Start with the two label layers
Most UK candle labels have two different safety layers. The first is a candle fire-safety warning, because the product uses an open flame. The second is a chemical hazard label under GB CLP when the finished candle is classified as hazardous. These are related to safety, but they answer different questions.
The fire warning tells customers how to burn the candle safely. The CLP label communicates hazards from the candle mixture, usually driven by fragrance ingredients. A natural soy candle can still need both. A candle with no fragrance may still need a fire warning even if it has no CLP classification.
- Fire safety: burn instructions and open-flame warnings.
- GB CLP: hazard pictograms, statements and allergen wording where required.
- Trading information: clear business identity and product details.
Business and product information
Your label should clearly identify what the product is and who supplied it. Use a product name or scent name that matches your records, the net quantity where needed, and your business name and contact details. If you sell through a marketplace, do not rely on the platform profile as the only supplier information customers receive.
For small makers, a home address question often comes up. The label and safety documents need a responsible supplier address, but many businesses use a registered office, virtual office or commercial address where appropriate. Make sure whatever you use is real, current and suitable for customer and authority contact.
GB CLP for scented candles
Great Britain applies GB CLP to substances and mixtures placed on the GB market. HSE states that the main duties to classify, label and package remain, and that GB-based suppliers are within the GB CLP system. For a candle maker, that means you need to classify the finished scented candle before sale and label it if it is hazardous.
The label can include product identifier, supplier name, address and telephone number, nominal quantity if not elsewhere, pictograms if required, signal word, hazard statements, precautionary statements and supplemental information such as Contains wording for sensitising fragrance substances. Use the classification for your exact fragrance load, not a generic fragrance oil label.
Northern Ireland and EU sales
Northern Ireland is a separate check because products placed on the NI market are subject to EU CLP. If you ship from Great Britain to customers in Northern Ireland, the label and notification duties may not be identical to a GB-only sale. EU sales also bring language duties and possible UFI and poison centre notification requirements.
If your website accepts orders from England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and EU Member States, design your compliance process around each market. It is easier to block a market until labels are ready than to ship first and fix hazard communication later.
Candle warning wording
Use a clear candle warning label with the main fire-safety messages: keep a burning candle in sight, keep it away from things that can catch fire, and keep it away from children and pets. Add burn instructions such as trimming the wick, using a heat-resistant surface, keeping the wax pool clear and stopping use near the end of the candle.
Place the warning where it stays with the candle and is visible at sale. A base sticker is common, but if the candle is boxed, customers may not see the base before purchase. Repeat the warning on the box or use a visible side label when needed.
Online listings and batch records
UK makers often sell through Etsy, Shopify, fairs and wholesale at the same time. The online listing should show important safety and hazard information before purchase, not only after the parcel arrives. Wholesale buyers may ask for SDS, IFRA certificates, allergen statements and CLP labels for each scent.
Keep a batch record for every candle: recipe percentages, supplier documents, classification source, artwork version and production date. If a fragrance supplier updates the SDS or allergen declaration, review the affected scent before your next batch. Good records make small-business compliance much less stressful.
Frequently asked questions
Do homemade candles need labels in the UK?
Yes. At minimum they should carry clear product and supplier information plus fire-safety warnings. Scented candles also need GB CLP hazard labelling when the finished candle is classified as hazardous.
Do I need my address on UK candle labels?
You need responsible supplier contact details. Many makers use a business, registered or commercial address, but it should be real and suitable for contact.
Does a UK candle need a UFI?
Great Britain has its own NPIS arrangements. EU and Northern Ireland sales may trigger EU UFI duties depending on final classification.
Can I use one label for all candle scents?
Usually not for CLP. Different fragrances can produce different allergens, hazard statements and pictograms.
Do unscented UK candles need CLP?
Often they do not, but check wax, dye and additives. They still need suitable candle fire-safety warnings.