Where these rules come from
Three pages, all read on October 26, 2026:
- Amazon's cosmetics, skin, and hair care policy for US sellers. It covers creams, lotions, serums, toners, sunscreens, makeup, perfume, shampoo and hair color.
- Amazon's product image requirements, for every category.
- The FDA's Is It a Cosmetic, a Drug, or Both?, on the line between a cosmetic and a drug.
What the images must include
Amazon's cosmetics policy says the images "must meet all of the following conditions":
| Condition | Amazon's words | How we read it |
|---|---|---|
| A main image | Amazon's words: "Every product requires at least one compliant main image" | How we read it: The product alone on pure white, filling most of the frame, like any Amazon main image |
| The ingredients | Amazon's words: "Ingredients list" | How we read it: An image of the label where the ingredients can be read |
| What it is | Amazon's words: A "product identity statement, a clear statement of what the product is, such as "shampoo," "moisturizing body lotion," or "daily sunscreen" | How we read it: The front of the label, where it says what the product is |
The main image follows the rules for every category; see Amazon product image requirements, and check it with our free Amazon main image checker.
Claims you can't make
From the same policy: "Product listing attributes and product images must not":
- "Include the FDA logo"
- "Claim "FDA approved" unless the product has official FDA approval"
- Claim the product is for "the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease in humans unless the claim is cleared, approved, or authorized by the FDA." Amazon's example: "a cosmetic skincare product may claim to reduce the appearance of wrinkles but may not claim to eliminate wrinkles."
- "Make unverified claims. For example, that the product has health benefits, therapeutic properties, or purity levels without supporting evidence from certified testing."
The FDA explains where the line is. A product's claims can make it a drug, even when it's sold as a cosmetic, when they say it treats or prevents disease or changes the body. The FDA's examples are claims that a product will "restore hair growth, reduce cellulite, treat varicose veins, increase or decrease the production of melanin (pigment) in the skin, or regenerate cells."
| Fine for a cosmetic | Makes it a drug claim |
|---|---|
| Reduces the appearance of wrinkles | Makes it a drug claim: Eliminates wrinkles |
| Moisturizes, exfoliates (Amazon's examples of cosmetic claims) | Makes it a drug claim: Regenerates cells, reduces cellulite (the FDA's examples) |
Some products are both, like sunscreen moisturizers and anti-dandruff shampoo. Amazon says their claims must follow the FDA's rules for that drug as well. And every claim must also follow Amazon's misleading and prohibited claims policy.
Showing results
We treat a picture of a result as a claim: Amazon bars unverified claims in product images, and a before and after on skin, a glowing face next to the bottle, or "visibly younger" over a close-up says the product did something. Show one only if you can back it and the listing says it.
A lifestyle image of a person using the product is fine. If that person is a photorealistic person made by AI, Amazon asks for a metadata tag on the file; see Amazon secondary and lifestyle image rules.
An example: a face serum
Our face serum example shows the photo that went in and the listing images ReddStudio made from it. We left out two: a before and after that showed a result on skin the listing doesn't claim, and one with a shop button printed on it. The serum's starting photo was made with AI too, and the example page says so.
Where ReddStudio fits
ReddStudio makes a listing's images from your product photo, and it redraws the whole picture, product included. So small print on a label, like an ingredients list, may not come out letter for letter. Use your own photo of the label for the ingredients image, check every word on the other images against your listing, and leave out any image that shows a result you don't claim. Your first listing's six images are free as a watermarked preview.
FAQ
Do Amazon beauty listings need the ingredients in the images?
Yes. Amazon's cosmetics, skin and hair care policy lists an ingredients list among the conditions the images must meet, along with at least one compliant main image and a statement of what the product is.
Can I say "FDA approved" on a skincare listing?
Only if the product has official FDA approval. Amazon's cosmetics policy also bans the FDA logo in listing images and text.
Can a skincare image say "anti-aging" or "removes wrinkles"?
Amazon's policy gives this exact line: a cosmetic skincare product "may claim to reduce the appearance of wrinkles but may not claim to eliminate wrinkles." Claims to treat or prevent a disease, or to change the body, make it a drug in the FDA's eyes.
Can I show a before and after on skin?
Amazon bars unverified claims in product images, and we treat a picture of a result as one. Show a result only if you can back it and your listing says it.
What about sunscreen and anti-dandruff shampoo?
They count as both a cosmetic and a drug, so their claims must follow the FDA rules for that kind of drug, as well as the cosmetics policy.
