Second-hand beauty on Rewear means new beauty: make-up, skincare, hair care and body care can only be listed if they are sealed, or unused with no seal and in their original packaging. Anything that goes on skin, hair, lips or nails has to be unopened, because a buyer cannot tell what has happened to a product once it has been used. Sellers also give the size on the pack, a best-before date or how long it lasts once opened, and confirm it is not a tester.
Lots of people have beauty products they will never use: duplicates, gifts, the wrong shade, or a moisturiser that did not suit them. Selling them on keeps good products from going to waste. Here is how it works.
What you can list
Beauty on Rewear sits at the end of the Women and Men categories, as types of its own:
Advertisement
- Women: make-up, skincare, hair care, body care, beauty tools, and make-up bags and cases.
- Men: skincare, beard and hair care, body care, shaving, grooming tools, and wash bags.
Some things are not allowed at all, including nail polish and nail polish remover, aerosols and anything electrical.
Why unopened only
Once a product has been opened and used, there is no way for a buyer to know how it was stored, whether it has been contaminated, or how much has gone. That is why products and tools that touch skin or hair must be new. There are two conditions for them:
- New, sealed: the maker's seal or cellophane is intact.
- New, unused, no seal: never used, in its original packaging.
Make-up bags, cases and wash bags are different. They hold products rather than touching skin, so they use the same condition grades as clothing. Our guide to condition grades explains those.
What a seller has to tell buyers
Beauty listings carry details that clothing does not, so buyers know exactly what they are getting.
- The size on the pack, such as 50 ml or 30 g.
- The shade, for make-up. A seller has to give one.
- A best-before date, or the period-after-opening symbol, the small open jar with a number such as 12M, which shows how many months a product lasts once opened. For some shaving products, a date is asked for but not insisted on.
- Confirmation it is not a tester or stock, which every seller ticks.
Business sellers cannot list beauty at the moment, so beauty on Rewear comes from private sellers clearing their own products. Beauty listings also get a quick check before they go live, and a listing comes off sale once the best-before date on its pack has passed.
Taking good photos of beauty products
- Show the seal or cellophane clearly, in focus.
- Photograph the size, shade and any batch code printed on the pack.
- Show the best-before date or the open-jar symbol.
- Include every side of the box, so a buyer can see there is no damage.
- Use daylight, so shades look true on screen.
Our guide to photographing clothes to sell has more tips on light and backgrounds that work just as well for beauty.
How beauty is posted
Beauty products and tools go by Royal Mail tracked services only, because they are the services that carry creams, liquids and oils. When one sells, the order tells you how to pack it:
- Tape lids and pumps shut.
- Seal it in a plastic bag.
- Pack it in leak-proof outer packaging.
- Mark anything glass FRAGILE.
A leaking parcel can turn a good sale into a refund, so take care with this. Our guide to posting clothes cheaply covers parcel sizes and packing in general.
Buying beauty second-hand: what to check
- The seal. Look for a clear photo of it. If the listing says "unused, no seal", check the packaging looks untouched.
- The shade and size, against what you want.
- The best-before date or open-jar symbol, so you know how long you have to use it.
- The ingredients, if you have allergies or sensitive skin. Ask the seller for a photo of the ingredients list if it is not shown.
- Patch test a new skincare product, as you would with one bought from a shop.
If a product arrives opened, used or different from the listing, do not confirm delivery. Message the seller through the app and open a problem report on the order promptly. Our guide to buying second-hand safely explains how buyer protection works.
Pricing unopened beauty
Price with the original price in mind, the size and how long is left before the best-before date. A product close to its date is worth less than one with plenty of time left. Gift sets in their original packaging can do well, especially in the run-up to Christmas. Our guide on how to price second-hand clothes explains the general approach.
As with clothing, listing is free and there is no selling fee. The buyer pays the postage and the buyer protection fee.
The short version
On Rewear, beauty products and tools must be new: sealed, or unused with no seal in their original packaging. Sellers give the size, the shade for make-up, a best-before date or open-jar symbol, and confirm it is not a tester. Beauty posts by Royal Mail tracked services only, packed so it cannot leak. Buyers should check the seal, the dates and the ingredients.
Advertisement