An essential oil bottle is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. Because essential oils are natural products derived from plants, it may seem that they can simply be packed in a box and shipped like any other product. In reality, however, transporting essential oils by air involves a range of rules and requirements and can be more complex than it first appears.
One reason is that, depending on their properties, some essential oils may be classified as Dangerous Goods for transport.
Before a small bottle of essential oil can reach its destination, there may be a number of steps involved: classifying the goods, determining appropriate packaging and quantity limits, conducting packaging performance tests, applying the required marks and labels, preparing documentation, and meeting carrier-specific requirements.
So what rules apply when essential oils and other dangerous goods are transported by air, and why are these requirements necessary?
Why are some essential oils classified as Dangerous Goods?
Certain essential oils are classified as dangerous goods primarily because they possess physical and chemical properties that make them hazardous during transportation, particularly by air or sea. Essential oils may present different types of hazards depending on their individual properties, including physical and environmental hazards.
One physical property that is particularly important for transport is the flash point. The flash point is the lowest temperature at which a liquid gives off sufficient vapour that may ignite in the presence of an ignition source.
Flash points vary considerably between essential oils. For this reason, the SDS (Safety Data Sheet) prepared for each product should be checked before transport. Flash point information is normally found in Section 9: Physical and Chemical Properties of the SDS.
Read more: What is an SDS? Understanding the information contained in a Safety Data Sheet.
Some essential oils may also have properties that are hazardous to aquatic organisms. If a product were to leak during transport, it could potentially affect the surrounding environment. Environmental hazards are therefore another important consideration when determining its transport classification.
Other hazards may also need to be considered depending on the essential oil. Rather than looking at a single property in isolation, the characteristics of the product as a whole need to be assessed in order to determine the appropriate transport classification and shipping requirements.
Who sets the rules for transporting essential oils and other Dangerous Goods?
Essential oils are classified using internationally recognized regulatory frameworks, most notably the UN Model Regulations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods, which are enforced across various transport sectors through the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for air cargo, the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) code for ocean freight, and regional agreements like the ADR for road transport.
According to IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations, dangerous goods are assigned into nine classes, and every dangerous goods will fall into at least one of the classes. These classes dictate how items must be classified, packaged, labeled, and handled.
- Class 1: Explosives
- Class 2: Gases
- Class 3:Flammable Liquids
- Class 4: Flammable Solids; Substances Liable to Spontaneous Combustion; Substances which, in Contact with Water Emit Flammable Gases
- Class 5: Oxidizing Substances and Organic Peroxides
- Class 6: Toxic and Infectious Substances
- Class 7: Radioactive Material
- Class 8: Corrosives
- Class 9: Miscellaneous Dangerous Substances and Articles, Including Environmentally Hazardous Substances
This means it is not enough to simply pack items securely and hand them over to a carrier. Manufacturers and shippers must understand the nature of their product, cargo classification requirements, and all necessary preparations to ensure safe transport.
IATA dangerous goods labels
How are essential oils classified for transport? UN1197 and UN3082
Not all essential oils can be transported in the same way. Before deciding how a product should be packed, its hazards first need to be assessed and the appropriate UN number determined.
Flammability
Regarding essential oils and fragrance oils, several key factors dictate which specific four-digit UN number is assigned. One of them is flammability. Two important properties when assessing flammability are the flash point and initial boiling point. This information must be scientifically determined through laboratory testing, and should be found in Section 9 of the products’s SDS.
Under the UN dangerous goods transport classification system, Class 3 – Flammable Liquids is divided into three Packing Groups according to the degree of danger. The principal criteria are the flash point (closed-cup) and initial boiling point:
- Packing Group I (high danger): Initial boiling point ≤35°C
- Packing Group II (medium danger): Flash point <23°C and initial boiling point >35°C
- Packing Group III (low danger): Flash point ≥23°C and ≤60°C, and initial boiling point >35°C
Proper shipping names
Every UN number corresponds to one or more specific proper shipping names.
Depending on the exact botanical source and composition, essential oils usually fall under specific or generic UN entries:
- UN1197 – Extracts, liquid, for flavour or aroma. This is one of the most common UN numbers used for a wide variety of botanical essential oils.
