Seanan McGuire (seanan_mcguire) wrote,
Seanan McGuire
seanan_mcguire
  • Mood: rushed
  • Music: Glee, "One."

Mailing perfume domestically.

Basically what it says on the tin.

I am about to embark on a huge and terrifying purge of my belongings, in part because I need to have less stuff (because reasons), in part because I need to have more money (because related reasons). One of the things I have a startling supply of is BPAL (Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab) perfume.

Does anyone know, from "I have done it and here's how" experience, how to mail perfume/essential oil within the US? I've found both "it's a hazardous material and you can't" and "it's possible, just hard." Well, I need to know how.

Help?
Tags: cleaning my house, shameless plea
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  • 49 comments

kyrielle

January 25 2016, 01:40:27 UTC 1 year ago

Perfume oil is fine. Perfume, which usually has alcohol content, is a hazardous material. It's both important to distinguish and important to try to avoid having to comment because some postal employees aren't aware of the distinction. BPAL oils do not have alcohol, as I understand it, and so should be fine.

seanan_mcguire

January 25 2016, 01:42:08 UTC 1 year ago

Oh, excellent!

tibicina

1 year ago

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ladymondegreen

1 year ago

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elisem

1 year ago

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fabricdragon

1 year ago

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angelamaria

January 25 2016, 01:50:29 UTC 1 year ago

I'm international and I've done a fair amount of BPAL swapping myself, obviously most internationally and about half with US residents. To echo the earlier comment, perfume oils are fine, but from American friends' accounts, it can also vary depending on which postal worker you get, your specific postal office, etc. since some of them won't know enough--i.e. there are perfume without alcohol! Etc. So it can be important to make sure you get a postal worker that you can talk to and is reasonable. I've had a postal worker personally (here in Singapore) whose only concern was that if the item will break and spill, so that could be an additional thing--make sure they know you have the precious wrapped snugly and everything. For me it's usually some form of non sticky tape on the lids, And then a small ziploc baggie per bottle, and then bubble wrapped individually, inside a bubble envelope. For imps or decants, plumber's tape, a bunch of imps per ziploc, then bubble wrap. The stuff I've received from the US are also packaged like this. Also usually labeled something innocuous like 'bath items'.

seanan_mcguire

January 25 2016, 01:52:11 UTC 1 year ago

Wonderful, thank you.

geekhyena

January 25 2016, 01:55:32 UTC 1 year ago Edited:  January 25 2016, 01:55:48 UTC

Seconding angelamaria's packing suggestions. Also, in lieu of bubble wrap, grocery store brand ziplock baggies partially inflated with air also make good packing material and can be pretty inexpensive and work well. You can adjust air levels in the baggies to desired padding level.

seanan_mcguire

January 25 2016, 02:11:48 UTC 1 year ago

I have bubble wrap.

geekhyena

1 year ago

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quietchildae

January 25 2016, 01:58:38 UTC 1 year ago

I mail perfume often, within the states, and have not had any issues. I package everything in hard boxes so there's no breakage issue to be concerned about, and mail them in bubble mailers, and have not had a problem. I don't generally talk to the postal workers, just use the automated machine, and none have been returned to me, and have all reached their destination.

seanan_mcguire

January 25 2016, 02:12:01 UTC 1 year ago

Thank you.

alinore

January 25 2016, 02:14:34 UTC 1 year ago

When I have done it I just tape the bottles shut and mail in packing peanuts. Never had any issues.

Side note: Isn't BPAL amazing?

seanan_mcguire

January 25 2016, 20:35:35 UTC 1 year ago

It is, but I have waaaaaaaaaaaay too much.

Deleted comment

seanan_mcguire

January 25 2016, 20:35:53 UTC 1 year ago

Thanks.

tylik

January 25 2016, 02:31:38 UTC 1 year ago

I probably shouldn't be so bemused by this, but having received both nitric acid and metallic sodium through the mail (the first, at least, through a reputable chemical supplier)... really?

