Get Started

How do I get started with SkinKnowing?
To create your SkinKnowing profile, simply click "Create My Profile" on the top menu of our website to complete your SkinKnowing profile & health survey.
Why do I have to complete a SkinKnowing profile to use the platform?
At SkinKnowing, we personalize ingredient and product recommendations based on your unique skin care and health concerns or needs. Our health survey is the tool we use to get to know you, your risk factors, and your skin!
Do I have to answer all the questions on the survey?
Of course not! Answer only the questions that are relevant to you.
What questions will SkinKnowing ask on the health survey?
In order to make personalized ingredients and product recommendations, we need to get to know you first! Our health survey is a 5-minute survey that asks about your age, skin goals and concerns, skin and health history, genetic risk factors (optional), allergies, and ingredient or product concerns (if any). We worked really hard to make a survey that gets to know you in depth without taking up too much of your time.
Do I have to share my DNA data with you?
Of course not! While analyzing your genetic risk factors is one of our amazing high-tech features, this level of personalization is completely optional.
I'm worried about sharing my personal information. Is my personal information kept private?
Yes. All health information (including your DNA) is encrypted and stored in compliance with HIPPA guidelines (just like your doctor's office) to keep your information private. We never share this information with anyone.
Can I change my SkinKnowing health profile after I have completed it?
Things change, and we know that. Develop a new allergy? A new health diagnosis? A new skin concern? You'll have the ability to edit your SkinKnowing profile survey at anytime through the My Account section. Your custom avoid list will change automatically to reflect any changes you've made.
What are the benefits of a SkinKnowing Membership?

When you become a SkinKnowing member, you will gain access to expert advice on products and ingredients from one or more of our health and wellness experts. (We call them Skincare Gurus.) Each expert has their own ingredient and product philosophies, and by adding experts to your profile via your SkinKnowing membership, we make sure your avoid list contains all the same ingredients that your expert wants you to avoid!

You will get recommendations regarding products they love, insight on their personal skin care regimen, and access to their online SkinKnowing masterclasses! With our premium membership, you also get a custom skin care regimen tailored for you by SkinKnowing founder Dr. Levin, in addition to unlimited knowledge from our affiliated experts.

With a premium membership (our most deluxe offering), you'll get access to the following:

  • A custom skin care regimen created just for you by SkinKnowing founder and award-winning dermatologist Dr. Levin
  • Ability to create up to 5 user profiles in your account for all the people you shop for
  • Unlimited access to resources and recommendations from our affiliated Gurus

We offer 4 membership tiers:

  • 1
    Starter Member $4.99/month
    Follow ONE (1) Guru of your choice.
    Get exclusive info on the ingredients they recommend avoiding, the ingredients they love, and their favorite products. In addition, get exclusive access to all of their LIVE masterclasses.
  • 2
    Plus Member $9.99/month
    Follow THREE (3) Gurus of your choice.
    All benefits from the previous package apply.
  • 3
    Deluxe Member $14.99/month
    Follow UNLIMITED Gurus of your choice.
    All benefits from the previous packages apply.
  • 4
    Premium Membership: $199/year
    Follow UNLIMITED Gurus of your choice.
    Create up to FIVE (5) user profiles for the people you shop for.
    Receive a personalized skincare regimen from Dr. Levin, SkinKnowing's founder!
    All benefits from the previous packages apply.
Can I cancel my SkinKnowing membership at any time?
Most of the SkinKnowing memberships are monthly subscriptions that you can cancel at any time for the following month. Our premium membership is a yearly subscription, which you can cancel at any time for the following year.
Can I create more than one profile under my SkinKnowing Premium Membership?

Yes! With a Premium Membership, you have the ability to create up to 5 user profiles under your one account. It's a great feature for those who do a lot of shopping for loved ones.

Each profile will have full access to the SkinKnowing platform and benefits, as well as its own customized product recommendations and ingredient avoid lists. You can easily switch back and forth between profiles depending on who you are shopping for.

Additionally, each profile created under your Premium Membership has access to follow as many gurus as you like. That means you can choose to follow different gurus than the other profiles on your account and vice versa.

