Overview

Selling cosmetics and skin or hair care products on Amazon comes with a detailed set of compliance requirements that every seller in this category must understand. Amazon enforces strict rules around product condition, labeling accuracy, ingredient safety, and advertising claims — all grounded in FDA regulations and the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA). Failing to meet these standards can result in listing removals, account suspensions, or even legal consequences.

Key Points / What Sellers Need to Know

• Original sealed packaging required — All cosmetics sold on Amazon must arrive in sealed, original manufacturer packaging and must be new and unused. Opened, repackaged, or tampered products are not permitted.
• Identifying codes must be visible — Products must clearly display manufacturer-applied identifying codes such as matrix codes, lot numbers, or serial numbers on the packaging.
• Store-specific restrictions apply — Cosmetics intended for one Amazon marketplace cannot be sold on another. Products meant for the US store must only be sold in the US.
• MoCRA compliance is now mandatory — The Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 introduced new federal requirements for cosmetics, including adverse event reporting and contact information on labels.
• Drug claims are prohibited — Cosmetic products cannot claim to cure, treat, mitigate, or prevent disease unless they are FDA-approved and properly labeled as both a cosmetic and a drug.
• Prohibited ingredients will get you delisted — Amazon maintains a strict list of banned substances and product types, and listings containing them will be removed.

Labeling and Claims Requirements

Amazon requires that all cosmetics labels and product detail pages contain truthful, non-misleading information. At a minimum, labels must include the product name, its intended purpose or use, the net quantity of contents, a full ingredient list, any necessary warnings including fragrance allergens, and the name and address of the manufacturer, packer, or distributor. Under MoCRA, labels must also include contact information — either a domestic address, phone number, or website — through which the company can receive adverse event reports from consumers.