On most labels, fragrance is a single word: Parfum – sometimes Fragrance, Perfume or Aroma. That one word can stand for dozens of individual fragrance compounds, and manufacturers are not required to list them all. But EU law carves out an important exception: the fragrance ingredients most often linked to contact allergy must be declared by their own name. Once you know how to read them, the end of the ingredient list becomes surprisingly informative.
One word, dozens of molecules
A fragrance blend is treated as a trade secret, so the INCI list compresses it into Parfum. The exception is a set of known fragrance allergens defined in the EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009: when one of them exceeds a low threshold, it must appear in the ingredient list under its own INCI name – separate from the word Parfum.
This is why you often see names like Limonene, Linalool or Citronellol trailing at the very end of a list, right after Parfum. They are not extra additives someone snuck in – they are the components of the fragrance that the law forces into the open.
The names to know
These six are among the most common declared fragrance allergens. All carry the official hazard classification H317 – "may cause an allergic skin reaction" – under ECHA's harmonised classifications (CLP, Annex VI):
| Allergen (INCI) | Also found in | EU label rule |
|---|---|---|
| Limonene | Citrus oils (lemon, orange, bergamot) | Named when above threshold; H317 |
| Linalool | Lavender, rosewood, coriander | Named when above threshold; H317 |
| Geraniol | Rose and geranium oils | Named when above threshold; H317 |
| Citronellol | Rose oil, citronella | Named when above threshold; H317 |
| Eugenol | Clove, cinnamon leaf, some florals | Named when above threshold; H317 |
| Coumarin | Tonka bean, sweet woodruff notes | Named when above threshold; H317 |
Note the middle column: many of these compounds occur naturally in essential oils. A product perfumed only with "natural" citrus or lavender oil can carry exactly the same declared allergens as one with a synthetic blend.
Is a declared allergen a red flag?
Usually not. Seeing Limonene or Linalool at the end of a list is a feature of transparency, not proof of a problem. Most people tolerate these substances without any reaction. They matter mainly if you are already sensitised: contact allergy is cumulative and individual, and once developed it tends to be lifelong. A minority of users develop allergic contact dermatitis; a patch test performed by a dermatologist is how a real fragrance allergy is confirmed.
This is also why Skinimalist treats the bare word Parfum or Aroma as score-neutral. EU law already forces the actual named allergens to appear separately in the list – penalising the generic Parfum label on top of that would count the same thing twice. The useful signal is the named allergens, not the word Parfum itself.
"Fragrance-free" vs "unscented"
- Fragrance-free should mean the product contains no fragrance ingredients at all.
- Unscented means the product has no perceptible smell – but it can still contain masking fragrance used to neutralise the odour of raw materials.
- The two claims are not legally identical, so if you are sensitised, the ingredient list is the more reliable check than the front of the pack.
Let the app read the fine print
Declared fragrance allergens hide in the smallest type on the label. Skinimalist reads the INCI list for you – matching against 36,700+ ingredients and 91,200+ synonyms, entirely on-device – and flags every declared fragrance allergen, drawing on 479 substances classified H317 in ECHA's Annex VI. In "My skin" you can mark your sensitivities, so product matching accounts for the allergens that actually concern you.
Check your products with Skinimalist. Scan the label or share a link – and see the score, the flagged allergens and how well the product fits your skin.
Sources: EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Annex III (fragrance allergen labelling thresholds); Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 (expanded allergen list); ECHA CLP harmonised classifications (Annex VI, H317 – may cause an allergic skin reaction), including Limonene (CAS 138-86-3), Linalool (CAS 78-70-6), Geraniol (CAS 106-24-1), Eugenol (CAS 97-53-0) and Coumarin (CAS 91-64-5). This guide is decision support, not medical advice.