Ungating Beauty Amazon
Cosmetic products are among the most popular items on the market today. Considering the trend, it clearly shows that the market isn’t slowing down any time soon.
Regardless of the state of the economy, consumers of skincare, accessories, and other beauty products will continue to invest in these items.
This is in line with a recent survey where 21% of consumers planned to buy more cosmetics in 2022 compared to their consumption in the previous year.
Based on this alone, you can already settle with your decision to sell beauty products online. The best market to consider is Amazon.
Listing on Amazon can be as easy as uploading products and advertising to increase sales. However, sometimes the process can get complex where you will need to apply for approval to sell certain products.
To many Amazon sellers, this is called ungating on amazon. This post will explore items listed under the beauty products category, what is required to get approval to sell under this category, and how to start selling your beauty products on Amazon.
If you want to learn how to sell beauty products online, this is the place to get all your questions answered!
Why Sell Beauty Products on Amazon?
One way to know if a particular product is moving is to observe your competitors’ behavior.
Beauty products are some of the most popular merchandise for Amazon sellers. This tells you that the venture is not only profitable but also fast-moving.
Considering millions of people get to pass through Amazon daily, you don’t want to miss this ready market while still contemplating whether or not to start selling on Amazon.
Furthermore, research has shown that demand for cosmetic products only continues to increase yearly irrespective of the time of the year or economic condition.
Some of these products classified under the beauty category are simply essential. For instance, we have dental hygiene products, hair, oral, and skin care products, etc.
Is Selling Beauty Products on Amazon Profitable?
Affirmative! Selling beauty products on Amazon can never be considered anything short of profitable. The question then remains, just how profitable is the venture?
According to a seller report of online data, 21% of sellers under the beauty products category achieve net profit margins ranging from 26% to 50%. Other reported data reveals that 15% of sellers on the other hand get 21-25% profit margins.
This clearly shows that a majority of sellers realize at least a quarter of net profit margins. This is considered very healthy turnover rates and profits.
What Products Fall Under the Beauty Category?
- Hair Care
- Fragrance
- Skincare
- Foot, Hand & Nail Care
- Makeup
- Cosmetics
- Tools, Brushes & Accessories
- Shave & Hair Removal
- Personal Care
- Salon & Spa Equipment
How To Get Approval to Sell Beauty Products On Amazon
Beauty products are classified as restricted on amazon. This means you need approval to list under the category.
The reason for imposing restrictions is to ensure that the products being sold to consumers meet the quality and standard tests.
For instance, you cannot sell items that could potentially harm a consumer. Since these products are majorly used on the human body, it could turn catastrophic if they went unregulated.
Another reason other than protecting customers from unscrupulous sellers is to prevent the proliferation of substandard, or counterfeits onto the market board.
Although the beauty and personal care category of goods is not restricted to new sellers, selling some items requires approval.
Therefore, you can only get approval to sell beauty and personal care products on amazon if you apply.
Before you submit our application, ensure that you have satisfied all the requirements listed on the website under the said product category.
Here are some of these guidelines if you haven’t come across them yet.
What Are Amazon’s Requirements to Sell Beauty Products?
Amazon categorizes cosmetics under beauty and personal care products. According to Amazon, cosmetics are products that are rubbed, poured, smeared, or sprayed on the body for purposes of cleansing, beautifying, or altering the appearance.
Under cosmetics, you will find sprays, shampoos, deodorants, makeup, perfumes, lipsticks, temporary tattoos, skin creams, nail polishes, hair colors, and toothpaste.
To maintain standards, Amazon enforces a set of rules and requirements, which, when satisfied, a seller is approved to list their products for sale. Among others, here is the amazon compliance checklist.
Packaging Requirements
- These products must remain sealed in their original manufacturer’s packaging. If more than one item is in a package, it cannot be re-packaged and sold individually.
- The products must be new and unused. They cannot have any indications that they have been opened in any way.
