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Perfume raw materials: natural, synthetic and IFRA compliance

Writer: Anne-Marie Spencer
Anne-Marie Spencer
5 hours ago
6 min read

In short: perfumery raw materials fall into two broad groups: natural materials extracted from plants or resins (essential oils, absolutes, resinoids), and synthetic molecules created or reproduced in the laboratory. The two are complementary and subject to the same safety requirements: the IFRA Standards and, in the European Union, the rules on allergen labelling.


Freshly picked orange blossoms poured from a burlap sack, a perfumery raw material

"Natural" or "synthetic": the question often comes up when a brand has its fragrance created. It is a fair question, but it is often framed the wrong way. A quality fragrance is not judged by the origin of its ingredients, but by how they are chosen, dosed and documented, and by the transparency of whoever uses them.


This article explains what perfumery raw materials are, why synthetic molecules are not "worse", what European regulations require on allergens, what options exist for a more responsible fragrance, and what to ask your manufacturer.


Which raw materials are used in perfumery?

The perfumer works with natural materials, derived from plants or resins, and with synthetic molecules. A composition usually combines several dozen of them.


Natural materials

They are obtained from flowers, leaves, woods, roots, barks, fruits or resins. The international standard ISO 9235 sets out their vocabulary. The main ones are:


  • Essential oils, obtained by steam distillation (lavender, vetiver, patchouli) or by cold expression for citrus peel (bergamot, lemon).

  • Concretes and absolutes, obtained by volatile solvent extraction, for delicate materials such as jasmine or rose.

  • Resinoids, extracted from resins or balsams (benzoin, labdanum, frankincense).

  • CO2 extracts, obtained by carbon dioxide extraction, which preserves facets close to the fresh material.


Expertise in these materials lies at the heart of Grasse's history, as we recall in Grasse, capital of perfume.


Synthetic molecules

They are produced by chemistry, sometimes from plant-based resources. They include:


  • Nature-identical molecules, which reproduce a component found in a natural material. Vanillin, the main odorous component of vanilla, is the best-known example.

  • Molecules with no natural equivalent, which offer new smells: white musks, marine notes, highly diffusive ambery woods.

  • Isolates, molecules isolated from a natural material (for example linalool from certain essential oils).


Are synthetic materials worse than natural ones?

No. Synthetic does not mean "less noble" or "less safe": many famous fragrances owe their character to synthetic molecules, and both groups are assessed against the same safety requirements.


Synthetic materials bring several advantages:


  • Consistency: their smell does not vary from one harvest to the next, which makes it easier to reproduce a brand fragrance identically.

  • Creativity: they open up facets that do not exist in nature or cannot be extracted (lily of the valley, for example, cannot be distilled).

  • Availability: they do not depend on climate or harvests.

  • Preservation of some resources: they avoid taking rare or animal-derived materials.


Natural materials, for their part, bring unique richness and texture, because each contains many components. They also have limits: their composition varies with harvests, and some naturally contain allergenic substances. Citrus essential oils contain limonene, for example, and lavender oil contains linalool, both of which are on the EU list of fragrance allergens. "Natural" therefore does not mean "allergen-free".


Cost is not a criterion either: some natural materials are very cheap, others extremely expensive, and the same goes for synthetic molecules. We looked at these misconceptions in Olfactory creation: an unexpected journey.


Criterion

Natural materials

Synthetic molecules

Origin

Plants, flowers, woods, resins

Chemistry, sometimes from plant-based resources

Composition

Complex, varies with harvests

Defined and constant

Olfactory contribution

Richness, texture, depth

New facets, staying power, diffusion

Allergens

May contain them naturally

Some molecules are listed, others are not

Framework

IFRA Standards and EU regulations

IFRA Standards and EU regulations


What is IFRA compliance?

It means complying with the standards published by the International Fragrance Association, which prohibit, restrict or set specifications for certain ingredients depending on the type of product. A compliant fragrance comes with an IFRA certificate.


The IFRA Standards are based on scientific safety assessments. They are revised through successive amendments: with the 51st Amendment, notified on 30 June 2023, IFRA for example added 47 new restrictions and prohibited one ingredient for which a safe use level could not be established (source: IFRA).


The same material may be allowed at a given level in a candle and at a lower level in a product applied to skin. That is why the IFRA certificate states, product category by product category, the maximum concentration of the fragrance. Eco French Lab creations comply with IFRA standards.


What do EU regulations say about allergens?

