Shipping Perfume, Aerosols and Nail Polish: UN1266 and UN1950 Rules

Why perfume, aerosols and nail polish are dangerous goods

Transport rules class a liquid as flammable (Class 3) if its flash point, the lowest temperature at which its vapour can ignite, is 60 °C or lower in a closed-cup test. The packing group (PG) shows the degree of danger: PG I if it boils at 35 °C or lower, PG II if the flash point is below 23 °C, PG III if it is 23–60 °C. Alcohol-based perfume, nail polish and nail polish remover usually fall in PG II.

An aerosol is a non-refillable receptacle that releases its contents with a propellant gas. It is Division 2.1 (flammable) if its contents are 85% or more flammable components by mass with a chemical heat of combustion of at least 30 kJ/g, and Division 2.2 (non-flammable) if they are 1% or less with under 20 kJ/g; anything in between is tested. Many hair, deodorant and dry shampoo sprays use flammable propellants, so check the SDS.

Use the entry that matches what the product is. PHMSA, the US regulator, says "Perfumery products" depends on the product's primary function, scenting, so nail polish, lipstick or hair colorant should not be shipped as UN1266. Common entries:

• UN1266 Perfumery products (with flammable solvents): perfume, eau de toilette, cologne; Class 3, PG II or III.
• UN1950 Aerosols, flammable (2.1) or non-flammable (2.2): any cosmetic in a spray can.
• UN1263 Paint, an entry that covers lacquer, enamel and polish: nail polish, often PG II. Some makers use UN1993 Flammable liquid, n.o.s.
• Nail polish remover: often UN1090 Acetone or UN1993 Flammable liquid, n.o.s., Class 3.
• Alcohol-based products that are not perfume, such as hand sanitizer: UN1170 Ethanol solution or UN1987 Alcohols, n.o.s. Under ADR special provision 144 for UN1170, an aqueous solution with no more than 24% alcohol by volume is not subject to ADR.

Classify with the SDS (Section 14) and the flash point

Section 14 of a safety data sheet (SDS) gives the transport data: UN number, UN proper shipping name, transport hazard class, packing group, environmental hazards (for example marine pollutant), special precautions and transport in bulk. It is required content in an EU SDS (REACH Annex II) but non-mandatory under US OSHA rules, so some SDSs leave it blank. Forwarders and airlines ask for the SDS because they cannot accept, price or plan a dangerous goods booking without it.

Do not copy Section 14 blindly. The FAA warns it may be outdated, or written with ground transport in mind. Check the flash point in Section 9, the formula and the pack size against the current rules, and have a trained person confirm the UN number, proper shipping name, class and packing group for each mode.

If there is no reliable flash point, have a laboratory test the product with a closed-cup method such as ISO 2719 (Pensky-Martens), ISO 3679, ISO 3680, ASTM D56, D93 or D3828 (methods named in 49 CFR 173.120). Products are classed by their properties, not by the word "cosmetic": a water-based cream with no flammable solvent may not be regulated at all, while a 10 ml perfume tester is.

By air: limited quantities, ID 8000 and the Shipper's Declaration

Air shipments follow the ICAO Technical Instructions (2025-2026 edition), which airlines and couriers apply through the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR). The 67th edition applies in 2026; the 68th edition takes effect on 1 January 2027 and adds prohibitions for aerosols whose contents also meet certain other hazard criteria. Airlines and couriers publish operator variations, which can be stricter.

Most cosmetics fly as limited quantities (LQ): inner packagings (for liquids, ones that pass the air pressure-differential test) packed in a strong outer box that can pass a 1.2 m drop test and a 24-hour stacking test, up to 30 kg gross per package. LQ is not an exemption by air: each package still needs the LQ mark with "Y", the UN number and proper shipping name, the hazard label (Class 3 or Division 2.1/2.2), orientation arrows for liquids, and a Shipper's Declaration for Dangerous Goods. Larger amounts use the full packing instructions and UN specification packaging, and packages above the passenger aircraft limit need the Cargo Aircraft Only label.

ID 8000 Consumer commodity (Class 9, packing instruction Y963) is an air-only option for Class 3 PG II and III liquids and non-toxic aerosols packed for retail sale for personal care or household use, up to 30 kg gross per package; it still needs a Class 9 label, the LQ mark and a declaration, and not every operator accepts it. Excepted quantities (EQ) suit small samples: no Shipper's Declaration, but an inner, intermediate and outer packaging that passes a 1.8 m drop test, the EQ mark and a note on the air waybill.

