Guides / EU candle CLP labels

EU candle CLP labels: what has to be on them

Published 5 October 2026; rules last checked 25 September 2026. A labelling reference, not legal advice.

A scented candle, wax melt or reed diffuser is a chemical mixture. If its fragrance makes it classify as hazardous, its label is set by the CLP Regulation, Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, which applies directly in every EU member state and, under the Windsor Framework, in Northern Ireland. The label elements are therefore the same in every member state. What differs is the language: the label must be in the official language of each country where you sell. Two duties are specific to the EU side: a candle classified for a health or physical hazard needs a UFI, and since 1 July 2026 the label must identify a supplier established in the EU. This guide goes through the label in the order the regulation lists it.

When a candle needs a CLP label

Article 17(1) covers a mixture that is classified as hazardous and contained in packaging. The classification comes from your fragrance supplier's CLP or safety data at the fragrance percentage you use; the wax, wick and container do not decide it. For candles and melts two outcomes suppliers commonly report are skin sensitisation (H317) and a long-term hazard to aquatic life (H411 or H412). Diffuser liquids hold far more fragrance, often in a solvent, so they are classified more often and can add eye irritation or flammability.

A candle that is not classified as sensitising can still need one line. Annex II, section 2.8 requires a mixture that contains a sensitising substance at or above the concentration in Table 3.4.6 of Annex I, without being classified as sensitising itself, to carry EUH208, "Contains (name of sensitising substance). May produce an allergic reaction." That is how a candle with no pictogram ends up with a "Contains Linalool" line, with the substance names taken from the supplier's declaration.

What goes on the label

Article 17(1) lists the elements:

1. The supplier's name, address and telephone number. A website or email address does not replace the telephone number.
2. The nominal quantity for a product made available to the general public, unless it is given elsewhere on the package.
3. Product identifiers (Article 18): for a mixture, its trade name or designation, plus the substances that contribute to the classification for acute toxicity, skin corrosion or serious eye damage, germ cell mutagenicity, carcinogenicity, reproductive toxicity, respiratory or skin sensitisation, specific target organ toxicity or aspiration hazard. Where that gives a list, four names suffice unless more are needed to reflect the hazards.
4. Hazard pictograms, where applicable (Article 19).
5. A signal word, where applicable (Article 20).
6. Hazard statements, where applicable (Article 21).
7. Precautionary statements, where applicable (Article 22).
8. A section for supplemental information, where applicable (Article 25): EUH208 and the UFI go here.

The language of the label

Article 17(2): "The label shall be written in the official language(s) of the Member State(s) where the substance or mixture is placed on the market, unless the Member State(s) concerned provide(s) otherwise." A candle sold in Germany needs a German label and one sold in France a French label; a candle sold in both needs both languages. You may add languages beyond those required, provided the same details appear in every language used.

On a label in several languages, the hazard statements are grouped by language, the precautionary statements are grouped by language, and each language's groups sit together (Article 32(2) and (3)). The wording is fixed for every language: hazard statements follow Annex III and precautionary statements Part 2 of Annex IV (Articles 21(4) and 22(4)), and both annexes print each statement in all the official EU languages. H317 is "May cause an allergic skin reaction." in English and "Kann allergische Hautreaktionen verursachen." in German, word for word from the annex. A translation of your own, however close, is not the statement.

Pictograms

The pictograms are the Annex V symbols, drawn as a square set on a point with a black symbol on a white background and a red frame wide enough to be clearly visible (Annex I, 1.2.1.1 and 1.2.1.2). Table 1.3 sets the size for a package of up to 3 litres: not smaller than 10 x 10 mm and, if possible, at least 16 x 16 mm. Each pictogram also covers at least one fifteenth of the label area used for the Article 17 information, and never less than 1 cm² (1.2.1.3). Article 31(2) asks for colours and a layout that let the pictogram stand out clearly.

Where several pictograms would apply, Article 26 removes some: GHS07 (the exclamation mark) does not appear next to GHS06 (skull and crossbones), nor for skin or eye irritation next to GHS05 (corrosion), nor for skin sensitisation or skin and eye irritation when GHS08 (health hazard) applies for respiratory sensitisation. A candle classified for skin sensitisation and aquatic toxicity carries GHS07 and, for Aquatic Acute 1 or Chronic 1 or 2, GHS09. Chronic 3 and 4 have no pictogram.

Signal word and hazard statements

One signal word, from the most severe classification: where "Danger" is used, "Warning" does not appear (Article 20(3)). Hazard statements carry the Annex III wording exactly (Article 21(4)), so H412 is "Harmful to aquatic life with long lasting effects", not a shortened version. The pictograms, signal word, hazard statements and precautionary statements are located together on the label (Article 32(1)).

