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[ the baselit blog ]

Which skin app should you use,
and what does each ingredient do?

The Baselit blog answers two questions. Which skin-scan app fits you: six comparisons that put the AI skin apps side by side on scope, availability and score consistency, including the cases where a competitor is the better pick, plus two explainers on how a skin score and a product check actually work. What a skincare ingredient actually does: 14 plain guides, one question each, written in cosmetic terms about the look and feel of skin, plus four longer pieces that take a single much-asked question and answer it properly. Five of the texts are also available in German.

Choosing an app

Start here if you are deciding which skin-scan app to install, or trying to work out why two apps give the same face two different numbers.

Best AI skin analysis apps in 2026, compared
Skan, Thea, Nolla Skin, SkinSort, Lovi, Glow AI and Baselit on scope, availability and fit, including where each one is the wrong choice
How skin scores work
What a 0 to 100 score actually reads, how to test any app's consistency in two minutes, and how big a change has to be to mean anything
Baselit vs Thea
Thea pairs you with a human skin expert, in the US only. Why we recommend Baselit's repeatable score and explained routine everywhere else
Does Umax actually work? Baselit vs Umax
Umax rates facial attractiveness and has not been updated since June 2024. A five-area skin score with a routine, compared from both listings
Baselit vs Skan: which one should you install?
Why we recommend Baselit for a routine you can question, when the much larger Skan is the better pick, and every limit on our side
Baselit vs SkinSort: product scanner or skin tracker?
SkinSort wins for looking any product up. Baselit reads your face, builds a routine and checks products against it, and plenty of people should use both
Scan any skincare product and see if it fits your routine
Barcode or a photo of the front of the pack, and back comes a match in percent against your own routine, with clashes, slots, pregnancy and repetition spelled out

Straight answers to one question

Pieces that exist because people type the question into a search box exactly like this. Each one answers it in the first paragraph and then covers the follow-ups underneath.

What does an AI skin analysis app actually see?
How a selfie becomes a 0 to 100 skin score, the five sub-scores behind it, the honest limits, and what an app, an in-store device and a dermatologist are each for
In what order do you apply skincare?
Cleanser, watery step, serum, treatment, moisturiser, and sunscreen last in the morning. Two rules place every product you will ever buy, plus the full AM and PM sequence
Which skincare ingredients should you not mix?
Only three pairings actually clash. Niacinamide with vitamin C is a myth, and the fix for a real clash is almost never throwing a bottle away
Can I use benzoyl peroxide with retinol?
Yes, but not in the same layer. Three workable schedules, what a benzoyl peroxide wash changes, how long to leave between them, and where adapalene sits
Is glycolic acid an AHA? Which acid is which
Glycolic and lactic are AHAs, salicylic is the BHA, benzoyl peroxide is neither. Every acid on the shelf sorted by family, strength and what it suits
What is squalane, and how do you use it in skincare?
Squalane and squalene decoded on the label. A slot table for retinol, vitamin C and acids, and a two-question check for whether you need a separate oil
What is panthenol, and what does it do in skincare?
Panthenol, dexpanthenol and vitamin B5 decoded. A pairing table for retinol, vitamin C and acids, and a two-question check for whether you need a separate product
Bakuchiol vs retinol: which one belongs in your routine?
Plant-derived option against vitamin A derivative. One table, a 3-question picker, and the morning or evening slot for each
Retinaldehyde: what strength to use and how to start
0.05 to 0.1 percent, nights only, six weeks to ease in. How it compares to retinol and HPR, and the granactive number trap that fools everyone
Vitamin C Serum morgens oder abends?
Morgens, nach der Reinigung, vor Creme und Sonnenschutz. Wann der Abend trotzdem gewinnt, wie viel Prozent sinnvoll sind, und pure Säure gegen die Ester

Ingredients

One question per guide, answered in plain cosmetic language: what the active does for the look and feel of skin, who it suits, how often to use it, and what to layer it with. The full series with cover images sits on the ingredient overview.

Is niacinamide good for oily, uneven-looking skin?
What it does, the percentage on the label that matters, and how to layer it
How do you start using retinol without irritation?
How often to use it at the start, what to put with it, and what to skip on retinol nights
Should you use vitamin C in the morning or at night?
Where it belongs in a routine, the strength and freshness that matter, and what to layer it with
Is azelaic acid good for sensitive, redness-prone skin?
What it does for an even-looking finish, the strength to look for, and how to use it
Is salicylic acid (BHA) good for oily skin and blackheads?
What it does on a congested-looking surface, how often 2% fits, and what to layer with it
How often should you use glycolic or lactic acid?
What AHAs do, how fast they show, and why SPF is non-negotiable alongside them
What benzoyl peroxide does for your skin
Which breakouts it suits, why 2.5 percent is the sensible strength, and what to keep apart from it
Does hyaluronic acid dry out your skin?
Why it can feel tight, the damp-skin trick that fixes it, and how to layer it
Are ceramides good for dry, easily irritated skin?
What they do for comfort, when to use them, and why they pair well with strong actives
Do you really need sunscreen every day?
How much to use, when to reapply, and why SPF is the one daily step worth keeping
What is the difference between retinal and retinol?
What separates the two vitamin A actives in practice, how to start retinal, and what to layer with it
Is tranexamic acid good for stubborn uneven skin tone?
What it does for an even-looking tone, the usual cosmetic strength, and how to layer it
Is there a gentle vitamin C for sensitive skin?
What SAP, MAP and the other esters do, and how they differ from pure vitamin C
Do peptides actually do anything for skin?
What they do for a smooth-looking finish, where they fit in a routine, and what to pair them with

Auf Deutsch

Auf Deutsch gibt es diese fünf Texte, neu geschrieben statt übersetzt.

