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The IFRA Transparency List
It represents a ‘snapshot’ of all the ingredients used by fragrance companies around the world. This includes those ingredients used in minimal quantities or only in certain countries or regions.
The IFRA Transparency List is one of IFRA’s key tools for providing information to people inside and outside our industry about all the ingredients used by IFRA members worldwide.
It also allows IFRA to build a range of tools and services for members, such as the IFRA Fragrance Ingredient Glossary.
Entry 18391
What types of ingredients are on the List?
There are two main types of ingredient on the List.
Fragrance ingredients are substances used for odor or malodor coverage.
Functional ingredients are substances that are not used to provide odor or malodor coverage, but which are essential for the functionality or durability of a fragrance compound – such as an antioxidant, preservative, diluent, solvent or color.
How is the List compiled?
The IFRA Transparency List is based on reporting provided by IFRA Members in the ‘Volume of Use Survey’, which is compiled approximately every five years.
The latest List, published in 2022, provides a snapshot of the ingredients used by fragrance companies around the world. This snapshot is based on a global survey of IFRA member companies and National Associations, the most recent of which was carried out in 2021.
In line with our anti-trust obligations, the Survey is anonymous and confidential. As well as helping us to develop the IFRA Transparency List, the data provided by the Survey is relevant for the industry’s safety assessment program managed by the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials (RIFM).
How many ingredients are on the List?
The 2022 edition of the IFRA Transparency List includes 3,619 ingredients.
The 2022 List contains around 350 ingredients fewer than the previous edition, published in 2016.
Changes in the number of ingredients on the List are due to several factors, including new or modified ingredients as a result of innovation in the industry, quality control and elimination of duplicate identifiers for materials in active use, regulatory changes around the world, and market preferences.
What’s new in the 2022 edition of the IFRA Transparency List?
In the 2022 edition of the IFRA Transparency List, there are 992 Natural Complex Substances (NCSs).
These NCSs feature additional identifiers that allows users of the List to understand the origin or the processing of natural ingredients, or the part of the plant from which the natural ingredient is derived.
This information is based on the principles of the internationally recognized ISO 9235 standard on aromatic natural raw materials. It appears in addition to the Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) number.
IFRA and the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials (RIFM) set up this specific nomenclature, which consists of a letter representing the botanical parts used for the preparation of the NCS and a number indicating the processing (type of extract).
For instance, the nomenclature for Orange peel, sweet oil (CAS 8008−57−9) is G2.5 (G meaning fruit/fruit parts and 2.5 of the ISO Standard meaning essential oil derived by cold expression).
What rules govern safe use of ingredients on the List?
Under the IFRA Code of Practice, IFRA members are obliged to adhere to the rules of IFRA’s safe use program, the IFRA Standards, as well as to national and local laws and restrictions on the use of materials and to good operating practices.
Manufacturers are responsible for the safety of the ingredients they use in their products.
The fragrance ingredients reported in the Volume of Use Survey appear on the IFRA Transparency List. In addition, these ingredients are part of the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials (RIFM) Safety Assessment Program.
RIFM publishes the resulting safety assessments in a peer-reviewed scientific journal and makes them available to the public via the open-access Fragrance Material Safety Resource Center.
The independent Expert Panel for Fragrance Safety also reviews all the safety assessments.
FAQs
What are ‘non-supported materials’?
RIFM manages a list of ‘non-supported’ materials as part of this program. It is important to note that designation as a non-supported material does not mean that the material is unsafe. Instead, it means that RIFM has not received a sample or concentration data and so cannot conduct a safety assessment. In addition, many non-supported materials may no longer be in use.
Once RIFM has determined a material to be on the non-supported list, RIFM scientists take steps to gather data from the primary user or the industry.
Should the information not be provided, the material is removed from the safety assessment program and has its RIFM identity number removed. IFRA is informed and may or may not implement risk management measures.
In all cases, companies must demonstrate the safety of the products they place on the market. A company may show the material’s safety via its own safety assessment.
However, as the representative body of the global fragrance industry, IFRA encourages members to have as many materials as possible assessed in the RIFM program to reinforce the risk assessment and management process.
What are ‘functional ingredients’?
