FAQ: How to Use OnSkin Skincare Ingredient Checker
This FAQ explains what the OnSkin app does and how it works. You'll find out how to scan a product and see its Safety Score, discover new matching products with the Skincare Finder tool, create personalized skincare routines with the routine builder, and much more.
1 What is the OnSkin app used for?
The OnSkin app is a comprehensive skincare ingredient checker designed to help you analyze cosmetic formulas, evaluate product safety, and determine if a product matches your skin or hair profile.
The app gives you instant access to a massive database of over 2 million pre-analyzed cosmetic products. This allows you to choose formulas based on science, toxicology, and dermatology—not marketing claims.
- Scan a product by photo or barcode, or search by name or category.
- See the product’s Safety Score from 0 to 100.
- Review detailed information about skincare ingredients from trusted dermatology and toxicology sources.
- Check your “Skin Match” result to see if the product fits your profile.
Scan a product labeled as “clean” using the beauty product scanner to check what’s really inside. This helps you detect hidden irritants like sulfates, toxic preservatives such as parabens, synthetic dyes, and allergenic fragrances. Such skincare ingredients may trigger irritation, cause breakouts, or disrupt your skin barrier.
Complete the short skin quiz right after sign-up to unlock your personalized “Skin Match” results and see which products truly fit your needs.
2 How does the OnSkin Safety Score work?
The Safety Score is a rating from 0 to 100 that reflects the overall safety of a product. It’s calculated using a proprietary formula that takes into account the risk level of each ingredient. А higher score means the ingredients in a product pose fewer potential health or skin concerns. Scores in the OnSkin app may be updated, though, as new scientific data becomes available.
- OnSkin evaluates each ingredient using established scientific sources.
- The app identifies risks such as carcinogenicity, endocrine (hormone) disruption, allergen potential, and flags ingredients that are unsafe in high amounts.
- Ingredient risk levels are combined into a final Safety Score.
- Results are classified as Excellent (76–100), Good (51–75), Not Great (26–50), or Bad (0–25).
A product that receives a score of 50 will be displayed as “Not Great", with detailed explanations for ingredients that have identified risks.
You can tap on the ingredient name in the list to see its details, potential health effects, and its impact on the final Safety Score.
3 What is the OnSkin Safe Choice mark?
Safe Choice is a science-based distinction mark given to cosmetic formulas that meet OnSkin’s highest safety standards. Products that earn this mark score 95 or higher and contain cosmetic ingredients with little to no known or suspected health risks when used as intended.
- The app reviews the full ingredient list provided by the manufacturer.
- It evaluates all skincare ingredients across four safety criteria: carcinogenicity, endocrine and reproductive toxicity, allergy risk, and high-concentration alerts.
- The app aggregates ingredient-level risks into a 100-point Safety Score.
- It assigns the Safe Choice mark to formulas that score 95 or higher.
- The Safe Choice badge is displayed in the product certification section within the OnSkin app.
A face cream scoring 97 will have the Safe Choice badge. As a cosmetic safety app, OnSkin uses this badge to indicate that the product’s full ingredient composition poses no or negligible risk of common adverse health effects.
Look for Safe Choice badges if you want to choose formulas made with safer ingredients and reduce exposure to potentially harmful chemicals in your personal care routine.
4 How does OnSkin create a personalized skincare routine?
In the OnSkin app, there is the “Your Skincare Routine” tool that builds separate morning and evening plans based on your quiz answers and profile. This ensures every step of your regimen is tailored to your skin type and that the products you use are safe and effective together.
- View your personalized AM and PM routines.
- Your morning routine includes cleansing, toning, moisturizing, and sun protection.
- Your evening routine includes cleansing, toning, serum (for users over 21), and moisturizing.
- Tap any product to see its ingredient list and why it matches your skin profile.
- Use “Generate a New Routine” to refresh your plan anytime.
If your profile indicates oily skin, both your morning and evening routines will include products specifically suited to manage oil and prevent breakouts.
Update your quiz answers or skin concerns in the settings, and your skincare routine app will automatically adjust your personalized routine to reflect those changes.
5 Can I use OnSkin as a skincare compatibility checker?
Yes, OnSkin is a personalized skincare app that evaluates how well a product suits your unique skin or hair needs by comparing its formula against your profile.
You can also use the Skincare Finder tool as a skincare product recommendation app to discover new products that match your profile.
- Open the Skincare Finder and apply filters like product type, effects, or age group.
- Choose specific ingredients to include in your search, or skip this step.
- Get a personalized list of products that match your profile.
Open the Skincare Finder, select “face cream” and “dry skin,” and add a filter for "hyaluronic acid" to get a shortlist of perfectly matching products.
The Skincare Finder is available to free users with some limitations, letting everyone explore products suited to their needs.
