At BeautySwapp, every product deserves a second life, as long as the person who buys it can use it with confidence. Our rules are based on our Accepted Products Charter, written with our cosmetic regulation expert. This guide puts it into plain words.
The checklist in 30 seconds
- Authentic product, in its original bottle or case
- Batch code visible on the product
- Expiry date and PAO respected
- Clean product, no leaks, in its packaging
- Liquid products: never used. Mascaras, lip glosses, lip balms and products in jars: new and sealed only
- No products with SPF
- Very good condition (fragrance, water-free products): at least 75% left
- Product less than 3 years old, with some exceptions
The rest of the article explains each point.
The 4 accepted conditions
New, sealed: never opened. The original protection is intact. It can be:
- cellophane (clear plastic film around the box or the product);
- a foil seal (thin aluminium or plastic sheet stuck over the opening of a jar or tube);
- a safety sticker (small sticker that closes the box and tears when opened).
If any of these is removed or damaged, the product is no longer "sealed".
New, unsealed: opened, but never used.
Swatched: just tried, fewer than 5 times.
Very good condition: used with care. Only for some categories (fragrance, stick lipsticks, pressed powders…), with at least 75% left for fragrance.
Why liquids must be new
What makes a product go off is mostly water: where there is water, bacteria can grow as soon as it's opened. Water-free products, called anhydrous (powders, stick lipsticks), are much more stable.
That's why a liquid or a cream can only be sold new, never used. For anything you touch with an applicator or your fingers (mascara, lip gloss, lip balm, cream in a jar), it must also be sealed.
One exception: products in an airless bottle (foundation, serum, cream…). The bottle stays closed, so air and fingers can't get in: they're accepted even used, as long as the bottle works and there's no unusual smell or colour. A pump bottle, on the other hand, can be unscrewed: it's only accepted new, never used.
The rules for every listing
- Authentic: never a fake, a tester or a "not for sale" sample.
- Original: in its original bottle or case, never decanted or modified.
- Not expired: the expiry date hasn't passed. For an opened product, the period after opening (the little open jar with "6M", "12M"…) hasn't run out.
- Less than 3 years old: based on the year of manufacture read from the batch code (see below for exceptions).
- Batch code and ingredients readable when they're on the packaging.
- Well stored: away from heat and humidity. You say where it was kept (bathroom, shower, another room).
- No applicator for any unsealed product: puff, sponge and mini brush are removed for hygiene reasons.
- No change: no unusual smell, texture or colour, no trace of moisture, no leak.
Products refused, even new and sealed
- Deodorants, in any format
- Products with SPF: sunscreens, sprays and lotions, foundations, BB and CC creams, day creams, primers or balms with sun protection, and after-sun
- Products for babies and children aged 0 to 3
- Products for pregnant or breastfeeding women
- Intimate hygiene products
- Eye contour care
- Decanted or repackaged products, refills without legal information
- Fakes, testers, samples, recalled, expired or altered products
- Products with no batch code, or a batch code that's unreadable or inconsistent
- Medicines, medical devices, professional-only products
Product by product
Makeup
| Product | New, sealed | New, unsealed | Swatched | Very good condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pressed powders (powder, blush, bronzer, highlighter) | Yes | Yes (1) | Yes (1) | Yes (1) |
| Loose powders | Yes | Yes (2) | No | No |
| Powder eyeshadows and palettes | Yes | Yes (1) | Yes (1) | No |
| Stick lipsticks | Yes | Yes | Yes (3) | Yes (3) |
| Lip and brow pencils | Yes | Yes | Yes (4) | No |
| Mascaras, liquid eyeliners, lip glosses | Yes | No | No | No |
| Tinted balms, lip stains and other liquid or cream lip products | Yes | No | No | No |
| Eye pencils, gel eyeliners, brow products (gel, pomade, powder) | Yes | No | No | No |
| Foundation, concealer, primer, liquid blush or highlighter, in a tube or bottle | Yes | Yes (6) | No | No |
| Cream complexion products in a jar (foundation, blush, highlighter, bronzer) | Yes | No | No | No |
| Liquid or cream eyeshadows | Yes | Yes (6) | No | No |
| Foundation and liquid complexion products in an airless bottle | Yes | Yes (5) | Yes (5) | Yes (5) |
| Nail polish and nail care | Yes | No | No | No |
(1) Smooth surface, no fingerprints or moisture, top layer removed with a clean tool, no applicator, sharp photo of the surface.
(2) Sifter and packaging intact, sponge or puff removed.