IFRA and RIFM define a functional ingredient as “any basic substance necessary for a fragrance ingredient or compound’s functionality or stability.” Functional ingredients include, but are not limited to, pigments, antioxidants, solvents, plasticizers, surfactants, UV absorbers, and buffering agents.
As those materials have a much broader use outside the fragrance and flavor industries and many other industries review them, they are not evaluated in the RIFM Safety Assessment Program and are classified as functional ingredients. RIFM therefore removes the material’s identity number.
What is a Certificate of Conformity?
The Certificate of Conformity to the IFRA Standards is a document established by companies creating fragrance mixtures. It is based on the business relationship between the fragrance supplier and its customer.
The Certificate is only applicable for fragrance mixtures intended to be directly included in a finished consumer product. By using a Certificate, a fragrance supplier assures its customer that the product they supply is in compliance with the requirements set by the IFRA Standards for an intended use.
Is there an ‘IFRA Certificate’ for raw materials?
There is typically no ‘IFRA Certificate’ for raw materials. When there is an IFRA Standard on a raw material (e.g. citrus essential oil), you cannot issue a Certificate as such, but you can communicate to your clients the conformity of the raw material with the corresponding IFRA Standard.
Please note that information on essential oils can also stem from the presence of IFRA restricted materials in them (see Annex I to the IFRA Standards on the IFRA Standards documentation page).
Who can issue an ‘IFRA Certificate of Conformity to the IFRA Standards’?.
The IFRA Certificate of Conformity to the IFRA Standards, this is a document established only by the fragrance mixture manufacturer (not by a raw material suppliers) and based on a trusting relationship between the fragrance supplier and its customer. By using a Certificate, a fragrance supplier assures its customer that the product they supply is in compliance with the requirements set by the IFRA Standards for an intended use.
As stated in the IFRA Code of Practice, it is the responsibility of each IFRA member to ensure that the fragrance mixtures or ingredients they supply comply with applicable laws and are safe for their intended uses.
It is important to nota that IFRA does not elaborate the Certificates of Conformity and there is no certifying company providing Certificates of Conformity on behalf of IFRA. Every supplier of fragrance mixtures is responsible for establishing and providing an IFRA Certificate of Conformity (a template is available on the IFRA website).
The Certificate of Conformity can be issued by anybody who is familiar with the Code of Practice and the associated Standards. It can therefore also be used by non-members (not mandatory) to declare that they comply with the IFRA Standards.
The Certificate of Conformity declares compliance with the requirements expressed in the IFRA Standards, but it does not replace a safety assessment and does not dismiss from complying with the national/regional/local regulations in place.
IFRA has published an informative list of third-party professional service companies that can assist members and others who require an external service provider to develop a Certificate of Conformity to the IFRA Standards. This list includes companies that can attest the conformity of fragrance mixtures with IFRA Standards. https://ifrafragrance.org/safe-use/ifra-certificates.
More comprehensive guidance is available in theIFRA-RIFM guidance for the use of the IFRA Standards (
Does IFRA elaborate ‘IFAR Certificate of Conformity to the IFRA Standards”?
No, IFRA does not elaborate the Certificates of Conformity and there is no certifying company providing Certificates of Conformity on behalf of IFRA.
Every supplier of fragrance mixtures is responsible for establishing and providing an IFRA Certificate of Conformity to his clients (a template is available on the IFRA website).
What is the ‘upper concentrations’ on an IFRA Standard?
IFRA Standards that impose a quantitative limit on the use of fragrance materials are expressed as an upper concentration of fragrance material in the finished consumer product, not the fragrance mixture. For example, the limit is for the complete product in the bottle, including everything in.
The IFRA Standards are not designed, but can inform on the single use of a fragrance ingredients.
For Natural Substances Complexes (NCS)/raw material, you can find in the latest‘IFRA Amendment – Annex on contributions from other sources’ (see hyperlink) the typical concentrations of constituents of NCS which have an IFRA standard, allowing to derive the upper concentration (%) of essential oils. You may use these data in the absence of your own or your supplier’s analytical data for your NCS.
Each Natural Complex Substance (NCS) listed in that Annex, ‑like an essential oil-, is linked to a constituent name (IFRA Standard). In the corresponding IFRA Standard, you can find the maximum acceptable concentrations in the finished product for the intended use.
