Beauty products that can't fly, and what to buy instead

Most K-beauty travels well. Creams, serums, toners, sheet masks and cushions can generally go by post. A few product types are caught by air-safety rules, though, and it's much better to know before you order than after your box has been packed. This is the Beauty Desk's plain-language summary of Korea Post's rules and what we do when something can't go.

What Korea Post won't carry

These rules come from Korea Post, so they cover the postal methods we offer, such as K-Packet and EMS.

Product	By post?	Why
Perfume and other fragrances	No	Air-safety rules. Couriers can sometimes carry it with dangerous-goods approval
Nail polish, nail polish remover, acetone	No	Flammable
Metal aerosol sprays, such as sun sprays	No	Pressurised can
Non-pressurised sprays and mists in plastic or glass	Yes	Fine unless marked as dangerous goods
Creams, serums, toners, cushions	Yes	Fine unless pressurised or marked as dangerous goods
Devices with lithium batteries, including built-in and rechargeable ones	No	Lithium batteries can't go by post

The battery rule catches more beauty items than people expect: rechargeable cleansing devices, LED masks, heated lash curlers and cordless styling tools often have built-in lithium batteries.

The full list is on what we can't ship.

How to spot a problem item

Before you send a request, check the product page and packaging for:

• A pressurised metal can. The ingredients or warnings often mention a propellant gas.
• Fire warnings such as 화기엄금 or 화기주의 ("keep away from fire"), a flame symbol, or 인화성 ("flammable").
• Charging. Words like 충전식 ("rechargeable"), USB charging or a battery listed in the specifications.
• Perfume wording, such as eau de parfum, eau de toilette, 향수 or 퍼퓸.

If you're not sure, ask before you order. It's easier to swap a product at the request stage than to deal with it once it's in our warehouse. We try to flag restricted items when we quote, but the product label is what counts.

What happens if a restricted item reaches us

If an item arrives that can't go by post, we hold it and don't pack it with the rest of your box. Then you choose what happens:

1. Remove and dispose. We take it out and dispose of it, and the rest of your box ships as normal.
2. Return to the seller, if possible. Some stores accept returns and some don't. The store's own return rules apply.
3. Ship by courier with dangerous-goods approval, where available. For some items and destinations, a courier can carry what the post can't, perfume being the usual example. It usually costs more than post and isn't available for every item or country.

While you decide, the usual storage terms apply: 60 days free from arrival, then ₩500 per day per parcel.

Practical alternatives

Often there's a version of the same product that ships without trouble.

Instead of	Consider
Sun spray in a metal can	Sun cream, sun stick or sun serum
Hair spray in a metal can	Styling cream, wax or a non-pressurised pump spray
Perfume	A scented body lotion, or perfume by courier where available
Nail polish	Nail stickers or press-on nails, which contain no liquid polish. Ask us about gel-type strips
Rechargeable beauty device	A manual version, or ask us about courier options for that device

For any "mist" or "fixer" product, check whether it's a pressurised can or a simple pump bottle. The pump bottle version is usually fine. Some mists contain alcohol, so also check the label for fire warnings.

A note for US buyers

Korea Post has temporarily suspended services to the US since 21 July 2026, so US orders go by courier. There's a separate issue with sunscreen: it's regulated as an over-the-counter drug in the US. Small personal quantities usually clear customs, but customs can refuse them, and that's their decision. Choose non-aerosol formats, which also avoids the metal-can problem.

Quick checklist before you request

• No perfume, nail polish, remover or acetone, unless you've asked us about courier options first.
• No metal aerosol cans. Plastic or glass pump bottles are fine unless marked as dangerous goods.
• No devices with lithium batteries by post.
• Unsure about a product? Paste the link in community Q&A and the Beauty Desk will check the label with you.

For store-specific notes, see Olive Young, and for general questions visit the help center.