Amazon FBA Cosmetics Packaging Requirements: 2026 Checklist

Amazon rejects roughly 1 in 7 first-time cosmetics FBA shipments for packaging issues. This is the checklist we run through with every Amazon-seller client before production.

Unit-level requirements

• Polybag — clear, 1.5 mil minimum, fully sealed (taped or heat-sealed).
• Suffocation warning — required on any polybag with opening ≥5 inches. Text + symbol both needed.
• FNSKU label — applied to the unit, not the polybag, and not over the barcode.
• No double-barcode — cover any factory UPC with the FNSKU label or print FNSKU as the sole barcode.
• Expiration date — required on consumables / cosmetics with PAO. Minimum 105 days remaining at receipt.

Multi-pack sets

• Marked "Sold as set, do not separate" on outer polybag.
• All items inside must share one FNSKU.
• A makeup brush set + bag counts as a single unit — bundle it, don't ship loose.

Master carton (case pack)

• Max weight: 50 lbs (or 100 lbs if marked "Team Lift").
• Max dimension: 25" longest side.
• All units inside one master carton must be the same SKU.
• Outside label: FBA shipment ID + carton-of-N count.

Hazmat / dangerous goods

Amazon runs hazmat review on:

• Nail polish (flammable)
• Aerosols
• Anything pressurized
• Products with high alcohol content (perfume, mists)

Submit an SDS during listing creation — without it, your inventory goes into Hazmat review purgatory (4–8 weeks).

Restricted ingredients to flag early

• Hydroquinone — banned OTC.
• Mercury — banned.
• Certain SPF claims trigger drug-listing requirements.
• CBD / cannabis-derived — gated category.

Common rejection reasons (in order of frequency)

1. Missing suffocation warning.
2. FNSKU placed over existing barcode (scanner reads the wrong one).
3. Loose units in master carton.
4. Expiration date missing or unreadable.
5. Polybag too thin (under 1.5 mil).

How we ship FBA-ready

We handle polybag, FNSKU labeling, expiration printing, master carton labeling and shipment-plan prep. You send the artwork and FNSKUs — we send Amazon-ready cartons direct to your chosen fulfillment center.