Have you ever taken the time to turn your candle or scented sticks to read the fine print and find out what scented candles contain? Or have you perhaps felt that it doesn't matter because you barely understand half of what is written there? We would like to give you a hint and believe that it is the responsibility of every company to declare all ingredients carefully and educationally.

In this article you will find information about the most common ingredients in fragrance products.

Do all products have to have a label declaring the contents?

This is a simple trick to see if you are buying candles from a reputable manufacturer or not. If you buy a scented candle within Europe, certain rules must be followed and they apply regardless of whether the candle is produced within the EU or not, as soon as it is sold in Europe these rules apply. Name, dangerous substances, warning text, table of contents, warning symbols and pictograms. Yes, all of this must exist. If there isn't, you're probably buying something from someone you shouldn't, or that particular product contains such low values ​​that it doesn't need to be declared.

A common misconception among producers is also that it is okay to be careless with this, which of course it is NOT. But how do you know if a candle or scent sticks are labeled correctly? You cannot know that unless you are an expert in the field. But like this, firstly the label should be on the side of the product not under the product. It must be labeled both as a product and on the packaging.

If there is no label, it may be due to various factors.

• The company does not know that the product must be labeled and you as a consumer are being deceived.
• The product contains so few fragrances that they do not reach the limit for the product to be labelled. Important to know is that most substances have a trigger of 0.1%. If you are buying a scented candle that is supposed to smell, you can ask yourself whether it is reasonable that it contains so little fragrance.
• The fragrances that this product contains do not need to be declared.

What are the most common substances in a scented candle?

In our scented candles but also in other scented products, the following substances occur most often:

• Linalyl Acetate ⎯ Another common component in fragrance oils.
• Iso E-Super ⎯ Often used for its woody scent.
• Citral ⎯ Gives a citrus-like scent.
• Ethyl Methylphenylglycidate ⎯ Used for its fruity notes.
• Beta-Pinene ⎯ An ingredient that provides a fresh scent.
• Dl-Citronellol ⎯ Gives a sweet, floral scent.
• Hydroxycitronellal ⎯ Known for its lovely floral scent.
• Benzyl Salicylate ⎯ Has a mild floral scent.
• Hexyl Salicylate ⎯ Used for its fruity and floral notes.
• Alpha-Hexylcinnamaldehyde ⎯ Gives a sweet, spicy scent.
• Alpha-iso-Methylionone ⎯ Gives a violet-like scent.
• 2-Methyl-3-(p-isopropylphenyl)propionaldehyde ⎯ Has a strong floral scent.
• Eucalyptol ⎯ Known for its healthy eucalyptus scent.
• D-Limonene ⎯ Gives a citrusy scent.
• Cinnamaldehyde ⎯ Gives taste and smell of cinnamon, used in perfumed soap and cosmetics.
• Eugenol ⎯ Has a strong scent of cloves, used in dentifrices and perfumes.

Iso E-super, also known as Tetramethyl acetyloctahydronaphthalenes or Patchouli Ethanol, is a molecule that smells pleasant according to many. It is often printed as 1-(1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-octahydro-2,3,8,8,-tetramethyl-2-naphthyl)ethan-1-one or sometimes Methyl cyclomyrectone . With notes of wood, amber and musk. Its fragrant properties have made it one of the most common ingredients in perfumes. The molecule was so popular for a while that it was sold in 100% pure form as a perfume. With pheromone-like properties, it became a bestseller that smells different depending on who wore it. Other areas where Iso E-super is used are soap, shampoo and other hygiene and fragrance products for the home.

Coumarin, or coumarin as it is called in Swedish, is a lactone in the form of colorless crystals. Coumarin has a characteristic smell of freshly cut hay and is made from the tonka bean. Coumarin is found naturally in cinnamon and in its concentrated form is somewhat toxic and can lead to headaches in larger quantities, in very large quantities the substance can also cause liver damage.

Linalool is an aliphatic alcohol colorless oil that often occurs naturally in essential oils. It is one of several substances that make up the essential oil of lavender flowers. Areas of use for linalool include soap, shampoo, detergent and lotion and more. It is also common knowledge that linalool can sometimes be used to scare away moths, like grandma's lavender bags in the closet.

