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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 price, scope 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 price, scope 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
Where Thea's prescription pathway and user base win, and where a repeatable five-axis cosmetic score wins
Does Umax actually work? Baselit vs Umax
Is Umax accurate? A weekly skin-measurement loop next to a single rating-style score, with honest pros and cons for both
Baselit vs Skan: which one should you install?
The biggest pure scanner app next to a routine you can question, with real rating counts, release dates and every limit on our side
Baselit vs SkinSort: product scanner or skin tracker?
SkinSort's free database wins for looking any product up. Baselit checks a product against your own routine instead, 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.

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
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 Preisen und Verfügbarkeit für Deutschland
Baselit oder Skan: welche Hautanalyse-App passt zu dir?
Skan ist der einzige große Wettbewerber, den es in Deutschland wirklich gibt. Wo er gewinnt, wofür Baselit gebaut ist, 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

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.

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