About Skin Knowing

What makes SkinKnowing different from other ingredient library websites?
SkinKnowing is the only ingredient library with evidence-based research coming from a board-certified Dermatologist. SkinKnowing founder, Dr. Levin, recognized the need for personalized clean beauty ingredient avoid lists and product recommendations. SkinKnowing is the only site to provide personalized clean beauty based on the science of YOU! We are also the only place you'll find exclusive information and access to the industry's best minds in health and wellness.
How will SkinKnowing help me?
SkinKnowing has several ways to help you on your skincare journey!
  • 1
    Start evaluating skin care products. Wondering if a product is right for you? While shopping in-store, surfing online, or using products you already own, check with SkinKnowing to make sure those products are right for you!
  • 2
    Search for products based on your skin care goals. Looking for the right products to improve your skin? Browse SkinKnowing's product finder to discover products that will benefit your goals and skin concerns.
  • 3
    Find products without ingredients you are allergic to. Have some ingredient allergies? No problem. Make sure to tell us your allergies on your health survey so we can alert you when products contain allergens or if a product is allergy-free!
  • 4
    Find products that are in alignment with your health and wellness goals. Concerned about ingredients that cause inflammation? Cancer? Environmental harm? Make sure to let us know on the health survey, and we can help you find products in alignment with your goals and concerns.
  • 5
    Find a product that contains your favorite ingredient, but none of the ingredients you hate. Find products with your favorite ingredients, and see the latest research on thousands of ingredients by searching SkinKnowing's exclusive Ingredient Library.
  • 6
    Get regimen advice. Wondering how to apply all your products in the best way? Looking for products to complete your regimen? With a SkinKnowing membership you can get personalized regimen advice and guidance with certified dermatologist Dr. Levin, founder of SkinKnowing.
  • 7
    Get Expert Recommendations. Looking for expert advice on what ingredients and products to use? With a SkinKnowing membership you see which products and ingredients our experts (a.k.a. Skincare Gurus) recommend for you.
  • 8
    Get the best price for your product. Every time you search for a product with SkinKnowing, you will be given a real-time price comparison for this product from many online retailers. Make sure you are getting the best price!
Who are the Skincare Gurus you are affiliated with, and what makes them qualify as a Guru?

We have partnered with the best minds in skin, health, & wellness - we call them Gurus! Our Gurus range from dermatologists, aestheticians, medical doctors, and influencers who have a passion for skin care products and their ingredients. Check out our Browse Guru section to find YOUR Guru(s) by reading about their backgrounds and ingredient philosophies.

Want more? Become a SkinKnowing member to see exclusive content from your selected Guru(s) including their personal ingredient avoid lists, favorite ingredients and products, and their current product regimens. You'll also get access to their live masterclasses on beauty, skincare and the latest innovations!

How SkinKnowing Works

I am completing my health survey, and I want to upload my genetic information. How do I do this?

SkinKnowing now offers advanced product and ingredient recommendations based on your DNA! Through our genetic analysis, we identify your individual risk factors and make sure you're notified to avoid any ingredients that potentiate this risk. If you have already used 23andMe or Ancestry DNA you can download the raw data file from either site and upload that file in the 4th step of our Health Survey. This step is optional and can be completed anytime. For instructions on how to upload your raw data file for 23andMe click here. For instructions on how to upload your raw data file for ancestry DNA click here.

Never done Ancestry DNA or 23andMe but want genetic analysis? Order your 23andMe kit here or your Ancestry DNA kit here.

I finished my health survey, and now I am ready to use SkinKnowing. What's next?
Now that you've completed our survey, we have created your custom clean beauty ingredient “avoid list.” The next step is to use SkinKnowing to browse products that are right for you! You can do this in 3 ways:
  • 1
    Search our Smart Product Finder
    Set filters for the types of skincare products you're interested in. Based on your assessment results, we'll reveal products that meet your clean beauty needs. We'll also show you which products to avoid.
  • 2
    Browse our Ingredient Library
    SkinKnowing's exclusive Ingredient Library offers evidence-based research on each and every ingredient. Use this information to fine tune your ingredient avoid list and also find products you love with your favorite ingredients!
  • 3
    View recommendations from our Skincare Gurus
    When you join the SkinKnowing Membership you will gain access to our network of skincare expert affiliates. (We call them Gurus.) Learn which ingredients they choose to avoid and discover the products they use and love.
How do I tell if a product I searched for is in alignment with my skin goals?

