EWG Skin Deep alternative
An EWG Skin Deep alternative for the shelf
Luminelle is a mobile scanner that scores by what the regulator's entry says for that kind of product, publishes every point of the method, and keeps your skin, cycle and meals in one timeline.
Out now on iPhone and Android. Free to download, free to scan.
Sources: EU CosIng · Regulation 1223/2009 · ECHA · California AB 2762/2771/496 · Prop 65 · SCCS opinions · EPA PFAS list
What Luminelle actually is
Four scans, one timeline
Every product, meal and selfie carries your cycle phase. Patterns surface over weeks.
Product scan
Score every label
Barcode or a photo of the ingredient list. Every product is scored against EU CosIng, California AB 2762/2771/496, Prop 65 and ECHA, and every flag links to the regulator entry behind it.
Meal scan
Calories and macros
Plate photo or barcode. Luminelle names the dish, estimates calories and macros, and adds them to your daily intake. Meals are not scored against ingredient lists.
Cycle tracking
Phase noted on every scan
Log your period; Luminelle estimates your phase and next period from the dates you give it. Every scan and selfie carries the phase you were in, so patterns can surface over weeks.
AI skin observations
A daily selfie, week over week
Up to five plain-language observations per selfie across forehead, under-eye, nose, cheeks and jaw, saved next to your products, meals and cycle. Observed without judgement.
Not a diagnostic, not a diet app, not a brand attack.
Why people look
What Luminelle does differently
Skin Deep is a reference desk: a large, long-running hazard database you consult one ingredient at a time. People looking for an alternative usually want one of three things.
A scanner, not a search box. Luminelle is barcode first, with a photo of the ingredient list as the fallback. The decision happens in the shop.
Regulation, not hazard. Skin Deep rates hazard. Luminelle reads what the regulator actually decided for this kind of product: a ban is a finding whatever the dose, a concentration limit is scrutiny, and a limit the label proves through ingredient order is not scored at all. Every point value is at /methodology.
A history, not a lookup. Products, meals, cycle phase and skin selfies live in one timeline. With Pro, the Patterns view looks for links across them over weeks.
In detail
What Luminelle does, in detail
Every flag links to its source. Tap a flagged ingredient to see the EU Annex entry, the California bill, the Prop 65 listing or the ECHA assessment behind it, and the reason it does or does not count toward the score.
Daily skin selfie. Up to five plain-language observations across forehead, under-eye, nose, cheeks and jaw, saved next to that day's products, meals and cycle phase. Observations, not medical advice.
Cycle phase on every scan. Log your period and Luminelle estimates the phase you are in and when the next one is due. Every product, meal and selfie carries the phase.
Life stage on every scan. Set pregnancy or breastfeeding and every product is checked against an avoid-list for that stage.
Shelf tools. Search by name, compare two products, see cleaner alternatives of the same type screened against your avoid-list, and run Shelf Check across everything you own.
Who it's for
Who should switch, and who shouldn't
Switch to Luminelle if…
- You scan in a store and want a verdict in seconds
- You want a score that treats a concentration limit differently from a ban
- You want products, meals, cycle and skin observations connected
- You are pregnant or breastfeeding and want an avoid-list applied to every scan
- You want a method with every point published
Stay with Skin Deep if…
- You research ingredients on a desktop and want a long-established reference
- You want a hazard rating per ingredient with the studies behind it
- You don't want a skin selfie or cycle layer
- You are a brand looking for a certification mark
Skin Deep is the reference desk. Luminelle is the scanner you carry into the shop.
How to switch
Getting started with Luminelle
There is nothing to migrate.
- Download Luminelle and create a free account.
- Scan products you have looked up before. Barcode scans are unlimited on the free tier.
- Tap a flagged ingredient and read the regulator entry and the reason it does or does not count.
- Set your profile: skin type, sensitivities, and pregnancy or breastfeeding if that applies.
- Take a selfie. Repeat tomorrow.
- Keep using Skin Deep for desk research. The two do not conflict.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
- How does Luminelle differ from EWG Skin Deep?
- Skin Deep is a web hazard database run by a US nonprofit, with a 1-10 hazard score per ingredient. Luminelle is a mobile scanner that reads each regulator entry for the product type, distinguishes a ban from a concentration limit, and adds a daily skin selfie, cycle phase and patterns over time.
- Is Luminelle free?
- Barcode scans are free and unlimited, with an account. Photo-based scans are limited to five a day on the free tier. Luminelle Pro removes that limit and adds Patterns, Shelf Check and Ask Luminelle.
- How does Luminelle's scoring work?
- Every flagged ingredient is classified as a finding, scrutiny, or listed-but-not-scored by what the regulator's entry says for this kind of product. A ban is a finding whatever the dose; a concentration limit is scrutiny; a limit the label proves through ingredient order is not scored. The full method, with every point value, is public.
- I'm in the EU. What does Luminelle add?
- EU CosIng, Regulation 1223/2009 and the ECHA endocrine disruptor assessments are primary inputs, read for the product type. California law and Prop 65 are scored alongside them.
- I'm pregnant. What does Luminelle do?
- Set your life stage to pregnancy or breastfeeding and every product you scan is checked against an avoid-list for that stage. The score itself is not changed; the avoided ingredients are called out on the product.
- Does Luminelle run a brand certification program?
- No. Luminelle does not certify brands and takes no money from them.
One scan tells you what's in it. A month tells you what it does.
Free to start. Products, meals, cycle, skin selfie, with every flag linked to a regulator entry.
Out now on iPhone and Android.