Globally recognised barcodes for your cosmetics
GS1 standards and barcodes provide trusted, globally recognised identification for health and beauty products sold across retailers, pharmacies and online marketplaces.
They ensure cosmetic products are accurately scanned, consistently identified, and reliably traced throughout the supply chain, supporting both commercial and regulatory requirements.
From individual SKUs and shade or size variations to multipacks and outer cases, GS1 standards help manage product data, improve stock control and support batch and date tracking.
Joining GS1 UK gives beauty brands official identifiers, expert guidance and a dependable foundation for compliant, scalable growth.
Get a barcode for your beauty products in three simple steps
Sign up
Activate your membership
Log in to My GS1 & start selling
Benefits of barcodes in beauty
Clear identification across product ranges
Assign a unique identity to each cosmetic and skincare product, including differences in formulation, shade, size, or finish, so product data stays accurate and aligned across systems, partners and sales channels.
Smoother in store and fulfilment operations
Support quick, reliable scanning at tills, in stockrooms and during order fulfilment, reducing reliance on manual checks and helping beauty retailers and brands keep operations running efficiently.
Better control of stock and launches
Get better oversight of inventory across stores and online platforms, making it easier to manage high-turnover items, seasonal collections, promotional lines and frequent product updates.
Fewer listing and fulfilment mistakes
Share consistent, trusted product information with retailers and marketplaces, helping prevent incorrect listings, shade or variant mix-ups and shipping errors that often result in unnecessary returns.
Enhanced traceability and compliance
Maintain accurate identification throughout the supply chain to support batch tracking, product withdrawals and compliance with cosmetic regulations, from manufacture through to sale.
Prepared for evolving industry expectations
Enable newer barcode formats and digital data access, supporting product transparency, authentication and richer consumer information as industry standards and shopper expectations continue to evolve.
Transform standards worldwide
GS1 delivers the traceability and data sharing infrastructure that allows business and consumers to make sustainable and safe choices. For more than 50 years we have helped our members to adapt, thrive and make ambitious improvements.
To this day, our globally recognised standards remain essential for powering the ability to identify, capture and share interoperable data.
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scans of GS1 barcodes every day
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Membership plans
GS1 UK membership is flexible and based on your annual turnover, making it suitable for small beauty brands through to industry-leading household names brands. Pricing starts from £50 per year, with scalable packages to support expanding product ranges, pack formats and distribution channels.
| Turnover | Number of GTINs & barcodes | Price (ex VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| Up to £99,999 | 10 | £50/year |
| £100,000 - £499,999 | 100 | £100/year |
| £500,000 - £999,999 | 1,000 | £130/year |
| £1,000,000 - £9,999,999 | 1,000 | £200/year |
| £10,000,000 - £49,999,999 | 10,000 | £450/year |
| £50,000,000 - £249,999,999 | 10,000 | £1,750/year |
| £250,000,000 - £999,999,999 | 100,000 | £3,250/year |
| Over £1,000,000,000 | 100,000 | £4,250/year |
Select your annual turnover
Your membership plan will include:
- GTINs & barcodes
- 1 GS1 Company Prefix (GCP)
- Access to GS1 standards
- Access to partner networks
- Free support and training
Types of barcode used in beauty
Different barcode types support different cosmetic and skincare use cases, depending on packaging size, retail environment, and the level of traceability or regulatory data required.
EAN-13
The standard retail barcode used globally on individual cosmetics and skincare products, enabling fast, accurate scanning at checkout and consistent identification across retailers and marketplaces.
QR codes powered by GS1
Increasingly used in beauty to support richer product information, batch and date access, authentication and enhanced transparency for regulators, retailers and consumers.
EAN-8
Designed for small or limited packaging, such as travel sizes, lip products, or compact cosmetics where standard retail barcodes cannot comfortably fit.
ITF-14
Applied to outer cases and cartons, supporting warehouse scanning, bulk handling and distribution of grouped beauty products.
GS1-128
Used primarily in logistics and distribution, allowing additional data such as batch or lot numbers to support traceability, recalls and stock control within the beauty supply chain.
Benefits of choosing GS1 UK for your health & beauty barcodes
Globally recognised product identification
We provide internationally recognised identifiers for cosmetics and personal care products, ensuring items are consistently identified, accurately scanned and trusted by retailers, pharmacies and marketplaces worldwide.
Retailer and marketplace confidence
Used by leading beauty retailers and online platforms, GS1 barcodes help ensure smooth product listings, reduce data mismatches and support faster onboarding when launching or expanding beauty ranges.
Compliance and traceability support
GS1 standards help beauty brands meet regulatory expectations by supporting clear product identification, batch and lot tracking and effective recalls or withdrawals when required.
Easy-to-use product management tools
Manage growing beauty ranges with intuitive online tools that make it simple to create, assign, and track GTINs across formulations, shades, sizes and packaging variations.
Expert UK-based guidance
Access knowledgeable UK-based specialists who understand the health and beauty sector and can support you with barcode allocation, best practices and evolving compliance requirements.
Industry insight and innovation
Benefit from GS1 UK’s beauty-focused resources, insights, and collaboration across the sector, helping you stay aligned with retail standards, regulatory change and emerging consumer expectations.
See how GS1 standards are helping beauty brands grow
Get a barcode for your cosmetics & beauty business today
Join GS1 UK to give your cosmetics and personal care products trusted, globally recognised identifiers used by beauty retailers, pharmacies and online marketplaces worldwide. GS1 barcodes help health and beauty brands trade with confidence by supporting accurate scanning, reliable product data, and clear traceability across every channel.
With a simple sign-up process, flexible membership pricing based on turnover, and access to expert UK-based support, getting started is straightforward. You’ll receive official GTINs, intuitive tools to manage product ranges and variants, and a robust foundation for compliant, scalable growth.
