Every cosmetic product receives a quotation of every single ingredient, and a final quotation of the whole product.

Method

Every ingredient receives a quotation with points:

10 points = + + + = perfect = any ingredient that is also a part of the human skin or body, and for this reason 100% skin compatible. They form an essential part of the skin and are recognized by our body as a part of it, so that the immune system will not develop inflammation cells. This means that allergies are not possible which such an ingredient (excepted to this rule are the very rare diseases of the auto immune system). Example: ceramid-3 is a lipid that is present in the human skin as an essential part of the protective barrier and of the living skin cells. Less than 10 points will only be given to a skin identical ingredient, if there are known negative consequences to the skin.

8 points = + + = very good = any ingredient that contains a large concentrations of substances that are also a part of the human skin or body, and for this reason very skin compatible. Example: natural oils from plants with a high concentration of skin identical or skin similar lipids, like evening primrose oil. Allergy development (to the not skin identical substances in the ingredients) is very rare, but not excluded.

6 points = + = good = any ingredient that has a possible good influence on the human skin, but are less skin compatible. Example: essential oils of plants are not a part of the human skin, but they can have a short term desired effect like calming, anti inflammation etc. Allergies development is rare, but not excluded.

4 points = no + or ? = neutral = any ingredient that is added to the product for the product's sake, but not for the skin itself. Or any ingredient that has no proven benefit to the skin, but neither has any known negative influence on the skin. Example: most of the emulgators bind the water and the oil component of the product, but do not add any value to the skin's protection or nourishment. Most of the time, allergy development is rare, but not excluded.

2 points = ? = negative = any ingredient that can have a negative effect on the skin, or gives a bad skin feeling. Example: aluminium zirconium trichlorohydrex is a mineral active agent with sweat impeding effect, but can cause irritations and skin inflammatory skin reactions.

0 points = ??? = very negative = any ingredient that can have a strong negative effect on the health of the skin and the body. Examples: fragrance and chemical preservatives like parabenes are among the most common allergy triggers in cosmetic products and should be avoided as much as possible. Mineral oils like vaseline can have a drying out effect on the skin, are a cheap filling to avoid expensive ingredients, but do not nourish the skin. They can give a very greasy, unpleasant feeling to the skin, they disturb the lamellar bodies in the skin, and prevent other active substances in the product to do their work.

The final quotation of the whole product is made on 100 points using the formula

sum of all points x 10
--------------------- = points/100
number of ingredients

Important note 1: products with a good final score in points, but with 1 or more very negative ingredients, can still harm the skin's health, therefore it is important to avoid such products regardless of their general score.

Important note 2: the ingredients (INCI) are always listed on the packaging with the highest concentrated ingredient first, and the smallest concentrated ingredient last. As it is impossible to know the exact concentration of the ingredients, one should always consider that - as a general rule - positive active ingredients should be as highly concentrated as possible to have a real effect. The allergens that are in a product will have their negative effect, regardless of their concentration. This means they should always be avoided, even when they are added in a small concentration.

Sources

Every quotation of every ingredient is made using general accepted scientific literature directly, or when not available, indirectly by using serious consumer's guides for cosmetic ingredients. Every consumer can thus check the value of every quotation, as the number of the page of the book, article or list is always provided with every quotation.

These are the sources that are directly quoted on this website:

A Consumers Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients. Complete information about more than 6,000 of the harmful and desirable ingredients found in toiletries and cosmetics. Three Rivers Press, 1999. Editor: Ruth Winter, 2^nd edition.

Akne, der Weg zur richtigen Behandlung. Trias-Hippokrates Verlag, 1992. Editor: Prof. Dr. Hermann Schnell, 2^nd edition.

Blue List of Cosmetic Ingredients. Edito Cantor Verlag für Medizin und Naturwissenschaften GmbH, 2000. Editors: Prof. Dr. F.H. Kempner, Prof. Dr. N.-P. Luepke, Prof. Dr. W. Umbach, 2^nd edition.

Cosmetics unmasked. HarperCollins, 2001. Editor: Dr. Stephen Antczak.

DaDerm = Danish Dermatology Handbook. Forebyggelse af Kontakteksemer. Sundhedsstyrelsen, Copenhagen, 2001. Editors: Prof. Dr. med. Torkil Menné e.o., 2^nd edition.

Dermatologie. MLP Duale Reihe, Hippocrates Verlag, 1998. Editor: Ernst G. Jung. 4th edition.

Duftführer. Fred Wollner Buchverlag, 1992. Editor: Dr. Med Beate Rieder and Fred Wollner, enlarged edition.

INCI/EC = Official list of the European Union (EU) following the standard denomination of INCI (International Nomenclatura of Cosmetic Ingredients). The inventory of ingredients used in cosmetic products other than fragrances, published in Section I of the Annex to Commission Decision 96/335/EC in accordance with Council Directive 93/35/EEC (art 5a.1) ordered by INCI name and function. There is also a German verion of this list = INCI Rohstoff-Diskette. Bundesverband Deutscher Industrie-und Handelsunternehmen für Artzneimittel, Reformwaren und Körperpflegemittel e.V., Dr. R.A. Brunke, Version: 1.44.

Kosmetik Ratgeber, über Körperpflege bescheid wissen. Germa Press, 1991. Editors: Bernard Rosenkranz and Silke Schwartau.

