ISO 9235 Standard Explained
ISO 9235 is the international standard that defines the vocabulary for natural aromatic raw materials — which sources and which processes let a material be called natural. A material qualifies only if it comes from plants, or certain animal and microbial sources, and is obtained by physical, microbiological or enzymatic processes with no chemical transformation that creates new molecules. It is a terminology standard, not a safety or labeling rule: exposure limits come from IFRA and regional regulations. |
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Key Takeaways
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Which edition this is. The current standard is ISO 9235:2021, the third edition, published in June 2021. It cancelled and replaced ISO 9235:2013. A supplier document or a brand claim that cites an older edition is not necessarily wrong about a given material, but the vocabulary it is quoting has been superseded — worth checking when a natural claim rests on the wording of a class name.
Standards bodies publish it nationally as well, so the same text also appears as EN ISO 9235:2021 and BS EN ISO 9235:2021. These are the same vocabulary, not competing definitions.
- What Is ISO 9235?
- Which Materials and Processes Qualify?
- Why It Matters
- What ISO 9235 Covers
- Related Collections
- FAQ
What Is ISO 9235?
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ISO 9235 is an international standard that defines what “natural” means for aromatic raw materials. It does not set safety limits or regulatory thresholds. Instead, it provides a shared vocabulary so brands, suppliers, and auditors can speak the same language when describing natural fragrance ingredients. Under ISO 9235, a natural fragrance material must be obtained physically, microbiologically, or enzymatically from plants (or certain animal/microbial sources) without chemical transformations that create new molecules. Common botanical sources include flowers, leaves, woods, peels, roots, resins, and seeds. If you’re working with 100% plant-based fragrance oils, ISO 9235 is the standard that underpins their natural definition. |
Which Materials and Processes Qualify Under ISO 9235?
- Source authenticity: Only botanical and select animal-derived/microbial ingredients qualify as natural.
- Accepted processes: Distillation, expression, extraction with natural solvents, CO₂ extraction, fermentation, and enzymatic processes are allowed.
- No synthetics: If a material is chemically synthesized or chemically transformed into a new compound, it can no longer be called natural under ISO 9235—even if it began as a plant.
- Terminology, not safety: ISO 9235 focuses on definitions; safety limits come from frameworks like IFRA Standards and local regulations.
Two of the processes ISO 9235 accepts: mechanical expression, which presses oil straight out of a citrus peel, and extraction with natural solvents, which lifts aromatic material a still cannot reach.
Why Does ISO 9235 Matter for Natural and Plant-Based Fragrances?
As consumers become more ingredient-conscious, “natural fragrance” claims face more scrutiny. ISO 9235 helps bring clarity to what natural means in practice.
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For brands:Supports honest, defensible natural fragrance marketing and label claims.
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For formulators:Defines which aromatic materials qualify as natural and how to describe them in specifications.
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For consumers:Offers reassurance that “natural” reflects real botanical origin—not just a marketing term.
ISO 9235 is often used alongside other frameworks that address safety, sustainability, and retailer standards, including:
- IFRA-compliant fragrance oils (safety & exposure)
- ECOCERT-compliant fragrance oils
- EWG-compliant fragrance oils
- Eco-friendly fragrance oils (biodegradability and environmental focus)
What Does ISO 9235 Cover?
Scope
Defines vocabulary and categories for natural aromatic raw materials. ISO 9235 is not a safety, purity, or labeling regulation—always pair it with IFRA and regional requirements.
Domain
Natural aromatic raw materials, including essential oils, extracts (concretes, absolutes, resinoids, oleoresins), native aromatic waters, some CO₂ extracts, and traditional preparations.
Use
Creates consistent terminology for specifications, sourcing documentation, audits, and substantiation of natural claims.
What Do the Core ISO 9235 Terms Mean?
| Term | ISO 9235 gist | Typical examples |
|---|---|---|
| Natural raw material | Material of plant/animal/microbiological origin obtained by physical, enzymatic, or microbiological processes only (no chemical synthesis). | Lavender, citrus peel, yeast-fermented extract |
| Essential oil | Obtained by steam or dry distillation, or mechanical expression for citrus; oil may be separated from the distillation water. | Lavender oil, lemon oil |
| Folded / concentrated oil | Essential oil physically treated (e.g., fractionated) to enrich certain components without chemical synthesis. | 5-fold lemon oil, terpeneless citrus |
| Extract | Product obtained by treating the raw material or hydrolate with one or more solvents. | CO₂ extract, ethanolic tincture |
| Concrete | Volatile-solvent extract yielding a waxy mass of volatiles, waxes, pigments; often a precursor to an absolute. | Jasmine concrete, rose concrete |
| Absolute | Ethanol extract of a concrete, yielding a highly aromatic, wax-reduced material. | Jasmine absolute, rose absolute |
| Resinoid | Solvent extract of dry plant exudates or materials rich in resinous components. | Benzoin resinoid, labdanum resinoid |
| Oleoresin | Natural exudate or extract containing both volatile and non-volatile (resinous) fractions. | Turmeric oleoresin, capsicum oleoresin |
| Native aromatic water | Aqueous distillate from the raw material produced during distillation without external water added. | Rose water, orange-flower water |
How Does ISO 9235 Relate to ISO 16128, COSMOS, NATRUE and IFRA?
