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Shopping for health and beauty products on eBay is easy and saves you time walking the high street for the cosmetics brands you want. Whether you're looking for brand new Clarins cosmetics, the latest GHD hair care appliance or vitamin supplements, you'll find them here - at a price you'll love.
More than nine out of ten products sold on eBay are brand new and unused; eBay offers the widest variety of prestige brands and big-name products anywhere in the world. Looking good has never been so easy.
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You may be looking for products to help you look glamorous, or get in shape - whatever you want, eBay has all the hottest Health & Beauty products to help you get fit and look fabulous.
- Make-Up/Cosmetics: In this category you'll find all the big brands and niche names you'd find at the department store, chemist, supermarket or beauty salon. It's your one-stop make-up shop, with everything from Virgin Vie eye-shadow and Estee Lauder lipstick to luxury Molton Brown gift cases and Clinique travel kits.
- Bath & Body: Stock up on everyday soap and bubble bath, or treat yourself to bath bombs, body scrubs, bath salts, bath oil, body lotion and much more.
- Fragrances: Find your favourite perfume or aftershave, or just browse the famous men's and women's brands. eBay's Fragrances category is full of brilliant gift ideas, with great prices on perfume, eau de toilette and scented body lotion from big names including Clarins, Clinique, Lancôme, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger and Yves Saint-Laurent.
- Skin and Face Care: Whether you have oily teenage skin, dry mature skin or combination skin, you'll find a product to suit. Along with hundreds of different products to cleanse, tone, exfoliate or moisturise, this category includes specialist acne treatments, the latest anti-aging products and great prices on quality names like Liz Earle and Dermalogica.
- Hair Care: Keep your hair in great condition with a huge range of products available to help you look great, from daily conditioners to must-have salon bargains from Aveda and Virgin Vie. This is also the place to shop for all the latest must-have hair care appliances such as GHD hair straighteners.
- Tanning and Sun Care: All you need to stay safe in the sun - and afterwards. Sun cream, aftersun, fake tan and gadgets such as sun lamps and sun beds are listed here, along with hair care, cosmetics and health care products designed specially to keep you feeling cool and looking great all year round.
- Nails, Manicure and Pedicure: Look after neglected hands and feet with manicure kits, and all the accessories you find in them, from cuticle creams and foot spas to nail art and nail varnish from brands such as Lancome, Clinique, Clarins and Estee Lauder - and nail polish remover to take it all off again. If you just want to relax, shop here for spa luxuries such as Molton Brown hand lotion and aromatherapy massage treatments for tired feet.
- Dental Care: Find all sorts of oral health care products, including sonic, electric and traditional toothbrushes, dental floss, whitening kits and toothpaste for a brighter smile.
- Health Care: Fill up your First Aid kit with basics like plasters and tweezers, or find products to help you give up smoking, check your blood pressure, plan your family or sleep better at night. You'll also find some great items in the Health Care category, such as products to help snoring, chiropractic massage equipment and other alternative health products.
- Natural Therapies: Find more alternative health solutions here. The huge range of products includes aromatherapy oils and remedies, acupuncture kits, reflexology manuals and magnetic therapy bracelets. This category is also paradise for massage enthusiasts, with books on Indian head massage, CDs on Swedish massage, DVDs on self massage, lotions for baby massage, oils for deep tissue massage - and more.
- Vitamins and Supplements: Discover health care vitamins and supplements for every type of wellbeing, including special sports supplements and shakes, vitamin and mineral supplements, herbs and botanicals and alternative health products.
- Dieting and Slimming: Slimmers are spoiled for choice with food diaries, calorie counters, body fat monitors, books, DVDs, weight-loss recipes and even hypnosis CDs to get trim and toned.
- Over-the-Counter Medicine: Remedies and supplements to help you through your coughs, colds, aches and pains. Items here include indigestion tables, anti-histamines and pain relief, along with the occasional alternative health item.
