Fragrance Mix II
The second-generation fragrance patch test — six newer allergens that Fragrance Mix I misses
INCIParfum
- Category
- Fragrance
- Risk level
- high
- What it is
- A patch-test reagent — 6 "newer" fragrance allergens, used together with FM I
- The 6 components
- Lyral (HICC, now EU-banned), citral, farnesol, citronellol, hexyl cinnamal, coumarin
- Why both mixes
- FM I + FM II together catch the majority of fragrance allergy; testing both is standard
- Natural-oil relevance
- Citral (lemongrass/citrus) and citronellol (rose/geranium) make "natural" products relevant here
Look for these names on ingredient lists
This ingredient may appear under any of these names:
Commonly found in
Possible reactions
- Allergic contact dermatitis at fragrance-contact sites
- Facial and neck dermatitis from fragranced cosmetics
- Airborne contact dermatitis from perfume
- Hand dermatitis from fragranced soaps/washes
Scan a product for this concern
What is Fragrance Mix II?
Fragrance Mix II (FM II) is a patch-test reagent that complements Fragrance Mix I by screening for six fragrance allergens FM I doesn't cover. It was added to European and American standard series in the mid-2000s, once researchers recognised FM I was missing a chunk of clinically relevant reactions. Together, the two mixes catch the majority of fragrance allergy.
The six components (each with its own page here):
- Lyral / HICC — synthetic muguet; banned in EU cosmetics since 2019
- Citral — lemon note in citrus and lemongrass oils
- Farnesol — floral; also a deodorant antibacterial
- Citronellol — rose note in geranium/citrus oils
- Hexyl cinnamal — synthetic jasmine
- Coumarin — sweet hay/tonka note
Why it matters — including for "natural" products
Like FM I, these sensitise via Type IV hypersensitivity. Two features stand out:
- Lyral was a huge problem — at restriction it affected ~2–3% of the European population and over 10% of dermatitis patients, which is exactly why the EU banned it (2019). It can still appear in older or non-EU products.
- "Natural" relevance — citral is the main component of lemongrass and citrus oils, and citronellol comes from rose and geranium, so FM II is highly relevant to essential-oil and aromatherapy users, not just synthetic perfume.
Dual positivity (FM I and FM II) is common, and people sensitive to FM I components are more likely to react to FM II's too.
After a positive test
- Go fragrance-free, verifying the ingredient list.
- Mind citrus/"natural" products specifically if citral is your trigger.
- Check region for lyral — EU post-2019 products are lyral-free; non-EU products may not be.
- Component testing can identify which of the six is yours.
The bottom line
Fragrance Mix II is the essential companion to FM I — six newer allergens (including the now-banned lyral and the lemongrass allergen citral) that round out fragrance-allergy screening. If you clearly react to scent but FM I was negative, FM II is the next test to ask for.
Was this article helpful?
One tap tells us what to write more of. No account needed.
Is this ingredient in your products?
Scan any cosmetic product to check for Fragrance Mix II and 30+ other allergens instantly.
References & further reading
- Fragrance Mix II — development and use PubMed / Contact Dermatitis
- Fragrance contact allergy — overview DermNet
- CosIng / Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 (labelled fragrance allergens) EUR-Lex