Essential oils on an ingredient list

Essential oils can be listed by name, or hidden inside the word “fragrance”. This guide covers the named case.

What the term means

DermNet NZ defines essential oils as volatile aromatic substances obtained from plant material. It says each essential oil can have over 100 constituents.

The FDA says there is no regulatory definition for “essential oils” in the U.S. It also says ingredients from plants fall under the same law as ingredients from any other source. This guide makes no claim about whether an oil is natural or made in a lab.

How Poliage flags them

Poliage’s Essential oils flag matches about 630 CosIng names for volatile plant oils. The names are a plant name, a plant part and the word OIL. Examples are LAVANDULA ANGUSTIFOLIA OIL, MELALEUCA ALTERNIFOLIA LEAF OIL and CITRUS LIMON PEEL OIL. Citrus peel oils are included.

Carrier oils are not in the group. These are seed, kernel, nut, olive, sunflower, rosehip, shea and avocado oils.

The link to EU allergen labels

EU Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 requires a list of ingredients, and it says perfume compositions are named as “parfum” or “aroma”. It adds that substances named in the “Other” column of Annex III must also be listed when present. For several of them the text says to list the substance if it exceeds:

• 0.001% in leave-on products
• 0.01% in rinse-off products

Annex III entries with this wording include citral, eugenol, cinnamal, geraniol, linalool, limonene and oak moss extract. These are among the “EU 26” that Poliage tracks as a separate flag. The regulation is amended over time, so check the current text for the exact list.

Geraniol, cinnamal and eugenol are among the 26 fragrance allergens the EU requires on labels.

So an essential oil name on a label can come with allergens that EU rules ask makers to declare. The guide on EU fragrance allergens has the list.

What DermNet NZ says about reactions

DermNet NZ says the page on allergic contact dermatitis to essential oils names tea tree, ylang-ylang, lemongrass, sandalwood, clove, jasmine absolute and narcissus absolute oils as oils that commonly cause it.

It says most patients with this allergy also react to fragrance mix I, but not all do, so extended patch testing may be needed. It says people often react to several oils because oils share constituents.

DermNet NZ advises that people should not apply neat, undiluted oils directly to the skin. It also advises seeing a dermatologist for any concern about your skin.

Using the flag

A product page says “Contains” followed by the oil name and its function. The flag marks the oil when it is on your own avoid list. It is a statement that the oil is listed, not a judgment.

The FDA says it does not have the same legal authority to require allergen labeling for cosmetics as for food. The FDA suggests that people concerned about sensitivities may choose fragrance-free products and check ingredient lists.

If you react to a product, talk to a doctor or pharmacist. The patch testing guide explains a small-area trial.

What this guide does not do

It does not call any oil good or bad, and it does not say an oil suits any person. Labels can be misread, and a maker can change a formula without changing the barcode, so the label on the pack comes first.

Where this comes from

The oil definition and the reaction statements come from two DermNet NZ pages. The U.S. points come from the FDA page on fragrances in cosmetics. The EU labeling wording comes from Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Article 19 and Annex III. The grouping comes from Poliage’s flag rules, which match CosIng names.