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

January 25 2016, 10:16:35 UTC 1 year ago

Basically, you lie and say it's not perfume, because when they ask, they mean alcohol-based perfumes, not the oil ones.

You /should/ either make sure every cap is tight, or, better, get plumber's tape (usually white, not actually sticky, but will stick to itself, waterproof) and wrap it around the seam of each bottle lid and make sure it overlaps at least once.

ladymondegreen

January 25 2016, 13:01:47 UTC 1 year ago

100% agreed on the plumber's tape. When I've ordered from BPAL forums, this seems to be the bog standard way to ship. Plus the usual "roll it up in mini bubble wrap" that the actual Lab does.

elisem

January 25 2016, 19:47:39 UTC 1 year ago

Also agreeing on the plumber's tape, with one important note:

When using plumber's tape on a BPAL bottle (not an imp, a bottle with a lid that screws on), make sure to apply the plumber's tape in the same direction that you screw the lid on. Plumber's tape is stretchy stuff. Used in the same direction it takes to screw the lid on, it will help keep that lid very securely on. Used in the opposite direction, it can start unscrewing the lid in transit.

(Not everyone pulls their plumber's tape as they apply it, but most people pull it at least a little, because that's part of what helps it stay on firmly. As long as you apply the plumber's tape in the direction of closing the lid rather than opening it, you're safe.)