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More information on your detergent labels and what it means for you

On 8 October 2005, a new Detergents Regulation comes into force in Europe. It essentially introduces changes in how detergent products are labelled. In addition, more product information will be provided by each manufacturer via the internet on sites such as this.

These changes are intended to help you, the consumer, use your detergent safely and effectively.

More detail on ingredients

Detergent labels and websites will provide a more complete list of ingredients. This is to help ensure that people having allergic reactions are well informed when selecting a product. However, for most people, this is no cause for concern, as allergic reactions to detergent ingredients are relatively rare.

- Altogether, 26 fragrance ingredients have been identified by the EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Products (SCCP) as the ones most often linked with allergic reactions and so these substances will in future be indicated on the label if they are present in the product above a concentration exceeding 0.01% by weight. The full list of these ingredients is given below.

If you think you have an allergy:

Don't continue using a product if you think you might have had a reaction to it.
It is always best to see your doctor and/or a dermatologist.
Take a list of all the products that you have used during the weeks before you had the reaction, along with the packaging where possible, and also note any lifestyle and dietary changes you may have made.

Allergenic fragrances ingredients:

BENZYL ALCOHOL
AMYL CINNAMAL
CINNAMYL ALCOHOL
CITRAL
EUGENOL
HYDROXYCITRONELLAL
ISOEUGENOL
AMYLCINNAMYL ALCOHOL
BENZYL SALICYLATE
CINNAMAL
COUMARIN
GERANIOL
HYDROXYISOHEXYL 3-CYCLOHEXENE CARBOXALDEHYDE
ANISE ALCOHOL
BENZYL CINNAMATE
FARNESOL
BUTYLPHENYL METHYLPROPIONAL
LINALOOL
BENZYL BENZOATE
CITRONELLOL
HEXYL CINNAMAL
LIMONENE
METHYL 2-OCTYNOATE
ALPHA-ISOMETHYL IONONE
EVERNIA PRUNASTRI EXTRACT
EVERNIA FURFURACEA EXTRACT

- Any preservative ingredients added to the product will also be specified on the label. Very small amounts of preservatives are present in many detergent products to make sure that the product lasts a long time and that the quality stays as good as new.

Each ingredient is described by its INCI name (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients; see also ) or if no INCI name is available, then the ingredient is described by its common name.

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