There are plenty of brands in market with face wipes (wet wipes); some for oily skin some for moisturizing etc. In this article we will look at two of these products and their transport classification as per IMDG Code.

  1. Clearasil Daily Care Deep Cleansing Wipes &

Both are cleansing wet wipes but one of this needs to be transported as dangerous goods if consigned as cargo by sea.

To understand the difference we will look at the ingredients of each of these products

1. Clearasil Daily Care Deep Cleansing Wipes
2. Clearasil Ultra Deep Pore Face Wipes
Ingredients Water, Propylne Glycol. Polysorbate 20, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil. Malic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Pyrus Malus, Dichlorobenzyl Alcohol, Cetypyridinuim Chloride, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid. Hydrogen Peroxide, Ethanol, Salicylic Acid, and other inert ingredients.

Product 1 Clearasil Daily Care Deep Cleansing Wipes

All the ingredients combined with the percentage does not have any properties of danger according to IMDG Code classification. This product does not have properties of explosives, flammable liquids or solids, oxidizing substances, toxicity, radioactivity or corrosive effect hence product one when offered as cargo by sea goes as non-hazardous.

Product 2 Clearasil Ultra Deep Pore Face Wipes

The main ingredient is Ethanol which is a flammable liquid. The wipe has absorbed the liquid ethanol without any free flowing liquid visible. The product is solid and is readily flammable due to the presence of ethanol. Due to the flammability of the absorbed liquid this is classified under SOLIDS CONTAINING FLAMMABLE LIQUID, N.O.S. UN 3175, Packing Group II.

If we have above two products as cargo by Sea product 1 will go as non –hazardous and product 2 will go as hazardous with dangerous goods declaration, marking, labelling, placarding and other related provisions applicable.

Above details of ingredients and classification are taken from the manufacturer’s website which may be modified by the manufacturer. The writer does not promote any product for their usage or suggest advantage of one product over other but has only given an example that certain products which we use in daily life may be considered as dangerous goods as per transport regulations. To check applicability, limitations and or exemptions for each mode of transport responsible person shall refer the respective regulations.


By shashi kallada

25 years in Merchant Shipping, Last 13 years working on Packaged Dangerous Goods Sailor, Ex Manager Global Dangerous Goods Maersk Line * Freelance Photographer *Amateur Cyclist

2 thoughts on “Face wipes”
  1. The manufacturer of the Ethanol Wipe should consider SP 216 (A46 IATA) within the Regulations
    “sealed packets and articles containing less than 10ml of a PGII or PGIII flammable liquid absorbed into a solid material are not subject to the provisions of this code provided there is no free liquid in the packet or article”.
    This exemption specifically addressed such items as well as marker pens

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