PerfuMate › IFRA limits › Anise and star anise oil
How much Anise and star anise oil can you put in a perfume?
0.466%
of the finished perfume, at most
By its typical composition, Star anise Essential Oil can make up at most 0.466% of a finished perfume: its Estragole content meets that IFRA limit first. At 18% that is at most 2.59% of your concentrate.
Grades differ, and the table below has each one.
Grade by grade
Each grade in PerfuMate's catalog, read through its typical composition by the calculator's engine:
| Material | Held by | At most, of the perfume | At 18%, of the concentrate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anise Seed Essential Oil | Estragole 1.5% | 0.933% | 5.18% |
| Aniseed Essential Oil | Estragole 2% | 0.7% | 3.88% |
| Star anise Essential Oil | Estragole 3% | 0.466% | 2.59% |
Shares are the catalog's typical values. A real batch varies with origin and season, and your supplier's analysis (GC-MS or certificate of analysis) is the real figure.
A worked example
A 100 g concentrate, bottled as an eau de parfum at 18%:
| Material | Weighed |
|---|---|
| Star anise Essential Oil | 3.9 g |
| Ethylene Brassylate no IFRA limit | 96.1 g |
Star anise Essential Oil brings 0.0211% Estragole to the finished perfume, against a limit of 0.014%: 1.5 times the limit. To bring it inside on its own, the calculator cuts Star anise Essential Oil from 3.9 g to 2.553 g. Or keep the formula and bottle it weaker: the highest strength inside every limit is 11.96%.
Or paste these lines into the calculator:
Star anise Essential Oil 3.9 g Ethylene Brassylate 96.1 g
Questions
Why is Anise and star anise oil limited if it is natural?
Because IFRA limits molecules, and a natural is a mixture of them. Star anise Essential Oil typically carries 3% Estragole, which has its own Category 4 limit of 0.014%.
How much Anise and star anise oil can I use in an eau de parfum?
At 18%, Star anise Essential Oil may be at most 2.59% of the concentrate, if nothing else in the formula carries Estragole. Every other source of Estragole counts toward the same total.
Does this limit apply to candles or soap?
No. This is Category 4, fine fragrance on skin. Other products sit in other IFRA categories with other limits, which these pages and the calculator do not cover.