How to Read a Fragrance SDS in 5 Minutes

21 September 20268 min readPixHarvest Team

Your fragrance supplier sent you a 16-section Safety Data Sheet. It's 8 pages of dense technical text. You know you need it for your CLP label, but where exactly do you look? This guide walks you through the SDS section by section, telling you exactly which fields matter for candle CLP compliance and which you can ignore.

No chemistry degree required. If you can read a product label, you can do this.

What Is an SDS and Why Does Your Candle Need It?

An SDS (Safety Data Sheet) is a standardised 16-section document that describes the hazards, composition, and safe handling of a chemical substance or mixture. By law, your fragrance oil supplier must provide one for every product they sell you.

For candle CLP compliance, the SDS is your source document. It tells you:

What hazardous components are in the fragrance oil
What hazard classification applies to the oil
Which allergens must appear on your finished candle label
What pictograms and signal words are required

The critical point: the SDS describes the concentrated oil, not your finished candle. You must recalculate everything at your actual fragrance load (typically 8–12% in wax). The SDS gives you the raw data; the CLP label is the finished product calculation.

The 5-Minute SDS Walkthrough

Section 1: Identification

Confirm this SDS matches the exact product you received. Check the product name and the supplier's details. If the product name doesn't match your purchase order, stop — you may have been shipped a different oil.

Verify: Product name matches your order · Supplier is your actual vendor · Date is current (within 2 years)

Section 2: Hazard Identification ← MOST IMPORTANT

This section contains the classification summary for the concentrated oil. You will find:

The CLP classification (e.g., "Skin Sens. 1, H317" or "Aquatic Acute 1, H400")
The signal word ("Warning" or "Danger")
The hazard pictograms (GHS07, GHS09, etc.)
The full H-statements (hazard statements)

🚩 Red flag: If Section 2 says "Not classified" but Section 3 lists hazardous components, the SDS may be outdated or incorrectly prepared. Cross-check with Section 3.

Extract: H-codes (H317, H400, H315, etc.) · Signal word · Pictogram codes · Full H-statement text

Section 3: Composition / Information on Ingredients ← ALLERGEN SOURCE

This section lists the individual chemical components of the fragrance oil, their CAS numbers, and their concentrations. This is where you find your EUH208 allergen names.

For each component listed:

Note the chemical name and CAS number
Note the concentration range (e.g., "10–25%")
Cross-reference against the EUH208 allergen list (80+ substances)
Calculate: component concentration × your fragrance load = allergen concentration in finished candle

🚩 Red flag: If the SDS lists "Fragrance compound" or "Proprietary blend" without component breakdown, it is not sufficient for CLP allergen calculation. Request a full ingredient disclosure from the supplier. Reputable suppliers always provide this.

Extract: Every CAS-numbered component · Its concentration % · Whether it appears on the EUH208 list

Section 9: Physical and Chemical Properties

Check the flash point. For candles this is informational (wax has a high flash point), but if you also make reed diffusers or room sprays from this oil, the flash point determines the flammability classification.

Extract: Flash point (°C) · Physical state · Odour description

Section 11: Toxicological Information

This section provides detailed toxicity data. For candle CLP purposes, scan for:

Skin sensitisation data (confirms or refutes the Section 2 classification)
Acute toxicity values (relevant only if the oil contains highly toxic components — rare in candle fragrances)

Verify: Skin sensitisation category matches Section 2 · No contradictions between sections

From SDS to CLP Label: The Calculation

Here is the workflow once you have extracted the data from Sections 2 and 3:

SDS Data Point	How to Use It	Output
H317 classification in Section 2	Confirm finished candle at your fragrance load still exceeds threshold (0.1% for Cat. 1/1B)	H317 on label (or not)
Limonene 15% in Section 3	15% × 10% fragrance load = 1.5% in candle → exceeds 0.1% threshold	"Contains limonene" on label
GHS07 pictogram in Section 2	If H317 still applies at finished concentration, pictogram goes on label	GHS07 symbol ≥10×10mm
Signal word "Warning"	Carries through to label unless classification changes at dilution	"Warning" on label

When the SDS Isn't Enough

Some situations where the SDS alone cannot give you a complete CLP label:

The SDS is outdated — issued before the 80-allergen expansion (pre-2026). The component list may be incomplete.
The SDS uses "confidential" or "proprietary" ranges — concentrations given as "5–10%" instead of exact values make precise threshold calculation impossible.
You blend multiple fragrance oils — each oil's SDS must be combined, and the additive method applied across all components.
The supplier refuses component disclosure — a serious red flag about the supplier's own compliance maturity.

In these cases, professional CLP calculation service fills the gap. We work from whatever SDS documentation you have and complete the classification using regulatory databases to cross-reference any gaps.

Red Flags in Fragrance SDS Documents

🚩 "Not classified" in Section 2 but hazardous components in Section 3 — The SDS contains an internal contradiction. The classification in Section 2 should reflect the hazards identified in Section 3. This often indicates a template error or outdated document.

🚩 No CAS numbers in Section 3 — Every component should have a CAS number. Without it, you cannot cross-reference against the EUH208 allergen list or Annex VI of CLP.

🚩 SDS dated more than 3 years old — CLP regulations change regularly. An SDS from 2022 will not reflect the 80-allergen expansion, updated Annex VI entries, or recent harmonised classifications.

🚩 Missing IFRA Certificate alongside the SDS — For candle fragrances, the SDS tells you about hazards; the IFRA Certificate of Conformity tells you about maximum safe usage levels (Category 12 for candles). You need both documents for full compliance.

Send Us Your SDS — We'll Do the Calculation

If your SDS raises any of the red flags above, or you simply want a second opinion on the CLP classification, send it to us. We'll review one label for free — no obligation. For full CLP labels, £39 per fragrance with 48-hour turnaround. We work with SDS documents from any reputable supplier.

Get Your Free Label Review →

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