Trademark Classes · Class 3
Class 3 covers cosmetics, perfumery, skincare, haircare, and non-medicated toiletries, plus cleaning preparations, soaps, and detergents. Here is what it includes, what it excludes, and how to word it.
Class 3 is a goods class covering non-medicated cosmetics and toiletry preparations, together with cleaning and laundry preparations. It includes perfumery, essential oils, skincare, haircare, make-up, soaps, dentifrices, and non-medicated toiletries, alongside detergents, polishes, and abrasive cleaning products.
It is one of the most commercially important goods classes, home to the entire beauty, personal care, and household cleaning market. The key limit is the word non-medicated: anything with a medical or therapeutic claim moves to Class 5. This page is part of our full guide to all 45 trademark classes, and to how protection works across jurisdictions in our overview of trademark law and protection.
Work out whether your product or service genuinely sits in Class 3 before you file, because a wrong class protects the wrong thing.
Cosmetics and make-up brands, skincare and haircare businesses, perfume and fragrance houses, soap and toiletry makers, and manufacturers of household cleaning products, detergents, and polishes. If you sell a non-medicated personal care or cleaning product, Class 3 is very likely your class. Our trademark class search helps you check which classes fit before you file.
The most common Class 3 mistakes come from classifying by the wrong feature. These closely related items sit elsewhere:
Anything with a therapeutic or medical claim, medicated shampoo, acne treatment, antibacterial products, is Class 5, not Class 3. The medical claim is what moves it.
Bulk industrial chemicals are Class 1. Class 3 is the finished, packaged consumer product.
Hairdryers and electric razors are not Class 3; the cosmetic preparation is Class 3, the device is elsewhere.
The Registry expects specific, standardised descriptions, not vague terms. Here are examples of clear, acceptable Class 3 wording:
| Instead of (vague) | Use (standardised) |
|---|---|
| “Cosmetics” | “Non-medicated cosmetics” · “Make-up preparations” |
| “Skincare” | “Non-medicated skin care preparations” · “Face creams” |
| “Cleaning products” | “Laundry detergents” · “All-purpose cleaning preparations” |
| “Perfume” | “Perfumes” · “Eau de parfum” · “Essential oils for personal use” |
Each entry is specific and standardised. These are illustrative examples of acceptable phrasing, not legal advice for your filing; your exact wording should be drawn from the current NICE Classification and tailored to what your business actually does. Wording is a common cause of objections whether you file in India, the United States, Argentina, or elsewhere. For filing across several countries at once, see our global registration guide.
Class 3 covers non-medicated cosmetics and toiletries, including perfumery, essential oils, skincare, haircare, make-up, soaps, and dentifrices, together with cleaning preparations such as detergents, polishes, and abrasives. It is home to the beauty, personal care, and household cleaning markets. The key limit is that the products must be non-medicated; anything with a therapeutic or medical claim belongs in Class 5.
Cosmetics and make-up brands, skincare and haircare businesses, perfume houses, soap and toiletry makers, and manufacturers of household cleaning products and detergents. If you sell a non-medicated personal care product or a cleaning product, Class 3 is likely your class. Products making a medical or therapeutic claim would move to Class 5.
Class 3 covers non-medicated cosmetics, toiletries, and cleaning products. Class 5 covers pharmaceutical and medicated preparations. The dividing line is the claim: a plain moisturiser is Class 3, but a medicated cream treating a skin condition is Class 5. Similarly, ordinary shampoo is Class 3, while anti-dandruff or medicated shampoo can be Class 5. The therapeutic claim moves the product.
Yes. Household and industrial cleaning preparations, detergents, soaps, polishes, and abrasive cleaning products are classified in Class 3, alongside cosmetics and toiletries. The class covers both personal care and cleaning because both are, in classification terms, preparations for cleaning and grooming.
Use specific, standardised terms, and include non-medicated where relevant, since this keeps the goods clearly within Class 3. Examples include non-medicated cosmetics, non-medicated skin care preparations, perfumes, and laundry detergents. Draw wording from the current NICE Classification and tailor it to your actual products, as vague descriptions are a common cause of objections.
Whether you are protecting your brand in one market or several, we identify the classes you need and handle registration worldwide, worded to avoid an avoidable objection.