After you search for a product using SkinKnowing, we will use a thumbs up or thumbs down (along with our color code system) to alert you if a product is right for you. These alert icons will display next to a product's name.

  • This product is recommended for you! Free from ingredients on your avoid list.
  • This product is NOT recommended for you. Contains ingredients on your avoid list for health and wellness reasons.
  • This product is NOT recommended for you. Contains ingredients on your allergy list for allergy reasons.
  • This product is NOT recommended for you. Contains ingredients on your avoid list for both allergy and health and wellness reasons.

In short, thumbs up means good to go! Thumbs down means it's not for you.

I got an alert that a product is not recommended for me. Can I see why it's not recommended?

When evaluating a product that is not recommended, you will see a thumbs down in a lighter red, orange or deep red, as well as an alert bar below the product image. The color of the thumbs down and the alert bar will tell you if the product is not right for you because of health and wellness, allergies or both. Looking closely at the alert bar you will see text telling you why the product isn't right for you.

  • This product is recommended for you! Free from ingredients on your avoid list.
  • This product is NOT recommended for you. Contains ingredients on your avoid list for health and wellness reasons.
  • This product is NOT recommended for you. Contains ingredients on your allergy list for allergy reasons.
  • This product is NOT recommended for you. Contains ingredients on your avoid list for both allergy and health and wellness reasons.

We recommend checking the ingredient list as well. Your custom ingredient avoid list will have chemical name highlighted in light red, orange or dark red (if they are on your avoid list) with symbols to indicate why those ingredients should be avoided.

  • This ingredient is on your avoid list because of health and wellness concerns.
  • This ingredient is on your avoid list for allergy concerns.
  • This ingredient is on your avoid list for both health and wellness and allergy concerns.

Looking for more detail? Hover over an ingredient to reveal why a specific ingredient is not recommended for you.

How do I use SkinKnowing to evaluate skin care products?

There are many ways you can start evaluating skin care products with SkinKnowing!

  • - Use SkinKnowing while shopping products online!
  • - Use SkinKnowing to evaluate skin care products you already own!

By using the search function on the SkinKnowing Browse Products page, you can search for any product by name. Make sure you are logged in first!

After confirming the search for your product, SkinKnowing will present to you a thumbs up or down indicating whether the product is recommended for you. Thumbs up means good to go. Thumbs down means it's not recommended.

These alerts are personalized, based on the information you provided us in the registration skin profile & health survey. These alerts serve as a guide to make sure the product you are looking at contains ingredients that match your skin care goals and don't contain any ingredients you may be allergic to or those that are counter-intuitive to your health and wellness goals.

I don't have a particular product I am looking for, so How do I search for products based on my skin goals?

SkinKnowing recommends products for you that meet your skin care goals. After filing out your health survey click on browse products to get started. This will bring you to our Smart Product Finder where you can use filters to tell us what type of products you are looking for.

First and foremost, we will show you products that are recommended for you (meaning no ingredients on your avoid list), followed by those with only one or two avoid ingredients, and lastly, those with many ingredients on your avoid list. You always have the flexibility to change the order your product recommendations are shown by adjusting the filter on the top right. You can choose to view products from A-to-Z, ranked by most popular, or by your best matches. Whatever is best for you!

I am allergic to certain ingredients. How will SkinKnowing help me with this issue?

During your health survey, you will have the chance to let us know about any allergy issues as they relate to certain ingredients.

Once you have shared your allergy history and concerns, SkinKnowing will alert to any products that contain ingredients you are allergic to.

I want to avoid certain ingredients due to their potential environmental impact or impact on my health and wellness. How will SkinKnowing help with these issues?

SkinKnowing helps you identify the specific ingredients that are counterintuitive to your environmental, health and/or wellness goals. While completing our health survey, you will have the opportunity to tell us which ingredients you would like to avoid.

By clicking on specific ingredients in a product, SkinKnowing will reveal the issues with that ingredient and present scientific evidence that validates these claims.

I want to use SkinKnowing to make sure I am getting the best price for my product. How do I do this?

