We rate products on a variety of different factors. An explanation of these may be found below. If you would like to see products rated by a method which is not included, please email us and we will take your request under consideration.


EWG Skindeep Database Rating:
EWG provides an excellent and comprehensive database on the safety of cosmetic and personal care products. Products are ranked on a variety of factors, but include known health risks of ingredients, allergic considerations, animal testing, and more.

Here is a quick snippet from their site:
"EWG provides information on personal care product ingredients from the published scientific literature, to supplement incomplete data available from companies and the government. The ratings below indicate the relative level of concern posed by exposure to the ingredients in this product - not the product itself - compared to other product formulations. The ratings reflect potential health hazards but do not account for the level of exposure or individual susceptibility, factors which determine actual health risks, if any."

Products are ranked on a scale from "0" to "10", with "0" being the safest, and "10" being the most hazardous. (Personally, we try to use only products ranked 4 or lower - and this is what we also recommend for our visitors - but the rating is provided simply to give you more information on the safety aspect of the product.)


Naturalness Rating:
This is our own rating, based on what percentage of the product consists of natural ingredients. It is expressed on a 10-point scale, with "10" equating to 100%.  So, for example, a product with 100% natural ingredients would be rated "10," whereas a product with only about half natural ingredients would be rated a "5." However, we frown on products being called "all-natural" if they're not really. Therefore, ONLY 100% natural products will receive a 10 here.  With all the chemicals we are exposed to on a daily basis, we believe even adding 1% toxic ingredients to our skin is not wise! So on this site, a 99% natural product will only receive a "Naturalness" rating of 9.


Customer Satisfaction Rating:
This rating is based on available actual customer reviews on the manufacturer's website, and from other sites listing customer feedback on the product. It is also expressed on a 10-point scale, based on the percentage of positive versus negative feedback, with "1" being the lowest, and "10" the highest - meaning feedback was found to be 100% positive. (If this rating appears as "0", this means no customer feedback was available.)


Value Rating:
This is a more subjective rating which is based on the other factors compared with the average retail price of the product, and also factors in whether the price is higher, lower, or comparable to other similar products. Available ratings are: "Poor," "Below Average," "Average," "Above Average", and "Excellent."


Overall Rating:
This rating is based on a combination of all ratings above, together with the other factors and info on each product page, and is also expressed on a scale of "1" through "10", with "1" being the lowest, and "10" being the highest (best). A written explanation and summary of the overall rating for the product can be found at the bottom of each product report.

We try to balance all the different factors fairly, but in general, customer reviews and safety ratings are weighted the heaviest. After all, if a product is completely natural, very safe, and affordable, but everyone hates it, you might not want to purchase it. Conversely, if customers rave about a product, but it's full of chemicals that cause cancer, we feel you should be warned. This explains why two different products with ratings that add up the same may be rated differently overall.