More information on the IFRA Standards can be found in the latest‘IFRA-RIFM Guidance for the Use of the IFRA Standards and the online IFRA Standards Library.
In all cases, the final decision and responsibility always lies with the end consumer product manufacturer.
Can I use a raw material whose main substance is IFRA Standard compliant but contains impurities?
Yes, this is generally acceptable under the IFRA Standards. The IFRA approach allows for the presence of trace levels of prohibited substances, as outlined in the IFRA-RIFM Guidance for the Use of the Standards and further clarified in Information Letter 1121. Acceptability depends on the concentration of the raw material used and the final level of the impurities in the finished product. It is important to ensure that these levels remain within the thresholds defined by IFRA.
What does “substantial amount of” mean in the context of the IFRA Standard specifications for “natural products containing substantial amounts of linalool/limonene” (as applicable to the relevant IFRA Standard)?
The IFRA Standards do not prescribe a universal threshold for what constitutes a “substantial amount” for all types of essential oils as it is difficult to establish it. It does not only depends on the amount of linalool or limonene in the oil, but also on its general susceptibility to oxidize, which itself depends on various factors.
Therefore companies should understand their portfolio and, based on information from their suppliers or on own measurement of peroxide values, they should be in the best position to understand which essential oils need careful quality control.
For an IFRA certificate of essential oils covered by an IFRA Standard, which constituents should be considered for limit calculations?
When preparing a IFRA Certificate of Conformity yo the IFRA Standards for a Natural Complex Substance (NCS) (e.g.: essential oils) covered by an IFRA Standard—such as Ylang Ylang — it is essential that the supplier considers two sets of restrictions:
- The restrictions specified in the IFRA Standard for the NCS itself
- The restrictions based on individual constituents within the NCS
The most stringent of these two will determine the maximum allowable use levels indicated in the certificate.
Depending on the specific quality of the material offered, both of the following scenarios are acceptable:
Scenario 1: If the maximum use levels are governed entirely by the IFRA Standard for the NCS, the Certificate of Conformity for the supplier’s raw material (e.g. Ylang Ylang) will align with the corresponding published IFRA Standard for that material (e.g: Ylang Ylang).
Scenario 2: If the maximum use levels are determined by a combination of the IFRA Standard for the NCS in some product categories and by constituent-based limits in others, the Certificate of Conformity may differ from the IFRA Standard for that fragrance material (e.g. Ylang Ylang).
Example: If analytical data reveals that a specific quality of Ylang Ylang contains isoeugenol levels exceeding the indicative values referenced in ‘Annex I on contributions from other sources’, the supplier must factor this into the assessment. This could lead to reduced maximum use levels for certain IFRA Standard categories, such as 11A and 11B, compared to those listed in the IFRA Standard.
What language should be used when issuing an IFRA Certificate of Conformity?
While the IFRA guidelines and the official template for the Certificate of Conformity to the IFRA Standards are provided in English, there is no specific requirement regarding the language in which the certificate must be issued.
The certificate is a voluntary document created only by manufacturers or suppliers of fragrance mixtures or ingredients. It serves as a declaration of compliance with the IFRA Standards for a specific intended use and is based on a trust-based relationship between the manufacturer and their customer. Therefore, if a customer is based in a non-English speaking country, the supplier may issue the certificate in English or in the local language of your market.
Further guidance is available in the IFRA-RIFM Guidance for the Use of the IFRA Standards. A downloadable template for the Certificate of Conformity can be accessed on the same webopage.
Please note that the Certificate of Conformity confirms alignment with the IFRA Standards but does not replace a full safety assessment.
Additionally, compliance with the IFRA Standards does not exempt the manufacturer/supplier from adhering to applicable national, regional, or local regulations in the country he operates.
Can an IFRA certificate be issued for a functional ingredient used in a fragrance mixture?
No, IFRA does not issue IFRA Standards for functional fragrance materials (e.g., solvents like DPG). As a result, it is not possible to provide an IFRA Certificate of Conformity for such functional materials.
Is there a difference between regulations and IFRA Standards for certain fragrance materials (e.g. BMHCA)
Fragrance manufacturers are required to comply with the regulations in force within the countries where they operate and market their products.
In addition to legal requirements, companies may also choose to follow the IFRA Standards, which form a voluntary, globally accepted and recognized risk management system for the safe use of fragrance ingredients and are part of the IFRA Code of Practice.
