Two free tools, plus the basics to use them: how to read an ingredient list, what our A–F grades mean, and how common actives compare — all on the published evidence, not the marketing.
Which cosmetic actives layer together, and which to keep apart (AM vs PM). Each verdict is tagged by how well-established it is.
Open the checker →EnglishPhotograph a product's ingredients list and see which actives have published evidence — and how they grade.
Open the scanner →EspañolFotografía la lista de ingredientes de un producto y descubre qué activos tienen evidencia publicada, y cómo se califican.
Abrir el escáner →PolskiSfotografuj listę składników produktu i sprawdź, które substancje aktywne mają opublikowane dowody i jak są oceniane.
Otwórz skaner →Cosmetic ingredients are printed as an INCI list, in descending order of how much is in the formula — down to 1%. Below that, anything can be listed in any order. Water (Aqua) is usually first; the actives that do the work often sit in the middle; fragrance (Parfum) and preservatives near the end. So a “hero” active splashed on the front but sitting low on the list, after the 1% mark, is likely there in a token amount.
You don’t have to memorise it. Photograph the list and we’ll show you which of its actives we’ve researched, and how each one grades.
Scan a product’s label →Every active carries a letter grade for how well the published research supports it for a given use: an A means several well-run human trials agree; an F means the claim rests on lab-dish studies or marketing. The grade is about proof, not potency — a promising ingredient with thin evidence still grades low, honestly.
How we assign a grade →Short, cited answers to the “X or Y?” questions — which does what, and whether they belong in the same routine.
Wondering whether two actives clash, or which goes in your AM vs PM? Check compatibility →
Ingredients are printed as an INCI list in descending order of concentration, down to 1%; below that they can appear in any order. Water (Aqua) is usually first, the actives in the middle, and fragrance and preservatives near the end.
Each active carries an A-to-F letter for how well published research supports it for a given use: an A means several well-run human trials agree, an F means the claim rests on lab-dish studies or marketing. It rates the evidence, not the potency.
How we assign a grade →Usually in the middle of the list: after the water and texture agents that make up the bulk of a formula, and before the fragrance and preservatives at the end.
Yes. Photograph the ingredients list with the scanner and we'll show which of its actives we've researched, and how each one grades.
Open the scanner →It is likely present in a token amount. Anything below the 1% mark can be listed in any order, so a heavily-marketed active sitting near the end is often there only in a trace.
It depends on the pair and the time of day (AM vs PM). The compatibility checker gives an evidence-tagged verdict for each common combination.
Check compatibility →A neutral reference and a lawful-lane shop. Information for those who seek it — never promotion.
This site provides neutral scientific reference and sells only products lawful in your region. Nothing here is medical advice, a recommendation, or an offer to supply unapproved medicines. No dosing or administration is published for research compounds. Cosmetic peptides per Regulation (EC) 1223/2009. Unapproved injectable peptides are neither sold nor advertised in the EU (Directive 2001/83/EC, Title VIII). © 2026 Vallydia.