The response from the Cosmébio association.

Allergens in perfumes

A fragrance allergy is an unusual or excessive reaction of a living organism's immune system following contact with a foreign substance (allergen). Allergies are individual responses, specific to each person. Even though they can be severe, allergies remain a rare phenomenon in the general population. Therefore, individuals predisposed to reacting to an allergen should remain vigilant to avoid any contact with it (depending on their level of reaction).

In cosmetics, European regulations list 23 allergens (limonene, cinalool, geraniol, etc.) whose presence must be indicated by the brand on the packaging above a certain threshold. The thresholds are set at 100 ppm for rinse-off products and 10 ppm for leave-on products.

In a natural cosmetic formula, these allergens are not added intentionally; they always originate from the natural ingredients. Natural allergens are often part of the multitude of molecules that make up essential oils.

As a guarantor of transparency in cosmetics, the Cosmébio association confirms the need to declare allergenic substances on cosmetic packaging (EC No. 1223/2009). Similar to cosmetics, food allergens are also specified (nuts, egg, milk, etc.).

Cosmébio is committed to safe and effective cosmetics

For Cosmébio, a product containing naturally occurring allergens should not be penalized by rating apps. Due to the presence of listed allergens, cosmetics containing essential oils often receive a negative rating from cosmetic product "decoding" apps. Cosmébio wishes to reiterate that essential oils are essential for ensuring the sensory appeal of natural cosmetics and often contain active ingredients beneficial to the consumer.

The association therefore aims to promote the role of essential oils in cosmetics. Essential oils are natural ingredients that offer benefits to cosmetics far beyond fragrance: they are attributed with calming or soothing effects, as well as antimicrobial, toning, and anti-acne properties. All the molecules extracted by distillation are part of the plant's complete composition and are integral components of essential oils, including allergens. For millennia, humans have been exposed to these molecules, which are naturally present in the environment.

The risk of allergy, the difference between food and cosmetics

Milk isn't criticized in applications, so why should certain components of a naturally scented cream with essential oils be, when the allergenic potential of a cosmetic product remains linked to the individual user? Two different people exposed to the same substance won't necessarily react in the same way. And the health risks, whether to the body or, more specifically, the skin, linked to fragrance allergens such as irritation or allergies only concern people sensitive to those substances.

Admittedly, a person allergic to one of these molecules may experience unpleasant symptoms upon exposure. For this reason, Cosmébio reiterates the importance of clear and legible product labeling. However, this does not pose a "danger" to the general public. Since the risk of reactions is quite limited, the inclusion of these ingredients in INCI lists is more for informational purposes than for health reasons. The aim is to facilitate their detection for sensitive individuals. Furthermore, the European Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) has published an information sheet explaining that only 1 to 3% of the European population has reported a fragrance allergy.

It's worth noting that peeling a mandarin or an orange exposes you to limonene 1000 times more than from a cosmetic product. And yet, peeling an orange poses no risk to people who are not allergic.

We can therefore say that fragrance allergens are to cosmetics what nuts are to food. They are listed on packaging to reassure those who are allergic, but they pose no risk to non-allergic individuals. In the food industry, the presence of these allergens does not affect the overall rating given by "decoding" apps. So why do it in cosmetics?

In conclusion

We therefore propose that rating applications continue to identify allergens in products for people with allergies, but that the presence of allergens no longer be a factor in the rating of products, in order to put cosmetics on an equal footing with food and move away from a rating system that is unfavorable to natural and organic cosmetics.

We would like to remind you that certified organic cosmetics certainly represent the most advanced form of sustainable cosmetics by promoting the use of renewable resources and contributing to the development of agricultural areas cultivated organically.

The transparency that the applications bring to the consumer is indeed consistent with our missions, but it seems absurd to us to disfavor a source of natural fragrance when the use of natural ingredients helps to advance the cosmetics industry to offer consumers products that are ever healthier for both humans and the environment.