Candle warning labels: what to put on them (EU/UK + US)
If you sell scented candles or wax melts in the EU or UK, the warning label is the part most makers worry about. The good news: you don't work out the classification yourself. Your fragrance supplier does. This guide explains how to read what they give you and what the label then needs.
1. Start with your supplier's CLP information
Ask your fragrance supplier for the CLP calculation or safety data sheet (SDS) at your fragrance load (for example 10%). It tells you which of three levels your candle falls into. Don't guess from percentages alone: thresholds differ per substance.
| Supplier info says | What the label needs (on top of the basics below) |
|---|---|
| No H317 and no EUH208 | Just the basics: candle safety warnings, product name, supplier name, address and phone. |
| EUH208 | The sentence Contains (allergen name). May produce an allergic reaction. with the named allergens from your supplier. |
| H317 / Skin Sens. 1 | Exclamation-mark pictogram (GHS07), signal word Warning, H317 May cause an allergic skin reaction., named allergens, and precautionary (P) statements from your supplier's list. |
Some fragrances also carry an environmental hazard: H411 Toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects. (adds the environment pictogram, GHS09) or H412 Harmful to aquatic life with long lasting effects. (no pictogram).
2. The basics every EU/UK candle label needs
- Candle safety warnings (EN 15494): never leave a burning candle unattended; burn out of reach of children and pets; never burn on or near anything that can catch fire.
- Supplier details: name, address and phone number of the business responsible in that market.
- Language: the official language of the country you sell in (German for Germany, Danish for Denmark, Swedish for Sweden, and so on).
3. Precautionary statements: keep it to six
As a rule, a CLP label carries at most six P statements. Common ones on H317 candles are P101 (have the product container or label at hand if medical advice is needed), P102 (keep out of reach of children), P261, P272, P280, P302+P352, P333+P313 and P501. Use the ones on your supplier's sheet and drop duplicates so you stay within six.
4. Pictogram size and UFI
- Each hazard pictogram must be at least 1 cm², and at least 1/15 of the label area.
- UFI: a 16-character Unique Formula Identifier from a poison centre notification. Needed in the EU (including Northern Ireland) when the product is classified for a health or physical hazard, typically H317. Not needed for EUH208-only or environment-only products. Great Britain does not use UFIs.
5. New EU layout rules (2028, possibly 2030)
The revised EU CLP Regulation adds minimum letter sizes by pack size, 120% line spacing and a black-on-white, sans-serif layout. These currently apply from 1 January 2028; an EU political agreement from June 2026 would move this to 2030, but it is not final. For small packs the minimum is set as an x-height (height of the letter "x") of about 1.2 mm. A full H317 label at that size needs room: think 3⅓" × 4" or 99 × 68 mm, or a fold-out/peel-back label.
Great Britain has its own GB CLP (run by the HSE), which may not copy every EU change.
6. Selling in the US
The US has no CLP equivalent for candles. Most makers follow the voluntary ASTM F2058 cautionary wording: burn within sight, keep away from things that catch fire, keep away from children and pets. A short warning label or a care card covers it.