about
How we choose products
ClearSkin recommends skincare you can actually buy in South Africa. We don't make products and we don't run a shop, so we have nothing to push. Here is exactly how a recommendation gets made — and how we earn.
1. You describe what you notice, not what you know
We never ask you to diagnose yourself. Instead of "what's your skin type?", we ask how your skin feels half an hour after washing and how it looks by midday — things you can actually observe. Your answers become a skin profile with a confidence level attached, so when the signals are mixed we say so rather than guessing.
2. Products are rated on the things that matter
Every product in our catalogue is rated for how well it suits each skin type, which concerns it genuinely addresses, how likely it is to irritate, whether it's sensible for a beginner, and whether it belongs in a morning or evening routine. Those ratings are our own editorial assessments, based on the product's formulation and ingredients — not manufacturer marketing claims, and we label them as our judgment rather than fact.
3. Safety rules come before preference
Some things are simply excluded, no matter how well they'd score. Retinoids aren't recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding, or to under-18s. Strong actives are kept away from skin that reacts easily. If you tell us you need fragrance-free, you'll never be shown anything else. Ingredients that shouldn't be combined — a retinoid with exfoliating acids on the same night, for instance — are never put in the same routine.
4. The routine is built as a whole, not product by product
A brilliant R600 cleanser is the wrong answer if it eats your entire budget. We build the complete routine against what you told us you can spend, choose the size that fits that budget, and if nothing complete fits, we say that plainly instead of quietly recommending something you can't afford.
5. Then we work out the smartest way to buy it
We compare the retailers we cover — what's in stock, what it costs, what shipping adds, how many separate checkouts you'd face — and show you the most complete cart and the cheapest one. Completeness matters more than being a few rand cheaper, so a cart missing items is never presented as a bargain.
How we make money
If you buy through one of our links, the retailer may pay us a small commission. It costs you nothing extra — the price is the same as going to their site directly.
Commission plays no part in scoring a product. It's excluded from the calculation entirely, and can only ever act as a tie-breaker between purchase options already judged equally good — and when it does, that's recorded. Products that earn us nothing are recommended on exactly the same terms as products that do.
What we're not
ClearSkin is not a medical service and doesn't diagnose anything. We recommend cosmetic skincare routines based on what you tell us. For persistent, painful or worsening skin problems, please see a pharmacist or dermatologist — and our results will say so when your answers suggest it.
Prices and stock are collected periodically and can drift; the price on the retailer's website at checkout is the one that applies.
Where we are now
ClearSkin is new and built in South Africa. Our catalogue is deliberately small and hand-reviewed rather than large and shallow, and it's growing. If a recommendation looks wrong to you, that's genuinely useful information — tell us.