TRUST CENTER · METHODOLOGY
How we score products.
GlowCheck scores are exposure-based reads, not blacklists. A score considers what an ingredient is, how much of it a person is likely to receive from this product, how often, and how the wider scientific and regulatory community currently views it.
What the score is
Every full report returns a verdict — Low Concern, Watch, or Avoid — alongside an exposure score from 0 to 100 (lower is better). The score is the model's best estimate of how conservative the exposure-adjusted read is, given the seven inputs below.
What the score considers
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Ingredient hazard profiles. Data from peer-reviewed literature, SCCS opinions, CIR reviews, US FDA GRAS decisions, Health Canada Hotlist, EU CosIng entries.
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Exposure route. Local (skin, mucosa), systemic (percutaneous absorption), and inhalation (spray).
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Product type. Leave-on absorbs more than rinse-off; sprays add an inhalation route.
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Frequency of use. Once daily, twice daily, as-needed — grounded in ICCR real-world use surveys.
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Concentration. If provided, the read becomes formula-specific. Without concentration we run a conservative preliminary screen and label the report accordingly.
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Sensitive populations. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, pediatric contexts where regulatorily justified.
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Personalized exposure. When users opt in with body weight, sex, and age, MoS/SED calculations use those values instead of the SCCS 60 kg default.
What the score does NOT do
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It does not assume all ingredients on a "bad list" are automatically avoided. Hazard-only screening is scientifically outdated.
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It does not penalize a product for manufacturing considerations. Those are shown separately.
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It does not diagnose skin conditions or recommend product alternatives.
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It does not treat perception-driven concerns ("parabens", "sulfates") as scientifically equivalent to real toxicological risk. Perception flags are labeled and separated.
Evidence confidence
Alongside the verdict, every report shows an evidence-confidence level — high, moderate, emerging, or limited — reflecting the strength and consistency of the underlying literature. When evidence is mixed, we say so explicitly. When long-term data is sparse, we say so explicitly.
Manufacturing considerations
Manufacturing quality is scientifically distinct from ingredient safety. Even when an ingredient has a clean toxicological profile, specific supply chains and processes can introduce impurities (residual solvents, 1,4-dioxane, nitrosamines, PFAS, heavy metals, benzene). We surface a separate Manufacturing Confidencelevel so operators of GlowCheck can consider supplier controls and analytical verification without conflating those with the intrinsic ingredient assessment.
Manufacturing confidence never reduces the human safety score. That's by design.
Versioning
Every report includes an assessment version (currently v2.0.0) and an evidence-review date. When we update the underlying rationale or add new regulatory context, we bump the version. If a report is old and the version is stale, the app makes that visible so you can re-analyze if you want the latest read.
Where to go deeper
See Scientific Integrity for our full philosophy and commitments. If you're a toxicologist, regulator, journalist, or clinician and want to submit a peer-reviewed source for our next evidence review, email science@getglowcheck.app.
GlowCheck does not diagnose skin conditions, recommend products, or provide medical advice. For medical, allergic, or diagnostic questions, please consult a dermatologist, allergist, or OB-GYN.