Precautionary statements

Precautionary statements are chosen, not derived: Article 22(3) selects them by the criteria in Part 1 of Annex IV, taking into account the hazard statements and the intended use. Article 28 then removes statements that are clearly redundant, keeps one statement on disposal for a product supplied to the general public unless none is required, and caps the label at six precautionary statements unless the nature and severity of the hazards need more. Because the choice depends on how your product is used, our tools leave it to you: they say the statements are required and print the ones you select from your supplier's safety data sheet.

The UFI

For a candle classified for a health or physical hazard, Annex VIII requires a submission to the body appointed by each member state where it is sold, before it is placed on the market (Part A, 3.1), in force for products for consumers since 1 January 2021 (1.1). The submission is made with a Unique Formula Identifier that you create with ECHA's free generator (5.1), and Article 25(7) puts it on the label as "UFI:" followed by the code, clearly visible, legible and indelibly marked (5.2). A candle classified only for the aquatic environment is outside the duty. The details, from which scents need their own code to when a change needs a new one, are in Do I need a UFI to sell candles in the EU?

A supplier established in the EU

Since 1 July 2026, Article 4(11) says a mixture "shall not be placed on the market unless a supplier established in the Union, which shall be identified on the label, in the course of an industrial or professional activity fulfils the requirements set out in this Regulation". A maker established in the EU is that supplier, and the name and address under Article 17(1)(a) identify them. A maker based outside the EU, in Great Britain or the US for example, needs a supplier established in the EU who takes on those duties and is named on the label.

Small packs, tags, fold-out and digital labels

Where a pack is too small for the full label, Article 29(1) and Annex I, section 1.5.1 allow the elements on a tie-on tag or an outer pack, with a minimum set kept on the inner pack. Where even that is impossible, a pack of up to 125 ml may leave out some statements, though never H317 (Article 29(2) and section 1.5.2). Since 1 July 2026 a label may also be a fold-out label (Article 31(1) and Annex I, 1.2.1.6). A digital label, reached by a code on the pack, can be added to the physical label but does not replace it, apart from the few elements listed in Annex I, section 1.6 (Article 34a). The page on where the CLP label goes on wax melts sets out each option in detail.

From 1 January 2028: font size and colour

Regulation (EU) 2024/2865 adds formatting rules that apply from 1 January 2028, after Regulation (EU) 2025/2439 moved them from 2027: a minimum x-height of 1.2 mm on a package of up to 0.5 litres and 1.4 mm up to 3 litres (the new Table 1.3), and text printed in black on a white background in a single easily legible sans-serif font, with line spacing of at least 120 % of the font size (the new section 1.2.1.5). A label may follow them earlier. The Commission has proposed simplifying them before they apply (COM(2025) 531), so the details may still change.

Northern Ireland and Great Britain

Northern Ireland follows EU CLP under the Windsor Framework, so everything on this page applies there, the UFI included. Great Britain has its own version of the regulation, GB CLP: the same label elements, written in English, with no UFI, and without the 2026 changes. That is covered in the UK candle CLP guide.

Mistakes the regulation is specific about

• Statements in your own translation. Every language uses the wording of Annex III and Annex IV (Articles 21(4) and 22(4)).
• Mixed-up languages. On a multilingual label, statements are grouped by language (Article 32(2) and (3)).
• Two signal words. "Danger" and "Warning" never share a label (Article 20(3)).
• Pictograms under 10 mm. A smaller diamond to fit a small jar breaks Table 1.3; use a larger label or a tag.
• No telephone number. Name, address and telephone number, all three (Article 17(1)(a)).
• The fragrance oil's UFI. That code belongs to the oil's submission; a classified candle needs its own.
• "Non-toxic", "harmless", "eco-friendly". Article 25(4) bans statements such as "non-toxic", "non-harmful", "non-polluting" or "ecological", and anything else suggesting the mixture is not hazardous or that is inconsistent with its classification, on the label or the packaging.

Short answers to the questions makers ask

Each of these is a page of its own, answered from the text with the article named, and each links back to the tool.

• Do wax melts need a CLP label?
• Do I need a UFI to sell candles in the UK?
• Do I need a UFI to sell candles in the EU?
• Does my home address have to be on a candle label?
• Does changing the fragrance load change the CLP label?
• CLP labels for a custom blend of fragrance oils
• Where does the CLP label go on wax melts?
• Can I rename the fragrance on a CLP label?
• Do you need a barcode to sell handmade products?
• Do candles at craft fairs or as gifts need a CLP label?

Common questions