D-limonene is an oil extract that is obtained from orange and lemon peels and occurs naturally in essential oils. In nature, it is the scent that scares away unwanted insects on plants or flowers. Limonene is most often used as an additive in cleaning products, fragrance oils and cosmetics because it has the characteristic smell of fresh and healthy. Limonene can cause skin irritation if applied directly to the skin or handled as a concentrated essential oil.

Cinnamaldehyde, or Kanelaldehyde as it is called in Swedish, is the chemical compound that gives the taste and smell of cinnamon. The substance is also printed as (E)-3-phenyl-2-propenal on some labels. Cinnamaldehyde is a colorless or light yellow to brown oily liquid that has a strong but sweet smell of cinnamon. The liquid is formed n is its "own" alcohol cinnamon alcohol is oxidized and is then often used in perfumed soap, cleaning products, cosmetics and fragrance oil.

Eugenol occurs in most essential oils, most often in clove oil and allspice oil. It is a slightly yellow, oily and highly refracting liquid with a strong aroma of cloves and a burning taste. On labels it is sometimes printed as 4-Allyl-2-methoxyphenol.

Eugenol has a spicy scent with a base scent in carnation perfumes and is common in oriental fragrances . The scent of eugenol has a calming effect and is used, among other things, as an antiseptic and local anesthetic by dentists. Eugenol is also used in perfumeries for aromas and essential oils.

Citral, or 3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadienal, occurs in oils from several plants and is found ready-made in lemon oil and in orange peel and occurs when the corresponding alcohol, geraniol, is oxidized. Citral has a sweet scent of fresh citrus scents with green and bitter tones. Citrol is found in many citrus-scented essential oils and is soothing, bactericidal and antiviral. Used as an ingredient in perfume and other fragrance products for skin and home. Citral is rarely irritating when it occurs naturally in its context, as in essential oil, but as a concentrated oil, citral is allergenic. 

Ethyl Methylphenylglycidate, also known as strawberry aldehyde, is an organic compound used in artificial fruit flavors, especially strawberry flavor or fragrance. Ethyl Methylphenylglycidate has a pleasant smell and taste of strawberry and is therefore often used in fragrance oils, soaps, cosmetics and as a food flavoring. It is easy to be deceived by the name, but this is not an ingredient in essential oil of strawberries but a synthetically produced fragrance.

Nerol is a monoterpenoid alcohol found in many essential oils such as lemongrass and hops. The oil is naturally produced from the orange blossom. The name Neroli (Nerol) comes from Anna Marie Orsini, who in the 19th century was a princess of Nerola. She used the oil to perfume her gloves and is said to be the first to bring the oil from Asia to Europe.

Methyl Cinnamate is the methyl ester of cinnamic acid and is a transparent substance with a strong aromatic odor that is sweet, balsamic with a fruity odor reminiscent of cinnamon and strawberries. It is found naturally in a variety of plants and fruits. It is found, among other things, in strawberries and some culinary spices, such as Sichuan pepper and some varieties of basil. Methyl Cinnamate is used in both flavors and fragrances. The substance is used in products such as soap, cleaning products, cosmetics and fragrance oils.

Piperonal, also called heliotropin, is usually produced as transparent crystals and has a vanilla-like scent. Used both as flavoring and in fragrances such as perfume, soap, cleaning products and scented oils, among other things.

Citronellol, also known as dihydrogeraniol, is a natural acyclic monoterpeniod. Citronellol is produced through a chemical process from, among other things, roses. The scent is often reminiscent of grass, citrus and fresh, or in some cases more notes of roses.

Beta-Caryophyllene, or Caryophyllene as it is also called, is a natural component of essential oils, including clove oil, rosemary and hops. This means that Beta-Caryophyllene has an aroma of pepper and cloves with notes of spice and wood. You can also find the substance naturally in Cannabis, and the essential oil is therefore often used to alleviate inflammation and reduce anxiety. However, it must be said that more research on the subject should be carried out.