Guides / UK candle CLP labels

UK candle CLP labels: what has to be on them

Published 18 September 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, and if the fragrance makes yours classify as hazardous, the label falls under CLP. In Great Britain that is the assimilated Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 as amended for GB, known as GB CLP, with the Health and Safety Executive as the agency; in Northern Ireland it is EU CLP under the Windsor Framework. The label elements are the same as the EU ones. The differences that matter to a maker: the label must be in English, there is no UFI or poison-centre duty in Great Britain, and since 1 July 2026 an EU label must also identify a supplier established in the EU (Article 4(11) of EU CLP), a rule Great Britain has not adopted. This guide walks through what goes on the label in the order the regulation lists it.

Does your candle need a CLP label at all?

Article 17(1) applies to a mixture that is classified as hazardous and contained in packaging. Whether your product classifies is decided by your fragrance supplier's CLP or safety data at the percentage you use, not by the wax or the jar. Two outcomes a supplier's document commonly reports for a candle are skin sensitisation (H317) and a long-term aquatic hazard (H412 or H411); reed-diffuser liquids carry far more fragrance and solvent, so they are classified more often and can add eye irritation or flammability.

There is one duty that applies even when the product is not classified as sensitising. Annex II, section 2.8 says the label of a mixture not classified as sensitising but containing a sensitising substance at or above the concentration in Table 3.4.6 of Annex I must carry EUH208, "Contains (name of sensitising substance). May produce an allergic reaction." That is why a candle with no pictogram can still need a "Contains Linalool" line, and why the substances to name come from the supplier's declaration.

The eight things Article 17 puts on the label

Article 17(1) requires the label to include:

1. The supplier's name, address and telephone number. All three; a website or email does not replace the phone number.
2. The nominal quantity for products made available to the general public, unless it is shown elsewhere on the package.
3. Product identifiers (Article 18). For a mixture that means the trade name or designation, plus the identity of the substances that contribute to classification for acute toxicity, skin corrosion or serious eye damage, mutagenicity, carcinogenicity, reproductive toxicity, respiratory or skin sensitisation, STOT or aspiration hazard. Where that produces a list, a maximum of four names suffices 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), which is where EUH208 goes.

Article 17(2), as it reads for Great Britain: "The label shall be written in English." Suppliers may add other languages provided the same details appear in every language used.

Pictograms

Hazard pictograms are the Annex V symbols: a black symbol on a white background inside a red frame "sufficiently wide to be clearly visible", in the shape of a square set on a point (Annex I, 1.2.1). The size floor is in Table 1.3: for a package not exceeding 3 litres, not smaller than 10 x 10 mm, and if possible at least 16 x 16 mm, with each pictogram covering at least one fifteenth of the minimum surface area of the label used for the Article 17 information. Article 31(2) adds that the colour and presentation of the label must make the pictogram stand out clearly.

When a classification would put several pictograms on the label, Article 26 thins them: if GHS06 (skull and crossbones) applies, GHS07 (exclamation mark) does not appear; if GHS05 (corrosion) applies, GHS07 does not appear for skin or eye irritation; and if GHS08 (health hazard) applies for respiratory sensitisation, GHS07 does not appear for skin sensitisation or for skin and eye irritation. A candle classified only for skin sensitisation and aquatic toxicity carries GHS07 and, for Acute 1 or Chronic 1 or 2, GHS09; Chronic 3 and 4 carry no pictogram at all.

Signal word and hazard statements

There is one signal word, taken from the most severe classification: Article 20(3) says that where "Danger" is used, "Warning" shall not appear. Hazard statements must be worded in accordance with Annex III (Article 21(4)), so the exact wording matters: H317 is "May cause an allergic skin reaction" and H412 is "Harmful to aquatic life with long lasting effects", not a paraphrase. Article 32(1) requires the pictograms, signal word, hazard statements and precautionary statements to be located together on the label.

Precautionary statements

Precautionary statements are selected, not looked up: Article 22(3) says the selection follows the criteria in Part 1 of Annex IV, taking into account the hazard statements and the intended use of the product. Article 28 trims the result: clearly redundant statements are omitted, a product supplied to the general public carries one statement on disposal unless none is required, and not more than six precautionary statements appear unless the nature and severity of the hazards need more. Because the choice depends on how your product is used, our tool does not guess these for you; it reminds you they are required and prints the ones you select from your supplier's safety data sheet.

The UFI: not in Great Britain, yes in Northern Ireland

In EU CLP, a mixture classified for a health or physical hazard must be notified to a poison centre under Annex VIII, and the resulting UFI code goes in the supplemental information on the label (Article 25(7)). Great Britain no longer has either duty: Article 25(7) was omitted from GB CLP on 31 December 2023 by SI 2023/1344, and Annex VIII was revoked on 1 January 2024 under the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023. The HSE describes the GB scheme for supplying product information to the National Poisons Information Service as voluntary.

So a candle sold only in Great Britain needs no UFI and no poison-centre notification, whatever it is classified for. If the same label also sells in the EU or Northern Ireland, keep the UFI on it: GB CLP allows supplemental information that does not make the mandatory elements harder to identify and does not contradict them (Article 25(3)).

Northern Ireland

The HSE states that the classification of chemicals placed on the market in Northern Ireland is regulated by EU CLP under the Northern Ireland Protocol and the Windsor Framework, with separate guidance from HSENI. For a maker that means the EU label elements, and the EU UFI and poison-centre duty for a product classified for a health or physical hazard. In our tools, choosing Northern Ireland applies the EU rules and says so. The EU label is set out in full in the EU candle CLP guide.

Mistakes the regulation is specific about

• Two signal words. "Danger" and "Warning" never share a label (Article 20(3)).
• Pictograms under 10 mm. Shrinking the diamond to fit a small jar breaks Table 1.3; use a larger label or a tag.
• No telephone number. Article 17(1)(a) asks for name, address and telephone number, all three.
• Paraphrased statements. Hazard statements are worded per Annex III (Article 21(4)); "may irritate skin" is not H315.
• Scattered elements. Pictograms, signal word, hazard and precautionary statements sit together (Article 32(1)).
• "Non-toxic", "harmless", "eco-friendly". Article 25(4) bans statements such as "non-toxic", "non-harmful", "non-polluting" or "ecological", and anything else that indicates the mixture is not hazardous or is inconsistent with its classification, on the label or packaging.
• Demanding a UFI in Great Britain, or forgetting it in Northern Ireland. See above.

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