Chapter 8: Fragrance · Part 1: The listed fragrance allergens
Oakmoss extract
- Contaminant risk
The worst fact: it naturally contains atranol and chloroatranol, two of the fragrance allergens behind the most allergy cases in Europe. The EU has banned both from cosmetics.
Why brands use it: an earthy, mossy note that helps a scent last on the skin.
Take care if: you have a fragrance allergy.
Comes from: a lichen that grows on oak trees, extracted with solvents.
Myth check: "low-atranol oakmoss is safe": it still caused reactions in 8 of 14 allergic people tested.
Contaminants: atranol and chloroatranol, which form as parts of the lichen break down. Clean-up methods lower them but don't always remove them.
Fair to say: it's in fewer than 1 in 100 scented products.
Correct as of November 2026. What the badges mean
Sources
- Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS). Opinion on fragrance allergens in cosmetic products, SCCS/1459/11 (2012); opinion on butylphenyl methylpropional (Lilial), SCCS/1591/17; opinion on benzyl salicylate, SCCS/1656/23. health.ec.europa.eu
- European Commission. Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009 Annexes II and III; Regulations (EU) 2017/1410 (HICC, atranol, chloroatranol), 2020/1182 (CLP: Lilial Repr. 1B), 2021/1902 (Lilial ban), 2023/1545 (fragrance allergen labelling), 2026/909 (benzyl salicylate). eur-lex.europa.eu
- Safe Work Australia. Hazardous Chemical Information System (HCIS). hcis.safeworkaustralia.gov.au
The full source list is at the end of Chapter 8.