International Fragrance Association

    Safety of raw materials is a common question especially in relation to aroma chemicals.
    The International Fragrance Association (IFRA) is a voluntary organization to which perfumery societies and companies subscribe. IFRA issues guidelines on materials that are recommended not to used or restricted in use.
    It also issues general codes of practice to promote safety and ethical conduct in the perfumery industry.
    Important : Please note that the IFRA list does not specifically apply to the use in Aromatherapy. Many other essential oils and aroma chemicals should be used with care as they are irritant and can have other negative effects on health in concentration. There may also be local restrictions on use of some materials. (e.g. DEP is prohibited for use in Japan).
 
http://www.ifraorg.org/

   

This is a compiled list of guidelines issued by IFRA but please check their website for the latest
Material Cas No Recommendation % in compound   
Based on 20% of compound in final product
Skin contact products  

in final  
product
Non-Skin
contact
products
%  
in final
product
Acetyl ethyl tetramethyl tetralin (AETT, Versalide) 88-29-9 Prohibited
Acetyl isovaleryl (5-Methyl-2,3-hexanedione) 13706-86-0 Prohibited
Acetyl-1,1,2,3,3,6-hexamethyl indan (Phantolide) 15323-35-0 Restricted  
Phototoxic
 10% 2% excluding products washed off skin No restriction
Acetylated Vetiver oil 84082-84-8 Special Grade - should be free of allergens
Allantroot oil (Elecampane oil)  - Prohibited
Allyl esters - Special Grade Free of allyl alcohol - less than 0.1%
Allyl heptine carbonate 73157-43-4 Restricted  0.01% 0.002% 0.02%
alpha-Methylanisylidene acetone (1-(4-Methoxphenyl)-1-penten-3-one) 104-27-8 Prohibited
Amyl cyclopentenone (2-Pentyl-2-cyclopenten-1-one) 25564-22-1 Restricted 0.5 0.1 0.2
Angelica root oil - Restricted 3.9% 0.78%  
Anisylidene acetone (4-(4-methoxphenyl)-3-buten-2-one) 943-88-4 Prohibited
Asarone ((E)-and(Z)-2,4,5-Trimethoxypropen-1-yl benzene)   
Constituent of Calamus Oil
2883-98-9 , 5273-86-9 Restricted 0.05% 0.01%  
Benzylidene acetone (4-Phenyl-3-buten-2-one) 122-57-6 Prohibited
Bergamot oil expressed - Restricted  
PhotoToxic
2%   
excl products washed off skin
0.4%   
excl products washed off skin
 No restriction
Birch wood pyrolysate   Special Grade - Use only Rectified Birch Tar Oils
Bitter orange oil expressed - Restricted 7%   
excl products washed off skin
1.4%   
excl products washed off skin
No restriction 
Butyl-dihydrocinnamaldehyde (Bourgeonal) 18127-01-0 Restricted 3% 0.6% 1.2%
Butylphenol 98-54-4 Prohibited
Cade oil - Special Grade - only use rectified oils folowed by fractional distillation
Carvone oxide 33204-74-9 Special Grade - should be used 50/50 with Spearmint oil
Cassia oil - Restricted 1% 0.2%  
Cinnamic alcohol 104-54-1 Restricted 4% 0.8%  
Cinnamic aldehyde 104-55-2 Special Conditions use 50/50 with Eugenol or d'limonene
Cinnamic aldehyde - Methyl anthranilate Schiff base 94386-48-8 Special Conditions use 67:33 with Eugenol or desensitizing materials
Cinnamon bark oil, Ceylon - Restricted 1% 0.2%  
Citral (Lemarome) 5392-40-5 Special Conditions use with 25% d'limonene, pinene, etc.
Citrus oils   
and other furocoumarin containing essential oils
- Restricted  
 
Total Bergaptene Content not to exceed   
0.0075% in compound
Colophony - Prohibited
Costus root oil, absolute and concrete - Prohibited
Cumin oil - Restricted 2% 0.4%  
Cyclamen alcohol (3-(4-Isopropylphenyl)-2-methylpropanol) 4756-19-8 Prohibited Trace allowed in Cyclamen Aldehyde (1.5%)
Diethyl maleate 141-05-9 Prohibited
Dihydrocoumarin (Melilotine) 119-84-6 Prohibited
Dihydroxy-3-methyl-benzaldehyde 6248-20-0 Prohibited
Dimethyl-8-t-butyl coumarin (Butolia) 17874-34-9 Prohibited
Dimethylcitraconate (cis-Methylbutenedioic acid, dimethyl ester) 617-54-9 Prohibited
Ethyl acrylate 140-88-5 Prohibited
Farnesol 4602-84-0 Special Grade - Minimum 96% Farnesol isomers
Fig leaf absolute - Prohibited
Grapefruit oil expressed - Restricted 20% 4%  
Heptenal 18829-55-5 Prohibited
Hexahydrocoumarin 700-82-3 Prohibited
Hexenal 6728-26-3 Restricted 0.01% 0.002% 0.02%
Hexenal diethyl acetal 67746-30-9 Prohibited
Hexenal dimethyl acetal 18318-83-7 Prohibited
Hexylidene cylcopentanone 17373-89-6 Restricted 0.3% 0.06% 0.6%
Hydroabietyl alcohol (Abitol) 13393-93-6 Prohibited
Hydroquinone monoethylether (4-Ethoxy phenol) 622-62-8 Prohibited
Hydroquinone monomethylether (4-Methoxy phenol) 150-76-5 Prohibited
Hydroxycitronellal (Laurine, Hydronal, Phixia, Laurinal) 107-75-5 Restricted 5% 1% No restriction
Isocyclogeraniol (2,4,6-Trimethyl-3-cyclohexene-1-methanol) 68527-77-5 Restricted 2.5% 0.5% 5%
Isoeugenol 97-45-1 Restricted 0.1% 0.02% 0.2%
Isopropyl-2-decalol 34131-99-2 Prohibited
Lemon oil cold pressed - Restricted  
Photo-toxic
10% 2%   
excl products washed off skin
 
