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Methodology

Public, clinical-grade proof of how we classify pregnancy risk

The cards below use the same ingredient dataset shown inside the app's Ingredient Flags. Each row stores hazard_score, mechanism_score, exposure_score, safety_score, and risk_band.

We package that data into the MamaSkin Safety Score so clinicians, pharmacists, and expecting parents see consistent evidence.

Safety Score Ladder

Band-first scoring with real ingredient examples

Example safety scores taken from the MamaSkin ingredient dataset (UUIDs available on request).

Score 90-100

No Known Risks

Severity 0.00 - 0.18

Research shows no concerning findings at pregnancy concentrations.

Example ingredients

Niacinamide

Vitamin B3 barrier support. Dataset row flagged “no known risks” with hazard score 0.

Panthenol

Pro-vitamin B5 humectant. Marked safe across PubMed + EU Cosing references.

Score 70-89

Low Risk

Severity 0.18 - 0.38

Minor caution flags (e.g. mild exfoliants) but no escalated warnings.

Example ingredients

Azelaic Acid (15-20%)

Widely recommended for melasma. Recorded as “low risk” with mechanism score 2.

Allantoin

Soothing keratolytic. Receives a low concern note from NHS + MotherToBaby.

Score 40-69

Medium Risk

Severity 0.38 - 0.68

Contains at least one ingredient we flag to actively monitor or pause during pregnancy.

Example ingredients

Benzoyl Peroxide

Limited systemic data so we downgrade the band despite low topical absorption.

Benzophenone-3 (Oxybenzone)

Endocrine disruption concerns logged from PubMed + American Academy of Dermatology.

Score 0-39

High Risk

Severity 0.68 - 1.00

Includes ingredients with strong pregnancy warnings or formal contra-indications.

Example ingredients

5-OH Retinoic Acid (Tretinoin)

Marked teratogenic (FDA Cat X). Hazard, mechanism, and exposure scores are all 3.

Hydroquinone

Systemic absorption plus carcinogenic concerns keep it in the avoid list per PubMed, EU Cosing, and ACOG.

Computational workflow

What happens between scan and score

1. Ingredient ingestion

We normalise every INCI list (tidy spacing, collapse synonyms, account for dosage hints) so it lines up with our ingredient dataset.

2. Evidence weighting

Each matched ingredient carries hazard, mechanism, and exposure notes, plus a plain-language evidence summary and sources.

3. Band-first logic

The riskiest ingredient sets the overall band. If one medium-risk ingredient is present, the product stays in Medium until the formula changes.

4. Severity blending

We blend peak severity with an average view of all detected ingredients so hidden clusters of medium-risk entries cannot hide behind safer ones.

5. MamaSkin Safety Score

The resulting severity maps to the 0-100 MamaSkin Safety Score that you see inside the app, alongside the ingredient explanations.

Clinical guardrails

Checks mirrored inside the app

  • Hormone disruption potential
  • Skin absorption rates during pregnancy
  • Fetal development & teratogenicity
  • Allergenic and irritant properties
  • Chemical stability & metabolite activity
  • Concentration trends in-market

Medical vocabulary in use

Ingredient detail screens surface terms such as teratogenic, contraindicated, endocrine disruptor, and fetotoxic with plain-language explanations so clinicians and consumers see the same taxonomy.

Evidence base

Primary sources powering every score