Shipping and Storing Makeup

The cosmetics industry in the United States is huge, and with the coronavirus pandemic ongoing, more people than ever before are ordering their cosmetics online. Part of ensuring that customers have the best possible experience with your store involves storing products appropriately for their ingredients. We’ve provided the following general tips for shipping and storing makeup to preserves quality and improves customer satisfaction. 

Understanding Shelf Life of Makeup

The cosmetics industry shelf-life guidelines vary a great deal and include cosmetic type, use, ingredients and formula. In almost every case, shelf-life can be drastically altered by environmental conditions. For example, storing liquid foundation in a hot environment can cause it to separate and essentially ruin it, whereas storing mascara in a freezing cold environment can render it clumpy and useless. 

Develop a Shipping and Storage System for Cosmetics

With the above information in mind, developing a system for warehousing cosmetics involves a lot of research. To do it, here are some tips:

• Ask manufacturers for their recommended shelf-lives. If you are selling cosmetics manufactured by an outside company, ask them for information about shelf-life. This way, you can plan how much to buy and store based on customer demand, all without exceeding expiration dates. 
• Learn about the ingredients for every product you sell. Certain ingredients require certain environments, so be sure that you take the time to understand the differences. You don’t want a lipstick to melt or a nail polish to separate before it ever reaches your customer. 
• Store different cosmetics in different places. Many of the biggest cosmetics retailers divide their warehouses into sections, and each of these sections is home to products with ingredients that require specific care. For example, powder products may be stored in one part of the warehouse while gel-like or liquid products in another. 
• Pack cosmetics appropriately. When multiple products go into the same box for shipping, make sure you protect each individual product. 

Consider Outsourcing

If all that work and research sounds like a lot, keep in mind that you also have the option of outsourcing your warehousing and inventory to a trusted partner. Look for a company that specializes in health and beauty – especially cosmetics – for the best possible outcome. You can rest assured that the experts will take the best possible care of every single product, and in many cases, they’ll even help you avoid understock and overstock by running inventory reports and handling the supply chain (contacting manufacturers and vendors, etc.) on your behalf. 

The cosmetics industry provides many ecommerce business owners with a wonderful opportunity, but in order to remain relevant in such a crowded niche, it’s important that your customers always receive quality products that exceed their expectations. In order to do this, you must make sure that you are storing your cosmetic products properly to prevent any quality defects in the future.