New 2026 Fragrance Allergen Rules: What Canadian Makers Need to Know
Starting April 2026, Canadian cosmetic makers must individually disclose 24 fragrance allergens on labels and CNF filings. Here's what changed and how to comply.
As of April 12, 2026, Canadian cosmetic regulations now require individual disclosure of specific fragrance allergens on product labels and in CNF filings. If you use essential oils or fragrance oils in your products, this affects you.
What changed
Previously, all fragrance components could be grouped under the single term Parfum on your ingredient list. The new regulation (SOR/2024-63) requires that specific allergens be individually named when they are present above certain thresholds.
The 24 allergens you need to disclose now
The first phase (effective April 12, 2026) covers 24 core allergens. These include many compounds that occur naturally in popular essential oils:
- Linalool — found in lavender, coriander, rosewood
- Limonene — found in citrus oils (lemon, orange, grapefruit)
- Citral — found in lemongrass, verbena
- Geraniol — found in rose, geranium, palmarosa
- Citronellol — found in rose, geranium
- Eugenol — found in clove, cinnamon leaf
- Coumarin — found in tonka bean, lavender
You can find the complete list with CAS numbers in our ingredient database — filter by the "Allergen" tag.
Disclosure thresholds
You only need to disclose an allergen if it is present above these concentrations:
- Rinse-off products (shampoo, body wash, soap): greater than 0.01% (100 ppm)
- Leave-on products (lotion, cream, perfume): greater than 0.001% (10 ppm)
How this affects your CNF
Your CNF ingredient list must now individually name qualifying allergens. They can no longer be hidden under "Parfum." This means you need to know the allergen composition of your fragrance oils and essential oils.
What's coming next
A second phase takes effect August 1, 2026, expanding the list to 81 allergens for newly introduced products. By August 2028, the full 81-allergen list applies to all products on the market.
How to prepare
- Contact your fragrance oil suppliers for allergen composition data
- Check essential oil allergen profiles (many are well-documented)
- Update your product labels to individually list qualifying allergens
- Update your CNF filings through the Health Canada portal
Our ingredient database flags all 24 allergens, and the upcoming formula builder will automatically identify which allergens need disclosure based on your recipe.
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