Guide
Candle label requirements: what to put on a candle label
In the US, a candle sold to consumers should carry three things under the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act: what the product is (for example "Scented candle"), the net weight of the wax in both ounces and grams (for example "Net wt 6.5 oz (184 g)"), and the name and city, state and ZIP code of the business that made or distributes it. Add a safety warning too. The industry standard, ASTM F2058, asks for "Burn within sight", "Keep away from things that catch fire" and "Keep away from children". If you sell to buyers in the EU, the UK or Northern Ireland, extra rules apply, mainly CLP hazard labeling for fragrance allergens and, in the EU and Northern Ireland, GPSR traceability details.
Not legal advice. This guide summarises common requirements for small candle makers as of October 2026. Rules vary by country and US state and can change, so check with your local authority or a compliance adviser, and ask your fragrance supplier for the safety data for each oil.
US candle label checklist
| What | Where | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Product identity | Front label | Scented soy candle |
| Net weight, oz and grams | Front label, bottom 30% | Net wt 6.5 oz (184 g) |
| Business name and location | Front, side or bottom | Made by Willow Lane Candles, Austin, TX 78701 |
| Safety warning | Usually the bottom | WARNING: Burn within sight… |
| Burning instructions | Bottom or insert | Trim wick to ¼ inch; burn no more than 4 hours |
| Scent name, wax type (optional) | Front label | Cedar & Fig, soy wax |
The business name in the examples is invented. Use your own.
1. Product identity
The front of the label, the part a shopper sees first, must say what the product is in plain words, such as "Scented candle", "Soy candle" or "Wax melts". A brand or scent name on its own, such as "Midnight Garden", isn't enough. Wax type and scent name aren't required, but most buyers look for them.
2. Net weight
State the weight of what the customer burns: the wax, fragrance oil and dye. CandleScience points out that it doesn't include the wick, the jar, the lid or any packaging. Under the FTC's FPLA regulations:
- Give the weight in both US units and metric, for example "Net wt 8 oz (227 g)". One ounce is 28.35 grams.
- Put it on the front label, within the bottom 30% of the label, set apart from other text. Very small labels of 5 square inches or less are exempt from the bottom-30% rule.
- Make the lettering big enough: at least 1/16 inch on a front panel up to 5 square inches, 1/8 inch up to 25 square inches, and 3/16 inch up to 100 square inches.
- Don't qualify it with words like "full" or "jumbo".
Weigh the finished candle and subtract the weight of the empty jar and wick, or use the total pour weight from your recipe. An 8 fl oz jar filled to 90% holds about 6.5 oz of wax and oil. The wax & fragrance calculator gives the pour weight for any jar, and the wax per jar guide explains the math. Round down rather than up, so you never claim more than the candle holds.
3. Your business name and location
The label must name the manufacturer, packer or distributor and its place of business: city, state and ZIP code. A street address can be left off if your business is listed in a current city or telephone directory. If someone else made the candle and you sell it under your brand, add a phrase such as "Distributed by". CandleScience notes the location can go on the warning label rather than the front.
4. Safety warning
CandleScience says a fire safety label isn't strictly required by US law, but every reputable maker uses one, and stores and wholesale buyers often expect it. The National Candle Association says every candle should carry a cautionary label following ASTM F2058, with three rules:
- Burn within sight.
- Keep away from things that catch fire.
- Keep away from children (and pets).
Start the label with the word WARNING in bold capitals. According to CandleScience, pictograms can replace the second and third statements, but "Burn within sight" should always appear in words.
Most makers add burning instructions on the same label: trim the wick to ¼ inch before each burn, burn for no more than 4 hours at a time (the National Candle Association's guidance), and stop when about ½ inch of wax remains. If your jar needs a first burn long enough for the melt pool to reach the edge, say so. See candle tunneling for burn time by jar width.
WARNING: To prevent fire and injury, burn within sight. Keep away from things that catch fire. Keep away from children and pets. Trim wick to ¼ inch before each use. Burn no more than 4 hours at a time. Stop use when ½ inch of wax remains.
Wax melts carry a similar warning about the warmer: never leave a warmer on unattended, and keep it away from children, pets and things that catch fire.
