limonene, Linalool, Citronellol, Geraniol, Citral cover most of what you will see on a UK cosmetic label. Add Coumarin, Eugenol, Cinnamal, Benzyl alcohol, Farnesol and you have the top ten. Ten names, thirty seconds per label, and the fragrance question is answered by the back of the pack instead of the marketing on the front.

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Common questions

Where does the '26 named fragrance allergens' list come from?

It is the UK-retained version of the EU Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009 (Annex III), which since 2003 has required the individual naming of 26 specific fragrance components on cosmetic ingredients lists when they are present above the declaration threshold. The list is being expanded by a follow-up amendment - the EU/UK 3rd amendment adds more named allergens to the register, with the transition period running into 2026 to 2028 depending on product category. During this window some labels will show the older 26, some the newer expanded list.

Is the list the same as saying these ingredients are banned?

No. Being on the named allergen list means the ingredient must be individually declared on the label when it exceeds a very small percentage. It is a transparency rule, not a ban. Two ingredients on the list have been separately restricted or banned in cosmetics: HICC (hydroxyisohexyl 3-cyclohexene carboxaldehyde) is banned since 2021, and lilial (butylphenyl methylpropional) is restricted since 2022 - but the rest are legal in cosmetics at any concentration, as long as they are declared.

Are natural essential oils on this list?

Yes, in effect. Many named allergens (linalool, limonene, citronellol, geraniol, citral) are present in essential oils as their major or minor components. A product with lavender oil will usually declare both 'Lavandula Angustifolia Oil' and 'Linalool' in the INCI. See our natural doesn't mean safe guide for the practical implications.

Does 'fragrance-free' guarantee none of these will be present?

No, because 'fragrance-free' is not a regulated term in the UK. Some fragrance-free products still contain masking fragrances or essential oils that carry named allergens. The only way to know is to read the INCI list. See our fragrance-free is not regulated guide for how to verify.

Written and reviewed by the Sensitive Skin Lab editorial team.

A note on this content. The Sensitive Skin Lab publishes general educational information, not medical advice. If you suspect you have an allergy or sensitivity, consult a qualified dermatologist or allergist. Product formulations and labels change without notice, so always check the ingredients on the product itself.