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GPSR for candle makers: risk assessment, CLP labels and warnings

Candles are one of the higher-risk handmade products under the General Product Safety Regulation (EU) 2023/988. Fire is a very serious hazard, and fragrance oils often trigger chemical labelling rules (CLP) on top of GPSR. Here is what a small candle business selling to EU customers needs.

1. A fire-focused risk analysis

Your internal risk analysis (Art. 9(2) GPSR) should cover at least:

• Fire from unattended burning or flammable items nearby. Severity: very serious.
• Excessive flame, flare-ups and secondary flames, usually from wick size, fragrance load or wax mix.
• Container failure: glass jars cracking from heat, and tins getting hot.
• Burns from hot wax, glass or lids.
• Skin sensitisation from fragrance substances such as linalool and limonene.
• Ingestion by children or pets, especially candles that look like food.

For each hazard, record what you do about it: wick testing, maximum fragrance load, burn tests, container choice and warnings.

2. CLP labelling (often forgotten)

Many fragrance oils at typical loads (6–10%) make the finished candle classified under the CLP Regulation (EC) 1272/2008, commonly as a skin sensitiser (H317) and sometimes as an aquatic hazard. If it's classified, the label needs the pictogram, the signal word, hazard and precautionary statements, the sensitising substances, and your supplier details, in the language of each country of sale. Use your fragrance supplier's SDS or a CLP calculator to check before you sell.

3. Standard candle warnings (EN 15494)

The European candle safety standard EN 15494 sets out the familiar safety pictograms and warnings: never leave a burning candle unattended, keep away from children and pets, keep away from anything that can catch fire, and keep a distance between burning candles. Put them on the product or packaging and in your listing, translated for each market.

4. Labels and listing

• Batch number on the base label (Art. 9(5)).
• Your name, postal address and email (Art. 9(6)), plus your EU responsible person if you're outside the EU (Art. 16).
• The same details and warnings in every online listing (Art. 19).

Generate your candle pack

GPSR Kit writes the candle-specific risk analysis, flags the CLP question, and produces the EN 15494-style warnings in every EU language, plus a label sheet. Create your candle pack.

More guides

• GPSR for Etsy sellers: what you must do to keep selling to the EU
• GPSR risk assessment: how to write the internal risk analysis (with example)
• GPSR label requirements: what has to be on your product and packaging
• GPSR on Amazon, eBay and Shopify: listing information checklist
• EU responsible person under GPSR: who needs one and what they do
• GPSR for jewellery sellers: nickel, lead, cadmium and choking hazards
• Crochet, amigurumi and soft toys: GPSR, toy safety and CE marking
• GPSR for ceramics, mugs and tableware: food contact rules explained
• GPSR for children's clothing: cords, drawstrings and small parts
• GPSR for art prints, cards and stationery: the low-risk checklist
• GPSR for UK sellers: selling to EU and Northern Ireland customers after Brexit
• GPSR for US sellers: what American Etsy and Amazon shops need to sell to Europe
• GPSR safety warnings in German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch and Polish