Alternative to CosDNA
CosDNA is one of the longest-standing free skincare databases online (often traced to around 2009). People paste ingredient lists or search products to see acne, irritant, and safety-style flags on a simple numeric scale—work that helped a generation of forum users think about INCI lists.
What CosDNA is known for
- A large, user-contributed product and ingredient database you can search or feed with a pasted INCI list.
- Per-ingredient ratings (often shown on a 1–9 style scale) for acne, irritation, safety, and similar dimensions, plus basic reference data like function labels.
- A web-first workflow: copy from a label or website, paste, and scan—still how many people first learn to “decode” a formula.
Where a modern app can go further
CosDNA’s ratings are widely described—by independent educators and cosmetic chemists—as a rough screen, not a verdict: many scores lean on older comedogenicity testing, do not reflect concentration in the bottle, and rarely explain how ingredients behave together in a full formula. That is why shoppers today often pair a database with something that speaks in plain language and ties back to their skin.
Why people choose Macherre instead
- Fit, not just flags — We combine your skin type, sensitivities, and goals into a clear product read, not only a line-by-line table.
- Ingredient breakdowns you can use — Short explanations of what ingredients do, who they tend to help, and when they might be worth avoiding—without treating a single number as gospel.
- Scan-first workflow — Pull real products from the shelf with scanning when you do not want to retype a twenty-line INCI list by hand.
- Routines and comparisons — See how products might work together, spot clashes, and compare options or dupes when you want a better match.