THE LABEL FILES•Ingredient

Coumarin

CAUTION, A recognized fragrance allergen present in most deodorants. Sensitization is real but bounded; no credible cancer signal at cosmetic exposure.

What it is

A sweet, hay-scented benzopyrone (CAS 91-64-5) from tonka beans and cinnamon, widely synthesized for fragrance.

In this product: Warm, sweet fragrance note.

Dose & route, what actually matters

Hepatotoxic only at high oral doses in animals, irrelevant to a deodorant. The relevant human effect is skin sensitization at the low percentages used in scent.

EUROPEAN UNION

Named-disclosure allergen (Annex III) since 2003; EU labelling threshold set by SCCP opinion.

UNITED STATES

No restriction; an EU survey found coumarin in 57% of deodorants sampled.

The evidence

Coumarin caused allergic reactions in 1.2–6.8% of patients suspected of fragrance contact allergy (patch tested at 1% and 10%).

regulatory · 2005 · source

California Prop 65: Not currently listed (appeared on older lists; status best confirmed against the live OEHHA database).

How to avoid it

Fragrance-free avoids it.

Where it hides

Axe Axe Apollo Body Spray →Glade PlugIns Scented Oil →

Editorial analysis of publicly available regulatory and peer-reviewed sources. Not medical advice. We name our evidence and link it, including when an ingredient is fine.