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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Health & Beauty Classification Questions
Common questions from cosmetics brands, supplement importers and beauty retailers about tariff classification.
Talk to a SpecialistHealth & beauty classification guides
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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.