Every IFRA certificate lists a row of categories with a maximum percentage next to each. If you make perfume, soap, candles or room sprays, the hard part is knowing which line applies to your product. This one-page map helps you find it fast.
What an IFRA category is
IFRA (the International Fragrance Association) groups finished products by how people use them. A perfume sits on skin all day. A soap is washed off in seconds. A candle never touches skin at all. Each group gets its own maximum fragrance level for every oil.
The current standard is the IFRA 51st Amendment, which uses Categories 1 to 12. Some are split into sub-categories, such as 5A to 5D, 7A and 7B, 10A and 10B, and 11A and 11B.
To learn how to read the certificate itself, see our post on skin safe fragrance oils and IFRA certificates.
The IFRA category map
| Category | Covers | Plain examples |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lip products | Lip balm, lipstick, lip gloss |
| 2 | Underarm products and body sprays | Deodorant, antiperspirant, body mist |
| 3 | Eye, face make-up and face wipes | Mascara, foundation, refreshing wipes |
| 4 | Fine fragrance | Perfume, cologne, perfume oil, solid perfume, aftershave splash |
| 5A | Leave-on body products | Body lotion, body butter, body oil |
| 5B | Leave-on face products | Face cream, toner, beard balm |
| 5C | Hands and nails | Hand cream, hand sanitiser, cuticle cream |
| 5D | Baby leave-on products | Baby lotion, baby oil |
| 6 | Mouth care | Toothpaste, mouthwash |
| 7A / 7B | Hair treatments / leave-on hair products | Hair dye (7A); hair spray, hair perfume, dry shampoo (7B) |
| 8 | Intimate and baby wipes | Intimate wipes, baby wipes |
| 9 | Rinse-off body and hair | Bar soap, liquid soap, shampoo, shower gel, bath bombs, shaving cream |
| 10A | Household care with hand contact | Laundry liquid, fabric softener, surface cleaner, reed diffuser oil |
| 10B | Household sprays | Room spray, air freshener spray, pet spray |
| 11A / 11B | Items touching skin with little transfer | Pads and nappies (11A); pillow spray, scented socks, tissues (11B) |
| 12 | No skin contact | Candles, incense, plug-in air fresheners, car diffusers, dryer sheets |
The categories most makers use
- Perfume and perfume oils: Category 4. This is the line to check for spray perfume and roll-on oils. See how much fragrance oil to use in perfume.
- Body mist: Category 2. Body sprays can reach the underarms, so they sit with deodorants. A mist clearly labelled "not for underarm use" may fall under Category 4. Our body mist guide covers this.
- Lotion and body butter: Category 5A. Face products (5B) are usually tighter.
- Soap, shower gel and bath bombs: Category 9. Short contact time means limits here are often higher. Read our guide to fragrance oils for soap making.
- Reed diffusers: Category 10A. People touch the oil when they flip reeds.
- Room spray: Category 10B. Pillow spray is different and sits in 11B. See how to make room spray.
- Candles: Category 12. Wax melts are generally treated the same way. Start with fragrance load by wax type or our wax melt guide.
Three rules that keep you safe
- Match the product, not the oil name. A "candle oil" used in a lotion must still meet the Category 5A limit.
- If a product fits two categories, use the stricter one. A spray for both the body and the room should follow the lower limit.
- Weigh your fragrance. IFRA limits are percentages of the finished product by weight. A 2% limit in 100 g of lotion means 2 g of oil at most.
A worked example
Say one oil's certificate shows 12% for Category 4, 3% for Category 5A, 20% for Category 9 and "not limited" for Category 12. You could use it at 10% in a perfume oil, 2% in a body butter, 5% in cold process soap and 10% in a candle, as long as the candle wax can hold that load. These numbers are only an example; always use your oil's own certificate.
Rules in your market
IFRA is an industry standard used worldwide, so the categories are the same whether you sell in the US, UK, EU, GCC, India or Australia. Local rules sit on top of it, such as cosmetic safety assessments and allergen labelling in the UK and EU. Check what applies where you sell.
IFRA's 52nd Amendment is expected in January 2027 and will change some limits, so keep the certificate that matches each batch.
Getting the documents
At Aroma Labs we make fragrance oils in Dubai and ship worldwide. IFRA, SDS and CoA documents are available on request for our oils. Email ankit@aromalabs.store with the oil and the product you are making, or browse the full range.
FAQ
What IFRA category is perfume?
Category 4 covers fine fragrance, including spray perfume, cologne, perfume oils and solid perfume.
What IFRA category is for candles?
Category 12, which covers products with no skin contact, such as candles, incense and plug-in air fresheners.
What IFRA category is soap?
Category 9 covers rinse-off products like bar soap, liquid soap, shower gel and shampoo.
Is room spray Category 10B or 12?
Manual room and air freshener sprays are Category 10B. Automatic metered sprays and plug-ins are Category 12.
Can I use one fragrance oil in several products?
Yes, if you stay within the limit for each product's category. One oil often has very different limits across categories.
