Methodology

A match score is a number from 0 to 100 describing how closely a cheaper product copies the working parts of the original. It is not a quality score and not a promise of results.

What goes into a score

1. Key-active overlap. We list the original's key actives and check which appear in the dupe. Missing actives lower the score most.
2. Concentration. Where a percentage is published, we compare. Where it is not, we use ingredient order on the label as a rough guide and say so.
3. Vehicle. Cream, serum, oil, pH and packaging affect how well an active works. A very different vehicle lowers the score.

How to read it

80 and above: close match. 60 to 79: a reasonable substitute, check what is missing. Below 60: related, not equivalent.

What we do not claim

• That a dupe performs identically. Formulas have more to them than a label shows.
• That a product treats, cures or prevents any condition. This is cosmetic information, not medical advice.
• That prices are current. They are a snapshot; confirm before buying.

Every ingredient list links to its source, and every efficacy claim links to a study in the evidence library.