What the words and symbols on a perfume box mean, what they leave out and how a US box differs from an EU one.
How do I read the ingredients on a perfume box?
Read the list from the top. Ingredients run from most to least by weight, and those under 1% can sit in any order. “Parfum” stands for the whole scent formula. On an EU box any listed allergen above a tiny threshold is then named on its own, such as Linalool or Coumarin. A US box usually just says “fragrance.”
Definition: what the list is
On an EU box the list starts with the word “Ingredients” [1]. An ingredient is anything put into the product on purpose during manufacture [1]. Each one goes under its standard name from the EU glossary [1]. Most people call these INCI names [2].
The order follows weight at the time each ingredient goes in. The heaviest comes first [1][2]. Anything under 1% may be listed in any order after the rest [1][2]. Colors may go at the end under their CI numbers [1].
So the order tells you rank, not amount. A list never gives you percentages [1]. Two names next to each other could be 0.9% and 0.002%.
“Parfum” and the names that follow it
EU law lets the whole scent formula appear as one word: “parfum” (or “aroma” for flavor) [1]. That single word covers every scent material that is not named separately [1].
Some materials must still be named on their own. They are the fragrance allergens listed in Annex III of the Cosmetics Regulation [1][3]. Each must be named once it passes 0.001% in a leave-on product or 0.01% in a rinse-off product [3][4]. Perfume is a leave-on product. Names you may see include Limonene and Linalool. Citral, Coumarin and Evernia Prunastri Extract (oakmoss) are others [3].
The names let someone who knows they react to a material look for it. Patch-test studies show some of these materials sensitize far more people than others [5]. Since 31 July 2026 new products in the EU must name a longer list of more than 80 allergens. Older stock may stay on sale until 31 July 2028 [4][6]. See The EU fragrance allergen list for the full list and Allergens in cosmetics for the background.
Anything under 1% can go in any order after the bigger ingredients [1]. That is why the allergen names can come at the very end.
What is not on the label
Most of the formula. Materials under the allergen thresholds hide inside “parfum” [1][3]. So does every material that is not on the allergen list at all.
Amounts. As above, the list gives order only [1].
Impurities in raw materials and processing aids that do not stay in the product. EU law says these are not ingredients [1].
Anything about IFRA. IFRA is an industry body and its Standards are not shown on the box [7]. A compliant perfume and a vintage one can look the same on paper. See Restricted and banned materials for what those Standards cap.
Batch codes, the open jar and the hourglass
Batch code. EU law requires a batch number or another code that identifies the product [1]. If the item is too small it may appear only on the outer box [1][2]. The law does not set a format [1]. Each house uses its own system. So I can’t give you a universal way to read a date from it.
Open jar (period after opening). Products that keep for more than 30 months show an open-jar symbol with a number such as 12M [1][8][9]. It means the product is safe to use for that many months after opening [1].
Hourglass (best before). Products that keep for 30 months or less must show a date instead. It comes after an hourglass symbol or the words “best used before the end of” [1][9]. The date is month and year or day, month and year [1].
How US labels differ
The US also requires a list for retail cosmetics. It runs in descending order of predominance, and anything at 1% or less may go in any order [10]. So far it reads much like an EU list.
The scent is the big difference. US rules let fragrance be listed simply as “fragrance” [10][11]. FDA says the labeling law cannot be used to force a company to reveal trade secrets [11][12]. No US rule yet makes a brand name the allergens inside it [11][12].
That may change. The Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act (MoCRA) of 2022 tells FDA to write fragrance allergen labeling rules [12][13]. FDA’s own page still lists these as rules to come (page current 29 October 2026) [13]. FDA’s 2026 agenda planned a proposal for November 2026 [14]. See US fragrance rules: MoCRA for the latest and How fragrance is regulated in cosmetics for the wider picture.
Dates differ too. FDA says no US law or regulation requires an expiration date on cosmetics [15]. The maker must still know how long the product stays safe [15]. FDA’s labeling guide does not list a batch code among the required items [10].
A changed list can mean a changed formula. See What “reformulated” means.
I describe these rules for general reading. This is not legal or compliance advice.
Sources
All accessed 5 November 2026.