Must-Read for Beauty Brands Going Global: How to Obtain IMO/ICAO Dual Certifications for Lithium Battery-Powered Products?

Introduction: Dual Certifications – The “Global Pass” for Lithium Battery-Powered Beauty Tools

As the trend of beauty tech intensifies, lithium battery-powered beauty tools (such as electric eyelash curlers, rechargeable facial devices, and portable nail lamps) have become a new growth driver for brands expanding overseas. However, due to their lithium battery components, these products must obtain dual certifications from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to ensure compliant transportation via sea and air. According to 2025 data, uncertified lithium battery-powered beauty products face a 68% detention rate during cross-border transportation, with an average port detention time exceeding 14 days—directly causing brands to miss sales windows.

This article will provide actionable dual-certification solutions for beauty brands from four dimensions: core definitions of dual certifications, adaptation requirements for beauty products, end-to-end certification processes, and risk mitigation strategies—helping products break through global transportation barriers smoothly.

I. Decoding IMO/ICAO Dual Certifications: The Compliance Foundation for Lithium Battery-Powered Beauty Products

IMO and ICAO dual certifications are not standalone certificates but two sets of standards for lithium battery transportation safety, tailored to sea and air transport scenarios respectively. They differ significantly in certification focus and testing items.

(1) Core Definitions and Scope of Application of Dual Certifications

1. IMO Certification: The “Safety Threshold” for Sea Transport

Based on the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG Code), IMO certification applies to all lithium battery products transported by sea. For beauty tools, IMO focuses on “capacity safety” and “packaging impact resistance”—for example, electric facial devices with lithium batteries exceeding 100Wh require additional “overcharge protection testing” to prevent fire risks caused by turbulence or high temperatures during sea transport.

2. ICAO Certification: The “Strict Benchmark” for Air Transport

Aligned with the Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air (TI), ICAO certification imposes stricter requirements on lithium batteries to adapt to high-altitude, low-pressure air transport environments. Even compact beauty tools (e.g., mini rechargeable nail lamps) with lithium batteries as small as 20Wh must pass “low-pressure simulation testing” and “temperature cycle testing” to verify stability under extreme air transport conditions.

(2) Core Differences Between Dual Certifications for Lithium Battery-Powered Beauty Products

Note: 2025 editions of dual certification standards apply. UN numbers are classified by lithium battery type: UN3090 for lithium metal batteries, UN3480 for lithium-ion batteries.

II. “Special Adaptation” for Beauty Products: Key Considerations in Dual Certifications

Unlike 3C or home appliance products, lithium battery-powered beauty tools feature “small size, high integration, and human-centric usage scenarios,” creating three unique challenges in dual certifications that require targeted solutions.

(1) Challenge 1: Testing Difficulties for “Integrated Battery-Body Design”

Most beauty tools (e.g., electric facial cleansers) use non-removable lithium battery designs, making traditional testing methods (e.g., testing batteries independently) ineffective. To address this, certification bodies require:

• The entire product must be included in testing. For example, in the “impact resistance test,” the product is dropped from 1.2 meters onto a concrete surface—testing not only requires no battery leakage but also ensures no cracks in the body casing and no internal circuit short circuits.
• Submission of product disassembly diagrams and circuit schematics, clearly marking how lithium batteries are fixed inside the body. If adhesive is used, additional “post-high-temperature aging fixation strength testing” is required to prevent battery displacement due to temperature changes during sea transport.

(2) Challenge 2: Compatibility Verification Between Beauty Ingredients and Batteries

Some beauty tools (e.g., essence-infused facial devices) come into contact with liquid beauty ingredients. IMO/ICAO mandates additional “compatibility testing”:

• Lithium batteries are exposed to common beauty ingredients (e.g., alcohol, serums, makeup removers) at a 1:1 ratio for 72 hours. A voltage fluctuation exceeding 0.1V results in failure.
• Packaging must include a “leak-proof barrier layer”—for example, adding a silicone gasket between the battery compartment and product casing to prevent beauty ingredient leakage from contacting lithium batteries and causing safety hazards.

