Because of its combustible nature, there are provisions set by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) when shipping volatile liquids such as perfume oils. Shipping these type of liquids through the mail are only allowed domestically. International shipments of such products are prohibited.
Before you are allowed to ship perfume oils domestically, your items must meet the requirements set by the USPS before it can be considered safe for shipping. Here are what you should take into consideration when shipping fragrance oils domestically.
Determine your fragrance oil’s flash point. The flash point is the lowest temperature at which a combustible substance can vaporize to form an ignitable mixture in the air. You can only mail perfume oils that ignite at 100 degrees or higher, with accompanying HAZMAT certificate.
The flash point of volatile substances that are being shipped are crucial because there is a possibility that combustible substances with low flash points can cause explosions due to natural air decompression during flights.
Another USPS requirement when shipping perfume oils is proper packaging. A shipper is only allowed to ship no more than one gallon of perfume oil per box. Furthermore, the liquid must be placed in a leak-proof metal container and protected by sturdy shipping box.
To ensure that the container does not shift around the box, sufficient packing materials such as bubble wrap must be used to fill empty spaces between the box and the metal container. The package must then be placed in a larger outer box. The gaps between the two boxes must also be filled with packing materials to prevent movements.
Because you are dealing with a hazardous material, proper labeling is important when shipping fragrance oils. Obtain the appropriate labels either online or in an USPS office. ORM-D must appear on the label to define whether the package may be shipped by air or by ground. According to USPS, ORM stands for Other Regulated Material and is considered a consumer commodity.