PerfuMate › IFRA limits › Lavender oil
How much Lavender oil can you put in a perfume?
75%
of the finished perfume, at most
By its typical composition, Lavender Absolute can make up at most 75% of a finished perfume, held by its Coumarin content. That only binds in a perfume stronger than 75%: at 18%, even a concentrate of nothing else stays inside it.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lavender Absolute | Coumarin 2% | 75% | no limit at this strength |
| Lavender Essential Oil | no limit reached |
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 |
|---|---|
| Lavender Absolute | 30 g |
| Ethylene Brassylate no IFRA limit | 70 g |
Lavender Absolute brings 0.108% Coumarin to the finished perfume, 7% of the limit: inside it.
Or paste these lines into the calculator:
Lavender Absolute 30 g Ethylene Brassylate 70 g
Questions
Why is Lavender oil limited if it is natural?
Because IFRA limits molecules, and a natural is a mixture of them. Lavender Absolute typically carries 2% Coumarin, which has its own Category 4 limit of 1.5%.
How much Lavender oil can I use in an eau de parfum?
At 18%, as much as you like as far as this limit goes: 75% of the perfume is more than an 18% concentrate can hold. Other sources and other limits still count.
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.