(3) Challenge 3: Balancing Portability and Safety

Beauty tools prioritize “compact portability,” often using micro-lithium batteries (e.g., 15Wh cylindrical batteries), which tend to fail “current stability” requirements. ICAO specifically requires:

• Micro-lithium batteries undergo “continuous discharge testing”: discharging at 0.5C rate at 25℃ for 10 hours, with a stable discharge curve and no sudden drops.
• Products must be equipped with “dual protection circuits”—preventing overcharging (automatic power-off when charging voltage exceeds 4.2V) and short circuits (fuse activation when short-circuit current exceeds 5A).

III. End-to-End Certification Path: A 6-Step Implementation Guide for Beauty Brands

From document preparation to certificate acquisition, lithium battery-powered beauty products require 6 key steps to obtain dual certifications, taking approximately 45-60 days. Brands must plan timelines carefully to avoid delaying overseas expansion.

(1) Step 1: Product Classification and UN Number Confirmation (1-3 Days)

• First, identify the lithium battery type: lithium-ion batteries (e.g., 18650 batteries commonly used in facial devices) correspond to UN3480; lithium metal batteries (e.g., lithium-manganese batteries in some portable nail lamps) correspond to UN3090.
• Entrust third-party testing organizations (e.g., SGS, Intertek) to conduct “initial capacity assessment.” For example, an electric eyelash curler with an 85Wh lithium battery requires full testing per UN3480 standards; if capacity is only 8Wh, IMO allows simplified testing.

(2) Step 2: Technical Document Preparation (5-7 Days)

Submit the following documents to certification bodies, ensuring completeness and accuracy:

• Product technical specifications: Including lithium battery model, capacity, voltage, charging current, and overall product dimensions, weight, and material descriptions.
• Battery safety design documents: Detailing protection circuit principles, battery fixation methods, and leak-proof measures (e.g., silicone gasket material model).
• Sample photos: Clearly showing the internal structure of the battery compartment and product label positions (for subsequent dangerous goods label simulation).

(3) Step 3: Execution of Core Test Items (15-20 Days)

Per IMO/ICAO requirements, lithium battery-powered beauty products must complete 8 core tests, with adjustments based on product type:

(4) Step 4: Test Failure Rectification (7-10 Days)

Common test failures and rectification solutions:

• Failure 1: 15% battery capacity decay after temperature cycle test → Rectification: Replace cathode materials with higher quality alternatives (e.g., ternary lithium instead of LFP) to improve low-temperature stability.
• Failure 2: 0.2V voltage fluctuation in compatibility test → Rectification: Add PTFE isolation film in the battery compartment to block direct contact between beauty ingredients and batteries.
• Failure 3: Casing deformation in low-pressure test → Rectification: Replace ordinary ABS with ABS+PC composite material to enhance anti-deformation resistance.

(5) Step 5: Packaging Compliance Verification (3-5 Days)

Dual certifications impose clear packaging requirements, requiring two verifications:

1. Packaging Strength Test: IMO requires packaging to withstand 50kg static pressure for 30 minutes without damage; ICAO requires packaging to be dropped from 1.8m onto hardwood with no internal cushion displacement.
2. Label Compliance Check: “Lithium battery dangerous goods labels” (diamond-shaped, red background, minimum size 100mm×100mm) and “orientation labels” (marked “This Side Up”) must be affixed to packaging surfaces. Labels must use waterproof materials to prevent falling off during sea transport.

(6) Step 6: Certificate Acquisition and Regular Renewal (5-7 Days)

• After passing tests and packaging verification, certification bodies issue the IMO Maritime Dangerous Goods Transport Condition Assessment Certificate and ICAO Air Transport Condition Assessment Certificate, valid for 1 year.
• Annual “re-audits” are required. If product design remains unchanged, simplified testing (only 3 key tests) applies, taking approximately 15 days and costing 40% less than initial certification.

