Can I Send Ayurvedic Products to South Korea? (2026 Rules for Cosmetics, Herbs & Supplements)
Ayurvedic hair oils, ubtan, herbal soaps and supplements are hugely popular with the Indian community in Korea. The rules depend on the product type — here's how cosmetics, herbs and supplements each clear.
Key takeaways
- Ayurvedic personal-care (hair oil, ubtan, herbal soap) ships as cosmetics in personal quantities.
- Ayurvedic supplements/churna count as health-functional food — keep to personal limits (~6 units).
- Products with drug-like or restricted actives (e.g. certain bhasmas) can be barred; sealed, labelled goods clear best.
- Bulk/resale is a commercial import with CDSCO-style compliance we handle separately.
Quick answer — it depends on the product type
Ayurvedic products split into three buckets for Korea. Personal-care cosmetics (hair oils, ubtan, herbal soaps, face packs) ship as cosmetics in personal quantities. Supplements and churna count as health-functional food with a ~6-unit personal limit. Anything with drug-like or heavy-metal actives (certain bhasmas) can be restricted or barred. Sealed, labelled, honestly-declared products clear best.
Ayurvedic cosmetics — the easy bucket
Hair oils, ubtan and multani powders, herbal soaps, henna and face packs ship as personal cosmetics. Keep them sealed with ingredient labels, avoid therapeutic claims on the packaging, and they clear as ordinary personal-care goods.
Supplements and churna — mind the limit
Ashwagandha, triphala, chyawanprash and similar are health-functional foods in Korea's eyes, capped at roughly 6 units for personal use and excluded from fast list clearance. Keep quantities modest and labels intact.
The restricted end
Preparations with drug-like actives, or classical bhasmas that may contain regulated metals, can be restricted or refused. If a product markets itself as treating a condition, it may be handled as medicine. When unsure, we check the ingredient list before shipping.
Packing oils and powders
Oils are the main hazard: seal caps, bag each bottle, and cushion glass so nothing leaks. Powders should stay in sealed retail packs, double-bagged. A leak both fails screening and ruins the parcel.
Tax and DDP
Personal ayurvedic boxes usually sit under the USD 150 CIF line with no tax. If combined value exceeds it, DDP pre-pays duty and VAT. For commercial cosmetics imports, separate duty and CDSCO-style compliance apply — a route we handle for resellers.
Booking and checks
Send label photos to WhatsApp +91 78003 20078 and we'll classify each product and flag any restricted actives before pickup. Related: ayurvedic products export to Korea (business), can I send vitamins & supplements, restricted items to Korea.