Lime oil expressed - Restricted  
Photo-toxic
3.5% 0.7%   
excl products washed off skin
 
Limonene 138-86-3 Special Grade - Only use with very low peroxide level
Marigold oil and absolute (Tagetes oil and absolute) - Restricted 0.25% 0.05%  
Menthadienyl formate (Isobergamate) 68683-20-5 Restricted 0.5% 0.1% 0.2%
Methoxy dicylopentadiene carboxaldehyde (Scentenal) 86803-09-9 Restricted 2.5% 0.5% 5% 
Methoxy-4-methylphenol (Creosol)   Restricted 0.05% 0.01% 0.1%
Methoxycoumarin 531-59-9 Prohibited
Methyl crotonate 623-43-8 Prohibited
Methyl heptadienone (6-Methyl-3,5-heptadienone) 1604-28-0 Restricted 0.01% 0.002%  
Methyl heptine carbonate (MHC, Folione) 111-12-6 Restricted 0.05% 0.01% 0.1%
Methyl N-methyl anthranilate (Dimethylanthranilate) 85-91-6 Restricted 50% 10%   
Excluding   
products washed off skin
 No restriction
Methyl octine carbonate (MOC) 111-80-8 Restricted 0.01%  0.1%  
Methyl-2(3)-nonenenitrile (Citgrenile) 53153-66-5 Restricted 1%  0.2%  
Methyl-7-ethoxycoumarin (Maraniol) 87-05-8 Prohibited
7-Methylcoumarin 2445-83-2 Prohibited
6-Methylcoumarin (Toncarine) 92-48-8 Prohibited
p-Methylhydrocinnamic aldehyde 5406-12-2 Restricted 1% 0.2%  0.4%
Musk ambrette 83-66-9 Prohibited
Nitrobenzene 98-95-3 Prohibited
Nootkatone 4674-50-4 Special Purity    
98%+ Not restricted   
Lower Purity 86%+  Use Max. 1% with 4% d'limonene
Oak moss extracts - Restricted 0.5%  0.1%  0.1%
Octen-3-yl acetate (Amyl vinyl carbinyl acetate) 2442-10-6 Restricted 1.5%  0.3%  0.6%
Opoponax - Restricted 3%  0.6%  No restriction
Other materials   
These recommendations are based on the absence of reports on the use of these materials as fragrance ingredients and/or inadequate evaluation of potential adverse effects resulting from their use in fragrances.   

-Allylisothiocyanate   
-Chenopodium oil   
-Cinnamylidene acetone   
-Ethylene glycol monoethyl ether and its acetate   
-Ethylene glycol monomethyl ether and its acetate   
-3,7-Dimethyl-2-octen-1-ol (6,7-Dihydrogeraniol)   
-Diphenylamine   
-Furfurylideneacetone   
-Massoia bark oil   
-Massoia lactone   
-Melissa oil   
-Methyl methacrylate   
-Phenylacetone (Methyl benzyl ketone)   
-Phenyl benzoate   
-Esters of 2-octynoic acid except methyl and allyl    
heptine carbonate   
-Esters of 2-nonynoic acid, except methyl octine   
carbonate   
-Thea sinensis absolute.   
 
Contaminants in fragrance materials as low as practicable but never above 10 ppm   

-Benzene

  Prohibited
Pentylidene cyclohexanone 25677-40-1 Prohibited
Perilla aldehyde 2111-75-3 Restricted 0.5% 0.1%  0.2%
Peru balsam - Restricted 2% 0.4%  No restriction
Phenylacetaldehyde (Hyacinthin) 122-78-1 Special Grade USE 50%  
in PEA or DPG
Pinacea derivatives (Turpentine Oil, delta-3-carene) - Special Grade  
Lowest possible peroxide value
0.05%  0.01%  0.1%
Propylidene phthalide 17369-59-4 Restricted 0.05%  0.01%  0.1%
Pseudoionone (2,6-Dimethylundeca-2,6,8-trien-10-one)  
Allowed as impurity in ionones not exceeding 2% 
141-10-6 Prohibited
Pseudomethylionones - Allowed as impurity in Methyl Ionones not exceeding 2% 26651-96-7 Prohibited
Rue oil - Restricted  
PhotoToxic
3.9% 0.78% No restriction 
Safrole,   
Isosafrole,   
Dihydrosafrole
94-59-7/ 120-58-1/ 94-58-6 Restricted 0.05%  0.01%
Savin oil  

 

- Special Grade  
Only use oils from Juniperus phoenicia L.  
(Do not use oils from Juniperus Sabina L.)
Sclareol 515-03-7 Special Grade - Minimum  MP 96C+
Styrax  - Do not use Crude Gums - Restricted  
Oils and extracts
3%  0.6%  
Tree moss extracts - Restricted 0.5%  0.5%  
Trimethylcyclohexa-1,3-dienyl methanal (Safranal) 116-26-7 Restricted 0.025% 0.005%  0.25%
Trimethylcyclohexenyl/cyclohexadienyl)-2-buten-1-ones (Rose ketones)   Restricted 0.1%  0.02%  0.2%
Verbena absolute - Restricted 1%  0.2% No restriction
Verbena oil - Prohibited