IV. Risk Mitigation and Cost Optimization: Practical Tips for Beauty Brands

During dual certification, brands often face cost overruns or delays due to insufficient document preparation or misaligned testing focus. The following 4 tips effectively mitigate risks and reduce costs:

(1) Tip 1: Pre-Communication with Certification Bodies

Choose organizations with experience in beauty product certification (e.g., SGS Beauty Division, Intertek Consumer Electronics Team) and conduct 1-2 technical communications before testing:

• Clearly communicate “beauty scenario characteristics” (e.g., product use in bathrooms with high humidity) to proactively add “humidity cycle testing” (48h at 90% humidity) and avoid rework due to scenario mismatches.
• Obtain “beauty product test checklists” from the organization, which highlight high-frequency failure points for beauty products (e.g., compatibility testing, leak-proof design) to prepare documents targetedly.

(2) Tip 2: Bulk Certification to Reduce Unit Costs

For brands with multiple lithium battery-powered beauty products (e.g., electric eyelash curlers, facial devices, nail lamps), apply for “series product certification”:

• Select one representative product (e.g., the facial device with the largest capacity and most complex structure) for full testing. Other products with only cosmetic differences (e.g., color, appearance) only require “differential testing” (e.g., packaging size adaptation checks), reducing per-product certification costs by 30%-50%.
• Sign “annual cooperation agreements” with certification bodies to cap annual certification costs and avoid cost overruns from additional tests.

(3) Tip 3: Leverage “Regional Mutual Recognition” to Shorten Cycles

Some regions have mutual recognition policies for IMO/ICAO certifications, which can accelerate overseas expansion:

• Products with EU CE certification (including lithium battery safety standard EN 62133) are exempt from “overcharge testing” and “short circuit testing” when applying for IMO certification, shortening cycles by 10 days.
• In the U.S. market, products certified by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) are directly recognized for ICAO compliance, eliminating duplicate testing.

(4) Tip 4: Establish “Certification Files” for Customs Inspections

After certification, establish comprehensive files including:

• Scanned copies of dual certification certificates and original test reports (with certification body stamps on every page).
• A product batch-certificate correspondence table (e.g., electric facial devices produced in March 2025 correspond to Certificate No. IMO-2025-0389).
• Packaging label samples (with photos of label positions) to quickly prove compliance during customs inspections.

V. Case Study: A Beauty Brand’s Practical Experience with Dual Certifications

(1) Case Background

A Chinese beauty brand planned to export a new “rechargeable essence-infused facial device” to European and U.S. markets. The product contained an 18650 lithium-ion battery (95Wh) and required IMO/ICAO dual certifications for sea and air transport.

(2) Key Certification Actions

1. Preparations: Entrusted SGS for initial assessment, confirming UN3480 classification. Due to its 95Wh capacity (close to the 100Wh threshold), full standard testing was required.
2. Test Rectification: In the first temperature cycle test, battery capacity decayed by 12% (exceeding the 10% limit). The solution was replacing the cathode material from LiCoO₂ to LiNiCoMnO₂, reducing decay to 8% in the second test.
3. Packaging Optimization: Added a silicone gasket + PTFE isolation film in the battery compartment for beauty ingredient compatibility, passing the 72h compatibility test with only 0.05V voltage fluctuation.
4. Cost Control: Applied for series certification for three products (facial device, electric eyelash curler, nail lamp), reducing total certification costs by 42% and shortening the cycle from 60 to 45 days.

(3) Implementation Results

The product successfully obtained dual certifications, with 0% detention rate for sea transport to Europe and an average customs clearance time of only 2 days for air transport to the U.S. Within 3 months of launch, sales of lithium battery-powered beauty tools accounted for 35% of the brand’s overseas revenue—an increase of 22 percentage points compared to pre-certification levels.

VI. Conclusion: Beauty Brand Global Competitiveness Behind Dual Certifications

IMO/ICAO dual certifications are not merely “compliance costs” but a “competitive moat” for beauty brands going global. In an era where consumers increasingly value product safety and transportation timeliness, certified products not only avoid detention risks but also earn “compliance labels” on cross-border platforms (e.g., Amazon, Sephora), enhancing consumer trust.

Looking ahead, as global regulations on lithium battery transport safety tighten, dual certifications will shift from “optional” to “mandatory.” Beauty brands must plan ahead, integrating dual certification requirements into early product development (e.g., reserving battery testing space, selecting compliant materials) rather than addressing issues retroactively—to gain an edge in the fierce global competition.