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Coumarin in skincare
Sweet vanilla/tonka bean scent; widely used in perfumery. EU-mandated allergen disclosure above threshold.
Found in both AM and PM scented products, particularly in vanilla, tonka bean, and oriental-type fragrances. PM leave-on products carry higher sensitization risk. One of the EU 26 mandatory fragrance allergens requiring declaration on labels.
What it is
Coumarin (2H-chromen-2-one, 1,2-benzopyranone) is a naturally occurring aromatic compound found in tonka beans, sweet woodruff, cassia cinnamon, lavender, and many other plants, with a characteristic sweet, warm, vanilla-like scent. Widely used in men's and women's fragrances. One of the 26 fragrance allergens requiring mandatory individual declaration under EU Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009 Annex III if present above 0.001% in leave-on products or 0.01% in rinse-off products. Sensitization rate ~0.5–1.5%. Note: dietary coumarin (from cassia cinnamon) has hepatotoxicity concerns at high doses. The EU has set tolerable daily intake limits for food. Topical cosmetic use at fragrance concentrations is not considered a hepatotoxicity risk.
The facts
| Category | Fragrance Allergen (Benzopyranone) |
| Typical use | Morning and evening |
| Concentration YARAI treats as a full dose | 1% |
| EU Cosmetics Regulation annex | III |
| EU status | restricted |
Why the amount matters, not just the presence
Most ingredient checkers tell you whether something is in the bottle. That is a smaller question than it sounds. Coumarin at 1% and coumarin at a trace level are not the same ingredient in any way that affects your skin.
An ingredient list is ordered by quantity, so position carries real information. YARAI reads that position and scores accordingly, which is why the same ingredient can land differently in two different products.
The honest limit: a list gives order, not percentages. Estimating concentration from position is an estimate. It is a better estimate than ignoring position, and it is still an estimate. We would rather tell you that than let a number look more certain than it is.
Regulatory status
EU CosIng Annex III restricted substance.
Common questions
What does coumarin do in a skincare product?
Sweet vanilla/tonka bean scent; widely used in perfumery. EU-mandated allergen disclosure above threshold.
How much coumarin should a product contain?
YARAI treats 1% as a full dose for this ingredient. Below that, the ingredient is present but is scored as contributing less. An ingredient list gives you the order of ingredients, not their percentages, so this is an estimate read from position rather than a measurement.
When should I use coumarin?
Found in both AM and PM scented products, particularly in vanilla, tonka bean, and oriental-type fragrances. PM leave-on products carry higher sensitization risk. One of the EU 26 mandatory fragrance allergens requiring declaration on labels.
Check your own products
Point your camera at a product. YARAI identifies it from the label, finds that product's full ingredient list from published sources, and scores it. No barcode and no box needed, which is how it handles imported and small-brand products.
Concern level, category and thresholds on this page are read directly from the same data the YARAI app scores with, so this page and the app cannot disagree. EU figures cite Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. Last built 2026-09-09. Nothing here is medical advice.