Dry shampoo, deodorant, hairspray, body spray, room spray. Aerosols are in almost every beauty, grooming and gift range, and they're one of the most misunderstood things to post. Some can go in the UK post under strict limits. Others can't be posted at all, and the difference isn't always obvious from the can.
The Post Office rules
Toiletry aerosols, the ones you use on your body such as deodorants, body sprays, hairsprays and shaving foams, are restricted. At a Post Office counter the rules are:
- Per canNo more than 500ml.
- Per parcelNo more than two aerosols.
- ValvesProtected by a cap or similar, so the can can't go off.
- PackagingTightly packed in strong outer packaging, secured or cushioned.
- LabelAn ID8000 label, with the sender's name and return address clearly visible.
- DestinationsUK addresses only. Aerosols can't be posted abroad.
Non-toiletry aerosols are a different story. Air fresheners, spray paints, lacquers, solvents and oven cleaners are prohibited in UK and international post.
Which aerosols can you post?
A useful rule of thumb: if it's for your body, it's probably restricted. If it's for your home, it's probably prohibited.
- RestrictedDeodorant, body spray, dry shampoo, hairspray, shaving foam, hair removal cream, medicinal sprays. UK only, within the limits above.
- ProhibitedAerosol room sprays and air fresheners, spray paint, furniture polish, oven cleaner, solvents and lacquers. Can't be posted at all.
- Not an aerosolPump-action room and body sprays aren't aerosols. They're usually treated like perfume instead. See our home fragrance guide →
Royal Mail business accounts
Royal Mail's guidance for business customers uses the same limits, 500ml a can and two a parcel, and lists the services you can use: 1st and 2nd Class, Special Delivery, Royal Mail Tracked and Royal Mail Sameday. Several popular business services are excluded, including the Royal Mail 24 and 48 parcel services, Tracked Returns, Business Response and Freepost. Some bulk mail services don't accept aerosols at all.
So a label printing in your postage software doesn't mean the service you picked accepts what's inside.
Why aerosols are restricted
An aerosol is a pressurised can, and most use a flammable propellant such as butane or propane. Crushed, punctured or heated, it can burst or leak flammable gas. For transport they're dangerous goods: Class 2, usually shipped as UN1950 (aerosols).
What happens if you get it wrong?
- Your parcel can be disposed of. If restricted goods don't meet the conditions, Royal Mail can deal with them as it sees fit, including disposing of them.
- You may not be covered. Consequential loss cover isn't available for restricted items, so a lost order is your loss.
- It can be a criminal offence. Posting anything likely to injure postal workers or damage other mail is an offence under section 85 of the Postal Services Act 2000.
What about couriers?
Switching to a courier doesn't get you round the rules. Most couriers, and the parcel comparison sites and drop-off shops that resell them, won't accept aerosols on a standard account. The couriers that do carry dangerous goods only accept them when all of this is in place:
- Approved accountA business account the courier has approved for dangerous goods in advance. A standard account, or a label bought online, isn't enough.
- Trained staffEveryone who packs, marks or books the parcels must be trained in dangerous goods for their role, under the road transport rules, with training records kept.
- Packed and declaredProducts packed within the small-quantity limits for each product, in strong inner and outer packaging with the correct marking, and declared to the courier when the label is created. Some dangerous goods, such as fireworks and Christmas cracker snaps, have no small-quantity allowance, so parcel couriers can't carry them at all.
Get that right and the limits are far more generous than the post. They're set per bottle or can, with parcels up to 30kg, so full-size products, multipacks and gift sets become possible.
Get any of it wrong and the parcel can be stopped in the network, returned or destroyed, usually at the sender's cost.
How to ship aerosols at scale
Two cans per parcel and a counter visit for every order doesn't work for a growing brand, and it rules out bundles, gift sets and multipacks. To ship aerosols properly through a courier, you need a service approved for them and packaging that meets the rules. Check:
- 01Section 14 of the Safety Data Sheet for each product, for the UN number and class.
- 02Every can has its cap on, so the valve can't be pressed.
- 03Cans are packed tightly and can't move, ideally upright, in a strong outer box.
- 04The parcel carries the correct marking, and the address label doesn't cover it.
- 05Your courier service is approved for aerosols, in writing.
That's what FlipShip takes off your hands. We check your products and packaging, get you approved on our account and give your team a packing card, so you can ship aerosols next working day across the UK mainland, multipacks and gift sets included.
Questions
Is dry shampoo a toiletry aerosol?
Yes. It’s used on the body, so it’s restricted rather than prohibited: up to 500ml a can and two cans a parcel, UK only.
Can I post an aerosol room spray?
No. Air fresheners and other aerosols for the home are prohibited in UK and international post. A pump-action room spray is different and usually follows the perfume rules.
Do travel-size aerosols have a different limit?
No. The limit is two aerosols per parcel, whatever their size. Three 50ml cans breaks the rule, even though they add up to far less than 500ml.
Can I send aerosols abroad?
Not by post. Aerosols are UK only. FlipShip currently ships to the UK mainland only too.
Can customers return aerosols by post?
Many returns services exclude them, including Royal Mail Tracked Returns, Business Response and Freepost. Plan your returns process before you start selling them.
Sources
- Post Office: prohibited and restricted items
- Royal Mail and Parcelforce: prohibited and restricted items for business customers (August 2025)
- Postal Services Act 2000, section 85 (legislation.gov.uk)
- The Carriage of Dangerous Goods Regulations 2009 (legislation.gov.uk)
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules and carrier policies change, so always check the latest versions. Can you post perfume in the UK? →