Skinventry started as a way to read skincare labels. With version 4.0 it reads anything with a label. Photograph a moisturizer, a jacket or a box of cereal, and Skinventry shows what is in it, who makes it, who owns the company, and what is on the public record, with a source on every fact. It never gives anything a score. You decide what matters.
Most of us buy from brands we think we know. The name on the front is the part we recognize. The company behind that name is the part we rarely see, and it is often not the one we expect.
Take CeraVe. It was founded in 2005 in the United States, and in January 2017 L’Oréal announced it would buy CeraVe, AcneFree and Ambi from Valeant for 1.3 billion US dollars in cash, according to L’Oréal’s own announcement. Nothing about that is hidden. It is just not printed on the tube.
What does Skinventry do now?
You point your iPhone at a product, its packaging or its label. There is no barcode to hunt for. Skinventry reads the brand, the product name and whatever else is printed there, including the ingredient list and its order, works out exactly what you are holding, and then researches the product and every company above it.
A lookup answers the questions people actually ask in the aisle:
- What is this, and what is in it or made of?
- Who made it, and who owns that company?
- Where was it made, and what certifications does it carry?
- What is on the public record: recalls, regulator actions, lawsuits?
- What could not be verified?
That last one matters. When Skinventry cannot confirm something, it says so plainly, for example “No verified country of manufacture found yet,” instead of filling the gap with a guess. Label words deserve the same care: many of them, like hypoallergenic, have no FDA definition at all.
Where does every fact come from?
Each fact in a lookup carries its source, and each source is one of three kinds:
- Official: the company about itself, such as its website, reports and press releases.
- Government: regulators, courts and public records, such as the FDA, FTC, CPSC, USDA, EPA and SEC.
- Independent: journalism, research, certifiers and third party organizations.
So when Patagonia says its Better Sweater is made in a Fair Trade Certified factory, you see that as the company speaking. When an FDA enforcement report lists a recall, you see that as the government speaking. You can always tap through to the original.
Who is really behind the brands you buy?
One of the most useful things a lookup shows is the family a brand belongs to. L’Oréal’s own brand portfolio includes names as different as Maybelline New York, Garnier, Lancôme, Kiehl’s, NYX Professional Makeup, CeraVe and La Roche‑Posay. Inditex, the group behind Zara, also runs Pull&Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho, Zara Home and Lefties.
How does Skinventry report recalls and lawsuits?
Skinventry reports the public record in the words and framing of the record itself, with the date and the entity named. In October 2015, for example, General Mills recalled about 1.8 million boxes of Cheerios and Honey Nut Cheerios made at its Lodi, California plant after wheat flour got into the gluten free oat flour system; the Celiac Disease Foundation reported on the FDA’s investigation at the time.
Recalls are public records: the FDA keeps a running list of recalls, market withdrawals and safety alerts, and we have walked through one in detail in the Allies of Skin SPF recall. That is the whole approach. No grades, no green checks, no red flags. Just what is on the record, who said it and when.
Does Skinventry score products?
No. People care about different things. Some want to know who owns a brand. Some care about ingredients and allergens, where something was made, labor, the environment, animal testing, recalls or lawsuits. In Skinventry you pick what you care about, and every lookup leads with it.
You can also tell it what to flag: food allergens like tree nuts and sesame, and ingredients like fragrance and parabens. Every lookup then shows what it checked for you. Each flag names what matched and where it appears, for example natural almond flavor on the published ingredient list. When there is no published list, the lookup says the product couldn't be checked, never that it is safe, so check the package too. Your flags stay on your phone.
You can also put brands side by side and read across: who owns each one, whether the owner is public or private, and where each product is made. Following a company is in the app too, and updates when something new is filed are coming soon.
Is Skinventry free?
Your first two searches are free, and each one shows everything Skinventry finds: nothing on a lookup is held back for Pro. Pro includes 30 searches a month and export, for 49.99 dollars a year, 9.99 dollars a month or 4.99 dollars a week, and anything you've searched opens again free.
There are no ads in Skinventry, and no company pays to be listed, ranked or left out.
Next time you pick something up, take a photo. See what is behind it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a barcode to use Skinventry?
No. Photograph the product, its packaging or its label, or type its name. Skinventry reads the brand and the product name and identifies what you are holding from that.
What kinds of products does Skinventry cover?
Anything with a label: skincare and cosmetics, packaged food and drink, clothing and shoes, household and laundry products, and supplements. Each lookup leads with what matters for that kind of product, such as ingredients for food and skincare or materials and manufacturing for clothing.
How does Skinventry show who owns a brand?
It traces the chain from the brand on the label to its parent company and on to the ultimate owner, with the year each owner took control where a source confirms it, and it links every step to the source that states it.
Can Skinventry check a product for my allergies?
It flags what you ask it to look for, such as tree nuts, sesame or fragrance, when it appears on the published ingredient list or label, and names the source. With no published list, it says the product couldn't be checked. It never calls a product safe, so check the package and ask a doctor about a serious allergy.
Does Skinventry rate or rank companies?
No. There are no scores, grades or verdicts. Every fact is labeled Official, Government or Independent so you can see who is speaking, and you decide what matters to you.
