Selling Skincare on Amazon Germany

Every cosmetic product sold on Amazon.de must comply with EU Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009. Required before listing: (1) EU Responsible Person (RP) established in the EU. (2) Product Information File (PIF) including safety assessment by a qualified assessor. (3) CPNP notification completed. (4) German INCI ingredient list on label. (5) No prohibited ingredients from Annex II of the Cosmetics Regulation. Amazon Germany actively checks for compliance and suppresses listings from brands that cannot demonstrate it.

German labels must include: (1) Product name. (2) INCI ingredient list in descending concentration order — the INCI names must be used (not brand names of ingredients). (3) Net quantity in metric (ml or g). (4) 'Best before' date (Period After Opening symbol for products with shelf life over 30 months). (5) Special precautions in German. (6) EU Responsible Person name and address. (7) Country of origin if outside EU. German is mandatory — English-only labels are not permitted.

Amazon.de categorises skincare under 'Beauty' and 'Drogerie & Körperpflege' (Drugstore & Personal Care). To list: (1) Professional seller account required. (2) EU Cosmetics Regulation compliance documentation may be requested. (3) Products with claims like 'treats eczema' or 'reduces wrinkles' will be reviewed and may require medical device registration rather than cosmetics listing. (4) SPF products are treated as cosmetics but require specific testing (SPF testing, photostability testing) and corresponding label claims. (5) Child-directed products face additional scrutiny.

Shipping to Amazon Germany FBA from outside the EU requires: (1) EU VAT registration — since July 2021, sellers using Amazon FBA in EU must register for VAT in the EU or use the OSS (One Stop Shop) scheme. Germany requires a German VAT number for domestic FBA storage. (2) EU Customs import — your products enter the EU at a German port or via another EU customs point. (3) EORI number for EU customs. (4) Import duty on cosmetics is typically 6.5% under EU tariff. (5) German import VAT (19%) on the customs value plus duty.

German consumers on Amazon.de value: (1) Clean ingredient claims — 'ohne Parabene' (paraben-free), 'vegan', 'natürlich' (natural). (2) Dermatologically tested credentials — 'dermatologisch getestet' is a significant trust signal. (3) German-language A+ Content — English A+ content underperforms significantly. (4) Competitive reviews — products need 20+ reviews to convert well. Consider using Amazon's Early Reviewer Programme or Vine Programme for initial reviews. (5) Competitive pricing against established German brands (Nivea, Eucerin, La Roche-Posay).