⚠️ Important — please read first. This guide is general information to help you design and order candle safety labels through our sticker designer. It is not legal advice and it is not a substitute for the official BS EN 15494:2019 standard. You are responsible for ensuring the products you sell genuinely meet all applicable UK safety, labelling, and packaging regulations. Sticker Nation provides the design tool — compliance is yours. If you are unsure, consult a qualified regulatory advisor, contact your local Trading Standards office, or purchase the official standard from BSI.
BS EN 15494:2019 is a copyrighted publication of the British Standards Institution. To see the full authoritative requirements — including exact pictogram sizes, placement rules, and prescribed text — you must purchase the standard directly from BSI. We cannot reproduce its contents here.
What is BS EN 15494:2019?
BS EN 15494:2019 is the British/European standard that specifies safety labelling requirements for candles and other household burning articles. It defines a recognised set of safety pictograms (warning symbols) that help consumers use candles safely, regardless of language. The standard is widely referenced across the UK and EU candle industry and is commonly required by major retailers as a condition of sale.
Do I need these icons on my candles?
In the UK, EN 15494 is a voluntary standard — there is no single law that makes it mandatory in isolation. In practice, however, you should follow it if you sell candles commercially, for several reasons:
- Retailer requirements: Amazon, Etsy, Not On The High Street, department stores, and most wholesalers expect EN 15494 compliance as a condition of listing candles on their platforms.
- General product safety law: The UK General Product Safety Regulations (retained EU framework) require that any product placed on the market is safe and carries appropriate safety information. Following the recognised industry standard is the most defensible route.
- Public liability insurance: Most maker and small-business insurance policies expect you to comply with the relevant industry standards for your product category. Non-compliance may invalidate claims.
- Consumer expectation: Buyers have come to expect safety pictograms on candles. Labels without them can look unprofessional and erode trust.
What typically goes on a commercial candle label
A well-labelled commercial candle will usually combine several types of information. The exact requirements depend on your product type, fragrance, and target market — the list below is a general starting point based on common industry practice, not a reproduction of any regulatory text.
1. Product identification
- Brand or maker name
- Product name, scent, or variety
- Net weight (with the ℮ estimated sign if you comply with the Weights and Measures (Packaged Goods) Regulations 2006)
- Batch or production code
- Maker contact details — name, address or website
- Country of origin (“Made in UK” if applicable)
2. EN 15494 safety pictograms
The standard defines a set of warning pictograms covering the key risks of burning candles. You do not need every pictogram on every label — only the ones that genuinely apply to your product. A typical container candle (a scented candle in a jar, for example) will usually include a core set of six to eight pictograms.
Our online sticker designer includes all 20 EN 15494 pictograms in the Compliance Icons library. You can insert them into any design with one click and resize them to suit your label.
3. Written safety warnings
Pictograms are normally accompanied by short text warnings in the local language — phrases reminding the user not to leave the candle unattended, to keep it away from children and pets, and so on. The exact wording is specified in the standard itself; we recommend either purchasing the standard for the prescribed text or working from your retailer’s published guidelines.
4. CLP pictograms (scented candles)
Candles containing fragrance oils may also fall under the UK CLP Regulation (retained EU Regulation 1272/2008), which governs chemical labelling. Depending on how your fragrance oil is classified, you may need to add one or more GHS hazard pictograms alongside the EN 15494 set:
- GHS07 (exclamation mark) — commonly required for mild skin irritants or allergenic fragrance ingredients
- GHS09 (dead fish) — if the fragrance is classified as hazardous to the aquatic environment
- Signal word (“Warning” or “Danger”)
- Hazard statements (H-codes such as H317 for skin sensitisation)
- Precautionary statements (P-codes such as P102 “Keep out of reach of children”)
- Allergen list — the fragrance allergens your product contains above the reporting threshold
Your fragrance oil supplier is legally required to provide a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) that tells you which CLP classification applies — check the SDS before designing your label. All 9 GHS pictograms are included in our designer’s Compliance Icons library.
How to add the icons in the Sticker Nation designer
- Open any product in the online sticker designer, or start from a pre-made template.
- Click the green Compliance Icons button in the Text toolbar panel.
- Select the Candle Safety (BS EN 15494:2019) category to see all 20 pictograms.
