How to launch a K-beauty private label brand on Amazon US
Amazon asks for more than a listing: a trademark for Brand Registry, real GS1 barcodes, a MoCRA-ready label and enough shelf life for FBA. Here is the order to do it in, with sources.
To launch a K-beauty private label brand on Amazon US, file a trademark so you can join Brand Registry, license barcodes from GS1, make sure the product and label meet FDA's MoCRA rules, and plan shelf life for FBA. Production in Korea takes about 10 weeks with a ready formula, so start the trademark on day one.
Below is the order we recommend, with Amazon's own requirements and the US rules behind them, checked in September 2026.
The launch checklist at a glance
| Step | What is required | When |
|---|---|---|
| Trademark | A pending or registered mark for Brand Registry | Week 0 |
| Barcodes | GTINs licensed from GS1, one per product and size | Before the label is final |
| Formula and samples | A sample you approve before production | Weeks 0 to 3 |
| Label | US label with a MoCRA contact, ingredients, net contents and Made in Korea | Before production |
| FDA listing | Your product listed with FDA under MoCRA | Before you sell |
| Import | A customs broker, and duty paid on entry | When goods ship |
| FBA | Expiration settings and enough remaining shelf life | Before you send stock to Amazon |
Step 1: trademark first, because Brand Registry needs it
Amazon Brand Registry gives brand owners tools to protect and manage their listings. To enroll, Amazon asks for:
- A logo that includes your brand name, permanently on your products or packaging.
- An active registered trademark, or a pending application, for your brand name or logo, from the trademark office of a country with an Amazon store.
- Ownership: the trademark owner enrolls, and can add agents as users.
- A word mark, or a design mark that contains words, letters or numbers, and trademark text that matches your brand name.
In the US, skincare falls in Class 3, and the USPTO's base application fee is $350 per class. Amazon's IP Accelerator connects brands with vetted law firms at pre-negotiated rates, capped at $700 plus government fees for a US trademark application, and its participants get more brand protection tools while the application is still pending. Search for conflicting marks before you pay for packaging.
Step 2: barcodes from GS1, not resellers
For most categories Amazon requires a unique product identifier, a GTIN such as a UPC, to create a listing. Amazon checks UPCs against the GS1 database, treats codes that do not match GS1's records as invalid, and can remove those listings. Buy codes from GS1 directly, not from resellers of old licenses.
| GS1 US option | Initial fee | Yearly renewal |
|---|---|---|
| 1 GTIN | $30 | None |
| Company prefix, 10 GTINs | $250 | $50 |
| Company prefix, 100 GTINs | $750 | $150 |
Each size and each variant needs its own GTIN, so a serum in two sizes needs two codes. Get them before the label is final, because the barcode goes on the box or the bottle.
Step 3: a label that meets FDA and Amazon rules
A US cosmetic label needs a statement of identity, the net quantity, ingredients in descending order, the name and place of business of the brand, and any warnings the product needs. MoCRA adds a US address, US phone number or website where you can receive adverse event reports. Imports must also show the country of origin in English, such as Made in Korea.
Amazon's policy for cosmetics, skin and hair care asks that products comply with US law, including MoCRA, and it can ask you for images of the entire label in English: the MoCRA contact, product name, ingredient list, net contents in US customary units, a statement of what the product is, and warnings. The packaging must show a lot number, serial number or matrix code.
Amazon's claims rules are strict. Listings must not use the FDA logo or say "FDA approved", and must not make disease claims. Amazon's own example: a skincare product may claim to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, but not to eliminate them. At KoreanOEM we adapt your logo and write a compliant label for the US, and you approve it before printing.
Step 4: MoCRA duties for the brand on the label
Under MoCRA the responsible person is the brand whose name is on the label, which on Amazon is usually you. Your duties:
- List each product with FDA, including its ingredients, and update the listing every year.
- Make sure the factory is registered with FDA. Ours is an ISO 22716 (GMP) certified, FDA registered factory in Korea.
- Keep records that support each product's safety.
- Report serious adverse events to FDA within 15 business days.
Small businesses with under $1,000,000 in average yearly US cosmetic sales, adjusted for inflation, are exempt from registration and listing for most products, but not from labeling or adverse event rules. We prepare the MoCRA listing for your products, and because we sell our own skincare in the US, we have been through US import and MoCRA listing ourselves. The details are in our guide to MoCRA registration for skincare brands.
Step 5: import and duty
A customs broker files the US entry for you. As of September 28, 2026, skincare from Korea under HTS 3304.99.50 pays 12.5% in total under a Section 301 action in effect since July 24, 2026. Tariffs changed several times in 2025 and 2026, so confirm the rate with your broker before each shipment.
Shipping from Korea takes about 5 to 10 days by air and about 4 to 6 weeks by sea. Air gets a first run to launch sooner; sea costs less per unit once you know your sell-through. Your broker will need the commercial invoice, the packing list and the HS code for each product.
Step 6: shelf life and FBA
Amazon treats topical products such as skin creams, sunscreen and cosmetics, and any product with a period-after-opening symbol, as expiration-dated. When you create the listing you set whether the product expires, how the date appears on the pack, and its shelf life.
At check-in, a product must have enough remaining shelf life to be used up in full, plus 90 days. A serum that lasts a customer three months needs about six months left when it arrives. Agree the shelf life with your manufacturer from stability data, print dates consistently, and ship fresh stock. Stability, challenge and patch tests are planned into every project with us.
A realistic timeline
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| Week 0 | File the trademark, license GS1 codes, send your brief; a written quote arrives within 1 business day |
| Weeks 1 to 2 | Lab samples arrive, about two weeks after the brief |
| Weeks 2 to 4 | Approve the sample, final label artwork and listing data |
| By about week 10 | Production, tests and packing done, with a library formula and stock packaging |
| Then | Air freight 5 to 10 days or sea 4 to 6 weeks, customs, FBA check-in, listing live |
A custom formula takes 12 to 16 weeks instead of about 10. On fees, Amazon charges a referral fee of 15% on beauty items over $10 (8% at $10 or less) plus $39.99 a month for a Professional plan; our guide on how to price skincare products shows how that fits your price ladder. To start with samples, use the sample request.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a trademark to sell skincare on Amazon?
Does Amazon require FDA registration for cosmetics?
Can I use cheap UPC codes from resellers?
How much shelf life does Amazon FBA need for skincare?
Can I sell a Korean sunscreen on Amazon US?
Sources
- Amazon: Brand Registry eligibility
- Amazon: IP Accelerator
- Amazon Seller Central: Product IDs (GTINs) and Valid UPCs
- Amazon Seller Central: Cosmetics, skin, and hair care
- Amazon Seller Central: Expiration dates on FBA products
- Amazon: Selling plans and referral fees
- GS1 US: Get your UPC barcodes
- USPTO: Fee schedule and Nice classification, class headings
- FDA: Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA) and Cosmetics Labeling Guide
- 21 U.S.C. 364a, adverse events, 364e, labeling and 364h, small businesses
- eCFR: 19 CFR 134.11, country of origin marking
- USTR: Action in the forced labor Section 301 investigations (July 2026)
