Ingredient Quality
How clinically validated each active is — niacinamide, retinoids, AHAs, peptides, vitamin C, sunscreen actives all have evidence-graded scores in the database.
- •Retinol (graded A)
- •Tranexamic acid (graded B+)
- •Bakuchiol (graded B)
How clinically validated each active is — niacinamide, retinoids, AHAs, peptides, vitamin C, sunscreen actives all have evidence-graded scores in the database.
Whether the label discloses an effective concentration. We pull explicit percentages out of the product name + INCI position to estimate when % isn't disclosed.
Number of peer-reviewed studies supporting the actives at the disclosed concentration. Pulls from the same research database that powers /research.
Reward formulations that combine synergistic actives or use stabilization tech (encapsulation, time-release vehicles, optimized pH).
Penalize missing INCI, missing concentrations, and very short ingredient lists where actives can't be verified.
Safety net for simple products with few or no database-matched actives — detects functional roles (humectant, occlusive, cleanser) from raw INCI names so a basic-but-honest formula doesn't score zero. Scales down as the other five components rise, so it never inflates a good product.
Each ingredient carries a graduated irritation tier (minimal → very-high). SD alcohol denat, strong acids and high-% actives subtract the most; the total is capped at −18.
Synthetic “Parfum/Fragrance” blends are penalized harder (undisclosed allergen mix) than disclosed botanical aromatics. Fragrance-free formulas lose nothing here.
Each of the 26 EU-listed fragrance allergens (linalool, limonene, citronellol, geraniol…) costs −2.5, capped at −10.
Oxybenzone, octinoxate, parabens at concerning thresholds and other flagged endocrine-active ingredients subtract −5 each, capped at −15.
Averaged 0–5 pore-clogging rating across the formula (coconut oil, isopropyl myristate, wheat-germ oil are 5; squalane/glycerin/HA are 0–1), scaled to a −7 cap.
Antagonistic active pairs (e.g. high-strength acids + retinoid, vitamin C + niacinamide at odds) that blunt efficacy or raise irritation.
A net adjustment (can be + or −): short, concern-free ingredient lists and full INCI disclosure add points back; opaque or padded labels lose them.
The overall score is an even blend — 50% Efficacy + 50% Safety. No bonus pad: hitting 100 requires both dimensions to be near-perfect, which essentially never happens (real skincare always has some tradeoff between potency and a clean profile). We dropped the old synergy kicker in v2.7.1 because it was padding every strong formula to the ceiling.
Score weights and ingredient evidence are versioned. When the methodology shifts, every product is re-scored against the new version and old scores are invalidated. Cards display the score from the version stamped on the export — if you're seeing a stale grade, run the desktop export script again.
Current score version: 2.7.1.