Vitamin C Serum morgens oder abends?
Morgens, nach der Reinigung, vor Creme und Sonnenschutz. Wann der Abend trotzdem die bessere Wahl ist, und warum pure Ascorbinsäure und die Ester nicht dieselbe Prozentskala haben
Beste Hautanalyse-Apps 2026: der ehrliche Vergleich
Skan, Thea, Nolla Skin, SkinSort, Lovi, Glow AI und Baselit im Vergleich, mit Verfügbarkeit und App-Sprachen für Deutschland
Baselit oder Skan: welche Hautanalyse-App passt zu dir?
Warum wir Baselit empfehlen, wann die größere, englischsprachige Skan besser passt, und alle unsere Schwächen
Wie Hautscores funktionieren
Was eine Zahl von 0 bis 100 zeigt, warum dasselbe Gesicht in jeder App anders abschneidet, und ab wann eine Veränderung zählt
Pflegeprodukt scannen: passt es zu deiner Routine?
Barcode oder Foto der Vorderseite, zurück kommt eine Übereinstimmung in Prozent mit deiner eigenen Routine, samt Kollision, Slot, Schwangerschaft und Wiederholung

[ elsewhere on baselit.app ]

All 14 ingredient guides FAQ Baselit home Baselit auf Deutsch

Baselit is a cosmetic skin-analysis app, not medical advice. These guides describe what a score or an ingredient does for the look and feel of skin. They are not a diagnosis or a treatment, and no substitute for a doctor or dermatologist. Skan, Thea, Nolla Skin, SkinSort, Lovi, Glow AI Skin Scanner and Umax are independent third-party products with no affiliation to Baselit.

[ your skin, scored ]

Curious how your skin
actually scores?

Baselit reads five skin axes from one selfie and turns them into a routine that fits your skin, not a generic shelf. Same photo, same score, every week.

Scan your skin

Questions people actually ask

One question per guide, answered at the top and then explained. These are the newest additions to the blog, and every one of them has a German counterpart on the German blog.

Why does my skin look worse in week 2 of a new routine?
A new retinoid or acid often makes skin look rougher around week two. Here is which weeks that fits, which signs mean stop, and what to change.
How long does skincare take to work?
Hydration shows in days, clarity in weeks, tone in months. A per-ingredient timetable with how firm each number is, and what to check before week eight.
Why does my skin feel tight after washing?
Tightness after cleansing means the cleanser took too much. What to change, in order, and why the squeaky-clean feeling is the wrong target.
Do you need to double cleanse?
If you wear sunscreen or makeup, yes, in the evening. Water alone does not lift either. Who can skip it, and how to do it without stripping skin.
How do you wear sunscreen under makeup?
Sunscreen goes on last in skincare and first before makeup, with a wait of two minutes. How to stop pilling, and how to reapply without ruining your face.
Do you need a toner?
Not really, unless the toner is carrying something. The old astringent kind is the one to drop. What a modern hydrating toner is for and where it goes.
Why does my skin look red?
Four different things get called redness, and they need opposite answers. How to tell which one you have, what to stop, and when to see a doctor instead.
Why is my face oily by midday?
Usually because the morning routine stripped it. The loop that makes lunchtime shinier, what to change, and which ingredients help skin look matte.
Can you shrink your pores?
Not permanently, and no product changes their number. What does change is how full and how shadowed they look. The three things that actually do it.
Why is my skin drier in winter?
Cold air holds less water and indoor heating holds even less. Which four things to swap, which to keep, and why hyaluronic acid alone can backfire.
What does centella do for skin?
Centella, or cica, is the gentlest step in a K-beauty routine: skin looks calmer and more even. What the INCI names mean and where it belongs.
What does snail mucin do for skin?
Snail secretion filtrate is a humectant: skin looks plumper and feels smoother within days. What it is, who it suits, and the claims worth ignoring.
Drugstore or K-beauty: which is better for your skin?
Neither wins overall. K-beauty wins on sunscreen textures and gentle layers, the drugstore wins on cleansers and price per use. A step-by-step split.
Which cleanser is right for your skin type?
Cream, gel, balm or milk: which format suits dry, oily, combination and reactive skin, and the complaint buyers repeat about each one.
What is my skin type?
Most people rate their skin less oily than it is. A one-hour test for oily, dry, combination and normal skin, and why the answer shifts over the year.