How to Read an IFRA Certificate (Candle Maker's Guide)

An IFRA certificate is a document your fragrance supplier writes. It says the most of one specific oil you can use in each kind of product and still meet the IFRA Standards, up to a named Amendment. For a candle, find the Category 12 row. That number is a ceiling, not a recommendation, and it is a percent of the finished candle. I am a candle maker, not a lawyer, and nothing here is legal advice.

What are the parts of an IFRA certificate?

I will walk through a real public one: the certificate a UK supplier, Supplies for Candles, posts for its Crackling Log Fire oil. Yours may look different, since IFRA says it takes no responsibility for the content or format of any supplier's certificate.

• The line under the title. It reads "According to the 51st Amendment (06-2023) of the IFRA Code of Practice." This is the Amendment the numbers are checked against. IFRA's guidance says the Amendment's number and Notification date should be on the certificate. This one gives the number and June 2023.
• Who and what. Boxes for the fragrance manufacturer and the customer, then the oil's name and code number. Check the code against the bottle or your order. A certificate for a similar-sounding oil is the wrong certificate.
• The disclaimer. It says the certificate "does therefore not replace a comprehensive safety assessment" and that "it is the ultimate responsibility of our customer to ensure the safety of the final product." That customer is you.
• The table. Two columns: Category, and "Maximum Use Level (%)". This is the part you use.
• The annex. A list of what product types sit in each category. Use it to confirm which row is yours.

IFRA's guidance backs the disclaimer. It says IFRA "does not provide certification," is not involved in a supplier's certificate and takes no responsibility for its content or format. The certificate does not replace a safety assessment or excuse you from national or local rules.

Which row is mine?

For a candle, Category 12. IFRA's guidance lists "Candles of all types (including encased)" there, in the category it describes as "Products not intended for direct skin contact, minimal or insignificant transfer to skin." On this certificate, Category 12 reads 100.00.

Wax melts, reed diffusers and sprays are not all in the same row. For those, see which IFRA category your product is in.

What does 100 in Category 12 mean?

On the example certificate, Category 12 is 100.00, and CandleScience's Rose Petals example also shows 100 for candles. IFRA's guidance says that for Category 12 products "the concentration of fragrance ingredient is not restricted in the finished product," because the skin sensitization risk is considered negligible. So for that oil, the certificate is not what holds you back. Your wax's maximum load is.

Two cautions. A 100 is not permission to use 100 percent oil, and it does not make everything else irrelevant. IFRA's guidance says a ban in a Standard "applies to all final product applications, including non-skin contact applications," so a banned ingredient is banned in a candle too. Ask your supplier if you are unsure. For how the certificate limit and the wax limit fit together, see which limit wins.

What is the percent a percent of?

IFRA's guidance says: "Unless otherwise specified, concentrations are expressed in weight-per-weight percent." So a limit of 4.50 means 4.50 percent of the finished product by weight. Your fragrance load is probably a percent of the wax weight, which is a different base. The conversion is its own guide. If a certificate states a different basis, follow the certificate and ask the supplier.

How do I know my certificate is current?

Look at the Amendment named at the top. IFRA says the notification of the 51st Amendment "went out on 30 June 2023," and the example above names the 51st. As of November 12, 2026, IFRA's news list shows no Notification for a 52nd Amendment. IFRA's end-of-consultation letter says the Notification is expected in January 2027, likely in the second or third week. When that happens, certificates will start naming the 52nd, and I would ask my suppliers for new ones. See the 51st and 52nd Amendment guide for what changes and when.

I also ask for a fresh certificate whenever a supplier tells me an oil was reformulated. That is my habit, not an IFRA rule.

Worked example (made-up certificate)

Say "Oil X" has this certificate. Every number is invented.

For a candle, use the Category 12 row: 4.50 percent of the finished candle. Your load is counted on the wax, so convert. If oil is 4.50 percent of the candle, wax is 95.50 percent, and the most oil is 4.50 / 95.50 = 4.71 percent of the wax weight (computed). A load of 6 percent of the wax would be too much for this oil. The same oil in a reed diffuser has to follow the Category 10A row, 2.10.

Common mistakes

• Reading a skin-product row, like Category 5A, for a candle.
• Using a certificate that names an old Amendment without asking for a current one.
• Treating the certificate as government approval. IFRA's About page says it "is not a regulatory authority and does not impose legal obligations," and the certificate is the supplier's own statement.
• Filing a certificate under the wrong oil, or keeping one for a different code number.
• Treating the maximum as a target. CandleScience says it is "not a recommendation for how much you should use for the best end results."