(3) Before shipping: top layer removed and stick dipped in 70% alcohol.
(4) Sharpened with a clean sharpener before shipping.
(5) Airless bottle intact and working, no unusual smell or colour. No SPF. A pump bottle can be unscrewed: it follows the “in a tube or bottle” row.
(6) Never used, original packaging intact, no unusual smell or colour. No SPF.
Skincare
| Product | New, sealed | Opened or used |
|---|---|---|
| Lotions, creams (face, hands, feet), serums, leave-on masks, in a jar, tube or dropper | Yes | No |
| Creams, serums and oils in an airless bottle | Yes | Yes, if the bottle works, no rancid smell or colour change |
| Creams, serums and oils in a pump bottle | Yes | New, unsealed only, never used (a pump can be unscrewed) |
| Oils and oily serums in a dropper or screw-top bottle | Yes | No |
| Balms, butters, products in a jar, stick or bar, solid scrubs | Yes | No |
| Products used in the shower or rinsed off | Yes | New, unsealed only, never used |
Fragrance
| Product | New, sealed | New, unsealed | Swatched | Very good condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eaux de parfum, eaux de toilette, extracts, mists in a spray bottle | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, at least 75% left |
| Roll-on and solid perfumes | Yes | No | No | No |
For an opened fragrance: working spray, original bottle, level and colour visible in the photo, no leak and no change in scent.
Hair
| Product | New, sealed | Opened or used |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoos, conditioners, masks, styling creams, gels, serums | Yes | New, unsealed only, never used |
| Styling mousses in an aerosol | Yes | New, unsealed only, can and valve intact |
| Aerosol sprays and hairsprays | Yes | Yes, can not dented or rusty, valve working |
| Water-free hair oils | Yes | New, unsealed only, no oxidation, stored outside the bathroom |
| Hair colours and bleaches | Yes | No |
Hygiene
Shower gels, soaps and cleansing oils: new, sealed or not, never used. Deodorants: never.
Gift sets
Gift sets (fragrance, skincare, make-up): new, sealed or not, complete, with no product used. Every product is described in the listing.
Accessories and devices
| Product | New, sealed | Opened or used |
|---|---|---|
| Brushes, sponges, beauty blenders, puffs | Yes | No |
| Eyelash curlers, tweezers, nail clippers, metal files | Yes | Yes, metal intact, cleaned and disinfected |
| Same accessories in plastic, non-metal files | Yes | No |
| False lashes | Yes | No |
| Metal or stone rollers and gua sha | Yes | Yes, no cracks, cleaned and disinfected |
| Plastic, silicone or wooden rollers and gua sha | Yes | No |
| Electric devices (cleansing brushes, LED…) | Yes | New, unsealed only, perfect condition, CE marking, tested |
Products over 3 years old
As a rule, we refuse products made more than 3 years ago. Exception: water-free products with a stable formula (stick lipsticks, pressed powders, powder blushes and eyeshadows, alcohol-based fragrance). They become "vintage pieces". It's all explained in our article Vintage and iconic pieces.
How to find the batch code and the date
The batch code is a small code engraved or printed under the product or on the box. It's required to publish. Our article Batch code vs barcode helps you find it, and the date decoder explains EXP, BB, MFD and PAO.
The hygiene protocol before shipping
For a swatched product or one in very good condition:
- Remove the top layer with a clean spatula.
- Lightly spray with 70% isopropyl alcohol.
- Let it air-dry for at least 10 minutes.
Details for each product are on our Hygiene page.
Your photos
For a listing to be approved, you need 4 sharp photos: front, back (ingredient list), the batch code and the barcode if there is one. Add a photo of the product opened if it isn't sealed. A blurry photo blocks the listing.
FAQ
My foundation is in a pump bottle, can I sell it opened?
Only if it's in an airless bottle: the bottle must work, with no unusual smell or colour. A pump bottle can be unscrewed, so it's only accepted new, never used, like a foundation in a tube. In a jar, it must be new and sealed. Careful: if it contains SPF, it's refused.
My product doesn't have its original cellophane, is it still sealed?
Yes, if another original protection is intact: foil seal or safety sticker. If the product never had any protection and it's been opened, it's "new, unsealed".
I tried a lipstick once, can I sell it?
Yes, as "swatched", if it was tried fewer than 5 times. Before shipping, follow the hygiene protocol: top layer removed and stick dipped in 70% alcohol.
My product was refused, why?
Most often: SPF, a used liquid, a missing batch code or blurry photos. We send you an email with the reason.
A question about a product? Write to us at hello@beautyswapp.com.
