[2026] Obligations linked to the sale of Scented Candles and Wax melts

Article updated on 30/12/25. This article has been written in accordance with French and European standards, although certain aspects specific to other countries are addressed from time to time. Local adjustments are therefore to be expected depending on the jurisdiction.

Any product placed on the market that could present a risk to health or the environment must have an individual safety data sheet and labelling that complies with CLP standards.

In a world where the quality and safety of consumer products are increasingly paramount, it is essential to understand and comply with the regulations in force for candles and scented fluxes. In this article, we set out all the rules you need to follow.

Whether you're a private individual or a professional, this article will help you navigate the legal obligations, regulations and labelling requirements for your products.

We'll look at the different situations you may face, the health and environmental risks involved, and the steps you need to take to ensure your products are compliant. Finally, we will present some innovative solutions to make CLP labelling easier.

Who is affected by the regulations on handmade candles?

Depending on your situation, the applicable regulations differ. If you want to market your creations, you need to know that there are a number of regulations to be complied with. We'll list them in this article.

I am a private individual

When you produce scented candles or pebbles as a private individual, for your own personal use or for friends and family, you have no particular obligations, apart from respecting, or reminding your friends and family of, the precautions for use and safety rules, such as storing your products away from light and out of the reach of children.

I'm a professional

If you sell candles or fluxes, whether at home, at a market or in a shop, you must comply with the regulations in force. CLP, UFI and FDS are three compulsory elements. But the good news is that in some cases, you don't have to make the UFI declaration. Find out why below.

Please note: the DGCCRF (Direction Générale de la Concurrence, de la Consommation et de la Répression des Fraudes) regularly checks sales outlets, whether physical or online.

Legal obligations for candles and melters

As mentioned above, any product placed on the market must have an individual safety data sheet and CLP-compliant labelling. Before going any further, it's essential to understand the difference between these two elements and the role they play.

The safety data sheet (SDS)

The Safety Data Sheet, often abbreviated to SDS, plays a central role in the regulation of candles and scented products. It is more than just an administrative document: it is a genuine tool for prevention, traceability and compliance. It describes the product's composition according to certain criteria established by the European Community, its hazards, its chemical behaviour, and the precautions to be taken for its safe use, storage and disposal.

Which products must be accompanied by an SDS? What you need to remember

• If your candle contains a perfume, a colouring agent, an additive or any other product classified as dangerous, you must have an SDS. Terre de Bougies provides this sheet free of charge for fragrances with a 7% and 10% dosage, available in the compliance section in Word format, and in other dosages for specific ranges. The SDS of the raw product is available in PDF, but its re-use in your name is prohibited (except for 100% dosage).
  
  
• If your product does not contain any chemical products or products classified as dangerous, the SDS will still be required to justify the absence of dangerous elements on the labelling. Example: Choco Hazelnut flavour.
  
  
• If you wish to create your own fragrance blends or apply a different dosage from 7% to 10%, you will need to draw up a new SDS. Terre de Bougies offers a specialised service (for a fee) for the creation of your safety data sheets, to ensure that you comply fully with the regulations in force.

In all cases, it is strongly recommended that you keep the SDSs for your raw materials so that you can demonstrate their harmlessness in the event of an inspection.

What is a CLP label and how to make one

As we saw earlier, all products classified as chemicals placed on the market must have an individual safety data sheet. They must also be labelled in accordance with CLP standards.

CLP (Classification, Labelling, Packaging) is a European regulation that informs consumers of the risks to health and the environment. It is the European version of the international GHS system: while GHS is optional in some countries, CLP is mandatory throughout Europe.

It specifies the hazards associated with releases into the environment, allergies, irritations (skin, eyes) or respiratory problems. Each CLP product must be packaged to avoid direct contact with the consumer. For sales to professionals, the safety data sheet must be provided. For private individuals, it is available on request.

What must a CLP-compliant label contain?

Your CLP label must contain certain mandatory information, the most important of which can be found in section 2.2 of your SDS.