- The packaging should “display identifying codes, such as serial numbers, lot numbers, or matrix codes.”
Labeling and Product Detail Page Requirements
- Labeling must be in English
- Ensure the following is visible:
a) Name of the item
b) Usage information
c) The number of ingredients present
d) List of specific ingredients
e) Manufacturer or distributor’s name and address
f) Any additional warning labels
Detail page labels MUST NOT:
- Claim that the product treats, cures prevents, or heals conditions unless it is approved by FDA.
- Report that the products are approved by the FDA if they aren’t.
- Use the FDA logo in the description if they are not FDA-approved.
- Indicate that the product is not for resale or a tester. Amazon may not allow such items to be listed.
Product and Ingredient Requirements
- It must not be listed as an FDA safety alert or be recalled.
- Must NOT contain banned substances.
- They shouldn’t require a doctor’s prescription or supervision. They must over-the-counter products.
- The ingredients should not be among substances listed in Schedules I, II, III, IV, or V of the USA Controlled Substances Act, or part of a chemical or its derivative listed in DEA’s List I.
- Must NOT have plastic microbeads in them.
- Antiperspirants, hairspray, and deodorants sold in California and New York must not contain toxic air contaminants.
- They have been extensively tested and certified as be risk-free. They must not be considered to have a disproportionate risk of harm or illness. The following are examples of such compounds:
1. Compounds with methylene glycol. When heated, methylene glycol releases formaldehyde into the atmosphere.
2. Eyelashes or brow dyes that are tough to get rid of. In other words, they seem permanent as opposed to one-time use.
3. Eye make-up with kohl, kajal, al-kahal, or surma which are color additives that are banned and illegal in the US and Canada.
- 4. Skin creams with mercury which is deemed a hazardous substance and has proved to cause extensive damage to organs and tissue.
- 5. Henna decorating products. Black henna, in particular, has been target by both American and Canadian regulatory bodies for its causation of severe allergic reactions and life-threatening scenarios. One of the ingredients that is highly dangerous is paraphenylenediamine.
Beauty products must adhere to all of Amazon’s policies and guidelines, such as:
- 1. It is prohibited to sell cosmetics whose ingredients are derived from sharks, whales, dolphins, or porpoises.
- 2. It is prohibited to sell products containing more than 12% hydrogen peroxide.
- 3. Cosmetics with acetone such as fingernail polish remover cannot be sold in quantities higher than 16oz.
- 4. The sale of InStyler rotating irons is prohibited.
- 5. Cosmetics under Claire’s brand are forbidden.
Premium and Professional Beauty on Amazon
You cannot list a branded item on Amazon without express permission from the brand owner. However, if you happen to find a product in the Premium and Professional beauty categories, you should avoid them. Amazon selects and categorizes these products as professional and premium to reserve them for top beauty brands. These products are therefore limited, and you cannot list them for sale. Moreover, you cannot apply to sell them because Amazon is not accepting applications for these two categories.
Ways To Sell Beauty Products on Amazon
Say, you are a new seller and you are having a hard time breaking into the market because of stiff competition; there are two ways to maneuver this hurdle.
- Launch a brand through a private label
- Resell other brands’ products with retail arbitrage, online arbitrage, or wholesale.
As a word of caution, in case it is not clear … you are not allowed, in many circumstances, to sell items that you have bought at the retail level. If you require brand approval, for example, you will require proper authorization papers, and will need to purchase inventory from an approved distributor.
Concluding Thought on How To Sell Beauty Products Online
Selling beauty products online is a highly profitable venture. To maximize your earnings, you should list on Amazon – the largest eCommerce company globally.
Selling on Amazon, especially beauty products such as cosmetics is regulated. Therefore, to get ungated, you need to apply the necessary documentation to be allowed to sell certain items on the site.
This guide should help you to understand ungating the beauty category and its sub-categories. This will make understanding how to sell beauty products online much easier to launch your venture!