PROHIBITED raw materials of PERFUMERY

Archana Shandilya
Nov 25, 2020
4 min read

Let's commence this article with a question 'Why are we using Fragrance in our day to day activities?'.

The common answers will be - 'For good feeling', 'For aesthetic sense', 'To gain confidence', 'To impress people in surrounding' and so on . . .and that is true as well.

Either fragrances utilized directly over body in form of EDP, EDC, deodorants, antiperspirant or sprayed in air in form of incense stick, air freshener, bukhoor, candle or consumed in household personal care products like detergents, shampoos, shower gel, soaps, toilet cleaner and much more; the purpose remain same ‘to get better feeling’.

Now, let me put forward another question - 'Do we have the right as consumers to take environment, aquatic life, biodiversity for granted, just to get better feeling?

I am sure the answer unanimously will be 'absolutely NO!'

Together, we will be walking through those items which are prohibited in perfumery for the welfare and well being of mother nature and human beings.

Not only as a Perfumer/Fragrance creator, but as a conscious human being, as a good civilian, and in all sort of fair terms we should avoid use of these items while creating formulas.

Ingredients are prohibited due to adverse health or environmental or due to lack of data to support safe use.

Note: When there is a lack of data to support safe use of an ingredients and no IFRA members express interest in material, it can mean there is not enough funding for the additional testing require to demonstrate it is safe. This might happen for commercial reason if the material has a small volume of use.

1. Benzene (7143-2)

The level of benzene has to be kept as low as practicable and should never exceed 1ppm in fragrance compound.

2. Benzyl Cyanide (140-29-4)

On the basis of established maximum level of this substance in commercially available natural sources (Like essential oils and Extracts), exposure to this substance from the use of these oils and extracts is not significant and the use of these oils authorized as long as the level of benzyl cyanide in the finished products does not exceed 100ppm.

3. Birch wood pyrolysate (Crude)

Birch Wood

Extraction of Birch tar oil

Crude Birch tar

The rectified (purified) birch tar oils can be used insofar the below requirement is respected: Limit content of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) resulting from use of rectified oils according to good manufacturing practice.

Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)

Benzopyrane and 1,2-benzanthracene are to be used as markers for PAH. If used alone or in combination with rectified cade oil, rectified styrax oil or rectified opoponox oil, the total concentration of both of the markers should not exceed 1ppb in the final product.

4. Cyclamen alcohol (4756-19-8)

Cyclamen alcohol should not be used as fragrance ingredients as such, but to accept a level of up to 1.5%in Cyclamen aldehyde.

Cyclamen Flower

5. Furfuryl alcohol 98-00-0

Contributions from other sources like coffee extracts or certain types of cade oil have been evaluated. On the basis of the established maximum level of Furfuryl alcohol in these commercially available natural sources, exposure to this substance from the use of these oils and extracts is not significant and not regarded of concern from a consumer safety point of view.

6. Geranyl Nitrile (5146-66-7, 5585-39-7, 31983-27-4)

Geranyl nitrile is prohibited due to insufficient data to support safe use

7. Methoxycoumarin (531-59-9) (Herniarin)

The material as such should not be used as a fragrance ingredient for any application. On the basis of established maximum levels of the substance in commercially available natural sources (Like essential oils, extracts and absolutes), exposure to this substance from the use of these oils and extracts is regarded acceptable as long as the level of 7-methoxucumarin in the finished product does not exceed 100ppm.

8. Pseudoionone (141-10-6)

Pseudoionone should not be used as fragrance as such, but a level of up to 2% as an impurity in ionone is accepted.

9. Safrole, Isosafrole, Dihydrosafrole

Safrole as such should not be used as a fragrance ingredient; essential oils containing safrole should not be used at a level such that the total concentration of safrole exceeds 0.01% in finished product.

The total concentration of safrole, isosafrole and dihydrosafrole should not exceed 0.01% in the finished product.

10. Savin oil (8024-00-8)

Savin oil should not be used as a fragrance ingredient if prepared from Juniperus Sabina. Only oils obtained from Juniperus phoenicea should be used.

11. Styrax (Curude) 8024-01-9

Curude gums of American and Asian styrax should not be used as fragrance ingredients. Only extracts or distillates (resinoids, absolute and oils), prepared from exudations of liquidamber styraciflua L. var. macrophylla or Liquidamber orientalis Mill, can be used and should not exceed a level of 0.6% in the finished product.