- Click a pictogram to insert it into your canvas. The icon appears at the centre — drag it to the position you want.
- Resize using the corner handles. Do not rotate or recolour compliance pictograms — they must appear exactly as specified by the standard.
- Repeat for each pictogram you need. A typical candle label uses 4–8 pictograms grouped together on the bottom or back of the label.
- Add written warnings using the Add Paragraph tool for any multi-line text content.
- Include your brand name, scent, weight, and batch code using the standard text tools.
Tip: Many commercial candles place pictograms on a wraparound base label or on the underside of the jar so they don’t compete with the hero branding on the front. Our template library includes pre-designed candle label layouts that follow this convention.
Which pictograms for which candle type?
Different candle formats carry different risks, so the pictogram set varies. These suggestions are a non-authoritative starting point — always verify against the official standard and your retailer’s requirements.
Container candles (jar, tin, glass)
The most common candle format. Typical pictogram set: never leave unattended, keep away from children, keep distance between candles, keep away from flammables, use on a stable heat-resistant surface, do not move while burning, and stop burning at the residual wax level.
Recommended sticker material: waterproof glossy vinyl for wax-splatter resistance, or satin gold metallic for a premium finish. Curved jar labels work well on high tack glossy vinyl.
Pillar candles
Pillar candles expose the flame directly and drip more, so they typically include additional warnings about stable surfaces, wax run-off, and keeping the surrounding area clear. The pictogram count is often higher than for container candles.
Recommended sticker material: waterproof glossy vinyl or matt vinyl for a more natural look. Labels often go on a paper band or the base of the candle.
Tealights
Tealights are small enough that full pictogram labelling is usually carried on the outer packaging (the bag or box) rather than on each individual cup. Include the core warnings plus specific guidance about using a compatible tealight holder.
Wax melts and melts pots
Wax melts don’t burn directly but are melted in a warmer, so the safety focus shifts to the compatible warmer type, overheating, and allergen information. CLP pictograms for fragrance allergens are usually the main safety marks. EN 15494 pictograms may or may not apply depending on whether your product is classified as a candle under the standard — check carefully.
Recommended sticker material: satin silver metallic or matt vinyl for the polished look wax melt brands typically favour.
Additional UK labelling requirements to consider
- Net quantity & e-mark — declared weight in grams, with the ℮ symbol if you comply with the Weights and Measures Regulations.
- CLP (UK retained 1272/2008) — for any candle containing classified fragrance oils, including the signal word, H-codes, P-codes and appropriate GHS pictograms.
- Allergen declaration — 26 recognised fragrance allergens must be declared above the threshold (10 ppm for leave-on products, 100 ppm for rinse-off — but for candles the relevant threshold is usually 100 ppm).
- UKCA marking — not typically required for candles themselves, but may apply to electrical candle warmers or heaters sold alongside them.
- Recycling symbols — the Mobius loop and On-Pack Recycling Label (OPRL) guidance for the glass or tin container.
Where to buy the official BS EN 15494:2019 standard
To see the full authoritative requirements — including exact pictogram sizes, minimum printed dimensions, placement rules, and prescribed text warnings — you must purchase the standard directly. It is a copyrighted publication:
- BSI Knowledge (knowledge.bsigroup.com) — the authoritative UK source
- Major standards resellers (ISO, SAI Global, TechStreet, etc.)
Expect to pay in the range of £150–£250 for a single-user PDF licence. For small candle makers this is a one-off cost you won’t regret — retailers will ask whether you’ve read it.
Ready-made candle label templates
If you would rather start from a pre-designed candle label and edit it rather than build from scratch, browse our candle-specific templates below. Each one includes placeholder safety pictograms in the right places — swap your brand name, scent, weight, and batch code, pick a sticker material, and order.
Browse the full sticker and label template library for other product types, or start with a blank canvas in our design-your-own-stickers tool.
Questions?
If you need help using the icons in the designer or finding the right sticker material for your candles, get in touch with our team. For regulatory questions we can’t answer, please consult Trading Standards, a qualified compliance consultant, or BSI directly.
Final reminder: This page is a design-time guide for using our sticker designer. It is not legal advice and not a reproduction of BS EN 15494:2019. You are solely responsible for the compliance of any product you print and sell. Always verify your finished label against the official standard and any retailer-specific requirements before going to production.