How to check if your skincare and cosmetics are safe
Is my skincare safe? How to check cosmetic ingredients by scanning products with an ingredient checker app or reading the INCI list yourself, step by step.
By the Green Point editorial teamUpdated 6 min readKey takeaways
- The ingredient list (INCI) on the pack is the most reliable information about what is in a product.
- A cosmetic ingredient checker app like Green Point rates every ingredient and gives the product a score out of 20.
- Tap individual ingredients to see why they are flagged, such as Allergen, Preservative or Suspected endocrine disruptor.
- A low score means more precautionary flags, not that a product is dangerous; a high score doesn't guarantee your skin will tolerate it.
- Patch test new products and check the label yourself if you have allergies.
On this page
To check if your skincare is safe, read the ingredient list on the pack or scan the barcode with a cosmetic ingredient checker. Green Point rates every ingredient, flags allergens, preservatives and suspected endocrine disruptors, and gives the product a score out of 20. Then look at the flagged ingredients that matter for you and patch test anything new.
Are cosmetics checked before they go on sale?
It depends on where you live. In the US, cosmetics and their ingredients don't need FDA approval before they are sold (color additives are the exception). The companies that make and sell them are legally responsible for making sure they are safe. In the EU, each product must have a safety assessment before it goes on the market, and ingredients with concerns are banned or limited to set concentrations.
Either way, "safe" means safe for most people when used as intended. It doesn't mean every product suits your skin, and it doesn't answer questions like whether you would rather avoid fragrance or certain preservatives. That is where checking the ingredients yourself helps.
How to check cosmetic ingredients with Green Point
Green Point is a free app for iPhone and Android that scans food and cosmetics with the same scanner. Here is how to check a skincare, hair or body product:
- Scan the barcode. Open the scanner and point your camera at the barcode. The app recognizes that it is a cosmetic.
- Look at the score out of 20. It tells you at a glance how the product rates overall.
- Check the ingredient ratings. Every ingredient is rated Excellent, Good, Poor or Bad, so you can see which ones pull the score down.
- Tap any ingredient to see why it is rated the way it is, what it does in the product and its potential benefits and risks.
- Compare products. Use search to look up other products by name, and find past scans in your History.
What the score out of 20 means
The higher the score, the better. It sums up the ratings of all the ingredients in the formula, and the ingredients worth a closer look, such as potential irritants, allergens, suspected endocrine disruptors and pollutants, are flagged right in the list.
What the ingredient classifications mean
- Allergen: a known cause of skin allergy in some people, such as fragrance components. See fragrance allergens in cosmetics.
- Regulated: has legal limits on concentration or use, for example in the EU.
- Preservative and Formaldehyde releaser: keep the product free of microbes; some cause allergies.
- Suspected endocrine disruptor: under scientific discussion for possible effects on hormones, such as some parabens. See are parabens safe?
- Silicone, Sulfate, Chemical UV filter and Mineral UV filter: describe what kind of ingredient it is.
What if a product isn't in the app?
If a barcode isn't recognized, you can add the product yourself. Take a photo of the ingredient list and the front of the pack, and Green Point's AI reads the ingredients and calculates the score. This also works for products bought abroad: the app's labels and ratings appear in your language, while the ingredient names stay as printed on the package.
How to check skincare ingredients without an app
You can also check a product manually. Ingredients are listed using standardized INCI names, used in the EU and many other countries (US labels use very similar names, such as "water" instead of "aqua"). Our guide on how to read a cosmetic ingredient list explains it in detail. The basics:
- Ingredients above 1% appear in descending order of concentration, so the first few make up most of the product.
- "Parfum" or "fragrance" covers a scent blend; in the EU, listed fragrance allergens must also be named when above small thresholds.
- Look up unfamiliar ingredients in official sources, such as the European Commission's cosmetic ingredient database (CosIng).
- Don't rely on claims like "natural", "clean" or "hypoallergenic": in the US there is no legal definition for them.
What a low score does (and doesn't) mean
Green Point's ratings are deliberately precautionary. Ingredients that are regulated, suspected endocrine disruptors, silicones or mineral oils get lower ratings. Some ingredients that dermatologists recommend are flagged too. For example, salicylic acid is a regulated ingredient with concentration limits, and many sunscreen filters are rated cautiously.
So a low score means a product contains ingredients with more open questions or restrictions. It doesn't mean the product is unsafe when used as directed, and it isn't medical advice. A high score, on the other hand, doesn't guarantee your skin will tolerate it. Use the score to compare similar products, then decide based on the ingredients that matter to you.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free app to check skincare ingredients?
Yes. Green Point is free to download on iPhone and Android and includes free scans and searches every day. You scan a product's barcode to see a score out of 20, every ingredient rated and classifications like Allergen or Preservative. Premium removes the daily limits and also shows which skin types a product suits and its benefits.
Can I check cosmetics from other countries?
Yes. Barcodes and INCI ingredient names work across countries, so you can scan products bought abroad. If a product isn't in the database, photograph its ingredient list and front of pack to add it. Green Point is available in 21 languages: scores and ratings appear in your language, while product names and ingredient text stay as printed on the package.
Why do two ingredient checker apps give different scores?
Each app uses its own method and sources to rate ingredients. Some focus on irritation, others on environmental impact or on regulatory status, and some are more precautionary than others. That is why one product can score differently across apps. Look at which ingredients are flagged and why, rather than comparing numbers alone, and check the reasons that matter to you.
How can I save the products that work for me?
In Green Point, your scans are kept in History, with separate tabs for food and cosmetics, so you can find products again. With My Shelf you can save your favorite product in each cosmetic category, such as your go-to cleanser or sunscreen, and share your shelf with a link.
Sources
- FDA Authority Over Cosmetics: How Cosmetics Are Not FDA-Approved, but Are FDA-RegulatedU.S. Food and Drug Administration
- Allergens in CosmeticsU.S. Food and Drug Administration
- How to test skin care productsAmerican Academy of Dermatology
This guide is for general information and is not medical advice. If you have a skin, allergy or health concern, talk to a doctor, dermatologist or dietitian. Green Point scores and Skin Scan results are informational and are not a diagnosis.
