How we score
Every score on this site is built from one rule: read the listed ingredients, check each one against documented safety concerns, and show you the source. Scores are never adjusted for brand partners or affiliate commissions.
The score
Each product starts at 100. For every ingredient that matches a documented concern, we subtract points by severity:
- HIGH −25 — carcinogen, endocrine disruptor, reprotoxic, or banned (e.g. formaldehyde, certain parabens)
- MEDIUM −10 — strong sensitizer, irritant, or regulator-restricted
- LOW −5 — fragrance allergen or mild/contextual concern
A score of 100 means "no flagged ingredient was found in the listed ingredients" — not that we audited and certified the product. Absence of a red flag is not the same as a guarantee. We'd rather tell you that plainly.
Where the assessments come from
Our curated database covers 97 known-concern ingredients, each tied to a named authority. When you click an ingredient, we link you to the original source so you can read it yourself. The bodies we cite:
- Annex II
- Annex III
- EPA
- EU CMR
- EU SCCS
- EWG
- EWG Skin Deep
- FDA
- IARC
- IARC Group 1
- WHO
For ingredients outside the curated set, we research them on demand from public search results and record the page we read, so every verdict keeps its receipt.
Browse the full ingredient directory →
Coverage — the honest part
We can only score a product when the brand actually lists its ingredients. Right now:
Products we haven't been able to score are labelled "no ingredient data yet" — never dressed up as clean. You can hide them entirely with the "Only show products we've scored" toggle in the shop. We're actively growing coverage by researching missing ingredient lists over time.
No pay-to-play
We earn affiliate commission when you buy through our links. That never changes a score. A brand we earn from can score badly, and a product we earn nothing on can score 100. The score and the source are the product; the commission is just how the lights stay on.