Health & Beauty Classification

Cosmetic or medicine? We get the code right.

The borderline between a cosmetic and a medicament, and between a food supplement and a medicine, changes the HS code, the duty and the regulatory regime. TariffTel combines deep classification expertise with AI-powered automation to deliver accurate, audit-ready HS codes for every health and beauty product.
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Expert-Verified
ISO 27001
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HS Code Verified
3304.99.00
Skincare preparation (Ch. 33)
100% Compliant
Cosmetic vs medicament call
Over 1.5 million products classified. Trusted by leading UK and European brands.
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Why It Is Hard To Classify

Health & beauty lives on the borderlines

Composition, function and claims decide whether a product is a cosmetic, a medicine, a food preparation or a supplement. The wrong call changes the duty rate, the regulatory regime and your exposure when HMRC reviews it.

Cosmetic vs medicament
Chapter 33 vs Chapter 30

Perfumes, make-up, skincare and haircare sit in Chapter 33. A medicament sits in Chapter 30. The borderline is driven by composition, function and claims — and the two chapters carry different duties and regulatory obligations.

Supplements borderline
Chapter 21 vs Chapter 30

Vitamins and food supplements can fall under food preparations (heading 2106) or medicaments (Chapter 30) depending on dosage, presentation and whether a therapeutic claim is made.

Claims-driven codes
Label wording matters

A single wording change on the label — from "moisturises" to "treats eczema" — can move a product across chapters. An audit trail is essential when HMRC challenges a cosmetic-vs-medicament call.

Sets & variants
GRI 3 & medicated lines

Gift sets and kits are classified by essential character under General Rule of Interpretation 3 (GRI 3). Medicated and non-medicated variants of the same product can sit in different chapters entirely.

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Setup time
5 minutes

Get accurate HS codes with TTVerified.

TTVerified gives your team accurate, expert-backed HS codes for cosmetics, supplements and toiletries in a few clicks. No customs expertise needed. Free codes included when you sign up.

Enter product details, get the right HS code back
Borderline cosmetic-vs-medicament calls verified by a specialist
Full audit trail for HMRC compliance
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Why Health & Beauty Is Different

Complexity that generic tools cannot handle

A face cream that claims to repair the skin barrier. A vitamin D spray sold at a high dose to prevent deficiency. A medicated shampoo sold alongside its everyday twin. Each demands precise data and expert judgement to land in the right chapter.

Composition shifts the chapter. an active ingredient at therapeutic concentration can move a product from Chapter 33 to Chapter 30
Claims drive classification. the function stated on the label decides whether a product is cosmetic, medicinal, food or supplement
Soaps, surfactants and oils diverge. soap and organic surface-active preparations sit in Chapter 34, while essential oils sit in Chapter 33
Sets and variants need GRI logic. kits are classified by essential character, and medicated lines split from their non-medicated twins
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Classification Challenge
High-dose vitamin D oral spray with deficiency claim
Resolved: Chapter 30 medicament
Our Process

How we classify health and beauty products

A rigorous, three-stage process with mandatory expert review for every borderline cosmetic-vs-medicament and supplement call, designed to eliminate errors before they reach the border.

1

Analysis

We study the tariff books, review established rulings and apply the General Interpretive Rules to understand where a product belongs. For health and beauty this means reading the chapter notes that separate cosmetics (Ch. 33), medicaments (Ch. 30), soaps (Ch. 34) and food preparations (Ch. 21).

2

Data Collection

We capture every data point that affects the code: the active ingredients and their concentration, the product's function, the dosage and presentation, and the exact wording of the claims made on the label and in marketing material.

3

Expert Review & Monitoring

Every borderline call is reviewed by a specialist customs expert and logged with its reasoning. TTVerified then monitors tariff updates continuously so your codes stay correct as classifications and trade rules evolve.

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Case Study

Cosmetic, medicament or supplement?

The same active ingredient can land in three different chapters. Composition, function and claims decide which one — and each carries a different duty rate and regulatory regime.

Cosmetic vs Medicament
A cream that cleanses, perfumes or improves the appearance of the skin sits in Chapter 33. The moment it is presented to treat or prevent a defined condition — eczema, acne, infection — and contains an active at a meaningful concentration, it can fall to Chapter 30 as a medicament. The duty and the regulatory route change with it, so the call has to be made deliberately and recorded.
Supplements vs Medicines
A vitamin sold for general wellbeing usually classifies as a food preparation under heading 2106 in Chapter 21. The same active at a therapeutic dose, presented to treat or prevent a deficiency or condition, can fall to Chapter 30. Dosage, presentation and the therapeutic claim are the deciding factors, and a label change can move the code.
How TariffTel Handles It
Composition
We record each active ingredient and its concentration, the single most important driver of the chapter.
Function
The exact label and marketing wording is captured, because a claim to treat or prevent changes the code.
Expert reviews
A specialist signs off the cosmetic-vs-medicament or supplement call before it is delivered.
Decision logged
Reasoning, chapter notes, GRIs, evidence, reviewer and timestamp are stored as a defensible record.

