Most labels use INCI names, short for International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients. The names are standard, so one ingredient has the same name on every brand. The EU requires names from a Commission glossary based on INCI (Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Article 33). The US rule, 21 CFR 701.3, points first to FDA names and then to reference books such as the CTFA Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary.
Aqua: water. EU labels often say Aqua; US labels say Water.
Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter: plants use Latin names, often with the common name in brackets.
Sodium Hyaluronate: the salt form of hyaluronic acid.
Tocopherol: vitamin E.
CI 77491: a colorant shown by its Colour Index number (here, red iron oxide). The EU requires CI names where they apply.
Parfum or Fragrance: a whole scent blend declared as one word.
United States
US Label Rules: 21 CFR 701.3
The FDA rule on ingredient labels, 21 CFR 701.3, says:
Ingredients appear in descending order of predominance.
As an alternative, ingredients above 1% come first in descending order, then ingredients at 1% or less in any order, then color additives in any order.
A scent or flavor blend may be listed as just "fragrance" or "flavor".
An ingredient that FDA accepts as a trade secret may appear as "and other ingredients" at the end.
The letters must be at least 1/16 inch high.
A product that is also an over-the-counter drug, such as a sunscreen, lists its active ingredients in a Drug Facts panel (21 CFR 201.66).
One clue to the 1% line: the EU limits the preservative phenoxyethanol to 1.0% (Annex V of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009), so ingredients listed after it should also be at 1% or less.
MoCRA 2022
What MoCRA Changed on US Labels
The Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA) became law on December 29, 2022. FDA calls it the most significant expansion of its authority over cosmetics since the FD&C Act of 1938. Two parts touch the label (21 U.S.C. 364e):
Contact for problems. Each label must give a US address, a US phone number or electronic contact information, such as a website, where the company receives adverse event reports.
Fragrance allergens. The label must identify each fragrance allergen, but FDA must first name those allergens by regulation. The law set a deadline of 18 months after enactment, June 2024, for the proposed rule.
FDA's MoCRA page (content current as of August 10, 2026) still lists fragrance allergen labeling as a rule that FDA must establish. Until that rule is final, a US label can still say only "Fragrance". MoCRA also requires companies to report serious adverse events to FDA within 15 business days.
European Union
The EU Fragrance Allergen List
Article 19(1)(g) of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 says the list starts with the word "Ingredients" and runs in descending order of weight at the time each ingredient is added. Ingredients below 1% can follow in any order. A nanomaterial carries "(nano)" after its name. A perfume blend appears as "parfum", and a flavor blend as "aroma".
Because "parfum" hides the blend, Annex III names fragrance allergens that must also appear by name when they exceed 0.001% in leave-on products or 0.01% in rinse-off products. Before 2023 there were 24 such entries. Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 of 26 July 2023 added labelling for 57 more entries, for 81 in total. Some entries group related substances, such as the rose ketones. The regulation estimates that 1–9% of the EU population is allergic to fragrance allergens.
Products that do not meet the new rules can be placed on the EU market until 31 July 2026 and can stay on sale until 31 July 2028.
Free tool
EU Fragrance Allergen Checker
Paste the ingredient list from a package or a product page. The checker compares each ingredient with the 81 Annex III entries and flags "parfum", "fragrance" and "aroma". It runs in your browser and sends nothing.
As written on the label
Annex III labelling name
Labelled since
Method and limits. Data: Annex III of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 as amended by Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 (Official Journal L 188, 27 July 2023). The checker matches names, not amounts. Benzyl alcohol must be named only when it is not a preservative. Educational tool, not medical advice; a dermatologist patch test finds your own allergens.
Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 raised the fragrance allergens that EU labels must name from 24 to 81 entries.
Guide
Compare Two Products by Their Labels
Price does not tell you what is in a jar; the ingredient list does. Our guide Drugstore vs Luxury Skincare 2026 uses these label rules to compare products.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my US product say only "Fragrance"?
21 CFR 701.3 lets a company declare a scent blend as "fragrance". MoCRA requires US labels to name fragrance allergens, but only after FDA names them in a final rule.
Does "Limonene" on a label mean the product is unsafe?
No. In the EU it means limonene is above 0.001% in a leave-on product or 0.01% in a rinse-off product. It matters if you know you are allergic to it.
