How Our Badges Work

Every product at Skin-Nomad is curated on its own merits. The badges you see on product pages are the shorthand for that work. Each one means a specific claim has been verified against the product's full ingredient list, published clinical evidence, or a confirmed brand standard. None of them are self-awarded by brands, and none are applied speculatively.

This page explains what each badge means, what we check, and where we draw the lines. If a product doesn't carry a badge, it either didn't qualify or hasn't been assessed yet.

Pregnancy Safe

Every product in our pregnancy safe collection has had its full ingredient list reviewed against ACOG recommendations, the JAAD 2024 dermatologic safety in pregnancy guidelines (McMullan et al.), MotherToBaby/OTIS fact sheets on the NIH Bookshelf, and CIR Expert Panel assessments.

We exclude retinoids in all topical forms, hydroquinone, oxybenzone, distilled essential oils with uterotonic potential (rosemary oil, sage oil, clary sage oil, mugwort oil, basil oil, eucalyptus oil), idebenone, and lip products with undisclosed fragrance blends. We do not exclude niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, bakuchiol, azelaic acid, vitamin C, centella actives, ceramides, peptides, PDRN, tranexamic acid, or fragrance in face and body products made to EU and UK regulatory standards.

For the complete methodology, sources, and common ingredient questions, see our dedicated pregnancy safe skincare page. To shop the collection, visit our pregnancy safe collection.

Fragrance Free

This badge means the product contains no undisclosed fragrance blend and no named volatile aromatic compounds associated with sensitisation. We exclude products listing Fragrance, Parfum, Aroma, distilled essential oils (any aromatic plant oil, including lavender oil, rosemary oil, tea tree oil, bergamot oil, lemon oil, and similar), and isolated aromatic compounds declared as primary INCI entries (limonene, linalool, citral, geraniol, citronellol, eugenol, coumarin).

We do not exclude botanical aqueous or glycol extracts of aromatic plants, non-volatile citrus fruit extracts, or benzyl alcohol used as a preservative. These do not carry the same sensitisation profile as their distilled counterparts.

Fragrance Free is most relevant to sensitised, reactive, rosacea-prone, and eczema-prone skin. Browse our fragrance free collection.

Non-Comedogenic

A product earns this badge either because the brand verifiably markets it as non-comedogenic, or because the formulation contains no high-comedogenicity ingredients. We use a comedogenicity scale that flags ingredients rated 3 or higher as potential concerns in leave-on formats: Coconut Oil, Isopropyl Myristate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Wheat Germ Oil, Linseed Oil, and Acetylated Lanolin are the primary disqualifiers.

Where a brand has explicitly and verifiably made a non-comedogenic claim, that claim overrides the INCI screen. This applies to ranges including Beauty of Joseon, PURITO Wonder Releaf, Avocado Zinc, Odylique, and select Mary&May products. We always verify the claim directly before applying or removing this badge.

This badge applies to leave-on face and body products only. Browse our non-comedogenic collection, or shop our acne and blemishes collection for breakout-prone skin.

Sensitive Skin Safe

Products with this badge are formulated to be well-tolerated by sensitised or reactive skin. To qualify, a product must meet all of the following criteria.

It must be fragrance free or essential oil free. It must contain no high-concentration leave-on exfoliating acids — AHA above 5% or BHA above 1% in a leave-on format. It must not use alcohol denat. as a primary solvent. It must not feature a retinoid as a primary active: retinol, retinal, retinaldehyde, and prescription retinoids cause barrier disruption, peeling, and reactive flares that are incompatible with sensitised skin regardless of formulation quality. The brand must also position the product as suitable for sensitive skin, or hold a clinical or dermatologist-tested claim.

Low-dose retinol present as a secondary supporting ingredient in an otherwise barrier-focused formulation is assessed case by case. Products where the retinoid is the stated hero active do not qualify.

Browse our sensitive skin collection.

Cruelty Free

This badge is applied to products from brands that do not conduct or commission animal testing at any stage of development, and do not sell in markets where animal testing is required by law. Qualification requires either a Leaping Bunny or PETA certification, or a verified brand statement covering both criteria.

