Skin Receipts exists because most skincare reviews are written after a single use, from a box someone was sent for free — or worse, from a spec sheet by someone who never opened the bottle. That is not a review. Our rule is simpler: own it, use it, write down what happened.
The method
- We only review what we own and use. If a product is not in our routine, there is no review of it here. This is the whole premise of the site, and it is the one rule we will not bend.
- Weeks, not days. Hydration shows up quickly; irritation, congestion, and barrier damage take longer. Every review says how long we have been using the product.
- Bought at retail. No press samples, no gifted PR, no sponsored placements. We list the size and the price range.
- Ingredients from the actual label. We read the INCI list and call out the ones doing the work, plus the ones likely to cause trouble, such as essential oils and denatured alcohol.
- An explicit "not for you" section. Every review says who should skip the product. A product that suits everybody usually does nothing for anybody.
What the ratings mean
| Rating | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 5 | We rebuy this. It does something no cheaper product we've tried does. |
| 4 | Genuinely good. Worth the money for the right skin type. |
| 3 | Works, but so does something cheaper or more widely available. |
| 2 | Underperformed, or caused problems for the skin type it targets. |
| 1 | Don't. |
Affiliate links
Where a product earns a recommendation, we may add an affiliate link and label it clearly. The rating is written before any link is added, and we do not add links to products we would not recommend. If a page has no link, it is because we have not set one up, not because we are hiding one.
We are not dermatologists
Nothing here is medical advice. If you have persistent acne, eczema, rosacea, or a reaction to a product, see a dermatologist. Patch test anything new on a small area first.