PerfuMate › IFRA limits › Dihydrocoumarin
How much Dihydrocoumarin can you put in a perfume?
IFRA standard: Dihydrocoumarin · Category 4, 51st Amendment
0.21%
of the finished perfume, at most
Under the IFRA Standards (51st Amendment, Category 4: fine fragrance on skin), Dihydrocoumarin may make up at most 0.21% of the finished perfume. In an eau de parfum at 18%, that is at most 1.16% of your concentrate: 1.16% of every 100 g.
Dihydrocoumarin is also banned in EU cosmetics (Regulation 1223/2009, Annex II, entry 427).
What the limit means at your strength
The limit is on the finished perfume, so the stronger the perfume, the less Dihydrocoumarin its concentrate can hold. If nothing else in the formula carries it:
| Perfume strength | Most Dihydrocoumarin in the concentrate |
|---|---|
| Cologne, 5% | 4.2% |
| Eau de toilette, 10% | 2.1% |
| 15% | 1.4% |
| Eau de parfum, 18% | 1.16% |
| 20% | 1.05% |
| Extrait, 25% | 0.84% |
Which materials contain Dihydrocoumarin?
Sold as Dihydrocoumarin itself, counted in full:
It also arrives inside other materials. The limit is on the total, so the calculator adds every source together. The largest carriers in PerfuMate's catalog, by their typical composition:
| Material | Typical content | Alone at 18%, at most |
|---|---|---|
| Liatrix absolutenatural | 10% | 11.6% of the concentrate |
| Tonka bean absolutenatural | 3% | 38.8% of the concentrate |
| Tonka Bean CO2 Extractnatural | 1% | no limit on its own |
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 |
|---|---|
| Dihydrocoumarin | 0.58 g |
| Liatrix absolute | 7 g |
| Ethylene Brassylate no IFRA limit | 92.42 g |
Dihydrocoumarin alone brings 0.104% Dihydrocoumarin to the finished perfume, and Liatrix absolute adds 0.126%. Each looks modest, but the perfume holds 0.23% against a limit of 0.21%: 1.1 times the limit. To bring it inside on its own, the calculator cuts Dihydrocoumarin from 0.58 g to 0.525 g and Liatrix absolute from 7 g to 6.334 g. Or keep the formula and bottle it weaker: the highest strength inside every limit is 16.4%.
Or paste these lines into the calculator:
Dihydrocoumarin 0.58 g Liatrix absolute 7 g Ethylene Brassylate 92.42 g
Questions
Is Dihydrocoumarin banned in perfume?
No. IFRA restricts it: at most 0.21% of a fine fragrance (Category 4).
How much Dihydrocoumarin can I use in an eau de parfum?
At 18%, at most 1.16% of the concentrate, if nothing else in the formula carries Dihydrocoumarin. Every other source counts toward the same total.
Does Dihydrocoumarin from essential oils count?
Yes. The limit is on the total in the finished perfume, whatever brings it: Liatrix absolute typically carries 10%. The calculator adds every source.
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.