Canada aligns with EU standards in stricter cosmetic labeling for fragrance allergens

03 May 2024 --- The latest amendments to Canada’s Cosmetic Regulations address the need to disclose fragrance allergens on cosmetic labels, aligning with EU standards. This change aims to provide consumers with essential information to make informed decisions about products they use, especially if they have allergies or sensitivities. 

The amendments allow brands with cosmetics sold in small packages to disclose ingredients online in order to limit excess packaging.

Health Canada expects the benefits of informed consumer choice and potential savings on health costs will outweigh the costs incurred by the industry — primarily associated with labeling updates and notifications to the department.

Personal Care Insights speaks to Health Canada to learn more about the intricacies of the rules.

Can you outline the regulatory changes announced on April 24 that businesses should be aware of? What is the overall goal of the updates?
Health Canada: The Cosmetic Regulations allow the use of the word “parfum” at the end of the ingredients list to indicate that a fragrance ingredient, or mixture of ingredients, is present in the product. The current use of “parfum” does not provide the necessary information to consumers who are allergic or sensitive to certain fragrance ingredients that are known to be contact allergens (hereafter referred to as “fragrance allergens”). 

Figure 1. 24 fragrance allergens that will appear on ingredient lists on cosmetic labels.If these fragrance allergens are not disclosed on the labels of cosmetic products, consumers may not be able to otherwise obtain this information if they are concerned about purchasing and using products that may contain these ingredients.

The amended Regulations address this issue by strengthening the labeling requirements for cosmetics and requiring the disclosure of certain fragrance allergens on cosmetic labels. They incorporate, by reference, on an ambulatory basis, fragrance allergens listed in Annex III of the European Commission’s Cosmetic Products Regulation, as well as the transition period set out in that Annex for future updates to substances identified for disclosure. 

This approach facilitates alignment with the EU. Recognizing that this regulatory change requires additional information to be placed on labels for cosmetics, Health Canada has added an optional flexibility for products sold in small packages, allowing for the disclosure of ingredients, including fragrance allergens, on a website. In this case, the product label must include a statement directing consumers to a website where they can find the list of ingredients.

Lastly, Health Canada has improved the oversight of cosmetics by clarifying the terminology used in the Cosmetic Regulations, strengthening the cosmetic notification requirements, and enhancing compliance and enforcement tools.

Can you further elaborate on the new transparency requirements?
Health Canada: Since 2006, the Cosmetic Regulations require the disclosure of all ingredients on cosmetic labels using the word “parfum” at the end of the list, to indicate fragrance mixtures are present.

Generally, fragrance ingredients are complex mixtures of many different ingredients in very low or trace amounts. Under the amended regulation, cosmetics sold in Canada must disclose on their labels certain fragrance allergens when present at a concentration greater than 0.01% in rinse-off products and 0.001% in leave-on products.

The list in Figure 1. provides some of the 24 fragrance allergens that will appear on ingredient lists on cosmetic labels. The requirement to disclose these 24 fragrance ingredient allergens will come into effect for all cosmetic products (new and existing) as of April 12, 2026.

The requirement to disclose the expanded list of 81 fragrance allergens will come into effect for new cosmetics in Canada as of July 31, 2026. Existing products will have until July 31, 2028 to transition. The list below shows the 81 fragrance allergens to which the disclosure requirements will apply. Again, disclosure will be required if a substance is present in a cosmetic at a concentration greater than 0.01% in rinse-off products and 0.001% in leave-on products.

By Venya Patel