Have you ever bought a product in a store or online only to realize that you can get it cheaper elsewhere? Don't let this happen again! SkinKnowing helps you find the best deals on all of your favorite skin care and personal care products.

Every time you search or scan for a product using SkinKnowing, you will be given a real-time price comparison from many different online retailers. Have confidence that you're getting the very best price for your skin care products.

I want SkinKnowing to help me keep track of my skin care regimen and make sure I am using ingredients that work well together. How do I do this?
This feature is in progress and will be available soon. Stay tuned!
I want to see ingredient and product recommendations from a SkinKnowing Guru. How do I do this?

When you become a SkinKnowing Member, you will gain exclusive content from your Guru. This includes ingredient and product recommendations, access to view their personal skin care regimen, and access to their live SkinKnowing masterclasses!

What is a SkinKnowing Masterclass? How do I get access to these?

SkinKnowing Masterclasses are taught twice a year at minimum by each of our Skincare Gurus. These classes are live, educational sessions on the latest products, ingredients, skin care advice and skin procedures with a special live Q&A.

I have signed up as a SkinKnowing Member. How do I get my personalized regimen from Dr. Levin?

Congrats! You are about to get a regimen of your very own with personalized product and ingredient recommendations by our very own Dr. Levin!

Once you become a premium member, you will get an email with a link to a very important questionnaire. Dr. Levin uses this questionnaire to understand which products you have tried that failed, what products you like, and what factors are important to you when choosing a skincare routine.

Dr. Levin takes this information into account when putting together your regimen, which can take up to 4 weeks to receive. Once she has analyzed and figured out the best products for you, we will send you an email with your personalized regimen that includes live links to the products we recommend. It's that easy!

I want to set up another profile for a loved one that I shop for. How do I do this?

SkinKnowing understands the responsibility of choosing products for other people. Since we all have different needs, we give you the ability to create up to 5 different profiles for the people you shop for. Access to create multiple user profiles is only available with a premium membership.

Under the dropdown menu on any SkinKnowing page you will see a link to “create another profile." From there you will be able to submit a Health Survey for each user on your account.

Premium members are able to follow unlimited Gurus. Follow the same Gurus or follow your own…the choice is yours!

Can I save products I like to a wish list?
Our version of the wish list is a Favorites List! Add any products you are using and/or have interest into your Favorites List, and SkinKnowing will alert you of any price drops from major retailers!
How does SkinKnowing use my genetic information from 23andMe and AncestryDNA?

Dr. Levin has analyzed the latest medical research to find gene patterns that pose risk for medical conditions when exposed to certain ingredients. SkinKnowing's proprietary genetic analysis algorithm searches over 100 different genes relative to your health and skin. This feature is only available to users who link their Ancestry DNA or 23andme data to their SkinKnowing profile.

To put it simply, Dr. Levin uses your DNA data to identify risk factors for medical conditions. Then SkinKnowing makes sure you avoid any ingredients that could contribute or worsen this risk!

For example…if you are at risk for neurological disease like Alzhiemers, SkinKnowing's proprietary genetic risk analysis will make sure you are notified to avoid any ingredients that are known neurotoxins.

Or if you are prone to wrinkling, SkinKnowing will alert you to avoid ingredients that accelerate collagen breakdown.

Technical Support

Is SkinKnowing compatible with my smart phone or tablet?
Yes! SkinKnowing can be accessed from any smart phone, computer or tablet that connects to the internet.
What is the difference between the SkinKnowing app and website?
The SkinKnowing app (launching soon) allows you to find clean beauty products by scanning the product's bar code. Our website allows you to search for products by name to access their ingredient ratings. Aside from these two differences, SkinKnowing's information and capabilities are exactly the same!
I have scanned or searched for a product, and it's not showing in SkinKnowing. Now what?

Please let us know! We are continually adding products and ingredients to update the information on our site. While our database is extensive, with more than 1million products and 40,000 ingredients, we recognize the need to grow and change as new items come to market.

Contact us to let us know which products you would like to see, or email us at contactus@skinknowing.com

I think I found an error in the SkinKnowing system? How do I report this?
Yikes! Please let us know by using the contact us link at the bottom of the screen. If possible, please include a screenshot of the issue, or let us know what you found in as much detail as possible. You may also email us at contactus@skinknowing.com