• The name of the product, which must be the same as on the SDS
• Danger or Warning statements
• Hazard statements if present (e.g. H317)
• Safety advice (e.g. P102)
• Danger pictograms, which must be of a specific size and in colour (a hierarchy exists to avoid using them all). See section 3.2.3 of the CLP memento, page 38.
• UFI number (if product concerned)
• The nominal quantity of the product (unless this information is given elsewhere on the packaging)
• Your supplier details (name, address and telephone number)
• A section reserved for additional information (EUH0xx statements, EUH2xx statements, additional information on certain precautionary statements)
  
  

Hazard statements and precautionary statements: what should be displayed on the CLP label?

Having seen our example of a label showing all the information to be displayed, let's take a closer look at hazard statements (e.g. H319) and precautionary statements (e.g. P101). When labelling a scented candle containing substances classified as dangerous, it is compulsory to indicate the hazard statements (H) and the precautionary statements (P) in their full form.

Code and wording

• The code (e.g. H317, P102) is a technical identifier.
• The wording is the explicit phrase to be displayed.

Only the wording is mandatory on the label. The code can be added, but never on its own. Generally, both pieces of information are displayed.

Where precautionary statements are required, at least one P1 statement (P101, P102 or P103) must be displayed.

• P102 (Keep out of reach of children)
• P101 (If a doctor is consulted...)
• P103 (Read the label before use)

In practice

For example, precautionary advice P102 aims to protect children. Even if this advice is optional, it is strongly recommended that you include it on your labels. Why should you do this? Because if an accident involving children occurs and you have not included this advice, the courts will not rule in your favour. In other words, you benefit from better legal protection by adding it, even if it is not a strict obligation.

Where should a CLP label be affixed?

The label must be firmly affixed to one or more sides of the packaging in direct contact with the product and must be legible horizontally in the normal position of the packaging. Its colour and presentation must allow the hazard pictograms to be clearly visible, so that they stand out against the background.

Layout of labelling elements and multilingual label

The hazard pictograms, the signal word, the hazard statements, the precautionary statements and the additional information section must be grouped together.

In the case of a multilingual label, the hazard statements and precautionary statements are grouped together by language. The labelling elements must be written in the official language(s) of the Member State(s) in which the product is placed on the market, unless the Member State(s) decide otherwise. Remember to inform yourself.

Please note: if you buy your raw materials abroad, you must be able to produce a safety data sheet in French and have your products labelled in accordance with the CLP regulation (and not the GHS). Your supplier must be able to provide you with these documents.

What do the hazard pictograms mean?

When a product (such as a scented candle) contains a mixture of chemical substances, it may combine several hazard classes (e.g. flammable, irritant, dangerous for the environment, etc.). The CLP regulation sets out a hierarchy of pictograms to avoid duplication and the need to display all the pictograms. To consult this order, go to page 66 of the CLP guide.

What is the regulatory size of a CLP label for candles?

The CLP label must be at least 74 x 52 mm if possible.

If a product does not allow a sufficiently large label to be affixed, it is possible to affix a smaller label containing less CLP information, subject to certain conditions, see the chapter on derogations in the CLP memento, page 86.

New CLP regulations and their impact on SDSs: what you need to know

From 2025, it will be compulsory to take account of endocrine disrupters and nanoparticles in the case of substances, and from 2026 in the case of mixtures.

This means that SDSs will have to be updated, even for products containing neither endocrine disruptors nor nanoparticles, since this will have to be clearly indicated on the SDS.

CLP 2023/707 does not apply to allergens or IFRA.

These regulations will be compulsory from 1 May 2026 for all new products placed on the market on that date, and there is a transition period for products already on sale before that date.

We therefore advise you to check regularly with the official sources available at the bottom of the page.

Risks in the event of an inspection

Failure to comply with these obligations may result in serious criminal and administrative consequences (up to a €50,000 fine and 3 years' imprisonment).

An SDS remains valid as long as the composition of the product and the regulations remain unchanged. It must be updated whenever the formula, CLP classification or regulations change. It is therefore strongly recommended that you regularly consult the SDSs on your suppliers' websites to make sure you have the most recent version.