- UN3082 – Environmentally hazardous substance, liquid, n.o.s. . This indicates that if the oil leaks or spills into waterways during transit, it poses a severe toxic threat to aquatic life and long-term environmental damage.
- UN 1993 – Flammable liquid, n.o.s. Used as a generic "Not Otherwise Specified" classification if an oil does not fit a more precise category but still meets Class 3 flammability criteria.
- UN 1272 (Pine oil): Used specifically for pure pine-derived essential oils.
What needs to be checked before shipping essential oils by air?
Before an essential oil is shipped by air, several questions need to be answered.
Is it a Class 3 flammable liquid? If so, which Packing Group applies? Are there other hazards that need to be considered for transport? What is the appropriate UN number? And what packaging and preparation requirements apply?
Only after these transport conditions have been established can more specific requirements be determined, such as the quantity that may be transported, the inner and outer packaging to be used, the required marks and labels, and any declarations or documentation that need to be prepared.
Requirements for inner and outer packaging, quantity per package, packing methods, marking, labelling and documentation can all vary depending on the dangerous goods classification, Packing Group, quantity and method of transport.
In addition, individual airlines and carriers may impose their own restrictions or acceptance requirements for dangerous goods. The requirements of the airline or carrier being used therefore also need to be checked before shipment.
There are rules for Dangerous Goods packaging, too
Packaging requirements vary according to factors such as the dangerous goods classification, Packing Group and method of transport.
Depending on the applicable regulations and Packing Instruction, dangerous goods transported by air may require UN specification packaging, while in some circumstances packaging without a UN specification mark may be permitted.
One option is to use packaging that conforms to UN specifications, commonly referred to as UN-certified packaging. Such packaging is designed and tested according to standards established for the transport of dangerous goods and normally carries a UN specification mark. This mark provides information about the type of packaging and the performance level to which it has been tested.
Depending on the applicable Packing Instruction and method of transport, the use of non-UN specification packaging may also be permitted. This does not mean that any ordinary packaging can be used. The packaging must still meet the applicable requirements and, depending on the regulations, may be required to pass performance tests such as a drop test or stacking test. Where such tests are conducted, it is also important to document the results and retain the relevant records.
The extent to which these records must be submitted can vary between carriers. Some may not request packaging test records for every shipment, while others may require packaging test reports, packing procedures or other supporting documentation before accepting dangerous goods from a shipper.
There are rules for the people handling Dangerous Goods, too
Air transport regulations do not concern packaging alone. People who prepare dangerous goods for transport are also required to have appropriate training and competence according to the functions they perform and the responsibilities they hold. In practice, some carriers may require shippers to provide evidence that the personnel responsible for dangerous goods have received the necessary education or training before they will accept such shipments.
For an essential oil manufacturer, understanding dangerous goods transport therefore means much more than simply “choosing the right box.” It means correctly classifying the product, packing it appropriately, applying the required marks and labels, preparing the necessary documentation, and understanding the responsibilities that come with offering dangerous goods for transport.
What the customer ultimately sees may be no more than a bottle of essential oil and its packaging. Yet between the place where that bottle was made and the moment it reaches the customer's hands, there are many checks and preparations that are rarely visible.
What lies behind a single bottle of essential oil
At areme, we do not believe that our work as a manufacturer ends when an essential oil has been distilled, quality-checked and filled into a bottle. To deliver our products to different parts of the world, we need to understand not only their raw materials and quality, but also how they should be stored, packed and transported safely.
A bottle of essential oil may look small and simple. Yet before that bottle can be loaded onto an international flight, there are many steps involved: reviewing the SDS, determining its transport classification, understanding the applicable IATA requirements, selecting appropriate packaging, carrying out any required performance tests, preparing marks and labels, maintaining the necessary documentation and records, and confirming the acceptance requirements of the carrier. All of this requires time, knowledge, care and cost.
Shipping essential oils by air is, in fact, far from simple. But going through this process has also led us to think more broadly about what it means to truly understand the products we make.
Understanding an essential oil is not only about knowing where its plant comes from, how it is extracted, or what constituents and aroma it has. It also means understanding the properties of the oil itself, the risks it may present during transport, and the responsibility we have as its maker from the place where it is produced to the moment it reaches the person who will use it.
For us, the work behind an essential oil does not end when the product is made. It continues until it reaches the people who use it safely.