In some instances, safety assessments for a fragrance material may differ between national regulations and IFRA Standards. For example, Butylphenyl Methylpropional (BMHCA), also known commercially as Lilial, has been banned in cosmetic products (both existing and new) in the European Union as of March 2022. t is important to note that this restriction applies exclusively within the EU.
The use of BMHCA remains permitted in markets outside the EU, subject to local regulations.
With respect to the IFRA Standards, the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials (RIFM) has conducted a comprehensive aggregate exposure risk assessment. This assessment supports the continued safe use of p‑BMHCA in both cosmetic and non-cosmetic applications at the concentrations currently in use.
Are there finished product applications that may require compliance with fragrance and flavor industry safety requirements?.
In general, the IFRA Standards apply to fragrance mixtures used in non-food consumer products. However, depending on the applicable regulatory framework, certain products — such as those used in oral care — may fall under either fragrance or flavor applications.
For the purposes of the IFRA Code of Practice, we refer to both single substances and mixtures as fragrance ingredients and fragrance mixtures (e.g.: perfumes), even in cases where these substances meet flavor-related criteria and may be produced as flavor mixtures. As such, any oral care product that includes a fragrance must comply with the IFRA Standards and the broader IFRA Code of Practice.
Oral care products currently recognized in this category include toothpaste and mouthwash. Other examples include tooth powders, mouthwash tablets, and oral strips. With the introduction of aggregate exposure considerations in the 49th Amendment to the IFRA Standards, simultaneous use of multiple products from the same category (e.g., toothpaste and mouthwash) is now assessed. However, this does not extend to their use as flavor ingredients in food products.
Exposure limits for these oral care items are derived from the Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) process and are specifically designed to mitigate the risk of peri-oral skin sensitization.
In addition to oral care, other product types — such as lip care items (e.g., lipsticks, balms) and certain toys — may also involve incidental oral exposure to fragrance ingredients. In such cases, all materials used in the fragrance mixture must comply not only with IFRA Standards but also with flavor ingredient requirements as defined by the IOFI Code of Practice. To be approved for such use, materials must meet at least one of the following criteria:
Recognized by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) as presenting no safety concern at current levels of intake;
Evaluated and deemed safe under intended conditions of use by authoritative bodies such as the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) or the Japanese Food Safety Authority (FSC), using methodologies aligned with JECFA;
Classified as Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) or approved as food additives by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including GRAS determinations made by the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association of the United States (FEMA);
Compliant with applicable national or regional regulations governing flavoring use in locally sold consumer products.
Materials that do not meet any of these criteria are not permitted in products where incidental oral ingestion may occur.
Please note that these products — such as oral care items and lip care cosmetics — are not intended for ingestion, although accidental ingestion may occur. For any questions regarding the interpretation of IOFI guidelines, please contact IOFI directly.
Further details on IFRA Standards and product categories can be found in the IFRA-RIFM Guidance for the Use of the IFRA Standards.
Are there international standards that define and differentiate terms like EDT, perfume, eau de parfum, eau de cologne, etc.?
Terms such as “cologne,” “eau de toilette,” and “eau de parfum” are general descriptors commonly found on fragrance product labels. These terms are not strictly defined by international standards and can vary between prestige and mass-market segments, as well as across different regions.
Although there is no universally fixed definition based on concentration levels, typical usage ranges for ethanol-based fragrance products are as follows:
Splash and Aftershave: 1 – 3% fragrance concentration
Eau de Cologne (EdC): 3 – 8% (typically around 5%)
Eau de Toilette (EdT): 5 – 15% (typically around 10%)
Eau de Parfum (EdP), Parfum de Toilette (PdT): 10 – 20% (typically around 15%)
Perfume Extract (Extrait): 15 – 40% (typically around 20%)
These classifications are based on common industry practices rather than strict regulatory definitions.
Guidance on usage levels can be found in the IFRA Standards—the global fragrance industry’s voluntary self-regulatory framework. Developed by the International Fragrance Association (IFRA), these standards are grounded in scientific risk assessments conducted by an independent Expert Panel for Fragrance Safety.
