What is colophony in cosmetics?

Colophony is pine resin, and it shares oxidised terpene chemistry with several fragrance materials.

Pine resin, used in some waxes, adhesives and cosmetics. It shares oxidised terpene chemistry with several fragrance materials.

Ingredients in this family (6)

Documented co-reactivity. Not everyone sensitised to one reacts to the others, but they are worth discussing with your clinician.

Source:: Downs AM, Sansom JE. Contact Dermatitis. 1999;41(5):305
Member list is:: complete for this family
What this does not establish:: Whether you personally react. Contact allergy is confirmed by patch testing, not by an ingredient list.
Last reviewed:: 2026-09-26

Information, not medical advice. A suspected contact allergy should be confirmed by a dermatologist through patch testing.

Colophony is pine resin, and it shares oxidised terpene chemistry with several fragrance materials.

Pine resin, used in some waxes, adhesives and cosmetics. It shares oxidised terpene chemistry with several fragrance materials.

Documented co-reactivity. Not everyone sensitised to one reacts to the others, but they are worth discussing with your clinician.

Source:: Downs AM, Sansom JE. Contact Dermatitis. 1999;41(5):305
Member list is:: complete for this family
What this does not establish:: Whether you personally react. Contact allergy is confirmed by patch testing, not by an ingredient list.
Last reviewed:: 2026-09-26

Information, not medical advice. A suspected contact allergy should be confirmed by a dermatologist through patch testing.