ShipMate

Can I ship cosmetics from Japan?

Japan Post rules checked across 179 destinations · last verified · guide reviewed

Short answer: Only under conditions. Japan Post lists cosmetics as conditional to every destination and refuses the flammable kinds outright, among them perfume, aerosol sprays and nail polish; nail polish remover is accepted only without acetone and with a flash point above 60°C. Some destinations add their own import conditions on top, and a few, among them Turkey, prohibit cosmetics by post.

Most skincare and make-up ships under Japan Post's carrier-wide cosmetics rule, whose main condition is a specific, itemised declaration rather than a generic "cosmetics". The products Japan Post refuses are the ones that are dangerous goods in their own right: alcohol-based perfume, pressurised aerosols and nail polish. Nail polish remover has its own conditional rule, which refuses any remover containing acetone.

Destinations may add conditions of their own, for example a quantity limit for personal use or a sanitary registration. The table below shows every covered destination with a cosmetics rule.

Whether a specific product can go in a specific parcel is decided per item: the ShipMate GO app asks the follow-up questions a rule needs and gives a verdict before anything is booked.

Japan Post's carrier-wide rules

These apply to every destination, before any country's own import rules.

  • Cosmetics

    Conditional

    Cosmetics are conditionally accepted for all international destinations via air and surface shipping, as they may contain flammable liquids (such as nail polish remover) or pressurized gas (such as aerosol/spray cans). Shippers must describe the contents specifically and verify that no individually prohibited items are included.

    • Contents are specifically described and individually prohibited items (flammable liquids such as nail polish remover, or pressurized aerosol/spray cans) are confirmed to be absent — permitted

    Source: Japan PostHS chapter 33On the full list

  • Nail Polish / Nail Lacquer

    Prohibited

    Nail polish and nail lacquer are prohibited across all international destinations for all shipping types and transport modes. This is a carrier-wide ban with no exceptions.

    Source: Japan PostHS chapter 33On the full list

  • Beauty oil / Face oil / Cosmetic oil

    Conditional

    Beauty oils and face oils are conditionally accepted for international shipping. They may be shipped if they contain no flammable liquid (or if any flammable liquid present has a flash point above 60°C) and contain no pressurized gas; aerosol spray-can formats using compressed/pressurized gas are not accepted. The applicable condition must be stated in the item name/description field on the shipment.

    • Contains no flammable liquid — permitted — must state 'contains no flammable liquid' in the item name/description field
    • Contains flammable liquid with flash point above 60°C — permitted — must confirm flash point exceeds 60°C and state this in the item name/description field
    • Contains flammable liquid with flash point at or below 60°C — not accepted
    • Aerosol spray-can format using pressurized/compressed gas — not accepted — risk of bursting or explosion
    • Contains no pressurized gas — permitted — must state 'contains no pressurized gas' in the item name/description field

    Documents required: Statement in the item name/description field confirming absence of flammable liquid, OR confirming flash point exceeds 60°C if flammable liquid is present; Statement in the item name/description field confirming absence of pressurized gas

    Source: Japan PostHS chapter 33On the full list

  • Makeup tools / Toilet set / Cosmetics

    Conditional

    Shipments declared generically as 'makeup,' 'toilet set,' or 'cosmetics/makeup tools' are conditionally accepted; the shipper must provide a specific, itemized description of the contents and confirm that none of the individual items fall into prohibited categories such as flammable liquids or pressurized aerosol containers.

    • Shipper provides a specific itemized description of contents and confirms no prohibited items (e.g. flammable liquids or pressurized aerosol/high-pressure gas containers) are included — permitted

    Source: Japan PostHS chapter 33On the full list

  • Milky lotion (emulsion / lotion cosmetic)

    Conditional

    Milky lotion may be accepted for shipment provided it contains no flammable liquids (or, if it contains alcohol, the alcohol concentration is 24% or below) and is not in a pressurized spray-can format; the applicable conditions must be declared in the item-name field. Pressurized spray-can versions containing compressed gas cannot be accepted under any circumstances.

