Trademark Class 3: Cosmetics & Cleaning Preparations
Class 3 covers non-medicated cosmetics, skincare, haircare, fragrance, soap, and cleaning preparations.
Class 3 covers cosmetics & cleaning preparations. The USPTO charges $350 per class. With MARQ, a one-class federal registration is $849 all in — a flat $499 attorney fee plus the $350 USPTO fee at cost.
Class 3 is the beauty and cleaning class: skincare, makeup, haircare, fragrance, soap, deodorant, toothpaste, candles’ scented cousins in the cosmetic aisle, and non-medicated cleaning preparations for the home. It is one of the two or three classes that dominate new direct-to-consumer filings.
The class covers a striking range — a luxury serum and a bottle of dish soap are both Class 3 — because the USPTO organizes by what the product is, not who buys it. What matters for a beauty brand is the boundary with Class 5: the moment a product claims to treat something, it moves.
What Class 3 covers
- Non-medicated skincare: cleansers, serums, moisturizers, masks
- Cosmetics and makeup
- Haircare: shampoo, conditioner, styling products
- Perfume, cologne, and fragrance
- Soap, body wash, and bath preparations
- Deodorants and antiperspirants (non-medicated)
- Nail polish and nail care preparations
- Non-medicated toothpaste and mouthwash
- Household cleaning preparations, laundry detergent
Typical Class 3 identifications: “Non-medicated skin care preparations; Cosmetics; Facial cleansers; Hair shampoo; Perfume; Bar soap; Laundry detergent.” The USPTO ID Manual almost always wants “non-medicated” stated explicitly for skincare — a small phrase that prevents a class dispute later.
What Class 3 does not cover
Each of these is a separate class with its own $350 USPTO fee. Getting this boundary wrong is the most common reason a registration turns out not to protect what the owner thought it protected.
| If you also sell… | You need… |
|---|---|
| Medicated creams, acne treatments, and anything therapeutic | Class 5 — the “medicated” line. |
| Supplements marketed for skin or hair health | Class 5 — an ingestible beauty supplement is a supplement. |
| Beauty tools: brushes, applicators, devices | Class 21 (brushes, applicators) or Class 8 / Class 10 for devices. |
| Salon and spa services | Class 44 — services, not goods. |
| Candles | Class 4 — a common surprise for home-fragrance brands. |
Who files in Class 3
- Skincare and beauty brands
- Haircare and styling brands
- Fragrance and perfume houses
- Soap makers and bath-product brands
- Clean-beauty and DTC cosmetic startups
- Household cleaning product brands
Classes that usually go with Class 3
| Class | Why it comes up |
|---|---|
| Class 5 | Anything medicated, plus ingestible beauty supplements. |
| Class 21 | Applicators, brushes, sponges, and containers sold under the brand. |
| Class 44 | If you also run a spa, salon, or treatment service. |
| Class 4 | Candles and home fragrance. |
| Class 35 | If you also operate a store selling other brands. |
Cost math: each additional class is $350 more in USPTO fees. MARQ’s $499 attorney fee does not change. Two classes: $499 + $700 = $1,199. Three: $499 + $1,050 = $1,549.
Pitfalls specific to Class 3
Ingredient names and benefit words are descriptive
Beauty branding loves the ingredient (“Rose & Clay”), the benefit (“Glow Renew”), and the sensation. All three sit close to descriptiveness, and Section 2(e)(1) refusals are routine in Class 3. This is a naming problem, not a filing problem — and it is best solved before the packaging is printed.
The medicated line is drawn by your own marketing
You can move your product into Class 5 with a marketing claim. If the label says the serum treats acne, the USPTO may treat it as a medicated preparation. Keeping product claims and trademark class aligned is part of the filing conversation.
Class 3 is crowded, so clearance is not optional
Like apparel, cosmetics is a high-volume class with an enormous body of live registrations. A knockout search that only finds identical marks will miss the confusingly similar ones that actually get you refused. A comprehensive clearance search with a written likelihood-of-confusion opinion is the difference between finding that out for $49 now, or for the price of a failed application later.
Class 3 questions
What trademark class is skincare?
Non-medicated skincare is Class 3. Medicated skin preparations — anything that treats a condition — are Class 5. Most beauty brands file in Class 3, and lines with treatment products add Class 5 at an extra $350 USPTO fee.
What class is a candle in?
Candles are Class 4, not Class 3. Home-fragrance brands that sell candles and body products need both classes.
What class is soap in?
Soap is Class 3 — bar soap, body wash, and liquid hand soap all sit there, alongside cosmetics and detergents.
How much does it cost to trademark a beauty brand?
$849 for one class: MARQ’s flat $499 attorney fee plus $350 in USPTO fees at cost. Adding Class 5 for a medicated line brings it to $1,199.
Filing in Class 3?
Start with the free search to see what is already on the register. The $49 comprehensive attorney report tells you whether the mark is clearable in this class — before you spend $350 with the USPTO. Registration is a flat $499 plus USPTO fees at cost.
Run a free searchSee flat pricingFree DIY search · $49 comprehensive attorney search · $499 + USPTO fees to register
Fee and deadline figures on this page come from the USPTO: trademark fee information, additional fees for trademark applications, and the USPTO trademarks dashboard. This page is general information about U.S. trademark law, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney–client relationship. No attorney can guarantee registration — the USPTO decides.