Can I sell used perfume or makeup?

Can I sell used perfume or a half-used foundation?

On most of the marketplaces checked for this page, no. A bottle you have sprayed, a lipstick you have tried, or a compact that is not sealed is what their cosmetics rules are written to stop.

That is a site rule. This page does not say UK law bans every second-hand perfume. It says what each help page actually lists. The pages were checked on 17 October 2026.

SilentSale®’s Terms prohibit used cosmetics, expired cosmetics, unsealed skincare, and homemade cosmetics that lack compliant ingredient, batch and safety labelling. Do not list those here.

What does Vinted say about opened perfume and makeup?

Vinted’s catalogue rules allow new cosmetics from a non-professional seller. They prohibit used, opened or unsealed cosmetics, including perfume, makeup, creams, lotions and hair-care, even if you only tried them once. Expired products are prohibited too.

The removal help page says a perfume or makeup item can be taken down when it is opened, used, or not in the original sealed packaging. Brushes, sponges and beauty tools are in that list as well.

If the whole account is affected, that is separate from one removed listing. Read a suspended Vinted account after Vinted’s own removal article.

Vinted’s catalogue rules, which the page says are part of its terms, allow new cosmetics from non-professional sellers. They prohibit used, opened or unsealed cosmetics, including perfume, makeup, creams, lotions, hair-care and accessories, even if tried once, and they prohibit expired cosmetics. They prohibit tobacco, including e-cigarettes, vapes, vaporizing instruments and accessories, and food and drinks of any kind. They prohibit prescription and over-the-counter medicinal products, medications, professional medical supplies, vitamins, food supplements and health-related products. Electronics are listed as an allowed category, and the page says to make sure the electronics you list are safe to be used. Furniture such as beds is listed as allowed. The page does not name mattresses. Knives and sharp instruments, including kitchen knives, are prohibited. Source

Vinted’s help page on hidden or removed listings says a listing can be removed if it is a used personal-care product or homemade cosmetics, a veterinary or medical product, or tobacco or vaping, including cigarettes, cigars, pipes, e-cigarettes, vapes and accessories. It points to UK product recalls on GOV.UK. It says a cosmetic, perfume, accessory or beauty tool can be removed if it is opened, used, or not in its original sealed packaging. The examples include makeup, cream, lotion, perfumes, hair-care, brushes, sponges and beauty tools. Source

Vinted’s help page on what you can sell says used cosmetics, underwear bottoms and piercings are not allowed, for hygiene reasons. It also lists sanitary products, detergents and hazardous materials. It says prescription and non-prescription medicinal products, professional medical supplies, vitamins, food supplements and health-related products are not allowed, and nor are food, drinks and other consumables. It says all sharp knives and bladed tools with a pointed tip are not allowed, whatever the size, including kitchen knives. Cutlery knives, or sets that include any knives, are not allowed. Bladed weapons and utility or camping knives are listed as well. Source

What does Depop allow for perfume and makeup?

Depop’s prohibited list blocks testers, decanters, used perfume and used cosmetics, replicas, anything past its date, and unsealed samples poured out of the original packaging. Homemade cosmetics need an ingredient list, and the ingredients themselves have to be lawful.

What it allows is narrower: unused and genuine perfume and cosmetics, and samples that are still in the original container which includes the ingredient list.

The hazardous-content policy adds a separate point. Cosmetic items which contain alcohol are excepted from the alcohol ban. That does not make a used perfume allowed. Read both pages. Depop compared is about fees and handover, not a second cosmetics rule.