In the European Union, fragrance allergens must be declared on the label above certain thresholds. The rules differ depending on whether the product is a cosmetic (perfume, body mist) or a home fragrance product (spray, refill, candle).


For cosmetic products

Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 governs cosmetic products, including wearable perfumes and body mists. Among other things, it requires a product safety assessment, a responsible person established in the EU and a list of ingredients on the packaging.


Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 amended these rules: the list of fragrance allergens that must be named individually in the ingredient list, which used to contain 26 substances, has been greatly extended. As before, the declaration is mandatory above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products. Products placed on the market from 31 July 2026 must apply the new rules, and products already on the market must comply by 31 July 2028 at the latest (sources: EUR-Lex, Ecomundo).


Some substances are banned outright: Regulation (EU) 2017/1410 prohibited in cosmetics atranol and chloroatranol, found in oakmoss and treemoss extracts, as well as the synthetic molecule HICC.


For home fragrance products

Room sprays, diffuser refills and candles are not cosmetics. Their labelling falls under Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, known as CLP, which governs the classification and labelling of mixtures: hazard pictograms and statements where needed, and naming of sensitising substances present above certain thresholds ("Contains… May produce an allergic reaction"). Mixtures classified as hazardous also come with a safety data sheet, under the REACH Regulation.


How do you choose more sustainable raw materials?

A more responsible fragrance rests on concrete, verifiable choices: traceable materials, lower-impact processes and refillable formats, rather than a simple natural-versus-synthetic opposition.


  • Traceability: knowing where natural materials come from and how they are grown and harvested.

  • Upcycled materials: some materials are now obtained from by-products of other industries (peels, distillation residues, wood).

  • Biotechnology and green chemistry: they make it possible to produce some molecules by fermentation or from renewable carbon.

  • Protecting scarce resources: using a synthetic molecule can avoid over-harvesting a threatened plant or wood.

  • Formats: diffuser refills, glass containers, made-to-order production to limit stock and unsold goods.


At Eco French Lab, our diffuser refills are alcohol-free fragrances, and all our products (perfumes, room sprays, reed diffusers, candles) are made to order in France. Be wary of promises that sound too good, though: the "dupes" phenomenon shows that the origin and quality of materials cannot be seen in the bottle, as we explain in With its fragrances and refills, Eco French Lab supplies a complete documentation file, including the safety data sheet and the IFRA certificate.What perfume dupes can never copy.


What should you ask your fragrance manufacturer?

Ask for documents, not just promises: IFRA certificate, allergen declaration, safety data sheet, and written commitments on the origin of materials and the storage of the formula.


  1. Can you provide the fragrance's IFRA certificate, up to date with the latest amendment, for the product categories I am targeting?

  2. What is the fragrance's allergen declaration, and how will it appear on my labels?

  3. Does the fragrance come with a safety data sheet?

  4. Where is the fragrance produced and where do the main materials come from?

  5. Has the fragrance been tested in my product's base (wax, alcohol-free refill, spray base)?

  6. How is the formula stored, and can I reorder exactly the same fragrance in several years?


At Eco French Lab, fragrances are developed by our team and produced in Grasse; our clients' formulas are kept and protected in our laboratory and in Grasse. To see how these choices fit into a complete project, from brief to products, read our guide Bespoke fragrance creation for a brand: the complete guide.


Frequently asked questions

Is a 100% natural fragrance safer?

Not necessarily. Natural materials can contain allergens such as limonene or linalool. Safety depends on the formula and its dosage, governed by the IFRA Standards and regulations.


What is an IFRA certificate?

It is a document certifying that a fragrance complies with the IFRA Standards and stating, for each product category, the maximum level at which it can be used.


Do candles and room sprays have to declare allergens?

They fall under the CLP Regulation, which requires sensitising substances above certain thresholds to be named and, where applicable, hazard pictograms and statements.


Can I require certain materials in my fragrance?

Yes, in the brief: materials to favour or avoid, a preference for natural-origin or upcycled ingredients. The perfumer will tell you what is compatible with the desired effect and with regulations.


Conclusion: quality is judged by transparency

Natural or synthetic, raw materials are tools serving an intention. What makes a brand fragrance good is the choice of those materials, their compliance with IFRA standards, accurate labelling and the manufacturer's ability to document what it does.


Would you like a compliant fragrance that reflects your brand? Discover our bespoke fragrance creation offer.


Written by Anne-Marie Spencer, co-founder of Eco French Lab.


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