How we score products
Every Gracie score is based on what's actually in the bottle — not marketing claims, not brand reputation, not price. We parse the full INCI ingredient list and score every product across five transparent attributes.
Our principles
Ingredient-first
Scores are derived from what is in the product, not reviews, marketing, or price.
Non-alarmist
We flag, not scare. A flag means 'relevant for some skin types,' not 'dangerous.'
Transparent
Every score attribute, weight, and data source is documented. No black boxes.
Score range: 1.0 — 9.8
We intentionally cap scores at 9.8. No product gets a perfect 10 — there's always room for a better formulation. The overall score is a weighted average of the five attribute scores below.
The five attributes
Hydration Efficacy
20%Measures the density and INCI position of humectants, occlusives, and emollients. Products with hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and ceramides ranked in the top 30% of their INCI list score highest.
Signal: Humectant/occlusive/emollient count + INCI position
Irritation Risk
20%Starts at a perfect score and subtracts for known irritants. Fragrance in the top 50% of ingredients costs 1.5 points. Denatured alcohol in the top 30% costs 1.0. Each additional flagged irritant deducts 0.5. Higher scores mean lower risk.
Signal: Fragrance, alcohol, irritant flags + position
Active Ingredient Strength
15%Evaluates the presence and INCI position of proven actives: retinol, niacinamide, vitamin C, AHAs, BHAs, peptides, and more. Actives listed higher in the formula score higher.
Signal: Active category presence + INCI position
Ingredient Transparency
15%Rewards complete, identifiable INCI lists. Penalises proprietary blends, unidentifiable ingredients, and incomplete lists. Products with full CosIng-matched ingredient data score highest.
Signal: INCI completeness, proprietary blends, CosIng match rate
Formulation Safety
10%Flags known allergens, comedogenic ingredients, and fragrance components. Products with fewer concern flags earn higher safety scores. We never assign universal hazard scores — context matters.
Signal: Allergen flags, comedogenic, fragrance status
Data sources
Open Beauty Facts
Product names, brands, INCI lists, images, and barcodes
EU CosIng
Official ingredient functions, regulatory data, and INCI names
Ingredient Classification
Category mapping (active, humectant, emollient, etc.) based on cosmetic science literature
Limitations we acknowledge
- ✶INCI position correlates with concentration but doesn't reveal exact percentages. We use position-weighting as a proxy.
- ✶Formulation chemistry matters — ingredient interactions can change efficacy. Our scores evaluate ingredients individually.
- ✶User experience (texture, scent, absorption) can't be scored from an ingredient list alone. We plan to add review-based attributes in a future update.
- ✶Not medical advice. Our scores are informational. Consult a dermatologist for skin conditions.