Evernia Prunastri Extract
Oakmoss absolute · Mousse de chêne
What it is
A natural extract from oak-tree lichen, the earthy mossy base of classic chypre and fougère perfumes. Natural, and also one of the more potent fragrance allergens, because of two compounds it contains: atranol and chloroatranol.
In this product: Fragrance and fixative. Gives a woody, mossy base note and anchors lighter notes in prestige fragrances.
Dose & route, what actually matters
The harm is allergic contact dermatitis from leave-on skin exposure in sensitised people. Modern EU-compliant oakmoss is processed to strip out the banned constituents; unprocessed oakmoss absolute is the problem.
EUROPEAN UNION
Annex III (restricted). The extract must be individually labelled above 0.001% leave-on / 0.01% rinse-off. Its constituents atranol and chloroatranol were added to Annex II (banned) by Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/1410, so raw oakmoss must be purified before EU use.
UNITED STATES
No restriction. May appear as the extract or hide under “Fragrance.”
The evidence
Evernia Prunastri Extract is an EU Annex III declarable fragrance allergen; its sensitising constituents atranol and chloroatranol were banned (Annex II) by Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/1410.
regulatory · 2017 · source
COSMILE Europe, the official EU cosmetics ingredient database, lists Evernia Prunastri Extract as requiring individual label declaration above the 0.001% leave-on / 0.01% rinse-off thresholds.
regulatory · 2009 · source
California Prop 65: Not listed.
How to avoid it
In the EU it must be named on the label, look for “Evernia Prunastri.” Vintage and classic chypre/fougère fragrances are the highest-risk category. Choose oakmoss-free or full-disclosure brands.
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.