How to read our technical documents
Video summary of this guide, no sound (1 min 14 s). The full guide is below.
Every Eco Candle Project fragrance has its technical documents on its own product page. This guide shows, step by step, where to find them, which sheet to choose and what to take from it for your candle, wax melt or diffuser label.
In short: open the fragrance page → Technical documentation tab → download the SDS at the percentage you use → copy section 2.2 (Label elements) onto your label.
1. Which documents you will find on each fragrance page
| Document | What it is for | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| SDS 100% (neat oil) | Hazards of the oil as you receive it: handling, storage, first aid, spills. | In your workshop, while working with the oil. It is not the one for your candle label. |
| SDS 5% and SDS 10% | Classification of the finished product when the fragrance is used at 5% or 10% in a non-hazardous wax. | To make the CLP label for candles and wax melts. |
| SDS 25% | Classification of the finished product at 25% in a diffuser base. | To make the CLP label for reed diffusers. |
| IFRA certificate | Maximum fragrance percentage allowed for each product type. | Before formulating: check your dose is within the limit for your product category (candles and wax melts: Category 12; see the IFRA Standards). |
| Allergen declaration | The fragrance allergens present and their percentages. | To answer customers with sensitivities and to check the “Contains…” line on your label. |
| UFI code | Identifier of the formula at EU poison centres. | Only if your finished mixture is classified for health or physical hazards (see point 5). |
2. Step by step: where to find the documents
- Open the fragrance page. For example, AMAZING LAVENDER, or any other in all fragrances.
- Scroll down to the “Technical documentation” tab and click to open it.
- Choose the language. Each document is marked PT or EN. Your label must be in the language of the country where you sell (in Portugal, Portuguese).
- Choose the SDS for the percentage you use. If your candle has 8%, use the 10% SDS (always the same percentage or the next one up, never lower).
- Download and keep the PDF with the production record for that batch. Check the update date shown in the tab: if we update a document, the latest version is the one that counts.
Example: you are making 180 g candles with AMAZING LAVENDER at 10%.
Use: SDS 10% (for the label) + IFRA certificate (to confirm 10% is within the Category 12 limit) + SDS 100% (to handle the oil safely).
3. How to read the SDS: the three sections that matter
A Safety Data Sheet has 16 sections, but for your label you only need three:
- Section 1: Identification. Product name and supplier details. On your label, your company appears, because you are the one placing the candle on the market.
- Section 2.1: Classification. Tells you whether the mixture is hazardous and why (for example “Skin Sens. 1” or “Aquatic Chronic 3”). If it says not classified, the CLP part of your label is very simple.
- Section 2.2: Label elements. This is what you copy onto your label: pictograms, signal word, hazard (H) statements, precautionary (P) statements, supplemental information (EUH) and the “Contains…” line.
4. What each element of section 2.2 means
| Element | What it is | Typical example on candles |
|---|---|---|
| Pictograms | Diamonds with a red border and a black symbol. | Exclamation mark (GHS07) or dead fish and tree (GHS09). |
| Signal word | Shows severity: Warning (less severe) or Danger (more severe). | Warning |
| H statements | Describe the hazard. | H317 May cause an allergic skin reaction. |
| P statements | Say how to avoid or respond to the hazard. | P102 Keep out of reach of children. |
| EUH | Mandatory supplemental information. | EUH208 Contains (allergen name). May produce an allergic reaction. |
| “Contains…” | Names of the substances responsible for the classification. | Contains: linalool, coumarin. |
Copy the text exactly as it appears in the SDS. You may rearrange the layout, but you may not summarise, reword or leave out statements.
5. UFI and PCN: do I need them?
The UFI is a 16-character code that links your product to its notification to poison centres (PCN). In Portugal, this information reaches the INEM poison information centre (CIAV), 800 250 250.
- If section 2.1 of the SDS you use shows only an environmental hazard (for example Aquatic Chronic 3) or no classification, you normally do not need a UFI.
- If it shows health hazards (for example Skin Sens. 1, Eye Irrit. 2) or physical hazards, the finished mixture needs a PCN notification and the UFI must appear on the label.
- Want to avoid the UFI? The collection NO UFI: up to 10% in a non-hazardous base groups the fragrances that, up to 10%, do not require a UFI.
Two real examples, both at 10% in wax:
| AMAZING LAVENDER | FRESH LINEN | |
|---|---|---|
| SDS 10%, section 2.1 | Not classified as hazardous | Skin Sens. 1 (H317) and Aquatic Chronic 3 (H412) |
| Pictogram and signal word | None | GHS07 · Warning |
| Health hazard? | No | Yes (H317) |
| PCN and UFI on the label | Not needed | Needed |
The full labels for these two candles are in the guide How to make and apply your candle label.
The UFI shown on the product page is the fragrance UFI. If your candle needs a notification, that code goes into the composition of your notification, and your candle gets its own UFI. See how in the guide How to notify your candle on the ECHA portal (PCN and UFI).
6. Most common mistakes
- Using the 100% SDS for the candle label: the classification is overstated and confuses the customer.
- Using the SDS for a percentage lower than the one you used: the label is incomplete.
- Changing the fragrance in a recipe and keeping the old label: each fragrance has its own classification.
- Keeping old documents: always check the update date in the tab before printing a new batch of labels.
7. Next step
Got the section 2.2 information? Follow the guide How to make and apply your candle label to build the complete label, with the CLP part and the safety warnings.
Useful links
- CLP Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008: official text on EUR-Lex
- Regulation (EU) 2023/1545: extended list of fragrance allergens
- IFRA Standards: limits by product category
- ECHA poison centres: PCN and UFI explained by ECHA
- INEM, CIAV: Portuguese poison information centre, 800 250 250
This guide is general information for candle and home fragrance makers and does not replace legal or regulatory advice. Responsibility for the finished product label lies with whoever places it on the market. If in doubt about a specific fragrance, contact us.