Candles are one of the trickiest handmade categories for EU compliance, because they sit under two sets of rules at once: the GPSR's general product-safety requirements, and the CLP Regulation's chemical-hazard labelling for scented products. Get either one wrong and your listing is vulnerable. Here's what belongs on the label, what goes in the listing, and the mistakes that get candle listings pulled.
Layer 1: what GPSR requires on the label
Under Regulation (EU) 2023/988, your candle's label or packaging (or an accompanying document) must carry:
- Your details as manufacturer — name or trade name, postal address, and email.
- Responsible Person details — if you're not EU-based, the name, EU address, and email of your appointed Responsible Person.
- A product identifier — type, batch, or serial number. A batch code with the pour date works.
- Safety information — for candles, this means burn-safety instructions: trim the wick, never leave a burning candle unattended, keep away from children, pets, and flammable materials, burn on a heat-resistant surface.
The safety information must be in a language the buyer easily understands. If you sell to Germany, France, and Spain, your burn-safety block needs German, French, and Spanish versions. Write it once per language and reuse it across every scent.
Layer 2: CLP labelling for scented candles
This is the layer most candle makers miss. If your fragrance oil contains substances classified as hazardous under the CLP Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 — and many fragrance oils do, particularly for skin sensitisation or aquatic toxicity — your label needs CLP hazard elements: pictograms, signal words, hazard statements, and precautionary statements, derived from the fragrance's Safety Data Sheet (SDS).
Key points sellers get wrong:
- You need the SDS for your exact fragrance oil — from your supplier, for that specific oil, not a generic one. No SDS, no compliant CLP label.
- Custom blends need their own assessment. Mixing two fragrance oils doesn't mean combining their two CLP labels — the blend is a new mixture. As Craftovator's legal guide for candle sellers explains, each fragrance blend needs its own SDS-based CLP labelling, and getting this wrong can invalidate your insurance if there's an incident.
- Allergen disclosure. Fragrance allergens above threshold concentrations must be named. Your SDS tells you which ones and at what levels.
- UFI codes. Mixtures classified for health or physical hazards need a Unique Formula Identifier and a poison-centre notification in the EU country of sale. Check whether your specific product triggers this — your SDS and a compliance check will tell you.
Watch: European regulations for selling handmade candles, explained simply
Covers REACH and CLP explained simply, the UFI code and poison-centre declaration, safety standards, and mandatory labelling for selling candles in Europe.
What goes on the jar vs. in the listing
Space on a candle jar is limited, so prioritise. The physical label should carry: product identity and scent name, net weight, your manufacturer details, the CLP hazard elements (if applicable), and core burn-safety warnings. The listing then carries the full GPSR set: manufacturer block, Responsible Person block, product identifier, and the complete safety information in the buyer's language.
One practical tip: put the full multilingual warning block and your Responsible Person details on a product insert card or the shipping box if the jar can't hold it all. "Accompanying document" counts under GPSR — use it.
The mistakes that get candle listings pulled
- Missing Responsible Person details — the number-one enforcement trigger for non-EU sellers across all categories.
- English-only warnings while shipping EU-wide. Marketplaces and authorities both check this.
- No CLP labelling on scented candles whose fragrance oils trigger classification. "It's just a candle" isn't a defence.
- Copied CLP labels from a different fragrance. Every oil and every blend stands on its own SDS.
- Marketing claims that change the product's category. A citronella candle marketed as an insect repellent can fall under biocidal-products rules — sell it as a scented candle or register it properly.
Candle makers: do the SDS check before anything else. Request the Safety Data Sheet for every fragrance oil you sell with, confirm whether CLP labelling is triggered, and only then finalise your label design. Everything else — GPSR blocks, translations, batch codes — layers on top of that foundation.
Get the candle templates done for you
The GPSR Compliance Kit for Handmade Sellers ($24.99) includes candle-specific label templates with the GPSR blocks, CLP placement guidance, multilingual burn-safety warning text, and a worked risk-assessment example for a scented candle — so you're adapting, not starting from zero.
Candle labels, done right the first time
Label templates, warning blocks, and a worked risk assessment for scented candles — $24.99, reuse for every scent you pour.
Get the Compliance Kit — $24.99Not legal advice. This article provides general information about the EU General Product Safety Regulation and related labelling rules for educational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice. Consult a qualified professional for guidance on your specific situation.