| Concept | ISO 16128 (Cosmetics) | COSMOS | NATRUE | IFRA (Safety) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Definition of “natural” | Calculates natural and natural-origin content indexes for cosmetic ingredients — a different job from ISO 9235’s vocabulary, not a broader definition. | Strict rules for natural/organic cosmetic ingredients. | Very strict natural taxonomy and categories. | Does not define “natural”; defines safe use and exposure limits. |
| Essential oils | Natural or natural-origin depending on process. | Generally accepted when obtained by allowed methods. | Accepted with category-specific rules. | Subject to IFRA Standards for allergens and dermal exposure. |
| Solvent extracts | Often natural-origin if solvent and process qualify. | Permitted with specific solvent and residue rules. | Accepted with constraints. | Safety assessment applies regardless of origin. |
| Biotech / enzymatic products | Natural-origin if feedstock and process meet criteria. | Permitted if processes conform to standard. | Evaluated case by case. | Assessed solely on safety and exposure. |
| Rectified / folded oils | Remain natural-origin after physical fractionation. | Generally acceptable. | Generally acceptable. | Normal IFRA category limits apply. |
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ISO 9235 and ISO 16128 do different jobs rather than compete over one definition. ISO 9235:2021, Aromatic natural raw materials — Vocabulary, supplies the terms for natural aromatic raw materials used across perfumery, cosmetics and flavour work. ISO 16128 is cosmetics-specific. Part 1 (2016) defines the ingredient categories — natural, derived natural, organic — and Part 2 (2017) sets out how to calculate natural, natural-origin, organic and organic-origin content indexes for ingredients and finished products. ISO 16128-1 states the relationship directly: an aromatic natural raw material as defined by ISO 9235 may be composed of natural ingredients, derived natural ingredients, or a mixture of the two. Neither standard addresses claims and labelling, human safety, or regulatory requirements, so neither one replaces the other. |
Sources: ISO 9235:2021, Aromatic natural raw materials — Vocabulary (third edition, 2021). ISO 16128-1:2016 and ISO 16128-2:2017, Cosmetics — Guidelines on technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients.
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By Safety & Compliance Framework
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ISO 9235 a safety standard?
No. ISO 9235 defines what counts as a natural fragrance material. Safety limits come from IFRA Standards and regional regulations.
Are ISO 9235 compliant materials allergen-free?
No. Many natural materials contain naturally occurring allergens. Always review IFRA 51 Regulatory Data Sheets and allergen statements for safe usage by product category.
Do ISO 9235 natural materials guarantee sustainability?
Not necessarily. ISO 9235 defines natural origin, not sustainability. Environmental impact, renewability, and fair sourcing are covered by other frameworks and brand policies.
Do you offer ISO 9235-aligned fragrance oils?
Yes. Our 100% plant-based fragrance oils follow ISO 9235 definitions for natural fragrance materials.
Where can I find documentation?
IFRA 51 Regulatory Data Sheets, SDS, and additional documentation are posted on each fragrance product page under “Documentation.” If you need more, use our Documentation Request form.
Does ISO 9235 apply to a finished fragrance oil or only to its raw materials?
To the raw materials. ISO 9235 is a vocabulary standard for natural aromatic raw materials — the essential oils, absolutes, concretes and aromatic waters a perfumer works from — so it describes the components that go into a compound rather than the finished blend. That is why our plant-based fragrance oils are described as following ISO 9235 definitions for their natural fragrance materials, and not as ISO 9235 products.
Which edition of ISO 9235 do these definitions follow?
The third edition, ISO 9235:2021, Aromatic natural raw materials — Vocabulary. Every definition on this page is taken from that edition, which is also the edition listed in the sources at the foot of the article.
Related reading
More reference material on standards, documentation and formulation sits in our fragrance oil knowledge center. To evaluate the botanical range before committing to a formula, the Discovery Set ships paper blotters scented with our fragrance oils; the Plant-Based Discovery Set covers the plant-based (ISO 9235) oils only.
Need help navigating natural fragrance standards or planning an ISO 9235-aligned launch? Contact us—we’re happy to help.