6 Can I use OnSkin to check the safety of cleaning products?
Yes, OnSkin isn’t just for skincare and haircare; it also checks the safety and ingredient transparency of household cleaning products. The app covers everyday household products—laundry detergents, dishwashing liquids, surface sprays, and more. Each formula gets a 100-point score based on five health risk factors: respiratory irritation, skin or eye irritation, endocrine disruption, carcinogenicity, and usage restrictions.
- Scan a product by photo or barcode, or search by name.
- See its Safety Score, from Excellent to Bad, based on formula safety across five health risk factors.
- Check the ingredient transparency indicator (Good, Partial, or Poor), which shows how fully the ingredients are disclosed, ensuring there are no unassessed risks.
Scan a laundry detergent or kitchen surface cleaner while shopping to instantly see if it contains hidden respiratory irritants or other risky ingredients.
Vague labeling is common with cleaning products, so OnSkin treats poor ingredient transparency as a risk signal on its own. This makes it easier to find the best household cleaning products for your family.
7 Is it possible to scan multiple products at once in OnSkin?
Yes, OnSkin's Shelf Scan tool lets you analyze an entire shelf of products in one photo. Instead of scanning barcodes one at a time, the app identifies every item in the frame and shows each product’s Safety Score—so you can quickly spot the ones worth considering.
- Open the Scanner and switch to Shelf Scan mode.
- Photograph a shelf.
- Let OnSkin identify everything in the frame.
- Compare Safety Scores side by side.
Snap a photo of a crowded moisturizer display in-store to instantly see which creams are rated “Excellent” and suit your dry skin profile. No need to pick up every bottle.
Good lighting and forward-facing labels help Shelf Scan identify every product on the shelf.
8 Is OnSkin accurate, independent, and science-based?
Yes, OnSkin is a skincare scanner app with ratings that are 100% independent and backed by science. The ratings are based on verified research, not brand partnerships or paid promotions. Each product score is calculated using an in-house methodology and proprietary formulas developed by our qualified scientific team. This makes evaluations consistent and objective across all types of cosmetic products.
- The app analyzes each ingredient using data from recognized toxicology and dermatology sources, including IARC, the California EPA, and the European Commission.
- It assigns ingredient-level risks based on research findings.
- These risks are combined using scientific formulas to create the final product rating.
- All evaluations remain independent and free from paid brand influence.
You might check a viral luxury foundation and see a “Not Great” rating because our cosmetic ingredient checker identified certain components, such as synthetic dyes or fragrances, as potential allergens flagged by the European Commission.
Safety data evolves over time, and our scientific team continuously monitors new research. OnSkin, a skincare rating app, may automatically adjust a product’s score as new findings become available from sources like the California EPA and other authorities.
9 Do I have to pay to use the OnSkin app?
OnSkin is a free skincare app that lets you scan products and check their safety ratings, but with some limits. For a more complete experience, the PRO subscription offers unlimited scans and access to advanced features, including the Personal Skin Helper.
- Start the free trial when you first launch the app.
- Upgrade to PRO to scan unlimited products and use all advanced features.
- Manage or cancel your subscription in your store account settings.
Activate the trial before a beauty store or drugstore visit so you can scan skincare products like sunscreens or cleansers and compare dozens without hitting any limits.
For any questions about your subscription or billing, use the contact form in the app or on the website.
10 How do I download the OnSkin app on my smartphone?
The OnSkin app is available on both the App Store for iOS devices and Google Play for Android devices. Once installed, a short quiz helps tailor the app experience to your specific skin and hair needs. This makes sure all future recommendations are personalized.
- Install the OnSkin app from your app store.
- Sign in to save your scan history.
- Complete a quiz about your skin type, hair concerns, and lifestyle.
If you select “Oily” and “Acne-prone” in the quiz, the app will send automatic alerts about comedogenic (pore-clogging) skincare ingredients in the products you scan.
You can update your quiz answers or profile anytime in the app settings if your skin concerns change. This makes OnSkin a helpful skin type app for tracking your needs over time.
11 How does OnSkin protect my personal data?
OnSkin takes your privacy seriously and follows all applicable laws, including the GDPR and relevant U.S. state regulations. The app uses strong technical and organizational safeguards, such as access controls and secure hosting, to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, misuse, or loss.
- OnSkin applies industry-standard security practices and access controls.
- The app works with secure hosting providers that meet reliability and protection requirements.
- Data sharing is limited to trusted service providers under contractual safeguards.
- Users have the right to access, correct, restrict, or delete their data.
When you upload a photo of your face for skin analysis, the image is securely stored to personalize your profile and tailor your experience within the app. It is used exclusively to generate your results and is never shared with third-party advertisers or sold to outside companies.
You can review the latest privacy practices and learn how your data is handled in the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service sections on the website or within the OnSkin app.
