UFI and CLP for candles: discover the new Proreuse program

The fragrance percentage can change the labeling information to consider for your candle. We created a tool that starts with the data in safety data sheets and helps you review dosage, UFI, and CLP information together.

When you make a scented candle, choosing the fragrance is only part of the work. You also need to understand what information must accompany the finished product. That’s why, on eshop-candelx.com, we introduced the UFI and CLP Check for Candles tool, with technical documents and guidance available for dosages from 1% to 10%.

Why we chose to go beyond the “no UFI” label

A phrase like “UFI-exempt fragrance” may seem like a sufficient answer. For candle makers, however, the useful question is more specific: what changes in my candle with this fragrance at this percentage? A declaration referring to certain conditions of use should not automatically be extended to every formula.

We chose to start with the data declared in the SDSs, run the checks required for mixtures, and compare the results with the applicable criteria and references published by ECHA. We also wanted to make the process leading to a result visible: the selected fragrance, the dosage, and any outstanding points to verify.

Calculating based on the available data also means recognizing its limitations. If an SDS gives concentration ranges rather than exact values, the result may remain conditional. The software flags this: it does not turn uncertainty into a promise of exemption.

UFI and CLP are related but they are not the same thing

CLP is the regulatory framework for classifying, labeling, and packaging substances and mixtures. It covers, among other things, health hazards, physical hazards, and environmental hazards. L’UFI, on the other hand, is the identifier that links a specific composition to the information submitted for emergency health response by poison centers.

For mixtures within the relevant scope, the PCN notification and UFI requirements depend on classification for health hazards or physical hazards. An environmental classification alone does not trigger that requirement. The labeling elements required under CLP must still be assessed.

This is the point we wanted to keep at the center: the absence of a UFI requirement does not mean there are no CLP labeling requirements. For example, under certain conditions, the supplementary statement EUH208 regarding the presence of sensitizing substances may be required, even if the candle is not classified as a sensitizer.

Also, the UFI of the concentrated fragrance cannot simply be copied onto the candle: the candle is a different mixture that requires its own assessment.

How to use the program

1. Open the tool. You can find it in the menu for candle making and, for eligible products, via the button on the fragrance page.
2. Search for the fragrance by name or code. Select it and review the available documents, such as the SDS, IFRA, and allergen declaration.
3. Choose the percentage by total mixture weight. The dosage is by mass, not in milliliters and not based on wax weight alone.
4. Confirm the recipe conditions. The case considered is a single Proreuse fragrance with vegetable wax not classified as hazardous, no other ingredients, for a candle intended for consumers and sold in Italy.
5. Click “Check CLP and UFI.” Read the full result: identified or possible hazards, UFI/PCN information, environmental information, and any sensitizers to consider on the label.

The program is available in Italian, English, French, Spanish, and German. Changing the interface language does not change the market or the assessment conditions; documents remain in the language indicated by the respective link.

An example with Mint at three percentages

We use Mint Fragrance EU31893F and a 200 g mixture made up only of this fragrance and non-hazardous vegetable wax. The following three dosages are used to compare the program’s results: they are not a dosage recommendation or confirmation of technical or IFRA suitability.

1% Mint

For 200 g of mixture, we use 2 g of fragrance and 198 g of wax. The available SDS data checks do not indicate a health classification. However, the program flags a possible sensitizer, “Cornmint oil (redist),” and suggests a precautionary EUH208 draft that needs to be verified. L’s UFI exemption is not confirmed.

3% Mint

For 200 g of mixture, we use 6 g of fragrance and 194 g of wax. Here too, checks of the available data do not indicate a health classification. However, the sensitizer “Cornmint oil (redist)” is identified within the declared concentration ranges and appears in the EUH208 draft. This is a concrete example of why UFI information alone does not cover all the labeling that needs to be assessed.

Mint at 7 percent

For 200 g of mixture, we use 14 g of fragrance and 186 g of wax. At this dosage, H317 appears as a possible or conditional hazard, relating to skin sensitization. The SDS ranges do not allow the issue to be resolved unambiguously: technical review is needed before reaching a conclusion on the classification and any UFI/PCN obligation.

The displayed EUH208 draft is conditional on the final exclusion of a sensitizing classification. If H317 is confirmed, the elements required for that classification must be assessed: using only the supplementary statement is not enough.

Documents and results to review together

The SDS describes the fragrance hazards and provides data useful for assessing the mixture. The IFRA document serves a different purpose: its use limits do not replace CLP classification and do not confirm a UFI exemption. The supplier’s allergen declaration should also be distinguished from the list of sensitizers relevant to the CLP label.

The program helps you review and compare dosages. It is not an ECHA certification, does not automatically generate a final classification, and does not submit a PCN notification. Preliminary results and drafts must be reviewed by a qualified professional before marketing. Recipes using other waxes, multiple fragrances, or additional ingredients require a specific assessment; other candle safety warnings must also be considered.

Our goal is to give you information you can use to ask the right questions and prepare your label with greater confidence, while distinguishing what the data indicate from what still needs to be confirmed.

Open the UFI and CLP program for candles