(I've also had computer held up at customs, and wondered whether this was over concerns over the lithium ion batteries. Which, y'know, would be valid concerns, but since you are generally allowed to fly with devices with batteries enough to make some pretty decent explosions...)

seanan_mcguire

January 25 2016, 20:36:10 UTC 1 year ago

Yeah, really. It's weird.

cantseemee

1 year ago

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tylik

1 year ago

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cantseemee

1 year ago

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kitan

January 25 2016, 02:48:37 UTC 1 year ago

Within the US is no problem at all. I usually use the self-service kiosk after hours so I don't have to interact with anyone at all. Internationally can be a little more difficult with customs forms. There are swap/sales groups here on LJ, Facebook, and the bpal.org forums. Ask away!

seanan_mcguire

January 25 2016, 20:36:25 UTC 1 year ago

Cool.

kitan

1 year ago

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spyral_out

January 25 2016, 02:49:32 UTC 1 year ago

Something I've not seen in the comments is that if the postal workers DO ask what's in the box, specify that they're essential oils. When that has happened to me, the only thing they've done is required me to send the box Priority - a few extra dollars, but honestly it's been worth it for both speed and safety.

seanan_mcguire

January 25 2016, 20:36:42 UTC 1 year ago

Awesome, thanks.

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January 25 2016, 03:37:09 UTC 1 year ago

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dormouse_in_tea

January 25 2016, 03:52:48 UTC 1 year ago

Having mailed BPAL, I can second all of this. Pretty much, do not let the word "perfume" pass your lips (essential oil and scented oil, both fine) and you'll be fine. Good luck wrangling your collection!

seanan_mcguire

January 25 2016, 20:36:57 UTC 1 year ago

Thanks.

ebartley

January 25 2016, 04:09:20 UTC 1 year ago

There are actually two applicable restrictions. First, perfume with flammable solvents (e.g. alcohol) may not be mailed at all.

Second, liquids with a flash point (i.e. how hot do they have to be to catch fire from a spark) below 200F have to be labelled with their flash point and shipped ground transport only, well-wrapped and with hazardous markings.

I can't find a concise summary official summary of that, but the PDF covering everything is at
http://pe.usps.gov/cpim/ftp/pubs/Pub52/pub52.pdf
search with keywords "Flammable Liquids" and "perfume" to see the references.

The packing instructions are
http://pe.usps.gov/text/pub52/pub52apxc_011.htm
they depend on the flash point but don't sound too onerous.

And a chart of the typical flash points of essential oils are at:
http://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/pdfs/essentialoilchart.pdf

seanan_mcguire

January 25 2016, 20:37:12 UTC 1 year ago

Thank you.

bunsen_h

1 year ago

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ebartley

January 25 2016, 04:10:12 UTC 1 year ago

Oops - meant to take out that bit about labeled with their flash point; several references say that but when I looked for it in the official documentation I didn't see it.

seanan_mcguire

January 25 2016, 20:37:24 UTC 1 year ago

'k.

kakiphony

January 25 2016, 14:37:09 UTC 1 year ago

Everyone else has basically covered it very well. In the US = fine to ship, no worries. Overseas, be creative with your customs form so that it doesn't trigger the perfume=alcohol=flammable button.

I'm only typing this repetitive comment to give the obligatory dissenting opinion on the matter of tape. Tape makes people feel better. However, if you have a real leak, the tape most people buy ends up being very messy. When saturated with oil, the cheap white plumber's tape will actually start to dissolve and becomes a horrible sort of half dissolved oily, plastic, mess. It works OK, with traditional perfume samples, but something about the oils can really do a number on it.

I don't have a picture of a leaky imp with tape, but this picture of a leaky bath oil bottle that had been covered in Saran-Wrap illustrates the kind of mess I have seen:

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a320/kakiphony/Icons/IMG_0009_zpsooqhkelk.jpg

(I have used Saran-Wrap outside the bubble wrap before. However, directly over the perfume container it will do the above in a leak scenario. GROSS.)

I simply wrap the perfume container in bubble wrap and then put it in a ziplock bag. This prevents any leaks from spilling in the package, but produces no crazy weird chemical mess if there is a spill.