Browse our cruelty free collection.

Vegan

A product earns the Vegan badge when its full ingredient list contains no animal-derived ingredients or by-products. We do not require a brand vegan claim — a clean INCI is sufficient. Ingredients we screen for include beeswax, honey, royal jelly, snail secretion filtrate, hydrolysed collagen from animal sources, silk proteins, carmine, cholesterol from animal sources, gelatin, salmon-derived PDRN (Sodium DNA), atelocollagen, salmon egg extract, milt extract, and milk protein.

Salmon-derived PDRN is not vegan. We maintain a separate Vegan PDRN collection for products using the salmon-free synthetic alternative.

Browse our vegan collection.

Reef Friendly

This badge appears on sunscreens that contain no UV filter chemicals known to contribute to coral bleaching and marine ecosystem disruption. We exclude oxybenzone (Benzophenone-3), octinoxate (Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate), octocrylene, and related benzophenone-class filters. The badge applies to sunscreens only.

Browse our reef friendly collection.

Mineral SPF

This badge means the product uses only physical UV filters — zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, or both — with no chemical UV filter actives. Mineral sunscreens are the preferred choice for pregnancy, sensitive skin, and those wanting to minimise systemic absorption from their SPF. The badge applies to sunscreens only.

Browse our mineral SPF collection.

Alcohol Free

This badge means the product contains no drying or functional alcohol that can compromise the skin barrier or cause irritation. We exclude alcohol denat., SD alcohol, standalone ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, and cane alcohol. Fatty alcohols (cetearyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, behenyl alcohol) are not excluded — these are emollient ingredients with no drying or sensitising function.

This badge is relevant across all product categories. For haircare, it means no drying alcohol that could further dehydrate or damage the hair shaft. For sensitive and barrier-compromised skin, it is a natural companion to Fragrance Free and Sensitive Skin Safe.

Browse our alcohol free collection.

Sulphate Free

This badge appears on hair products only. It means the surfactant system contains no sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), ammonium lauryl sulfate, ammonium laureth sulfate, or sodium coco sulfate.

Sulphate-free is a meaningful functional claim for colour-treated hair, dry or sensitised scalps, and chemically processed hair, where sulphate surfactants can strip the hair shaft of its natural lipid layer. We do not apply this badge to face cleansers or body washes — sulphates in regulated rinse-off skincare serve a legitimate cleansing function and are safe at cosmetic concentrations.

Browse our sulphate free hair care collection.

Organic

This badge is applied to products from brands that hold a recognised third-party organic certification — COSMOS Organic, USDA Organic, or ECOCERT Organic. It is not a claim we apply based on the presence of organic-origin ingredients alone, because organic is not a regulated term in UK or EU cosmetics without a certification standard behind it.

In the Skin-Nomad range, the Organic badge currently appears on products from Earth Harbor, which holds COSMOS certification, and Sioris, which is certified by ECOCERT. The certification covers the production, sourcing, and processing of ingredients to verified organic standards — it is a supply chain commitment, not a marketing descriptor.

Browse our organic collection.

How we apply badges in practice

Every badge is applied at the individual product level after reviewing the full INCI ingredient list. Where a brand makes a verified claim that covers a badge criterion, that claim is documented and the badge is applied even if the INCI would not independently qualify. Where a brand claim exists but cannot be independently verified, we default to the INCI assessment.

Badges on skincare bundles are applied by intersection: a bundle only carries a badge if every component product in the bundle qualifies individually.

We review badges as new products are added and when brands reformulate. If a badge changes on a product you own, that reflects an update to our assessment, not a product recall.

What badges are not

Badges are curation tools. They surface relevant formulation information for shoppers with specific needs. They are not safety endorsements, medical recommendations, or a claim that products without a badge are inferior. A product without a Fragrance Free badge may still be perfectly well-tolerated by most skin types. A product without a Pregnancy Safe badge may still be suitable during pregnancy under guidance from a healthcare provider.

If you have questions about a specific product or ingredient, you are welcome to get in touch.