Is your supplier's allergen declaration out of date?

Your label is only as good as your supplier's allergen declaration. We checked 7 real declarations for lavender, orange, lemon, tea tree, eucalyptus and a fragrance oil: 3 were still in the old 26-substance format.

How to tell an old declaration in 10 seconds

Look for names that were added in 2023: Linalyl Acetate, Terpineol, Pinene, Beta-Caryophyllene, Alpha-Terpinene, Terpinolene, or the oil itself, for example "Citrus Limon Peel Oil". If none of them appear, but the oil normally contains them, the document is out of date. Ask for an "allergen declaration according to Regulation (EU) 2023/1545".

Things that catch makers out

• Ranges. Many declarations give "25–38%". Use the upper number, so your label never misses an allergen.
• The oil itself. New declarations often list "Lavandula Angustifolia Oil 100%". Old ones do not, but the oil still counts as an allergen in the EU and Canada.
• Blends. A "lavender 40/42" can contain other oils. One we checked was 37.5% lavender and 2.8% orange, so "Citrus Aurantium Peel Oil" appeared on the label of a lavender soap.
• Fragrance oils. A declaration dated 2026 that lists only the old substances is suspicious. Ask the supplier to confirm it covers the extended list.
• Long documents. Some suppliers send a 20-page file where the allergens are on 2 pages, next to IFRA limits. The IFRA page is useful too: it gives the maximum dose for each product type.

Free check

Paste the allergen part of your declaration into the calculator (choose "My supplier's allergen declaration"). It reads the numbers and warns you when the document looks like the old format.