To make ingredient reviews easier to understand, I use a four-tier rating system.
| Rating | What It Means |
|---|
| Best | I actively recommend this ingredient. |
| Better (Limited Use) | I accept this ingredient in certain types of products, but it’s not my first choice. |
| Better (Not In My Top Picks) | Unresolved concerns keep this ingredient out of my product recommendations. |
| Not A Fan | I recommend avoiding this ingredient. |
My ratings consider:
- Human health concerns
- Regulatory actions
- Absorption into the body
- Quality of available evidence
- Availability of safer alternatives
No ingredient is judged based on a single study. I look at the overall body of evidence and how major regulators evaluate it.