5. Claims to be careful with
Anything else you put on the label must be true and something you can back up. Words like "non-toxic", "clean burning" or "all natural" invite questions you may not be able to answer. Health claims such as "relieves anxiety" or "helps you sleep" can make a candle look like a drug or cosmetic and pull it into stricter rules. "Lead-free wick" is true but says little: the National Candle Association points out lead wicks have been banned in the US since 2003. Plain facts like "hand-poured", "soy wax blend" or "cotton wick" are safer.
Selling to the EU, UK or Northern Ireland
Labeling rules outside the US are stricter, mainly because of fragrance allergens.
CLP hazard labeling
Under the CLP regulations used in the EU and Great Britain, a candle is treated as a mixture on a carrier, the wick. The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland explains that if the sensitising (allergen) ingredients in the fragrance exceed 0.1% of the candle, the label needs a "May produce an allergic reaction" statement naming them. Above 1%, which many scented candles reach, the candle needs a full CLP label. That usually includes:
- the product name and the allergens it contains,
- the exclamation mark hazard pictogram and the signal word "Warning",
- hazard and precautionary statements, such as "May cause an allergic skin reaction",
- the supplier's name, address and telephone number,
- the nominal quantity, unless it's shown elsewhere on the pack.
The exact wording depends on the oil and your fragrance load, so ask your fragrance supplier for the CLP information at your load. Many UK and EU suppliers publish it for each oil. For packs up to 3 liters, guidance quoted by suppliers puts the minimum label size at 52 × 74 mm, with pictograms at least 10 × 10 mm. The label must be readable when the candle is set down normally.
GPSR (EU and Northern Ireland)
Since 13 December 2024, the EU General Product Safety Regulation has required products sold to EU and Northern Ireland consumers to carry traceability details. For a candle that typically means the maker's name and postal and email address, an EU-based responsible person if you're outside the EU, a batch or product number, and warnings in the buyer's language. Etsy asks sellers who reach these buyers to fill in the Manufacturers and Product safety info fields in the listing, and suggests checking with a legal adviser whether the rules apply to your shop.
What Etsy requires
Etsy doesn't set its own label rules for candles. US sellers follow US law, and sellers who ship to the EU or Northern Ireland need the GPSR fields above in their listings. Shipping a candle without a warning label may be legal, but it's risky. A clear label protects you if something goes wrong and looks more professional next to other shops.
Where each part usually goes
- Front label: brand, scent name, product identity, net weight in the bottom 30%.
- Bottom label: safety warning, burning instructions, business name and location, batch number.
- Wax melts: the same information on the clamshell, with the warning inside or on the back if space is tight.
- EU and UK sales: a CLP label, often a separate sticker on the bottom or a fold-out label for small tins.
Frequently asked questions
What has to be on a candle label?
In the US, the product identity (such as "Scented candle"), the net weight in ounces and grams, and the name and city, state and ZIP code of the maker or distributor. A safety warning following ASTM F2058 is strongly recommended: burn within sight, keep away from things that catch fire, and keep away from children.
Do candles need a warning label?
A fire safety label isn't strictly required by US federal law, but the National Candle Association says every candle should carry one, and most retailers and wholesale buyers expect it. In the EU and UK, most scented candles also need a CLP hazard label for fragrance allergens.
Does net weight include the jar?
No. Net weight is the wax, fragrance oil and dye only, not the jar, wick, lid or packaging. Show it in both ounces and grams, for example "Net wt 6.5 oz (184 g)".
Do I need a label to sell candles on Etsy?
Etsy has no separate label rules for candles, so the laws where your buyers live apply. US sellers should include identity, net weight, business name and location, plus a warning. If you sell to the EU or Northern Ireland, Etsy also asks for manufacturer and product safety information under GPSR.
Do wax melts need a label?
Yes. Wax melts sold to consumers need the same core information as candles: what they are, the net weight in ounces and grams, and your business name and location. Add a warning about the warmer, such as never leaving it unattended.
Need the net weight? The wax & fragrance calculator gives the pour weight for any jar, and the candle wax chart lists it for 2 to 16 oz jars.