• UN1266 or UN1263, PG II: LQ under Y341, inner packagings up to 0.5 L and 1 L per package; passenger aircraft 5 L and cargo aircraft only 60 L per package.
• PG III: LQ under Y344, 10 L per package (inner up to 2.5 L glass, or 5 L metal or plastic); passenger aircraft 60 L, cargo aircraft only 220 L.
• UN1950 Aerosols: LQ under Y203, 30 kg gross per package; otherwise packing instruction 203.
• PG I liquids cannot go as LQ by air.
• EQ: PG II (code E2) up to 30 ml per inner packaging and 500 ml per package; PG III (E1) 30 ml and 1 L. Aerosols (E0) cannot use EQ.
• Marks: the LQ mark is at least 100 x 100 mm, or 50 x 50 mm on small packages.

By sea and road: IMDG Code and ADR

Sea shipments follow the IMDG Code. The 2024 edition (Amendment 42-24) has been mandatory since 1 January 2026, after a voluntary year; if the usual cycle holds, Amendment 43-26 will be optional in 2027 and mandatory in 2028. Limited quantity limits per inner packaging are larger than by air: 5 L for UN1266 and UN1263 (PG II and III), 1 L for UN1170 in PG II and 1 L for aerosols, with up to 30 kg gross per package or 20 kg for shrink- or stretch-wrapped trays. Packages carry the LQ mark instead of the UN number and hazard labels; the air mark with "Y" is also accepted.

LQ by sea still needs a dangerous goods declaration with "Limited quantity" or "LTD QTY" after the description, and for Class 3 goods the flash point. Whoever packs the container signs a container packing certificate (a consolidator for LCL); both can go on one multimodal form. A container with only LQ goods carries the LQ mark, at least 250 x 250 mm, on all four sides instead of placards. ID 8000 does not exist at sea, so declare the product's own UN number.

Road transport in Europe and neighbouring countries follows ADR: ADR 2025 now, with ADR 2027 amendments entering into force on 1 January 2027. LQ limits match the sea values. No transport document is needed for LQ, but the consignor must tell the carrier, in a traceable form, the total gross mass of LQ goods, and vehicles over 12 tonnes carrying more than 8 tonnes of LQ goods show the LQ mark front and rear. In the US, 49 CFR 173.150 and 173.306 set the limited quantity rules for flammable liquids and aerosols.

Express couriers and international mail

Express networks are airlines, so the air rules apply, plus each carrier's own conditions. Check the carrier's current dangerous goods page for your origin before you quote a price or delivery date:

• DHL Express: you must be pre-approved to ship dangerous goods, so that account holders are trained; dangerous goods shipments carry extra charges.
• UPS: dangerous goods only under a signed agreement, to and from approved countries or territories, on Worldwide Express, Worldwide Express Freight, Expedited and, within Europe, Standard.
• FedEx: international dangerous goods on International Priority, International Priority Freight, International Premium and International Express Freight, not to all countries, and not at drop boxes or FedEx Office locations. Shipper's Declarations must be typed or computer-generated.
• International mail: under Universal Postal Union (UPU) rules, perfume, aerosol cans, nail polish remover and other flammable liquids are prohibited in international post. Some posts accept certain flammable liquids domestically: USPS, for example, only by surface transport as limited quantities, and never in international or air mail.

Training, the declaration, and the invoice and packing list

Whoever classifies, packs, marks, labels or signs for dangerous goods must be trained. Under the ICAO Technical Instructions and IATA DGR section 1.5, training has followed a competency-based approach (CBTA) since 1 January 2023, with recurrent training within 24 months; US hazmat training is repeated every three years, and the IMDG Code and ADR set their own training rules. The shipper stays responsible even when a forwarder prepares the papers.

Keep the commercial documents consistent with the declaration. On the commercial invoice and packing list, describe each item plainly (for example "Eau de parfum 100 ml, glass bottle") and add its UN number, proper shipping name, class, packing group and how it ships ("limited quantity" or "excepted quantity"), with the net volume per unit and units per carton. Triplicate's generator can show this in the item description or remarks, and its carton labels can carry the UN number or a handling note, but they do not replace the regulated LQ mark, hazard labels or the dangerous goods declaration, which a trained person must make.

Never describe perfume or aerosols as "cosmetics", "samples" or "gifts" to avoid dangerous goods handling. An undeclared dangerous goods shipment can lead to fines from aviation and transport regulators and refused cargo.