Sephora Return Policy: 30 Days, Used Makeup, No-Receipt Rules and Refunds

Sephora is one of the few stores that takes back makeup you’ve already opened, but the clock is shorter than many shoppers remember. This guide covers the 30-day rule, what “gently used” means in practice, how to return online orders, and where your refund ends up.

Based on Sephora’s official Returns & Exchanges page (marked “Last Updated: September 2, 2026”) for U.S. purchases, checked Sep 29, 2026.

How many days do you have to return to Sephora?

30 days from the purchase date. Sephora’s policy says it welcomes you “to return new or gently used products for a full refund to your original method of payment if returned within 30 days of purchase, in most cases.” The same window covers:

• Purchases in Sephora stores
• Sephora.com orders
• Buy Online and Pick Up orders
• Same-Day Delivery orders
• Sephora products ordered through Instacart, DoorDash or Uber Eats

Once day 30 passes, the door closes: Sephora states that items bought on Sephora.com “may not be returned by mail or in stores and will not be refunded more than 30 days after the purchase date.”

Is there a Sephora 60-day return policy?

Not anymore. Sephora’s current page lists a single 30-day window and no store-credit period beyond it. TheStreet reported in July 2025 that Sephora and Ulta Beauty had both shortened their return windows from 60 to 30 days, with Sephora’s change taking effect April 24, 2025. If you read about 60 days on an older blog post, it no longer applies.

Can you return used makeup to Sephora?

Yes, if it’s gently used and within 30 days. The policy accepts products “in new or gently used condition,” which is why you can bring back a foundation that doesn’t match or a serum that irritates your skin. Sephora doesn’t publish a percentage or amount of product that counts as “gently used,” so a nearly empty bottle is a risk.

A few things can’t come back at all:

• Gift cards (final sale)
• Certain Sephora Favorites kits (final sale)
• Some intimate care items (final sale)

How to return a Sephora.com order by mail

1. Start the return from your order and choose the items and reasons.
2. Pack the items in the manufacturer’s box and Sephora packaging if you still have them; otherwise use a well-padded envelope or box.
3. Print the prepaid return label or request a printerless FedEx Mobile Return Code.
4. Drop the package at FedEx and track it until you get the confirmation email.

Mail returns are free: Sephora charges no return shipping or handling fees when you use its prepaid label. Items with shipping restrictions (hazmat items) can’t use the printerless option and must go back via USPS.

Plan for the wait: Sephora says it takes up to 30 days to process a mailed return and credit your account.

Same-Day Delivery orders can’t be mailed back; take them to a Sephora store.

Returning an online order to a Sephora store

You can take a Sephora.com purchase to any free-standing Sephora store within 30 days. Bring one of these as proof of purchase:

• The original packing slip
• The order or shipping confirmation email
• The order on your phone
• Your Beauty Insider information

The refund type can change when an online order is returned in a store. If you paid with PayPal, you get a Sephora store credit that works in stores but not on Sephora.com. If you paid with a Sephora gift card, you get a Merchandise Credit, also valid only in stores.

Sephora returns without a receipt

Sephora can process a return without a receipt only if it finds the purchase in its system. In that case the normal refund and exchange policy applies. If the purchase can’t be verified, the product is not eligible for a refund, exchange or merchandise credit. Buying while signed in to Beauty Insider is the easiest way to make sure your purchases can be found later.

Where does your Sephora refund go?

Sephora’s rules for Venmo, Klarna and Afterpay differ by order type (shipped, Buy Online and Pick Up, Same-Day Delivery), so ask at the register how your refund will be issued before you hand the item over. Store purchases paid by card go back to the card used for the purchase. Sephora store credit has no expiration date but can’t be exchanged for cash (unless required by law), reloaded or transferred.

Gifts and Sephora at Kohl’s

• Gifts: in-store purchases can be returned with a gift receipt within 30 days. If a gift was shipped to you and you don’t want the refund to go to the buyer, Sephora asks you to visit a store for an exchange or merchandise credit.
• Kohl’s: the two are separate. Items bought at Sephora at Kohl’s or on kohls.com can’t be returned to Sephora stores or mailed to Sephora; follow Kohl’s return rules. Sephora.com and Sephora store purchases can’t be returned at Kohl’s.

Tips before you return to Sephora

• Count from the purchase date, not the delivery date. The policy measures 30 days from purchase.
• Mail early. A package that arrives late isn’t refunded, and processing can take up to 30 days after that.
• Don’t use a parcel forwarder. Sephora won’t replace or refund items reported missing or damaged that it believes were delivered to a parcel forwarding company.
• Test shades early. Swatch or try a product in the first week so you have time to decide.