Which new fragrance ingredients guidelines came into effect in 2025?

IFRA – which stands for the International Fragrance Association – is the Switzerland-based representative body of the fragrance industry, which works to ensure the quality, safety, and sustainability of scent products in partnership with the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials (RIFM).

The association, which sets voluntary Standards, issued its notification of the 51st Amendment to these Standards on 30 June 2023. It asked IFRA members to mark 30 March 2024 in their diaries as the compliance deadline for new-to-market creations, with 30 October 2025 pinpointed as the implementation deadline for ‘existing’ creations, aka those developed and placed on the market before 30 March 2024.

Compliance is required for members of IFRA, but even non-members should fall in line. European Union (EU) regulators will often consult IFRA’s Standards as scientific justification for safety assessments – especially for allergens. IFRA’s 49th Amendment, for example, led to the restriction of Lilial, forcing reformulation in Europe.

In addition, compliance is best practice for any company using fragrances, ensuring products are safe for consumers and avoiding issues like recalls or loss of confidence, and many retailers and marketplaces require their suppliers to demonstrate IFRA compliance before they will sell products.

With the 51st Amendment’s 28-month transition period for existing products drawing to an end, what IFRA 51 changes were implemented in recent months?

This latest Amendment introduced 59 new rules, bringing the total to 263. New Standards include:

• 32 Restriction Standards based on skin sensitization and systemic toxicity
• 11 Restriction Standards based on dermal sensitization Quantitative Risk Assessment model
• 2 Restriction Standards based on systemic toxicity
• 1 Restriction Standard based on de-pigmenting potential
• 1 Restriction specification Standard based on dermal sensitization and systemic toxicity

As well as these restrictions, fragrance material 3-Acetyl-2,5-dimethylfuran is now prohibited for use as a fragrance ingredient due to genotoxicity concerns.

Known for its sweet, musty, nutty, and caramel aroma, 3-Acetyl-2,5-dimethylfuran, has been shown to affect nasal cavity, liver, and lipid metabolism in rats. And, in addition to genotoxicity, it has been linked to possible carcinogenicity in the liver.

At the same time, several existing IFRA Standards were revised. These are:

• 7 revised Restriction Standards to control potential dermal sensitization effects for which the systemic toxicity endpoints have now also been evaluated
• 1 revised Restriction Standard based on new dermal sensitization data
• 1 revised Restriction Standard based on phototoxicity (causing a skin reaction after exposure to light) and systemic toxicity, and 1 updated Standard with regard to Maximum Acceptable Concentration (MAC) in Category 6, covering oral hygiene products

2 revised Restriction Standards based on systemic toxicity

Changes have also been made to the Guide for using the Standards. For example, in Category 4, “aftershaves of all types” must now be described as “aftershaves of all types (expect creams and balms)” to differentiate such products from those cream and lotion aftershaves that may be categorized as face moisturizers in Category 5B.

The amendment introduced clearer wording for applying the IFRA Standards to paper products, specifically for calculating fragrance ingredient concentrations in finished products. For products where MAC levels apply to the finished consumer product (eg, baby diapers, feminine hygiene conventional pads, liners, interlabial pads, tampons, and incontinence pants/pads) and the fragrance mixture is typically included in the finished product based on weight (rather than percent concentration), MAC levels reflect the ratio of fragrance ingredient weight and product weight.

For products where a lotion/formulation carrier is added to the finished consumer product (eg, cleaning wipes, baby wipes, dryer sheets, and wet toilet paper) and the fragrance mixture is part of the lotion/carrier formulation added, meanwhile, MAC levels reflect the percent concentrations of the fragrance ingredient in the lotion/carrier formulation rather than the finished product.

IFRA 51 introduced a new approach to phototoxic ingredients. This approach now includes setting limits for rinse-off products in Categories 7A (rinse-off products applied to the hair that involve some hand contact), 9 (products with body and hand exposure that are meant to be rinsed off), and 10A (reed diffusers and car diffusers), and was specifically implemented for Methyl-N-methylanthranilate.

Meanwhile, products in Category 6 (products that involve oral and lip exposure) can now be classified as rinse-off in terms of phototoxicity. Consequently, the allowed concentration of Methyl-N-methylanthranilate in Category 6 products has increased from 0.1% to 0.5%, as compared with the previous consultation.

The Guide document was also updated to replace the term “sunscreen” with “UV filters”, while the management of “technically unavoidable residues” remains the responsibility of the raw material producer.

Further decisions – such as justification for the categorization of reed diffusers and pillow sprays, and clarification that make-up remover for face and eyes also includes potential exposure to lips – can be accessed via IFRA’s website, where you can access a full list of the ingredients subject to the new and revised Restriction Standards

By this stage, if you are a company formulating cosmetic products with fragrances and essential oils, you should have ensured compliance for your existing creations. This involves requesting updated IFRA certificates from your raw materials suppliers detailing the maximum allowable quantities for products being developed, for inclusion in your Product Information Files (PIFs), as required under the EU Cosmetic Regulation.

This is where Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software from Coptis Software Solutions can help. It automatically generates the PIF, as well as other necessary documents, such as ingredient list, finished product formula, and marketing dossiers. This not only saves valuable time, but also reduces the risk of human error, which can be costly and compromise product conformity.

A bonus? Coptis PLM’s real-time alerts facilitate the implementation of immediate corrections, which improves the fluidity of the approval process.

Thanks to PLM, teams can see immediately whether all criteria have been met before proceeding with product validation. It also ensures that every document is up-to-date and compliant before the official launch.

With the final deadline for IFRA 51 now in the rear mirror, attention is turning to IFRA’s 52nd Amendment, which is expected to be announced in 2026. It is likely to focus on policy around furocoumarins, compounds found in some natural fragrance ingredients, among other adjustments ensuring even greater safety and sustainability of fragranced ingredients.

To ensure that you are in the strongest possible position to respond to future IFRA Standards changes – or any other regulatory/guidelines changes – with maximum speed and minimum disruption, contact the Coptis PLM team, or request a demo.