Selling Perfume in Canada: Notification, Labels and Fragrance Allergens

The framework

Cosmetics in Canada, perfumes included, are regulated by Health Canada under the Food and Drugs Act and its Cosmetic Regulations. Canada does not pre-approve cosmetics. A product making therapeutic claims may instead be a drug or natural health product with separate requirements; the same distinction exists in the US and EU, as discussed in perfume claims.

Notification: within 10 days of first sale

The manufacturer or importer must notify Health Canada about the product, through a Cosmetic Notification Form, within 10 days after first selling it in Canada. The amended regulations say a cosmetic must not be sold after that 10-day period if the notification has not been received. The notification lists the product's ingredients and their concentration ranges, and — under the amended rules — individual fragrance allergens rather than only "parfum". Notifications must be updated when the formula changes.

Ingredients: the Hotlist

Health Canada's Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist names substances that are prohibited in cosmetics or restricted (by concentration, product type or required warning). Check every material in your formula against it, alongside the IFRA Standards; the two lists are independent. See IFRA Standards explained.

Labeling

• Mandatory label information in both English and French.
• An ingredient list using INCI names, in descending order of predominance, with ingredients at 1% or less after the others in any order.
• The fragrance declared as "parfum" or "fragrance", plus named fragrance allergens above the thresholds.
• The product identity, net quantity in metric units, and the name and address of the manufacturer or distributor.
• Warnings and directions where needed.

For packages too small to carry the ingredient list, the amended regulations allow it to be published on a website, with the label stating that the list is there and where.

Fragrance allergens

Regulations amending the Cosmetic Regulations (SOR/2024-63, registered April 12, 2024) added fragrance allergen disclosure:

• The allergen provisions came into force on April 12, 2026, the second anniversary of registration.
• The list is the EU's: the regulations incorporate by reference the fragrance allergens in Annex III of the EU Cosmetics Regulation, as amended from time to time, so Canada follows the EU's expanded list.
• The regulatory analysis published with the amendment describes transition dates for the newly added allergens that follow the EU's own transition (July 31, 2026 for products newly placed on the market and July 31, 2028 for existing products). Check Health Canada's current labeling guidance for the dates and its enforcement approach.

The calculation is the same as in the EU: an allergen's level in the finished product, from every source including naturals. See EU fragrance allergen labelling for the method and the fragrance allergens list for the substances.

A practical sequence

1. Check the formula against the Hotlist and the IFRA Standards for your product category.
2. Calculate allergen levels in the finished product from your materials' documents.
3. Prepare a bilingual label with the INCI list and named allergens.
4. Sell, and submit the Cosmetic Notification Form within 10 days; better, submit it before the first sale.
5. Keep records that support the product's safety, and update the notification when the formula changes.

How Canada compares with the US, EU and UK is set out in perfume regulations by market.

Sources

• Canada Gazette, Part II — SOR/2024-63, Regulations Amending Certain Regulations Concerning the Disclosure of Cosmetic Ingredients (allergen thresholds, coming into force, the 10-day notification rule, online ingredient lists), checked October 9, 2026.
• Health Canada — Labelling of cosmetics (INCI ingredient lists; the Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist), page dated November 4, 2025, checked October 9, 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Is a US label acceptable in Canada?

Not as it stands: Canada requires French as well as English, INCI names, and named fragrance allergens above the thresholds. Many brands design one label for both markets that meets the stricter requirements of each.

Do I need to notify every scent separately?

Products with different formulations generally need their own notifications. Check Health Canada's notification guidance for how variants and shades are handled.