Trademark Class 3: Cosmetics and Cleaning Preparations
Non-medicated cosmetics and toiletries — soaps, perfumery, essential oils, hair care, dentifrices — plus bleaching and other laundry preparations, and cleaning, polishing, scouring and abrasive preparations.
What Class 3 covers in practice.
Class 3 covers non-medicated cosmetics and toiletries: skin, hair and nail care, make-up, soaps, shampoos, toothpaste and mouthwash without medical claims, deodorants for people and animals, perfumes, attar, and essential oils for cosmetic or fragrancing use. It also includes incense such as agarbatti and dhoop, room fragrances, laundry detergents and bleach, dishwashing and household cleaning preparations, polishes such as shoe polish and floor wax, and abrasives like sandpaper.
The dividing line is purpose and claim. Medicated shampoos, soaps, lotions and dentifrices go to Class 5, as do deodorants for rooms or objects. Ingredients sold to cosmetic manufacturers are Class 1, brushes, combs, sponges and cleaning cloths are Class 21, and emery boards and razors are Class 8. Indian filers include herbal and Ayurvedic cosmetic brands, soap and detergent makers, hair-oil brands, Kannauj attar houses, agarbatti makers and floor-cleaner manufacturers.
Not in Class 3
Goods and services often confused with this class, and the class they actually belong to.
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Medicated shampoos, soaps, lotions and toothpaste Class 5 ↗
The Class 3 note sends medicated shampoos, soaps, lotions and dentifrices to Class 5 with other medical preparations.
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Air deodorisers that neutralise smells in rooms or toilets Class 5 ↗
Deodorants other than for people or animals are excluded from Class 3, and the list places air deodorising preparations in Class 5; room fragrancing preparations stay in Class 3.
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Cosmetic ingredients such as vitamins, preservatives and essential oils for manufacture Class 1 ↗
The note excludes ingredients for use in making cosmetics, which are industrial chemicals in Class 1.
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Make-up brushes, combs, sponges and cleaning cloths Class 21 ↗
The note sends cosmetic and cleaning instruments, such as make-up brushes and cloths, pads and rags for cleaning, to Class 21, although cloths already impregnated with detergent stay in Class 3.
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Emery boards, nail clippers and razors Class 8 ↗
The Class 3 note excludes emery boards, and the Class 21 note places razors and nail clippers in Class 8 as hand implements.
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Scented candles Class 4 ↗
Perfumed candles are listed in Class 4 with other candles; only massage candles for cosmetic purposes are Class 3.
What actually falls under Class 3.
The official heading is a legal category, not a shopping list — here are specific products and services from Class 3 people actually search for.
Bleaching preparations (laundry)
Cosmetic essential oils
Cosmetic wipes and baby wipes
Wipes impregnated with disinfectants for hygiene purposes are Class 5.
Cosmetics / skincare products
Deodorants / antiperspirants
Fabric softeners for laundry
Face wash / cleansers
Floor wax and furniture polish
Hair dye / hair colour
Hair oil
Henna / mehendi cones (cosmetic use)
Household cleaning preparations
Products sold as disinfectants for killing germs are Class 5.
Incense sticks / agarbatti / dhoop
Agarbatti, dhoop and incense cones are classified under Class 3 (fragrances), the same class as perfumes and cosmetics — not under Class 30 (food/staples) where people sometimes assume "sticks" belong.
Mouthwash, not for medical purposes
Mouthwashes for medical purposes are Class 5.
Nail polish / nail care products
Non-medicated toothpaste
Perfumes / attar
Room fragrances and reed diffusers
Air deodorising preparations that neutralise odours are Class 5; air fragrancing preparations and reed diffusers are Class 3.
Rose water (cosmetic floral water)
Floral water for medicinal purposes is Class 5.
Sandpaper and abrasive paper
Shampoo and hair care products
Shaving preparations and after-shave lotions
Medicated after-shave lotions are Class 5.
Shoe polish
Soaps and detergents
Sunscreen (cosmetic, non-medicated)
Talcum powder
Teeth whitening (dental bleaching) gels
Which class is my product or service in?
Straight answers for the specific items people search for under Class 3.
It depends on the claim, not the ingredients. A herbal face pack, shampoo or hair oil sold for beauty or grooming is Class 3, where the list includes phytocosmetic preparations and herbal extracts for cosmetic purposes. A product sold to treat a condition, such as acne treatment preparations or pharmaceutical preparations for treating dandruff, is Class 5. Brands selling both kinds often file in both classes.
All three are possible. Essential oils for cosmetic use or for fragrancing are Class 3. Essential oils sold as a raw ingredient to manufacturers are Class 1. Aromatherapy oils are listed in Class 5. Match the class to how the oil is labelled and sold; a brand selling retail packs and bulk oil to factories may need Class 3 and Class 1.
Class 5. Ordinary agarbatti, dhoop and joss sticks are Class 3 because they are fragrance products, but the Nice list places insect repellent incense in Class 5 with other insect repellents. A brand selling both fragrance agarbatti and mosquito-repellent sticks should cover both classes. Plug-in diffusers for mosquito repellents are a separate item in Class 21.
A product sold for cleaning, such as floor cleaner, dishwash or drain-unblocking preparations, is Class 3. A product sold as a disinfectant, to kill germs, is Class 5, where disinfectants and disinfectants for hygiene purposes are listed. Many floor and toilet cleaners in India are marketed on both grounds, so filing in Class 3 and Class 5 is common.
Class 3 protects the brand on the products themselves. Class 35 becomes relevant if the name is also used for an online or physical store bringing together a range of goods for customers. A salon or spa offering beauty treatments falls under Class 44, which lists beauty salon services. Choose classes by what the name will actually be used on.
Non-medicated cosmetics and toiletries — soaps, perfumery, essential oils, hair care, dentifrices — plus bleaching and other laundry preparations, and cleaning, polishing, scouring and abrasive preparations.
Common examples include: Bleaching preparations (laundry), Cosmetic essential oils, Cosmetic wipes and baby wipes, Cosmetics / skincare products, Deodorants / antiperspirants, Fabric softeners for laundry, Face wash / cleansers, Floor wax and furniture polish.
Cosmetics / skincare products falls under Trademark Class 3 — Cosmetics and Cleaning Preparations.
Soaps and detergents falls under Trademark Class 3 — Cosmetics and Cleaning Preparations.
Shampoo and hair care products falls under Trademark Class 3 — Cosmetics and Cleaning Preparations.
Perfumes / attar falls under Trademark Class 3 — Cosmetics and Cleaning Preparations.
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