If you DO feel obligated to tape, I would try Blue Monster PTFE tape rather than cheap plumber's tape. It's thicker and made of slightly different material that is made to seal leaks around pipes carrying acids, kerosene, etc. I think it might be more up to the task of preventing perfume oil leaks since it's designed for more than water. However, I have not tried it.

kakiphony

January 25 2016, 14:42:58 UTC 1 year ago

And when you're ready to sell, there are many options ranging from Ebay for really rare items to the forums and several Facebook groups. If you would like an invite to a moderated Facebook sales forum, ping me. There are also groups here on LJ, but I'm not sure how active they are anymore.

I have also found that timing is important. People are waiting for the Lupers right now and many people are selling to raise money for them, but fewer are buying. I always find the few weeks AFTER an update to be a better time to sell than just before. The people who are disappointed in the update because it is heavy on their death notes will have the money they saved to buy burning a hole in their pockets.

seanan_mcguire

1 year ago

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kakiphony

1 year ago

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arielstarshadow

January 25 2016, 17:21:38 UTC 1 year ago

Perhaps to avoid the "perfume = hazardous" pitfall, you can call them "essential oils." They aren't that, precisely, but that's the closest thing to what they actually are.

seanan_mcguire

January 25 2016, 20:39:00 UTC 1 year ago

Yes.

vaspider

January 25 2016, 22:24:10 UTC 1 year ago

I have never had an issue with it one way or the other, I just wrapped it up well in bubble wrap and put it in a box when I made lavender essential oil from my garden a couple of years ago.

vaspider

January 25 2016, 22:26:52 UTC 1 year ago

Also I still have that bottle of Anne Bonny you gifted me so many years ago. I use it sparingly. It is my world-conquering, ass-kicking perfume.

archangelbeth

January 26 2016, 04:48:45 UTC 1 year ago

My only contribution is that my mom's dad was a post office employee. Apparently anything that was mailed? He would basically throw it across the room and if it survived, it was fit to be mailed. ...needless to say, anything that came from that side of the family tended to be packed and taped up to within an inch of its life.

So if it can survive being tossed across the room by a grown man, it'll probably be okay. O:>

(This is why it took so long for me to send friends some earrings I'd made: I needed to purchase small plastic boxes to stick in bubblepack envelopes before I felt safe mailing them.)

Good luck with getting the stuff out of your inventory slots!

US : Весь НЕ кириллический сегмент : Лучшие посты за вчер

livejournal

January 26 2016, 15:02:25 UTC 1 year ago

User ljrobot referenced to your post from US : Весь НЕ кириллический сегмент : Лучшие посты за вчера saying: [...] Лучшие посты за вчера" ПостСколько часов провисел на 1-м местеАвтор Mailing perfume domestically. [...]

cantseemee

January 27 2016, 00:05:55 UTC 1 year ago

I don't know anything about shipping, but OMG BPAL!!!!!!!!!!

georgiamagnolia

January 27 2016, 11:59:05 UTC 1 year ago

In case nobody said so already, you can get FREE (yeah really) small box mailers from the USPS online website, the very same ones that are used by BPAL to mail the goods to you. You have to register and give your address and whatall but they are free and you can get up to a hundred sent to your address at a time. (I used to be the Shipping Goddess for a bigass bookstore, so I know!) And yes, bubblewrap will be fine and your lovely BPAL should get where it is going perfectly well. Brightest Blessings.

dravenloft

January 30 2016, 02:43:43 UTC 1 year ago

If this was already answered, sorry, but I'm a postal clerk in the US so wanted to give you the proper answer.

1) you can mail perfume. Full stop
2) it it's over 4oz it cannot be air mailed (ergo cannot be mailed internationally), but domestically it can be sent by ground transportation so can be anything up to 70lbs.

Mailing perfume domestically was never not allowed. You just had a clerk either a) daft or b) a jerk. The 4oz rule for air is a recent change. Not so long ago it was like 1 or 2oz iirc, or maybe total ban … doesn't come up much.

The postal service guidelines for this are publicly available as the DMM (domestic mail manual) which is digital and searchable and the IMM (international mail manual …also all moderny)

fabricdragon

February 16 2016, 00:39:28 UTC 1 year ago

looks like you got the best advice already...

however, when you CAN try to bag stuff in plastic, and bubble wrap it, in small batches. that way IF on eo fthem breaks, you dont soak the whole box.