What are the requirements for fragrance allergen labeling in cosmetics?

With the EU’s recent increase in the number of official fragrance allergens coupled with ever changing IFRA and soon to be released FDA MoCRA requirements, it can be challenging to keep up. In this blog post we share an easier way to track these standards.

Breaking down fragrance allergen labeling requirements:

Fragrance allergens are a subset of the vast array of fragrance ingredients used in cosmetics. As these classified allergens can trigger skin irritation or allergic reactions, regulatory bodies and consumer standards in the beauty industry have set guidelines for their disclosure on product labels. The EU’s Cosmetic Regulation requires the labeling of over 80 well-known allergens ( recently raised from 26), while the International Fragrance Association, otherwise known as IFRA, has its own recommended global labeling standards that is frequently updated and added to. US brands and formulators will also need to make changes to their product labeling when MoCRA (the Modernization of the Cosmetic Regulation Act) takes effect in 2024, which will include US requirements for fragrance allergens. While the list hasn’t been released yet as of this article, many predict that it will align closely to the EU's.

How can you calculate allergen levels?

Calculating allergen levels and ensuring accurate labeling is a complex and manual process, especially given the ever-changing regulatory landscape. Fragrance allergens need to be tracked within each raw material, with the final calculation done on the complete formula level. In addition to distinct regional requirements, different product categories such as rinse-off products or leave-on products have their own thresholds of what final calculation warrants labeling the product as containing fragrance allergens, further adding to the complexity of the labeling process.

Is there an easier way?

Good Face is here to simplify the tracking and calculation of EU, IFRA and soon-to-be-announced US FDA fragrance allergens. Once allergens are added on the raw material level, our system instantly tracks them so when creating formulas using these raw materials, it will auto-calculate the total consolidated allergen percentage for the finished product. This gives teams quick visibility into whether fragrance allergen disclosures need to be added to the final labels, depending on if the total amount surpasses the threshold in the desired region or category it will be sold in. Users can then generate robust excel and PDF reports with a push of a button, saving hours on what would otherwise be manually tracked and calculated by hand.

Good Face updates any time global regulatory, scientific, and consumer sentiment takes place, so teams are always ahead of regulations and their implications. As such, the updated EU Fragrance Allergens list as of July 2023 has been added to our system.

Good Face's innovative regulatory and formulation software empowers cosmetic creators to formulate faster and more efficiently. To learn more about how we can help your team cut tedious work from the R&D and Product Development cycle, book a time with us here.