Reed diffusers, room sprays and essential oils sit right next to candles on most home fragrance shelves. A candle is usually an ordinary parcel. These usually aren't. Most are liquids that contain alcohol, solvents or naturally flammable oils, and that brings them under the same rules as perfume.
The Royal Mail rules
Royal Mail's guidance for business customers puts reed diffusers, non-aerosol body and room sprays, and essential oils under its perfume rules. They're restricted items: allowed in the UK post, but only if every condition is met.
- Per bottleNo more than 150ml.
- Per parcelNo more than eight items for business account customers. The Post Office counter limit for perfume is four.
- PackagingEach item in its original retail packaging, inside strong outer packaging, packed so it can't break or leak.
- LabelAn ID8000 label, with the sender's name and return address clearly visible.
- ServicesNot the Royal Mail 24 and 48 parcel services, and not most returns services.
- DestinationsUK addresses only.
Aerosol room sprays are a different matter. Air fresheners and other aerosols for the home are prohibited. See our aerosols guide →
Where home fragrance brands get caught out
- Big diffusers200ml and 250ml diffusers are popular sizes. Both are over the 150ml limit, so they can't be posted.
- RefillsRefill bottles are often 250ml or 500ml. Over the limit, however they're packed.
- BundlesA diffuser, a room spray and a refill is three items. Multipacks and gift boxes add up quickly.
- Matches in the setOne box of matches makes the whole parcel prohibited. See our gift sets guide →
- Essential oilsSmall bottles, but many oils are flammable, especially citrus and pine. They count as items too.
- Wrong serviceRoyal Mail 24 and 48 don't accept these products, even when a label prints.
How to check your product
Not every diffuser or oil is flammable. Some water-based room sprays and diluted oils aren't dangerous goods at all. Royal Mail also excludes non-flammable perfumed creams, gels, oils and lotions from the perfume rules. The way to know for sure is the product's Safety Data Sheet:
- 01Section 14 (transport information). If it lists a UN number, such as UN1266, UN1169 or UN1993, it's dangerous goods for transport.
- 02Section 9 (physical properties). A flash point below 60°C usually means a flammable liquid.
- 03If section 14 says the product isn't regulated for transport, it isn't dangerous goods, though carriers may still ask to see the sheet.
Not sure where to find yours, or what it means? Read our guide to safety data sheets →
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 diffusers, room sprays and essential oils 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 home fragrance at scale
The post works for the odd bottle under 150ml. It doesn't work for full-size diffusers, refills, bundles or gift sets. Shipping those properly means a courier service approved for flammable liquids, and packaging that keeps every bottle sealed, upright and cushioned:
- 01Caps and stoppers are sealed tight. Reeds are packed separately, never in the bottle.
- 02Each bottle is in a leak-proof bag with enough absorbent material to soak up the contents.
- 03Bottles stand upright with caps at the top, can't touch each other, and the outer box has this-way-up arrows on two opposite sides.
- 04The inner bottles sit inside a strong outer box, never posted on their own, and the parcel stays well under 30kg.
- 05The parcel carries the correct marking, and the label doesn't cover it.
- 06Your courier service is approved for these products, in writing.
FlipShip checks your products and packaging, gets you approved on our account and gives your team a packing card, so you can ship full-size diffusers, refills and gift sets next working day across the UK mainland.
Questions
Are reed diffusers dangerous goods?
Often, yes. Most diffuser liquids contain solvents or alcohol that make them flammable. Check section 14 of the Safety Data Sheet: if it lists a UN number, it’s dangerous goods for transport.
Can I post a 200ml reed diffuser?
Not through Royal Mail. The limit is 150ml per item. A larger diffuser needs a courier service approved to carry it.
Are essential oils allowed in the post?
Within limits. Royal Mail treats essential oils like perfume: up to 150ml per bottle, in original packaging, with a hazard label, UK only.
Should I ship the reeds in the bottle?
No. Pack the reeds separately and keep the bottle sealed. Reeds in the bottle will soak up liquid and leak in transit.
Do I need an SDS for every scent?
Ideally, yes. Each fragrance can have a different flash point, so each product should have its own sheet. Your supplier or manufacturer should provide them.
Sources
- Royal Mail and Parcelforce: prohibited and restricted items for business customers (August 2025)
- Post Office: prohibited and restricted items
- UK REACH Annex II: safety data sheet section 14, transport information (legislation.gov.uk)
- 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 candles? →