Pick your concern to see what it looks like, which ingredients have the evidence to help, and what to go easy on. Each ingredient shows its DemythSkin grade, from S (gold standard) to D (documented irritant). Then scan any product to see if it has them.
Blackheads, whiteheads and red or sore bumps, from pores clogged with oil and dead skin.
Small, itchy bumps that all look the same, often on the forehead, chest or back. Caused by yeast, not bacteria.
Skin that stings, flushes or reacts to new products, even gentle ones.
Tight, flaky or stinging skin, often after over-exfoliating or harsh weather.
Marks left after breakouts, sun spots and melasma.
Fine lines, loss of firmness and rough texture, mostly from years of sun.
Skin that feels tight and looks dull or flaky because it holds too little water and oil.
Shine by midday and pores that look larger, often alongside breakouts.
Daily sunscreen prevents the sunburn, dark spots and early aging that sun exposure causes.
Grades: S gold standard · A reliable · B promising · C overhyped · D documented irritant. A grade is for the ingredient; whether a product works also depends on how much is in it. Browse all ingredients →
Most people do. Set up a free skin profile once, and every scan flags the ingredients to watch for your skin, like fragrance or fungal acne triggers. Your base scores stay the same.
Some concerns look alike but need different ingredients. If you're not sure, these are the usual differences; a dermatologist can tell you for certain.
| If it looks like… | It may be | Start with |
|---|---|---|
| Bumps of different sizes, some with whiteheads, that come and go | Acne | Salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide, and a non-clogging moisturizer |
| Tiny, itchy bumps that all look the same, that acne products don't help | Fungal acne | A fungal-acne-safe routine; check products with the fungal acne checker |
| Redness and stinging with many products, but skin isn't flaky | Sensitive skin | Fewer products, fragrance-free, soothing ingredients |
| Tight, flaky skin that stings even with water or a gentle moisturizer | Damaged barrier | Pause exfoliants and actives; ceramides and petrolatum |
| Skin feels tight and dull but doesn't sting | Dry skin | A richer moisturizer with glycerin, urea or shea butter |
| Flat brown marks left after spots heal | Dark marks, not active acne | Sunscreen daily, then vitamin C, azelaic acid or tranexamic acid |
This is a guide, not a diagnosis. See a doctor for sudden, painful, spreading or persistent problems.
DemythSkin is not dermatological or medical advice. Our scores and checks are based on each product's published ingredient list and on openly available clinical research about its ingredients. We don't test products on skin.
Your skin can react to a product even when it has no flagged allergens or pore-clogging ingredients: reactions are personal. If you have a specific skin concern or condition, or you're pregnant or breastfeeding, talk to a dermatologist before starting a new treatment.
Short answers to what people ask most.
Start with what bothers you most and what it looks like: breakouts, redness, flaking, dark marks or lines. The table above covers the concerns that are easiest to mix up. For anything sudden, painful or that won't settle, see a dermatologist.
Yes, most people do: oily skin with dark marks, or acne with a damaged barrier from treating it too hard. Start with the concern that bothers you most, add one product at a time, and set up a skin profile so every scan flags what to watch for.
Every ingredient in the DemythSkin database gets a grade: S is the gold standard with strong human evidence, A is reliable, B is promising, C is overhyped and D is a documented irritant. See how we score.
The most common triggers are fragrance, essential oils such as tea tree, and menthol. That doesn't mean every product with them will bother you, but if your skin reacts easily, fragrance-free is the safest start.
Not usually. Many ingredients cover more than one concern: niacinamide helps with oiliness, tone and the barrier, and azelaic acid helps with both breakouts and dark marks. Scan your current products first; you may already have what you need.
Scan it with the DemythSkin scanner. You'll see every ingredient's grade and position, the formula's efficacy and safety scores, and, with a skin profile, flags for your own triggers. For breakouts, use the acne checker.