Use TTExplore to research candidate headings across Chapters 30, 33 and 34, then bring the borderline calls into TTVerified for expert sign-off. Large or complex catalogues can be handled end-to-end with our Managed Services team.

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Product Coverage

Every health and beauty category, classified

From perfumes and make-up to medicated skincare, food supplements to soaps and essential oils. TariffTel's experts handle the full spectrum — including the borderline calls generic tools get wrong.

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Cosmetics & Make-up
Perfumes, foundation, lipstick, eye make-up, nail products — Chapter 33
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Skincare & Haircare
Moisturisers, serums, shampoos, conditioners, styling and treatment products
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Medicaments & Treatments
Medicated skincare, treatment lotions, dermatological products — Chapter 30
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Supplements & Vitamins
Food supplements, vitamins, protein powders — the Chapter 21 vs 30 borderline
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Soaps & Toiletries
Soap, organic surface-active preparations, bath and shower products — Chapter 34
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Essential Oils & Sets
Essential oils (Ch. 33), gift sets and kits classified by essential character under GRI 3
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Export Service Provider
Why TariffTel for Health & Beauty

Built for the calls that are easy to get wrong

The cosmetic-vs-medicament and supplement borderlines are where automated tools fail and HMRC challenges land. TariffTel pairs AI-powered research with mandatory expert sign-off so the difficult calls are made correctly and recorded.

Expert-verified accuracy
Every borderline HS code is backed by a specialist customs expert. AI automates the research; humans guarantee the result.
Defensible audit trail for HMRC
Every cosmetic-vs-medicament decision is logged with reasoning, chapter notes, evidence, reviewer and timestamp. Ready to defend a challenge from day one.
ISO 27001 certified
Independently audited by NQA across UK and EU operations. Your product and formulation data is protected to the highest standard.
Continuous monitoring
Tariff updates and changing classification practice are tracked automatically. When a reformulation or label change affects a code, you know.
FAQ

Health & Beauty Classification Questions

Common questions from cosmetics brands, supplement importers and beauty retailers about tariff classification.

Talk to a Specialist
Yes. Cosmetics and toiletries such as perfumes, make-up, skincare and haircare sit in Chapter 33 of the tariff, while medicaments sit in Chapter 30. The two chapters carry different duty rates and trigger different regulatory regimes, so getting the chapter right matters both for the amount of duty paid and for the compliance obligations that follow. A single product can be borderline, and the decision rests on its composition, its function and the claims made for it.
Food supplements and vitamins sit on a borderline between food preparations in Chapter 21 (typically heading 2106) and medicaments in Chapter 30. The deciding factors are the dosage, the presentation and whether a specific therapeutic or prophylactic claim is made. A vitamin sold for general wellbeing usually classifies as a food preparation, whereas the same active ingredient at a therapeutic dose, presented to treat or prevent a defined condition, may fall to Chapter 30. TariffTel assesses each product against the chapter notes and established rulings.
Three things drive the call: composition (the active ingredients and their concentration), function (whether the product acts to treat or prevent a condition or simply cleanses, perfumes or improves appearance) and the claims made on the label and in marketing. A medicated and a non-medicated version of the same product can classify in different chapters. Because a wording change on the label can move the code, TariffTel documents the evidence behind every decision.
Every borderline cosmetic-vs-medicament or supplement decision is reviewed by a specialist customs expert and logged with its reasoning, the chapter and section notes relied upon, the General Interpretive Rules applied, the product evidence and the reviewer and timestamp. When HMRC challenges a call, this audit trail gives you a clear, defensible record of why the code was chosen, rather than an unexplained automated guess.
Beauty sets, gift boxes and kits made up of several items are classified using General Rule of Interpretation 3 (GRI 3), which looks at the component that gives the set its essential character. A skincare gift set, a shaving kit or a make-up palette may not simply take the code of its most expensive item. TariffTel assesses each set against GRI 3 and records the reasoning so the result holds up under scrutiny.
Resources

Health & beauty classification guides

View All Resources
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HS 2028 your guide to the next harmonised system update

HS 2028 brings significant changes to the Harmonised System. Find out which codes are changing, which industries are affected and how to prepare...

Stop guessing your health & beauty codes.

Get accurate, expert-verified HS codes for cosmetics, supplements and toiletries — including the borderline calls generic tools get wrong, backed by a full HMRC audit trail.

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