We built the analyzer we wished existed.
DemythSkin is an independent skincare ingredient checker that scores products for efficacy and safety from their full ingredient list. We're based in Las Vegas, Nevada, and we grade every formula against clinical evidence, so you can see whether it's likely to work, not just whether it's safe.
Ingredient checkers tell you if it's safe. We tell you if it works.
Other ingredient checkers miss the question people are actually asking when they spend money on a serum. A product can be perfectly safe and still do nothing.
DemythSkin grades every formula on two separate axes. Efficacy grades whether the actives have clinical evidence behind them, have been shown to work, and are present at amounts that matter. Safety asks whether anything in it is a documented irritant, weighted by how serious the evidence is.
No fearmongering about preservatives, no "miracle" ingredients, and no score that changes because of who made the product or what it costs.
If a $20 cream beats a $400 one, you should know about it
We built this analyzer because a tool that gives an honest, skeptical score on skincare efficacy simply didn't exist. I’ve had problem skin for years, and for years I wasted money on "holy grail" products that lacked actual scientific evidence.
I’m not a dermatologist—and that’s exactly the point. These scores aren't based on my personal opinion. They come from a transparent, published rubric anchored in clinical research, applied objectively to every single product. We just put the pieces together.
Six rules the scores never break.
No brand's money touches a score.
No paid placements, no gifted products, no sponsored rankings.
Brand and price aren't inputs.
A $9 cleanser and a $400 cream run through the same rubric.
Efficacy always leads.
Every result shows whether it works first, then whether it's safe.
AI explains. The rubric decides.
Scores come from a fixed, deterministic rubric — not a model's opinion.
Evidence, not fear.
Irritant flags require patch-test literature or a regulatory restriction.
Same scores for everyone.
Pro unlocks personal tools. It never changes a product's Efficacy or Safety.
Independence only counts if you can see the money.
Here is every way DemythSkin is funded, and every way it isn't.
| Source | What it is | Affects scores? |
|---|---|---|
| Pro membership | From $2.99 a week, or $6.99 a month, for unlimited scans and skin-profile matching | Never |
| Affiliate links | "Find best price" links may earn a commission. Always disclosed. | Never |
| Paid placements | Brands paying to rank or appear | Not accepted |
| Gifted products | Free products sent for review | Not accepted |
| Brand sponsorships | Sponsored content, ads or partnerships | Not accepted |
A good analyzer knows its limits.
Found a score that looks wrong? Tell us.
Corrections make the database better for everyone. Send the product, what you think is off, and the INCI from your packaging if you have it.