Royal Mail and nail polish

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Just thought i'd pick out relevant bits and so we can all understand the new rules because I know some of us are confused!


The updated set of rules will limit the risk posed by those items when sent in the post. The change means that customers will be able to post toiletry and medicinal aerosols, nail varnishes, perfumes and aftershaves, which are currently prohibited, to UK addresses.

For consumers and non-account customers, they will come into effect on 15 July 2013

Prohibitions and restrictions in the UK and international post
These new controls will apply from 14 January 2013 for all contract customers when posting items to both UK and International destinations:
a) International Post
The following items will remain specifically prohibited from the International post:
All aerosols
Beverages with an alcohol content of 24% ABV or higher
All liquids over 1 litre
Lithium batteries, and items sent with lithium batteries, unless the battery is contained in a device
Nail varnish/nail polish
Perfumes and aftershaves


c) Labelling requirements
All the items listed above, with the exception of alcoholic beverages and wet non-spillable batteries, will require specific labels to be placed on the outer packaging. We will provide copies of both types of labels to contract and account customers free of charge, which will be available to order using Online Mail Supplies (OMS) on [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] or via your account manager, from 5th December 2012.
An ID8000 label will be required for:
Aerosols for personal grooming or medicinal purposes such as deodorants, body sprays, hair sprays, shaving and hair removal creams and asthma inhalers
Nail varnish/nail polish
Perfumes and aftershaves
Prescription medicines

An example of the ID8000 label is shown below:
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To apply an ID8000 label:
Print the label to size: 99 x 139mm
Tick the relevant box (or boxes) according to the contents of the packet
Apply securely and visibly to the outer packaging
You can download an example copy of the ID8000 label here.
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And it's not mentioned in this article but the limit is now 4 bottles per envelope.




I think I get it now

What confused me is does this mean people aren't allowed to post nail polish until the new regulations come in...?

Also, why are prescription medicines dangerous? I hardly think amoxicillin's going to blow up in the post.

I always get polish in this country with nail polish shop names plastered on the packet, and plastered on the imported ones too. Honestly didn't realise til recently they frowned on it Have always had perfume in the post too, including when I've bought off Debenhams etc. Bought a crap load of impulse off someone once too and had it posted guessing if they are changing legislation though, even though it's positive UK wise, may get harsher on international packets?

What I really want to know is how Opi, china glaze and essie for example make it to this country in the first place. As far as I can tell they are only manufactured in US. Is it by sea or special allowance? Surely huge companies know about this, what about orders from Kiko?

From what I've read on the Femme Fatale site a company can have some kind of shipping 'license'. They have to package the stuff in a certain way to comply with the license and take the shipment to a special depot for hazardous goods for export. This seems to be the case in Oz, maybe it's the same for other countries - some kind of export rather than postage arrangement?

LoolaBeanbag wrote:From what I've read on the Femme Fatale site a company can have some kind of shipping 'license'. They have to package the stuff in a certain way to comply with the license and take the shipment to a special depot for hazardous goods for export. This seems to be the case in Oz, maybe it's the same for other countries - some kind of export rather than postage arrangement?

Thanks for responding that makes a lot of sense.

Loola is right, that is how I get my shipments from places.

4 bottles, in bubble wrap, in a sandwich bag, in a box. Only so many in a box. Then the little box in a big box with loads of shreds of paper.

On the plus side the dog LOVES the paper, and the boxes.

When a box arrives he is like a bottle of pop until I unpack it, and as soon as I do he starts trying to drag it around the room jumping in and out of it.

Ok, I dont understand. If those items are specifically prohibited why are they providing a label to stick on a box containing those things?

I'm confuzzled!!

They are prohibited, but they will allow little bits.... go figure....

I dont understand why the limit of 4.

If I have 6 polishes to send and split them over two packages i'm still sending 6 polishes at the same time.

Can I send more than 4 mini polishes at a time because there's less flammable liquid in those?


I've also had perfume, polish, aerosols etc in the post before. AFAIK none of these have gone on fire, caused a crash or explosion before. Hmmm

You can send 4 bottles of up to 30ml each.

I would suggest if you have mini's tape them together to make them look like one.

Sorry for being thick, I've seen all the hoo har and fall out regarding this on FB, but are they saying then you CANNOT send polish at all internationally, or is it ok if you label it and keep within the small limits set?

For example, me, as a non-company, if I want to send polish to friends in different countries, can I do this, or no?

Do you now have to make sure you tell them at the post office it's polish so they label it correctly? I've heard awful stories of people packages just being destroyed

Princess Sossidge wrote:For example, me, as a non-company, if I want to send polish to friends in different countries, can I do this, or no?

Do you now have to make sure you tell them at the post office it's polish so they label it correctly? I've heard awful stories of people packages just being destroyed

Not any more And you have to stick a label on it


Thanks for the clarification, Lady S

Riiiiight, so NOTHING international, and if it's just within the UK you have to label it up?

Sorry, I really do need people to speak slowly to me

Yep! But as a personal customer you don't have to start labelling it until June/July (I forget which )

However it's not clear whether we're not allowed to send ANY polish until then, or whether we're allowed to send it and not label it...

Well we've been sending it fine until now....

We've been being naughty though


I wonder if it's the sudden indie polish boom thats brought this about? They have no control over what indie sellers stick in their polishes do they? Whereas proper brands they can know exactly whats in them

Aha, I think I kind of understand Thank you.

I sent some polish from a giveaway to Spain the other week and luckily I'd just missed the cut off (the cut off I wasn't aware of!).

When was the cut off? Sorry if it's been mentioned already. So why have I been receiving my international items marked nail polish within the last week, has it changed this week? feel really dense, sorry!

Sarah (xoxo) wrote:We've been being naughty though


I wonder if it's the sudden indie polish boom thats brought this about? They have no control over what indie sellers stick in their polishes do they? Whereas proper brands they can know exactly whats in them

I doubt that they even know about indie polishers...

So I'm safe to do a blog sale as long as I a) put that label on the parcels, b) don't send out of the UK and c) only put 4 bottles in each parcel? Is it still the same price?

I think some are slipping through still purple!

And yeah thats right kissmenow

Hello ladies! I'm new here, still lurking mostly but hopefully I'll chat a bit more soon
Just wondering if anyone knows if this affects incoming post? I placed an indie order just before this whole thing kicked off, it's still winging its way over to me at the moment. Obviously I'll have to wait and see for that one, but will it affect future international orders? Or does it only affect us sending? (i.e; Royal Mail won't -put- hazardous things into the postal system, but continue to ship if they're already in?)

Well Postie has just brought me one unlabelled from the States, and two unlabelled from the UK Senoshi. I have an order en route from Singapore that's taking a bit longer than expected, but I'm optimistic.
Will be interested to see if my Superdrug order is labelled! I suspect we're in the minority by knowing about the changes at this stage
Edit: Singapore rder arrived no probs (labelled as cosmetic sample), Superdrug order once again, unlabelled.

I am waiting on some Lush Lacquer and some Pretty & Polished from the US so I am hoping that they are allowing stuff in but just not out?

I got some A england yesterday and they had sent it it two separate packets all marked up properly.

My dollish order arrived today listed as 'nail art accessories'! Lol