Our Scoring, Laid Bare

Every score on this site comes from the same five weights and the same four-week routine. Here they are, no fine print.

How to read a badge

Three bands, one decision

8.0 and up: Buy. It does what it says, the label is honest and the price is fair for what is inside.

8.0

6.0 to 7.9: Depends on you. Good for some skin types or budgets, with a catch we spell out.

6.0

Below 6.0: Skip. Weak formula, poor results or claims it cannot back up. Often all three.

5.9

Scores run to one decimal place because we compare products within a category. Comparing a sunscreen's 7.8 with a body butter's 7.8 tells you nothing useful.

Test bench with numbered skincare jars, a notebook and a scale under a single dramatic desk lamp

The five weights

Criterion	Weight	What we look at
Formula	30%	Ingredient choice, likely irritants, preservation
Performance	30%	Four-week wear test results
Claim honesty	20%	Pack claims versus formula and results
Value	10%	Price per ml or gram versus peers
Packaging	10%	Light and air protection, hygiene, recyclability

The routine, step by step

Buy at retail. We pay full price from ordinary shops or brand websites, so we test what you would get. Gifted products never enter the scoring pile.
Record the batch. Batch code, size, price and purchase date go in the log. If a formula changes later, we know which version we tested.
Read the INCI first. Before anyone opens the jar, we go through the ingredient list: where the actives sit, which preservatives are used, and how many declared fragrance allergens appear.
List every claim. Every word on the box, from "natural" to "glow", gets written down for checking later.
Patch test. Each tester patch tests on the inner forearm for a week before applying a product to the face.
Wear it for four weeks. Four testers with oily, dry, combination and sensitive skin use the product as directed, with no other new products, and note texture, comfort, reactions and results weekly.
Score blind where we can. For direct comparisons, products are decanted into numbered containers so testers do not know which brand is which.
Write the verdict first. One sentence. Buy, depends or skip. Then the reasons. If we cannot write the verdict in one line, we have not finished testing.

The honest small print

What we do not do

We do not run clinical trials, measure SPF in a lab or claim our panel represents everyone. Four people over four weeks is a reality check, not science. When a product makes a claim only a lab could verify, we say so and look for published test data. If there is none, the claim-honesty score takes the hit.

Money

No brand can pay for a review, a score or a placement. We do not run sponsored posts. If we ever add affiliate links, they will be labelled on the page and will never change a score. Products sent to us unrequested are logged and donated, not reviewed.

Re-tests and corrections

Formulas change without warning. We re-check top-scoring products once a year and whenever a reader tells us an ingredient list has changed. Corrections are noted at the bottom of the affected review with the date. We would rather admit a mistake than keep a wrong verdict up.

Your skin is the final judge

A 8.6 means it worked well for our panel and earned its claims. It does not mean it will suit you. Patch test, introduce one new product at a time, and see a dermatologist for anything persistent.

See the Verdicts Questions