Short answer
To find every formula that uses a particular raw material, search the formula rows — not the formula names — by the material's stable identifier, and remember to look inside premixes, because a material used in an accord is also used in every formula that contains the accord. In a spreadsheet this works best when every formula row lives in one long table you can filter; in formulation software it is usually a built-in "where-used" view. You will need it whenever a material is restricted, discontinued, changes lot or price, or turns out to be faulty.
When you need a where-used list
| Trigger | What you do with the list |
|---|---|
| A new or revised IFRA Standard | Recheck each affected formula against the new limit, by product category |
| A material is discontinued | Plan replacements, starting with formulas in production |
| A lot is faulty or recalled | Identify batches made with it (a batch-record question; see below) |
| A price rise | Recost affected formulas |
| A supplier change | Decide which formulas need re-evaluation with the new source |
| An allergen list changes | Recalculate declarations for affected products |
The IFRA case is the most common. The checklist for responding to a new amendment is in IFRA Standards explained; finding the formulas is its second step.
Search by identity, not by name
Names drift: "Hedione", "MDJ", "methyl dihydrojasmonate" and "Hedione HC" may all appear in an old library, and a rename in one place does not rename it everywhere. Search by a stable identifier — your own material code, or a record ID in software — so that renaming a material does not change the answer. If your records use names only, clean them first: fragrance material names and CAS numbers explains how to fix one identity per material, and the trade names that hide behind abbreviations.
Look through premixes
If the material is in a premix or an accord that you make yourself, the search has two levels:
- Find every premix that contains the material.
- Find every formula that contains the material directly or any of those premixes.
Repeat if premixes contain other premixes. Purchased bases are a blind spot: you only know what is in them from the supplier's documents, so ask suppliers whether their bases contain the material in question. How premixes carry materials into a formula is explained in how to calculate a premix inside a formula.
In a spreadsheet
A library kept as one sheet per formula makes where-used searches slow and error-prone: you end up opening every file. A more searchable structure keeps all formula rows in one table:
| Formula code | Version | Status | Material code | Dilution | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EDP-014 | 6 | Production | M-0231 | 100% | 12.40 |
| EDP-014 | 6 | Production | M-0057 | 10% | 3.00 |
| ACC-RO-03 | 2 | Approved | M-0231 | 100% | 45.00 |
Filtering on the material code gives the where-used list directly, including premixes (which have formula codes of their own). Individual formula sheets can still exist for weighing; they are generated from, or checked against, this table. The perfume formula spreadsheet discusses spreadsheet structures, and software vs spreadsheets notes why this question is one that spreadsheets handle badly.
In software
Formulation software usually answers the question directly from the formulas themselves, which means the answer cannot go stale. In RUŌOD Lab, a material's profile shows how many formulas use it and lists them; the count is of distinct formulas, derived from the formula rows by the material's record, so renaming the material does not change it. It looks at the material's own rows: a material inside a premix recorded as a separate material is found by searching for the premix too.
Turning the list into action
- Sort by status. Production and approved formulas first; drafts and archives last.
- Decide about versions. Usually only the current version of each formula matters, but keep a note that older versions also used it.
- Note the quantity in each formula, so you can see where the material matters most.
- Record the review: the date, the trigger, the formulas checked and the outcome.
Batches are a separate question
"Which formulas use this material?" is answered from formula records. "Which batches used this lot?" is answered from batch records, which is why batch records name the lot of every material. That trace is covered in perfume batch numbers and lot codes. The material record that ties both together is described in perfume raw material documentation.
Frequently asked questions
Should archived formulas be included?
Include them in the search, and mark them in the results. You may revive an archived formula, and knowing it needs work saves a surprise later.
How often should I run where-used checks?
Whenever a trigger occurs. There is no need for a routine schedule if your triggers — amendments, supplier notices, price lists — are watched.
Written and reviewed by the RUŌOD Lab team. This article is general education about perfume formulation and record-keeping; it is not legal, regulatory or safety advice, and the examples are illustrations, not validated commercial formulas. How we write and check these guides.