How to avoid CLP labelling and UFI declaration

Certain conditions or exceptions may apply to the above. You may have asked yourself certain questions when reading this article: the answers you're looking for are probably here.

I often see scented candles in supermarkets that don't have CLP labelling. Why?

An artisanal candle or fondant has very little in common with the industrially manufactured products you find in supermarkets. The major difference lies in the composition, particularly the quality and percentage of fragrance used.

Unlike artisanal creations, which favour high-quality ingredients, industrial manufacturers frequently opt for lower-quality synthetic fragrances.

These fragrances are used in low concentrations. This choice limits the olfactory effect, but allows manufacturers to remain below the classification thresholds imposed by the CLP regulations. In this way, they avoid the detailed labelling of ingredients that is generally required for products containing larger quantities of fragrance, while saving on the price of the fragrance.

How do I know if I can market my candle without a CLP label?

In practical terms, the obligation to have a label that complies with CLP standards applies to your creations that contain substances and mixtures classified as hazardous to health or the environment. A scented candle is considered to be a mixture, because it contains wax and a mixture of fragrances.

You can market your candle without having to comply with CLP labelling standards if, and only if, you meet these criteria:

• No substance used in your candle is classified as dangerous (flammable, toxic, irritant, sensitising, etc.) in the final concentration of the mixture.
  
  
• The fragrance you are using is not classified as dangerous (you can check this in the SDS for your product, from section 2) or you are using a fragrance from the Boost 1% range and the dosage does not exceed 1%, in accordance with the recommendations.

Note that if the product is marketed, you will still be obliged to affix a label with at least the supplier's details, the weight of the product and the product identifiers.

The 1% Boost range to avoid complex CLP and UFI labelling

Terre de Bougies offers a practical solution to avoid CLP and UFI obligations: the Boost range of 10 fragrances. Designed to be used at 1%, these fragrances do not require complex CLP labelling or UFI declaration, making it much easier to market your candles. Be careful, though: in some cases, allergenic substances may still need to be listed under EUH208.

This solution is ideal for producing professional-quality scented candles while cutting costs and red tape.

Where can I check that a product does not contain substances classified as dangerous?

To help you understand, here is an example of two safety data sheets for additives.

You need to look at section 2 of the product safety data sheet. Here you can see that vegetable stearin is not classified as "dangerous".

For this additive, you can see by looking at section 2 of the safety data sheet (SDS) that there are H and P statements, indicating that the product is classified.

OK, but what if I use several products to make just one?

If you use several products to make a single product (perfume, colouring, wax, additives, etc.), you will need to produce a safety data sheet for the finished product. It is this SDS that will indicate whether labelling is necessary. Everything will depend on the quantities in the product. If a product is classified in its concentrated form, the finished product will not necessarily be classified according to its concentration. The same applies to perfumes: just because a perfume is classified as H315 does not necessarily mean that the finished product will be.

If I sell a 100% beeswax candle, do I need a CLP label?

No. If you're marketing a beeswax candle containing no classified fragrances, colourings or additives, you won't need full CLP labelling (just contact details, weight and product identifiers) or a UFI declaration. The same applies to all other pure, unscented natural waxes. You will still need to have a label on your product with the supplier's name, weight and product identifiers.

To sum up: mastering the labelling and safety of your candles

Knowing the regulations means greater peace of mind, protecting your customers and enhancing the value of your handmade creations. Navigating the regulations on candles and melting agents may seem complex, but the essentials are simple: ensure the safety of your products and keep your customers properly informed. Now your candles can shine, legally.

Conclusion

To stay compliant, keep the logic simple: you always start with the finished product's SDS, check its classification, then build your label from the mandatory elements in section 2.2. If your formulation changes, you update the SDS and the labelling. And if your aim is to simplify your procedures, there are solutions available, as long as you comply strictly with the dosages and associated recommendations.

Sources :

- Find out more about the CLP regulation.
- Everything you need to know about the CLP regulation
- Source: Eur-Lex.

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