Kosmetik-Lexicon, Nutzen und Risiken kosmetischer Grund-und Inhaltstoffe. Ehrenwirth Verlag, 1997. Editors: Aggy and Frank Burczyk, 3th edition.

Kursbuch Kosmetic. Südwest Verlag GmbH, 1998. Editors: Rita Stiens and Heinz-Jürgen Weiland-Grotherjahn.

NS = no statements found about this ingredient.

OEKO = Oeko Test Ratgeber Kosmetik. Rowolt Taschenbuch Verlag, 1995. Editors: Rüdiger Dammann, improved edition.

Pschyrembel Klinisches Wörterbuch. Walter de Gruyter Verlag, 1998. Helmut Hildebrandt, 258th edition. 

SL = Springer Lexicon Kosmetic und Körperpflege. Springer Verlag Heidelberg, 2001. Editor: Marina Bährle-Rapp.

UBA = UmweltBundesAmbt = Untersuchungen zur Verbreitung umweltbedingter Kontaktallergien mit schwerpunkt im privaten Bereich. Zentrale des IVDK, Institut an der Universität Göttingen, Univ.-Hautklinik, 2003. Editor: Dr. Elke Rosskamp, im auftrag des UmweltBundesAmbt (UBA).

Wörter = Wörterbuch der Kosmetik. Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, 1997. Editors: Horst Frey and Ilse Otte, 4th edition.

Function

This field refers to the usual function(s) of the ingredient as used in cosmetic products; an ingredient may have several functions. The listed functions are defined as follows:

Abrasives = substances which are added to cosmetic products either to remove materials from various body surfaces or to aid mechanical tooth cleaning or to improve gloss.

Absorbents = substances which are added to cosmetic products to take up water- and/or oil-soluble dissolved or finely dispersed substances.

Additives = substances which are added to cosmetic products, often in relatively small amounts, to impart or improve desirable properties or suppress (or minimize) undesirable properties.

Anticorrosives = substances which are added to cosmetic products to avoid corrosion of the packaging.

Antidandruff agents = substances which are added to hair care products to control dandruff.

Antifoaming agents = substances which are added to cosmetic products either to suppress foam during manufacturing or to reduce the tendency of finished products to generate foam.

Antimicrobials = substances which are added to cosmetic products to help reduce the activities of micro-organisms on the skin or body.

Antioxidants = substances which are added to cosmetic products to inhibit reactions promoted by oxygen, thus avoiding oxidation and rancidity.

Antiperspirant agents = substances which are added to cosmetic formulation to reduce perspiration.

Antistatic agents = substances which are added to cosmetic products to reduce static electricity by neutralizing electrical charge on a surface.

Binders = substances which are added to solid cosmetic mixtures to provide cohesion.

Biological additives = substances derived from biological origin (mostly dead animal tissue) which are added to cosmetic products to achieve specific formulation features.

Bleaching agents = substances which are added to cosmetic products with the intention of lightening the shade of hair or skin.

Botanicals = substances which are derived from plants, mostly by physical means, added to cosmetic products to achieve specific formulation features.

Buffering agents = substances which are added to cosmetic products to adjust or stabilize the pH thereof.

Chelating agents = substances which are added to cosmetic products to react and to form complexes with metal ions which could affect stability and/or appearance of cosmetics.

Cosmetic colourants = substances which are added to cosmetic products to colour the cosmetic product and/or to impart colour to the skin and/or its appendages. All colours listed are substances of the positive list of colorants (Annex IV of the Cosmetic products Directive).

Denaturants = substances which are mostly added to cosmetic products containing ethyl alcohol, in order to render them unpalatable.

Deodorant agents = substances added to cosmetic products to reduce or mask unpleasant body odours.

Depilatory agents = substances which are added to cosmetic products to remove unwanted body hair.

Emollients = substances which are added to cosmetic products to soften and smoothen the skin.

Emulsifying agents = substances which are added to cosmetic products and which are surface-active agents that promote the formation of intimate mixtures of immiscible liquids.

Emulsion stabilizers = substances which are added to cosmetic products to help the process of emulsification and to improve formulation stability and shelf-life.

Film formers = substances which are added to cosmetic products to produce, upon application, a continuous film on skin, hair or nails.

Hair dyes = substances which are added to cosmetic products to colour hair.

Humectants = substances which are added to cosmetic products to hold and retain moisture.

Opacifiers = substances which are added to transparent or translucent cosmetic products to render them more impervious to visible light and nearby radiation.

Oral care agents = substances which are added to cosmetic products for the care of the oral cavity.

Oxidising agents = substances which are added to cosmetic products to change the chemical nature of another substance by adding oxygen.

Preservatives = substances which are added to cosmetic products for the primary purpose of inhibiting the development of micro-organisms therein.

Propellants = gaseous substances added to cosmetic products under pressure in pressure-resistant containers for expelling the contents of the containers when the pressure is released.

Reducing agents = substances added to cosmetic products which change the chemical nature of another substance by adding hydrogen or removing oxygen.

Solvents = substances which are added to cosmetic products to dissolve other components.

Surfactants = substances which are added to cosmetic products to lower the surface tension as well as to aid the even distribution of the cosmetic product, when used.

U.V. absorbers = substances which are added to cosmetic products specifically intended to filter certain UV rays in order to protect the skin or the products from certain harmful effects of these rays. In order to protect the skin from these effects, only the use of substances listed in Annex VII of the Cosmetic products Directive is allowed.