- Medical and Special Needs: Accessories and equipment such as bathroom safety appliances, hearing aids and a great selection of health and fitness monitors.
- Vision, Glasses and Lenses: Complete spectacles or frames, reading glasses, sunglasses, contact lenses and all the accessories you need. Here you'll find designer glasses at non-designer prices - shop for frames by Calvin Klein, Chanel, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger and many others at low prices, then get your prescription lenses added at the opticians.
- Hair Removal: Eliminate unwanted hair with every type of removal system, from scissors and trimmers, electric shavers, razors and blades, tweezers, waxing kits, hair-removal creams, lotions and sprays to the latest epilators and permanent hair removal products.
- Massage: Shop here for everything you need to indulge in one of the most enjoyable natural therapies. A wide range of items includes aromatherapy massage oils and creams, massage chairs, massage tables, self-massage gadgets and even massage stones.
- Tattoos and Body Art: See tattoo and piercing supplies galore, from piercing guns and tattoo machines to gentle temporary tattoos, henna and body art kits. This category also includes creams, sterilisers and other health care supplies for looking after your body art.
To see all the Health & Beauty categories, go to the eBay Health & Beauty Overview page.
| How to Search for Health & Beauty on eBay |
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There are all sorts of ways to find the Health & Beauty products you want on eBay. Here are a few tips on finding what you want:
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Search: Know exactly what you're looking for? Type your key words into the Search box on the Health & Beauty Overview page, and eBay will search all the Health & Beauty listings for any titles containing those words.
If you're looking for Liz Earle body cream, type in "Liz Earle cream" to see all matching Health & Beauty items. You can narrow your search by choosing a category from the drop-down box before clicking Search, or by selecting a sub-category on the left of the listings page.
Another way to do it is by searching for a specific type of item first, then browsing the featured brands on the listings page. For example if you want brand new perfume in its original box but can't decide between Clinique, Clarins and Chanel, first click the Women's Fragrances link, then type "new box" into the search box. On the left of the listings page, you'll see a list of featured brands with items that match your search terms.
Note that the list of featured brands only includes the brands with the most items available, so your favourite might not be in the list - that doesn't mean it's not available on eBay. To make sure, type the brand name into the Search box along with your search term.
Tip: If your search doesn't come up with many results, you can broaden your search by clicking the "Search title and description" box at the top of the listings page. So if you'd searched for "new box", a title and description search will find listings titled "Chanel No 5" with the all-important words "new in box" tucked away in the item description. For more tips on using the Search box, have a look at eBay's Search Tips page.
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Browse the categories: eBay has a wide selection of categories for all your needs - you may not know what you're looking for, but it's still fun to browse. Start window-shopping by going to the Health & Beauty Overview page and clicking the category that interests you.
You may be going on holiday or to a special event and want to be hair-free. Rather than spend money on waxing in a salon, click the Hair Removal link to see all hair removal items currently for sale. You can then narrow your search results by clicking on the sub-categories at the left of the page, such as Electric Shavers, Electrolysis or Waxing Supplies. These sub-categories also appear on the Health & Beauty Overview page. By browsing this way, you may discover items that you'd never thought to search for, such as permanent hair removal kits.
Tip: Once you have a set of search results, the Search Options box on the left lets you narrow your search further. For example if you don't want to spend time bidding, tick the box that lets you see only Buy It Now items.
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Browse the brands: The Health & Beauty categories are full of designer brands at bargain prices, such as in the Fragrances, Hair Care and Cosmetics categories. Here, you'll see a list of featured brands next to a list of items for sale, so that you can browse by brand name as well as by item type.
For example, you may be looking for a particular fragrance. Click on Women's Fragrances or Men's Fragrances/Aftershave, and then browse the list of brands such as Chanel, Clinique, Clarins, Lancome, Estee Lauder, Yves Saint-Laurent, Hugo Boss, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger and many more.