The IFRA Standards establish criteria for the safe use of fragrance ingredients, including bans, restrictions, or specific usage conditions, regardless of whether the ingredients are directly or indirectly included in the final product. Compliance with the IFRA Code of Practice and Standards is mandatory for IFRA members, who represent approximately 80% of the global fragrance production by volume.
What is the ‘IFRA Transparency List”?
The IFRA Transparency List is the‘perfumer’s palette’ – an overview of the ingredients used to create fragrance mixtures employed by consumer goods companies in personal care products, home care products and fine fragrance worldwide.
The IFRA Transparency List is based on reporting anonymous and confidentially provided by IFRA Members in the ‘Volume of Use Survey’, which is compiled every five years.
For the principal name of the ingredients, the RIFM Principal name is the most “commonly known by” synonym though they may also be some chemical or INCI names.
The current List includes a new, more refined nomenclature system for natural products. These products can have various geographical origins, be extracted via different processes, and come from different parts of the plant.
We therefore employ a system that provides greater detail and transparency than the Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) number system.
Are the IFRA standards categories applicable to end-consumers applications classified as medical devices (intimate gels, scented preservatives)?
End consumer products which are typically classified as medical devices (e.g. intimate gels, scented preservatives) fall outside the scope of RIFM’s safety assessments and, consequently, outside the application of the IFRA Standards.
In general terms, neither IFRA nor RIFM is in a position to provide definitive advice regarding product categorization. However, IFRA/RIFM can share their perspective based on the information provided case-by case and in accordance with the IFRA-RIFM Guidance for the Use of the IFRA Standards.
In all cases the final responsibility for product classification and compliance remains with the manufacturer.
What is the final usage limit on a end-consumer product formulation according to the iFRA Standards?.
The IFRA Standards usage limit for a fragrance formulation is based on the most restrictive ingredient across the relevant product categories. This means that the overall limit corresponds to the lowest allowed concentration of any individual raw material in the formulation, ensuring the final product complies with the highest safety standard.
Where can I find third-party certification by professional services companies to assist in developing an IFRA Certificate of Conformity to the IFRA Standards
Third-party certification by professional services companies
To assist members and others who require an external service provider to develop a Certificate of Conformity, IFRA has developed the following list.
This list is based on suggestions provided by IFRA members, and includes companies that can attest to the conformity of fragrance mixtures with IFRA Standards.
The list of companies is provided below, in alphabetical order.
Please note that IFRA does not take any responsibility as to the quality of the services of the listed suppliers, and it will remain the responsibility of each user to verify and ensure the quality of the services provided by such companies.
List of professional service companies
AFP Chemical Consultancy
United Kingdom
Contact: Alan Pettitt
Tel: +44 (0)208 549 2972
Email: alan@consultantchemist.co.uk
Website: consultantchemist.co.uk
Formpak Software
United Kingdom
Telephone: +44(0)1235 250 020
Email: sales@formpak-software.com
Website: formpak-software.com
Geowin Srl / Schede di Sicurezza
Italy
Email: info@schededisicurezza.com
Website: www.schededisicurezza.com
Global Directions, Inc.
United States
Contact: William E. Brugger, Ph.D.
Telephone: +1 570−664−8387 x1003
Email: wbrugger@bruggercis.com
Website: bruggercis.com
LISAM Systems
Belgium
Tel: +32 (0) 67 40 00 03
Email: info@lisam.com
Website: lisam.com
Naturakem France
France
Contact: Nadège Testa
Tel: +33 (0)9 54 09 23 33
Email: contact@naturakem.fr
Website: naturakem.com
Orchadia Solutions Ltd
United Kingdom
Contact: Penny Williams
Tel: +44 (0) 1234 866 606
Email: orchadia@orchadia.org
Website: orchadia.org
P.A. Aromatics Flavors & Agieffe International
Italy
Contact: Gloria Gasser
Tel: +39 0382 567982
Email: info@paaromatics.it
Website: paaromatics.it
Ruby Vision Global Solutions Pty Ltd
Australia
Telephone: +61 – 7‑3218 7395 (Mon-Fri, 08:30 – 18:00 AEST)
Email: info@rubyvision.tech
Website: rubyvision.tech
Streatley Software Ltd
United Kingdom
Contact: Karen Tayler
Telephone: +44 (0)118 929 8216
Email: streatley@streatley.co.uk
Website: streatley.co.uk