Depop’s prohibited-items guide says it is a guide only, that you should sell only items you have, and that legally prohibited items are not allowed even if they appear on an allowed list. It prohibits alcohol products, including gift sets, and says beer and wine making kits are allowed. For perfume and cosmetics it restricts testers, decanters, used perfume and cosmetics, replicas, items past their expiration date, unsealed samples decanted from the original packaging, homemade cosmetics without an ingredient list, prohibited or hazardous ingredients, and regulated ingredients above the permitted levels. It allows unused and genuine perfume and cosmetics, and sample perfume and cosmetics in the original container when that container includes the ingredient list. It prohibits all blade weapons, knives and sharp instruments, including kitchen knives. For medical items it prohibits prescription and over-the-counter medical devices, including contact lenses and used or unused diagnostic tests, all medical products, used and unsealed healthcare products, and items past their expiration date. It says Depop has a zero-tolerance policy for any drugs, drug paraphernalia, tobacco or smoking accessories. Source

Depop’s restricted and hazardous content policy says the advertisement, sale, purchase or distribution of the listed items is not allowed, whether or not they are legal in the user’s country. The list includes prescription or over-the-counter medicines and medical devices; tobacco, including herbal tobacco, cigarettes, rolling tobacco and snus; e-cigarettes, vaporisers, and e-liquids with or without nicotine; smoking accessories; any product containing alcohol, except cosmetic items which contain alcohol; knives and sharp implements of any type; hazardous or flammable materials; cosmetics with prohibited or hazardous ingredients, or regulated ingredients above permitted levels; and recalled items. The page says the list is not exhaustive. Source

What do Facebook and eBay say?

Facebook’s English commerce policy says you may not promote cosmetics that have been used, or cosmetics that are not sold in their original packaging.

eBay’s cosmetics policy is more detailed, and it is not a total ban on every used item. It does not allow used perfume, including a partially filled bottle. It does not allow used cosmetics or applicators, such as sponges or pencils, that have not been thoroughly cleaned before the sale. It does not allow testers, products moved into another container, or items that are not in the original packaging. Homemade cosmetics may be sold if they follow the law. Permitted products have notification and listing requirements, including an ingredient list. Read the policy before you rely on the “cleaned” line. It is eBay’s wording, and it still excludes used perfume.

See eBay compared and Vinted compared for how selling on those sites differs, and the wider banned-items guide for knives, vapes, alcohol and medicines.

Facebook’s commerce policy, in the English version, covers commerce content including Facebook Marketplace. It says commerce content may not promote the buying, selling or trading of alcohol. It says the same for drugs, drug paraphernalia and prescription products. It says the same for tobacco products and tobacco paraphernalia. It says commerce content may not promote cosmetics that have been used, or cosmetics that are not sold in their original packaging. Source

eBay’s cosmetics policy says cosmetics and perfumes may be sold when the seller follows the law and eBay’s policies. It says the items that are not allowed include, and are not limited to, cosmetic and perfume testers, cosmetics and perfumes transferred into another container, items that are not in the original packaging, used cosmetics and cosmetic applicators such as sponges or pencils that have not been thoroughly cleaned before the sale, and used perfume, including partially filled bottles. It also lists counterfeits, samples marked not for sale or for personal use only, and skin-bleaching products. It says homemade cosmetics and perfumes may be sold if they follow the applicable laws, and that an empty bottle may be sold if no one else’s rights are infringed and the listing says the container is empty. For a permitted cosmetic product it says the product must be notified to the Office for Product Safety and Standards using Submit Cosmetic Product Notification for Great Britain, and to the European Commission’s cosmetic notification portal for Northern Ireland, and that the listing must include the responsible person, the product name, the ingredient list and the EAN. Source

What should I do with a bottle I have opened?

Do not decant it into a plain atomiser and call it a listing. Depop and eBay both reject perfume transferred out of its packaging. Vinted rejects opened perfume.

If the item is still sealed, unused and in date, check the exact site. Photograph the seal and the date. Say that it is unused only if that is true.

On SilentSale®, used cosmetics and unsealed skincare stay prohibited. Buyer and seller each contribute £0.30 + 3% of the item price to SilentCover® (£0.60 each on a £10 item). That is a discretionary protection service. It is not a workaround for a prohibited listing. Stripe holds the payment until a permitted order completes.

SilentSale® is a UK marketplace for private individuals aged 18+ buying and selling personal goods in GBP.

Counterfeits are banned. Describe authenticity accurately and retain supporting evidence; SilentSale® does not authenticate items.