    • Contains no flammable liquid AND is not a pressurized spray-can product containing compressed gas — permitted — shipper must declare absence of flammable liquid and compressed gas in the item-name field
    • Contains alcohol at a concentration of 24% or below AND contains no compressed gas AND is not in spray-can format — permitted — shipper must declare the alcohol concentration (≤24%) and absence of compressed gas in the item-name field
    • Contains compressed gas (pressurized spray-can format) — prohibited — not accepted under any circumstances

    Documents required: Declaration in the item-name field stating that no flammable liquid is present (if applicable); Declaration in the item-name field stating that alcohol concentration is 24% or below (if product contains alcohol); Declaration in the item-name field stating that no compressed gas is present (if applicable)

    Source: Japan PostHS chapter 33On the full list

  • Nail polish remover / Polish remover

    Conditional

    Nail polish remover is conditionally accepted for international shipment across all modes due to the possible presence of flammable liquid (acetone). Items confirmed to contain no flammable liquid (acetone) and having a flash point above 60 °C may be accepted when the item description field is marked "Not Restricted".

    • Does not contain flammable liquid (acetone) AND flash point confirmed to exceed 60 °C AND item description field marked "Not Restricted" — permitted

    Source: Japan PostHS chapter 33On the full list

  • Sunscreen / Sunblock / Suntan Lotion (Cream & Lotion forms)

    Conditional

    Sunscreen, sunblock, and suntan lotion in cream or lotion form are conditionally accepted; aerosol/spray-can versions containing pressurized gas are prohibited outright, and non-aerosol versions containing flammable liquids or alcohol above 24% ABV are not accepted. Shippers must declare the absence of pressurized gas and flammable liquids, or confirm alcohol content does not exceed 24% ABV, in the item description field.

    • Product is in aerosol / spray-can form containing pressurized gas — prohibited
    • Product contains no pressurized gas AND contains no flammable liquid AND absence of both is declared in the item description field — permitted
    • Product contains alcohol at ≤ 24% ABV AND this is declared in the item description field — permitted

    Documents required: Declaration in the item description field that the product contains no pressurized gas (高圧ガスが含まれない旨の記載); Declaration in the item description field that the product contains no flammable liquid (引火性液体が含まれない旨の記載), or confirmation that alcohol content is 24% ABV or below with that fact stated in the item description field

    Source: Japan PostHS chapter 33On the full list

  • Toner / Lotion (Skincare)

    Conditional

    Skincare toners and lotions are conditionally accepted for shipment due to the possible presence of flammable liquids or pressurized gas; spray-can formats using pressurized gas are not accepted under any conditions. Non-spray formats may be accepted provided flammable liquid content is confirmed absent or alcohol content is 24% or below, and the relevant confirmation is noted in the item description field.

    • Contains no flammable liquid — confirmed and stated in the item description field — permitted
    • Contains alcohol at a concentration of 24% or below — confirmed and stated in the item description field — permitted
    • Contains no pressurized gas — confirmed and stated in the item description field — permitted
    • Spray-can format using pressurized gas — prohibited

    Documents required: Confirmation that no flammable liquid is contained, noted in the item description field (if applicable); Confirmation that alcohol concentration is 24% or below, noted in the item description field (if alcohol is present); Confirmation that no pressurized gas is contained, noted in the item description field (if applicable)

    Source: Japan PostHS chapter 33On the full list

Destinations with their own rule for cosmetics

11 of the 179 destinations Japan Post publishes rules for list cosmetics in their own import rules. Each row links to that destination's full list.

DestinationRuleLevelJapan Post's wording
EgyptSoap (including cosmetic and shaving soap)ProhibitedSoap, including cosmetic soap and shaving soap, is prohibited from being shipped to Egypt via Regular, Parcel, and EMS services. This restriction covers all fo… source
JamaicaCosmetic oilsProhibitedCosmetic oils are prohibited from being shipped to Jamaica via Regular, Parcel, and EMS services. No exceptions or conditions are stated in the source. source
San MarinoAlcoholic beverages containing methyl alcohol, cosmetics, nail care products, and related itemsProhibitedSan Marino prohibits the shipment of methyl alcohol, alcoholic beverages containing methyl alcohol, disinfectants, perfumes, cosmetics, volatile oils, essences… source
TunisiaLoose face powder (cosmetic)ProhibitedLoose face powder is prohibited from being shipped to Tunisia via regular mail, parcel, and EMS services. No additional conditions or exceptions are stated in… source
TurkeyCosmeticsProhibitedCosmetics are prohibited from being shipped to Turkey via Regular and EMS services. No exceptions or conditions are stated in the source. source
EcuadorSkin care productsConditionalBody lotions and hand creams are conditionally permitted to Ecuador, provided each individual item does not exceed 100ml in volume and no more than 3 items are… source
GermanyDaily necessities (tobacco products, cosmetics, and equivalent items including toys and traps)ConditionalTobacco products, cosmetics, and equivalent daily necessities — including toys and traps — are conditionally permitted to Germany, provided they comply with th… source
PanamaCosmeticsConditionalPersonal-use cosmetics are conditionally permitted into Panama, limited to 6 items per person per month with a total volume not exceeding 500 mL. source
PeruCosmetics and PerfumeConditionalCosmetics and perfume may be shipped to Peru only when accompanied by an importer's affidavit stating either the sanitary registration number or the date of su… source
RomaniaCosmetics (cosmetic soap)ConditionalCosmetic soap is conditionally permitted in parcels and EMS shipments to Romania. The quantity allowed per parcel is limited to a maximum of 20 bars/pieces of… source
SlovakiaEssential oils, resinoids, cosmetics, and soapsConditionalShipments of essential oils, resinoids, cosmetics, and soaps to Slovakia are conditionally permitted for commercial purposes, provided a permit issued by the d… source
No destination-specific rule for cosmetics in the other 168 destinations

