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Do you know what’s in your skincare?

26 per cent of Brits don’t know what’s in their skincare products, do you? For more on why you should find out and where to search, read on

Us Brits spend £6.5bn a year on skincare products, but more than a quarter of the 18–34-year-olds surveyed by skincare brand Amatus, admitted they had absolutely no idea what was in the products they were using.

Yes, formula lists can be hard to decipher, but even so that’s a scary thought, for a number of reasons. Most importantly, not having an understanding of what’s in your skincare could mean you’re not using a product that’s suited to your skin type or skin tone – which can lead to irritation, pigmentation and the opposite of the ‘good’ skin we all hope for when we follow a skincare routine.

Other than that, not all skincare is made equal, some contain surfactants, preservatives, and fragrances that while allowed, aren’t considered desirable by both formulators and consumers. Plus, you can often find that product packaging and descriptions focus heavily on buzzword ingredients but ingredient lists show that there isn’t enough of the stuff to make its mark on your skin.

To get better acquainted with what’s in your skincare, we love these resources…

Think Dirty

This app is an independent source that allows you to compare products as you shop. Just scan the product barcode and Think Dirty will give you easy-to-understand info on the product, track ‘dirty’ ingredients, and offer cleaner alternatives if needed.

CosDNA

A database full of the most purchased beauty products, you can simply search for the one you’re using or thinking about buying to see how low the rating is. In this case, the lower the rating the ‘better’ the product – as this site analyses every ingredient and rates them for function, whether they’re an acne irritant, if they have UV protection and how safe they are.

Skincarisma

You can search this website for products and ingredients, and unlike other resources this site also explains what each ingredient does for your skin and what skin types they suit best.

Beautypedia

A website created by Paula Begoun of Paula's Choice, you’ll find information on a plethora of commonly used cosmetic ingredients. Everything you read, from the product reviews to the ingredient lowdowns, are compiled by independent research teams so there’s no bias here.

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