How we screen

Read it like a label, not a promise.

We don't pick products by who's paying to be featured. We read the full ingredient list, rate every ingredient on a public, EWG-style risk scale, and only stock what earns its place. Here's exactly how that works — and a real example, end to end.

The scale

Three risk levels

Every ingredient gets one of three grades, based on publicly available safety data — not a brand's marketing.

Low

Well-tolerated, low-hazard ingredients — water, humectants, most botanicals and conditioning agents.

Scores 10

Mid

Use-rated: fine as formulated, but worth knowing — common surfactants, fragrance and fragrance allergens.

Scores 7

High

Patch-test if sensitive — stronger actives and common allergens such as PPD, resorcinol or peroxide.

Scores 3
The score

How the screening score is set

Each product gets a single 0–10 screening score — a weighted average of its ingredients. Low-risk ingredients count for 10, mid for 7, high for 3. Add them up, divide by the number of ingredients, and you get the score on the badge.

It's a quick read, not a verdict. A long list of gentle botanicals can lift the average even when a couple of high-risk dyes are present — so the number is always shown next to the full risk breakdown, never on its own.

score =
(low×10 + mid×7 + high×3)
÷ total ingredients
Honesty override. When the count-weighted average overstates a formula — say, an oxidative hair dye that's mostly botanicals but still contains PPD — we lower the score by hand so it reflects the real risk, and we flag the high-risk ingredients plainly. We'd rather under-promise.
"Free of"

Only what's actually true

"Free-of" flags only appear when the formula genuinely leaves something out. If a product contains sulfates or PPD, we say so — we don't borrow a claim from the front of the bottle.

SulfatesParabensSiliconesAmmoniaAdded fragrance dyes
A real example

One breakdown, end to end

This is the actual screening for SOOO Swim Shampoo — After-Swim Chlorine Care 500ml — the same table you'll find on its product page.

9.2 / 10 58 ingredients screened · SOOO Swim Shampoo — After-Swim Chlorine Care 500ml
Low 44Mid 14High 0
WaterSolvent
Sodium C14-16 Olefin SulfonateCleansing surfactant
Lauryl HydroxysultaineGentle co-surfactant
Coco-BetaineGentle co-surfactant
1,2-HexanediolHumectant / preservative-booster
Lauryl GlucosideGentle surfactant
GlycerinHumectant / moisture
Dipropylene GlycolSolvent / texture
DexpanthenolConditioning (pro-vitamin B5)
CyclodextrinOdor / impurity capture
Citric AcidpH adjuster
Sodium Cocoyl AlaninateAmino-acid surfactant
Polyquaternium-10Conditioning film-former
FragranceScent
Piroctone OlamineScalp / anti-dandruff agent
Sodium ChlorideViscosity / salt
Salicylic AcidScalp exfoliant
Polyquaternium-22Conditioning agent
Butylene GlycolHumectant / solvent
VinegarApple cider vinegar - clarifying
Hydrolyzed KeratinStrengthening protein
Polyquaternium-67Conditioning agent
Sodium ThiosulfateChlorine-neutralizing agent
Hydrolyzed ElastinConditioning protein
Disodium EDTAChelator / stabilizer
NiacinamideScalp-conditioning (vitamin B3)
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf ExtractSoothing botanical
TetradeceneTexture / emollient
HexadeceneTexture / emollient
Sodium SulfateViscosity adjuster
Sweet Almond OilEmollient oil
Jojoba Seed OilEmollient oil
Peppermint OilRefreshing botanical
Eucalyptus Leaf OilRefreshing botanical
Hydrogenated LecithinEmulsifier / conditioning
Caprylyl GlycolHumectant / preservative-booster
Centella Asiatica ExtractSoothing botanical
Fig ExtractConditioning botanical
Sodium BenzoatePreservative
Ceramide NPBarrier-supporting lipid
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8Conditioning peptide
Copper Tripeptide-1Conditioning peptide
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4Conditioning peptide
Tripeptide-1Conditioning peptide
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1Conditioning peptide
Hexapeptide-9Conditioning peptide
Nonapeptide-1Conditioning peptide
Polyglyceryl-10 LaurateEmulsifier
Hydrolyzed CollagenConditioning protein
ZeolitePurifying mineral
Ascorbic AcidAntioxidant (vitamin C)
Sodium AcetatepH buffer
Isopropyl AlcoholSolvent
Tetramethyl AcetyloctahydronaphthalenesFragrance ingredient
LinaloolFragrance allergen
LimoneneFragrance allergen
Linalyl AcetateFragrance ingredient
PineneFragrance ingredient
How grades are set — Dhaliora screens each ingredient against publicly available safety data (EWG-style). Grades reflect our own reading, not any third party's proprietary score, and are not medical advice.
See it live on the product →
Now you know the method

Every product, the same way.

Browse the shelf — each item carries its full, risk-rated ingredient list.

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