Sephora return policy: 30 days, gently used is OK

This guide follows Sephora’s US Returns & Exchanges page, last updated September 2, 2026, as read on October 20, 2026.

How long do you have to return something to Sephora?

30 days from purchase. Sephora takes back new or gently used products “for any reason” within that window, for a full refund to your original payment, as long as you have proof of purchase.

After 30 days, Sephora.com purchases aren’t refunded at all, by mail or in a store.

Many pages still describe a 60-day window. That is out of date. Archived copies of Sephora’s page show the history:

Period	Rule
Purchases before August 28, 2019	60 days
August 28, 2019 to April 23, 2025	Refund within 30 days; days 31 to 60 got store or online credit (apart from a temporary extension in 2020)
Purchases from April 24, 2025	Refund within 30 days; after that, only during a posted holiday window (credit or exchange)

Can you return used makeup to Sephora?

Gently used, yes. Sephora’s policy covers “new or gently used” products, but it doesn’t define how used is too used. Sephora watches return activity for abuse and can limit returns or exchanges. Gift cards, certain Sephora Favorites kits, and some intimate care items are final sale.

How do you return a Sephora.com order?

Free, two ways:

1. By mail: start the return on Sephora’s return page, pack the item in its box and Sephora packaging if you have them, print the prepaid label or get a printerless FedEx code, and drop it at a FedEx location (hazmat items can’t use the printerless code and go by USPS). No packing slip is needed with the prepaid label. Sephora takes up to 30 days to process a mailed return.
2. At a Sephora store: bring the packing slip, the order or shipping confirmation email, the order on your phone, or your Beauty Insider details, plus the card you paid with.

Store purchases, buy online and pick up orders, and Sephora items ordered through Instacart, DoorDash, or Uber Eats can’t be mailed back; take them to a Sephora store within 30 days with a receipt or gift receipt. TikTok Shop orders go back through TikTok Shop, not to Sephora. Original shipping charges are refunded only if Sephora made an error.

How does Sephora refund a return?

You paid with	Mailed return	Store return
Credit or debit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay	The same card	The same card
PayPal	PayPal	Sephora store credit, not usable online
Venmo, Klarna	The same account	The same account
Afterpay	Afterpay	A card you choose, and you keep paying Afterpay
A Sephora gift card or online credit	Online credit for Sephora.com	Store credit or merchandise credit for stores

Sephora store credit doesn’t expire but can’t be used online or turned into cash. Beauty Insider points from the purchase are removed when the return goes through. Without a receipt, Sephora processes the return if it can find the purchase in its system; if it can’t, the item isn’t eligible for a refund, exchange, or credit.

Can you return a Sephora gift?

Yes, at a Sephora store, for an exchange or merchandise credit, so the refund doesn’t go back to the buyer. Bring the packing slip, the order or shipping email, or the gift receipt email. Sephora says not to mail a gift return.

Can you return Sephora at Kohl’s purchases to Sephora?

No. Products bought at Sephora at Kohl’s or on kohls.com go back to a Kohl’s store under Kohl’s return rules, and Sephora purchases can’t go back to Kohl’s. Sephora at Kohl’s also has 30 days, needs new or gently used condition, and takes no returns without a receipt.

For Kohl’s own holiday dates, see Kohl’s holiday returns.

Does Sephora extend returns for the 2026 holidays?

Not yet posted. Last year, according to an archived copy of its page, purchases from October 31 through December 30, 2025 could be exchanged or returned for store or online credit until January 30, 2026; a refund to the original payment still needed a return within 30 days. The current page shows no 2026 holiday window as of October 20, 2026, so the 30-day rule applies until Sephora posts one. See holiday return deadlines by store for stores that have.