Japan Post's carrier-wide rules above still apply to each of them, and so does the destination's general customs law. No rule is not a statement that the item can be sent.

Not sure about a specific item?

This page lists Japan Post's rules. The ShipMate GO app checks your actual item against them, asks the one or two questions a conditional rule needs, and tells you the outcome before anything is charged. Sending a parcel from Japan? Booking is free and you pay once, after weighing. Shopping from abroad with Shop for Me? Anything that can't ship is dropped from your order before you pay for the goods.

Check an item in the appNot in Japan? Shop for Me checks it too

Common questions

Which cosmetics does Japan Post refuse outright?
Perfume and alcohol-based fragrance, hair spray and any pressurised aerosol, and nail polish are on the carrier-wide refused list. Nail polish remover is conditional: it is accepted only when it contains no acetone and its flash point is above 60°C. The perfume and hair spray guides cover the first two.
Does a pump bottle count as an aerosol?
No. A pump spray is not pressurised and falls under the cosmetics rule, not the aerosol rule. What matters is the pressurised can, not the word spray on the label.
Are there quantity limits?
Japan Post's rule does not set one, but several destinations limit cosmetics to personal-use quantities, and some require a sanitary registration or an import permit. See the destination table, then check the exact product in the ShipMate GO app.

Reading this page as a program or AI assistant?

The same rules are published in forms built for that. None of them needs an API key. An item that is not listed has no specific rule here, which is not the same as being allowed.

Markdown
https://www.shipmate.jp/en/can-i-ship/cosmetics.md
JSON
This guide is built from one JSON read per destination: https://www-api.shipmate.jp/restrictions/rules?destination_country={alpha-3}&scope=destination, plus scope=carrier_global. No API key is needed.
MCP
https://www-api.shipmate.jp/mcp, tool shipmate.get_restriction_rules

Site-wide guidance for agents is at /llms.txt.

Sources

Japan Post's page for each carrier-wide and destination rule above (19)
Carrier-wide
Cosmetics · Nail Polish / Nail Lacquer · Beauty oil / Face oil / Cosmetic oil · Makeup tools / Toilet set / Cosmetics · Milky lotion (emulsion / lotion cosmetic) · Nail polish remover / Polish remover · Sunscreen / Sunblock / Suntan Lotion (Cream & Lotion forms) · Toner / Lotion (Skincare)
Egypt
Soap (including cosmetic and shaving soap)
Jamaica
Cosmetic oils
San Marino
Alcoholic beverages containing methyl alcohol, cosmetics, nail care products, and related items
Tunisia
Loose face powder (cosmetic)
Turkey
Cosmetics
Ecuador
Skin care products
Germany
Daily necessities (tobacco products, cosmetics, and equivalent items including toys and traps)
Panama
Cosmetics
Peru
Cosmetics and Perfume
Romania
Cosmetics (cosmetic soap)
Slovakia
Essential oils, resinoids, cosmetics, and soaps

Based on carrier-published restriction data. Final acceptance is decided by the carrier and destination customs; general import rules of the destination still apply.

Japan Post sets these rules; ShipMate publishes them and ships under them. Rule text is Japan Post's, translated and summarised, and every rule links to its source. The rule table refreshes daily; the written answer is reviewed by a person and dated above. Full carrier-wide list · All item guides