Remember that these are just the featured brands with most items for sale. If your favourite isn't there, type it into the search box instead.
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Want It Now: Desperately seeking that must-have item, such as those limited-edition GHD straighteners? Or a rare Chanel perfume? Post a message on Want It Now and tell millions of sellers exactly what you want.
It's very easy to do - and free. Click the Want It Now link on eBay's homepage and post a message in the relevant category. You might want to reach as many people as possible by posting in the main Health & Beauty category, or you may target specialists by posting in Make-Up/Cosmetics, Hair Care etc. eBay sellers constantly read the Want It Now boards to find potential buyers for an item they're selling - GHD straighteners, for example. They reply to your message with a link to the item listing.
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Go to the Shops: eBay Shops are run by experienced eBay sellers who often put hundreds of items up for sale each day. These sellers tend to specialise in one area - so you can be sure you're buying from someone who knows their stuff. In addition, many Shops items are available to Buy It Now at a fixed price, so there's no waiting around for a listing to end.
To browse all the eBay Shops by category, click the eBay Shops link on the eBay homepage, then click the Health & Beauty link in the left-hand menu. On the next page, you'll see a list of all the Health & Beauty sub-categories. Click on these links to explore hundreds of Health & Beauty specialist shops - Natural Therapies shops that sell only aromatherapy perfume oils, Cosmetics shops that specialise in make-up by certain brands such as Clinique, Hair Care shops that stock all those limited-edition pink GHD straighteners, perfume shops that stock everything from Clarins to Yves Saint Laurent and alternative health shops selling vast ranges of vitamin supplements, massage essentials and slimming aids.
You can also search just within eBay Shops - go to the main Shops page and use the dedicated search box. For example if you're looking for a massage table from a true specialist, enter "massage table" on the eBay Shops homepage and select Health & Beauty from the drop-down box. The results will look much the same as any other page of listings, but you'll find that the descriptions are often much more informative.
Tip: When you search or browse without going to eBay Shops, you're still offered a short-cut to shops specialising in the item you searched for. For example if you have searched for Liz Earle skin cream, look underneath the Search Options box on the left of the listings page - here you'll find links to featured eBay shops currently selling Liz Earle products.
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| Do Your Research |
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Once you've browsed through the Health & Beauty category, you may find items you want to bid on. Before you place a bid, here are a few tips on what to look for when you're thinking of buying a Health & Beauty item, and some questions to ask the seller:
- Read the item description carefully.
Good sellers include as much information about the product as possible. With Health & Beauty items, you should be looking for details on size (5ml bottle of perfume or 50ml?), exact colour of cosmetics and type of fragrance (parfum or eau de toilette?)
When buying vitamin supplements, health care items, alternative health products and any medical items, look for information about expiry dates, ingredients and benefits. Skin care, hair care and sun care products will also have expiry dates, and some items such as diet supplements and vitamins may include health warnings - so don't bid until you know the details. If you're unsure about anything, email the seller for details before you bid.
- Look closely at the pictures.
Some sellers include several pictures of the item, taken from different angles. Use them to assess condition and, if you're buying make-up, the colour or shade. Pictures are especially important when buying electrical items such as hair care appliances and hair removal gadgets - which may also have specific instructions and warnings. Check before bidding.
- If in doubt, ask.
Use the "Ask seller a question" link at the top of the item description if there's anything you want to check. By bidding on an item you're making a commitment to buy it if you you're the high bidder, so you'll want to know that you're getting a good deal.
Don't be embarrassed about asking questions. Find out how old the item is, what the stated benefits are, the expiry date etc. These are common things that every buyer will need to know, and the seller may just have forgotten to include it. In this case, the seller will add the question and answer to the bottom of the item description.
Remember, more than 90 per cent of the products sold on eBay are new and unused - often brand new and still in the box. Choose one of these items, and you can feel assured that you're getting the same product that's being sold on the high street.
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