PerfuMate › IFRA limits › Which perfume materials are phototoxic?
Which perfume materials are phototoxic?
Phototoxic materials can react with sunlight on skin. In IFRA's 51st Amendment, 11 Category 4 limits that reach PerfuMate's catalog are set for this reason, led by the expressed citrus oils: bergamot oil may be at most 0.4% of a finished perfume, lime oil 0.7%, bitter orange oil 1.25%, lemon oil 2% and grapefruit oil 4%. The furocoumarin-free (FCF) and distilled grades are not capped by these limits.
The phototoxic limits
| Material | Limit, of the perfume | At 18%, of the concentrate |
|---|---|---|
| Angelica root oil | 0.8% | 4.44% |
| Bergamot oil | 0.4% | 2.22% |
| Bitter orange oil | 1.25% | 6.94% |
| Dimethyl anthranilate | 0.1% | 0.555% |
| Methyl beta-naphthyl ketone | 0.2% | 1.11% |
| Cumin oil | 0.4% | 2.22% |
| Grapefruit oil | 4% | 22.2% |
| Lemon oil | 2% | 11.1% |
| Lime oil | 0.7% | 3.88% |
| Acetyl hexamethyl indan | 2% | 11.1% |
| Tagetes oil | 0.01% | 0.0555% |
Bergamot, worked through
Bergamot oil at 0.4% of the finished perfume is at most 2.22% of the concentrate at 18%. The IFRA calculator's own example puts 3 g of Bergamot Essential Oil in a 15 g concentrate: 9.7 times the limit at 18%.
The same formula with Bergamot FCF Essential Oil is within every limit, and the ordinary oil passes if the perfume is bottled at 1.85% or weaker.
FCF and distilled grades
The phototoxic limits cover the expressed (cold-pressed) oils. The distilled and furocoumarin-free grades are separate materials and are not capped by them:
- Bergamot FCF Essential Oil Bergamot oil
- Bitter Orange FCF Essential Oil Bitter orange oil
- Grapefruit FCF Essential Oil Grapefruit oil
- Lemon Essential Oil Distilled Lemon oil
- Lemon FCF Essential Oil Lemon oil
- Lime Essential Oil Distilled Lime oil
- Lime FCF Essential Oil Lime oil
The combined furocoumarin limit
IFRA also caps the bergapten (5-methoxypsoralen) that all phototoxic citrus and furocoumarin-containing oils bring together, at 0.0015% of the finished perfume. The calculator checks each oil against its own limit; the combined figure needs the bergapten content of your actual oils, which your supplier can give you.
Questions
Is bergamot oil phototoxic?
Expressed bergamot oil is, and IFRA limits it to 0.4% of a fine fragrance for that reason. Bergamot FCF (furocoumarin-free) oil is not capped by that limit.
Is lime oil phototoxic?
Expressed lime oil is: IFRA's Category 4 limit is 0.7% of the finished perfume. Distilled lime oil is not capped by it.
Is phototoxicity the same as an allergy?
No. A phototoxic reaction needs sunlight on the skin where the material is; the IFRA notes set these limits for sun exposure rather than for allergy.