01 We read the label, not the marketing ▾
Every product has an ingredient list — the small print on the back. By law, brands must list ingredients in order of how much is in the bottle. We use that list, not the front-of-pack claims.
If a serum says "Brightening Vitamin C" on the front but Vitamin C only appears at position 28 of 30 ingredients, the front is exaggerating. We'll see it.
02 We know which ingredients actually work ▾
We maintain a list of about 110 skincare ingredients with real clinical evidence — peer-reviewed studies, dermatology guidelines, regulatory approvals. Each one is matched to the concerns it actually helps with.
- Niacinamide — works for oily skin, dark spots, large pores, and sensitivity.
- Salicylic Acid — works for acne and clogged pores.
- Ceramides — works for dry, sensitive, or damaged skin.
- Bifida Ferment Lysate — works for barrier repair and sensitive skin.
We rank ingredients by evidence strength: Primary (strong studies) and Supporting (helpful but secondary). Marketing-only ingredients like gold, caviar, or unproven plant stem cells don't earn points.
03 We give more credit to ingredients near the top ▾
Ingredients near the top of the list are present in larger amounts. Ingredients near the bottom are usually trace amounts.
A product with Niacinamide as the second ingredient gets a much higher score than one with Niacinamide as the 25th — because the second product probably has barely any.
We also detect when ingredients are below the "1% line" — a point in the list past which concentrations are basically negligible — and reduce credit accordingly.
04 When the brand tells us the percentage, we use it ▾
If the product is named "Niacinamide 12% Serum", we know exactly how much is in there and use that directly.
We give slightly less weight to percentages stated only on retailer listings (since those can be exaggerated) than to percentages published on the brand's own website.
05 We check for ingredient conflicts ▾
Some ingredients shouldn't be combined. For example:
- Retinol + AHA exfoliants — both in the same product can over-irritate.
- Retinol + Benzoyl Peroxide — they cancel each other out.
When we spot these, we deduct points and tell you why — so you can decide whether to use the product anyway.
We also reject debunked myths: Niacinamide and Vitamin C are fine together, despite a popular internet rumor. We don't penalize that combination.
06 We adjust for your skin type ▾
Some ingredients are great for one skin type but problematic for another. We add a small bonus for ingredients that suit your skin and a small penalty for ones that might cause problems.
If you have sensitive skin, we also flag products with fragrance or essential oils high on the ingredient list.
07 We show you why ▾
The biggest difference between SkinMatch and other recommendation tools: every score is explainable. Click any product and we'll show you exactly which ingredients earned the score, what they do, and which ones might cause issues.
No black box. No mystery. You can audit every recommendation.
What we don't do
- We don't accept payments to rank products higher. The score is the score.
- We don't recommend products without published ingredient lists. If a brand doesn't disclose its formula, we can't evaluate it. We list those separately, labeled honestly.
- We don't pretend to know things we can't. When concentration data isn't available, we say so by capping the score rather than guessing.
- We don't replace a dermatologist. For serious skin conditions, see a professional. We're a starting point for everyday product choices.