Short answer
A perfume label in the US must show the product's identity, the net quantity (in fluid ounces, with milliliters alongside), the name and place of business of the manufacturer, packer or distributor, the ingredient list, any required warnings, and — since MoCRA — a domestic contact for adverse-event reports. In the EU and Great Britain the label must show the responsible person's name and address, the country of origin for imports, the nominal content, a durability date or period-after-opening symbol, precautions, the batch number, the function if not obvious, and the ingredients, including fragrance allergens above the thresholds, in the languages each country requires. The table below sets them side by side.
This is a checklist for preparing artwork, not legal advice. Each market's official guidance, linked in the sources, is the reference; your safety assessor confirms the warnings.
The checklist
| Element | US (FDA and MoCRA) | EU (Regulation 1223/2009, Art. 19) | Great Britain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product identity or function | Statement of identity on the principal display panel | Function, unless clear from presentation | Function, unless clear from presentation |
| Net quantity | On the principal display panel, in fluid ounces; milliliters customarily alongside | Nominal content by weight or volume (exceptions for very small packs, samples and single-use packs) | As in the EU |
| Who is responsible | Name and place of business of manufacturer, packer or distributor | Name and address of the EU responsible person | Name and UK address of the Responsible Person |
| Contact for adverse events | Domestic address, phone number or electronic contact (MoCRA) | — | — |
| Country of origin | Imported goods are marked under customs rules | For imported products | For imported products |
| Ingredients | Descending order; fragrance may be declared as "Fragrance"; ingredients at 1% or less and colorants in any order | INCI names; "Parfum" plus allergens above 0.001% (leave-on) or 0.01% (rinse-off) | As in the EU, under the GB list |
| Durability | No general requirement for an expiry date on cosmetics | Date of minimum durability if 30 months or less; otherwise a period-after-opening symbol where relevant | As in the EU |
| Batch | Not a federal label requirement, but needed in practice for traceability | Batch number or reference | Batch number or reference |
| Warnings and precautions | Any required warnings, including those for aerosol cosmetics | Particular precautions, including those required by the Annexes | As in the EU |
| Language | English (other languages may be added) | The language(s) required by each member state where sold | English |
How each market's system works overall is in perfume regulations by market; Canada, which has its own bilingual labeling and allergen rules, is covered in selling perfume in Canada.
Notes on the hard parts
Ingredients
Writing the list — INCI names, order, how "Parfum" or "Fragrance" works, which allergens to declare and how to calculate them — is its own task, covered in perfume ingredient labeling and, for allergens, EU fragrance allergen labelling. The ingredient list can sit on the outer carton rather than the bottle in the EU and GB; small packages that cannot carry it use an enclosed leaflet or tag, referred to by a symbol on the pack.
Net quantity
Print the volume the bottle actually holds on average. 50 ml is 1.69 US fl oz; if you print 1.7 fl oz, fill to at least 50.3 ml on average. In the UK and EU the average system and its tolerances apply, and the ℮ mark is an optional statement that you comply. Fill weights and tolerances are worked in how to fill perfume bottles.
Responsible person and address
In the EU the responsible person must be established in the EU; in Great Britain the Responsible Person needs a UK address (not a PO box). A US brand selling in Europe therefore needs a European responsible person whose details go on the label. See selling perfume in the EU and selling perfume in the UK. In the US, MoCRA places duties on the "responsible person" whose name appears on the label; see MoCRA for fragrance brands.
Durability
Most alcohol perfumes are expected to last more than 30 months, so EU and GB labels typically carry the period-after-opening symbol rather than a date where it is relevant. The rule, and when it does not apply, are in perfume expiry dates and PAO.
Warnings
Perfume is flammable, and many brands print "Flammable — keep away from fire and flame." Required precautions depend on the market, the ingredients and the format (aerosols carry specific warnings in the US and EU); the safety assessment states which warnings the product needs.
Beyond cosmetics law: packaging marks
Some countries require information about the packaging itself. France, for example, requires sorting information for most household packaging under its circular-economy law, and Italy requires environmental labeling that identifies packaging materials. These rules sit outside cosmetics regulation and change often; check them for each country where you sell. Transport labels for shipping perfume belong on the shipping carton, not the product; see how to ship perfume.
Keep the label in step with the formula
- Link each label artwork version to the formula version and the allergen calculation it was made from.
- When a formula, a supplier or a material's composition changes, recheck the allergen list and warnings before printing more labels.
- Keep approved artwork with the product information file (EU, GB) or safety substantiation records (US).
A label review is a natural step in the development workflow's compliance stage; see the perfume lab workflow checklist.
Sources
- US FDA — Summary of Cosmetics Labeling Requirements; checked October 9, 2026.
- US FDA — Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA), label contact information; checked October 9, 2026.
- US FDA — Shelf Life and Expiration Dating of Cosmetics; checked October 9, 2026.
- EUR-Lex — Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Article 19; checked October 10, 2026 (link format).
- GOV.UK — Making cosmetic products available to consumers in Great Britain; checked October 9, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Can one label serve the US, EU and UK?
Many brands design one label that carries every element from all three — US identity and net quantity with fluid ounces, the EU and UK responsible persons' addresses, the PAO symbol, a batch code and an ingredient list with allergens. It is possible, but crowded; check each market's language and placement rules before printing.
Does a tester or sample need a full label?
Requirements for testers and free samples differ by market and pack size; some elements can move to a leaflet or be omitted for very small packs. Check before you print, and see how to make perfume samples for practical sample labeling.
Must the batch code be printed on the bottle?
In the EU and GB the batch reference must be on the container and packaging, or on the packaging only where the container is too small. In every market it is what makes a recall possible; see batch numbers and lot codes.
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.