The short version

Three steps, in this order.

Below is the long version — the exact scale, the exact arithmetic, and one product taken all the way through it.

  1. 01Screened

    We read the ingredient list first.

    Every formula is graded ingredient by ingredient against public safety data — the risk level, what each one is there to do, and what the formula leaves out.

  2. 02Reviewed

    Then we check it against real use.

    We read what buyers actually report — what worked, what didn't, and who it wasn't for — and weigh that against what the label promises.

  3. 03Awarded

    Only then does it stand next to the category #1.

    We put every pick beside the best-seller on Amazon and Olive Young, and show the gap — whichever way it falls.

Screened, not sponsored

No brand pays for a place here. Every score, every benchmark and every flagged ingredient is published on the product page.

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. Three-quarters of it is the ingredient safety average — low-risk ingredients count for 10, mid for 7, high for 3, divided by the number of ingredients. The remaining quarter is our curator score: a 0–10 read on how well we can stand behind the product — sourcing we've verified, formulation quality, and label transparency.

It's a quick read, not a verdict. The safety average can be lifted by a long list of gentle botanicals 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.

safety = (low×10 + mid×7 + high×3) ÷ total
score  = safety × 0.75 + curator × 0.25
Honesty override. When the math 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 GDS Hair Dye Shampoo — Grey Coverage in 3 Minutes 250ml / 190ml — the same table you'll find on its product page.

8.6 / 10 61 ingredients screened · GDS Hair Dye Shampoo — Grey Coverage in 3 Minutes 250ml / 190ml
Low 45Mid 14High 2
Purified WaterSolvent base
Sodium Laureth SulfateCleansing surfactant
Sodium Lauryl SulfateCleansing surfactant
Cocamidopropyl BetaineSecondary surfactant
Cocamide MEAFoam booster
Lauramide DEAFoam booster / thickener
Glycol DistearateOpacifier
GlycerinHumectant
p-Phenylenediamine (PPD)Oxidative dye — common allergen
Acrylates/Steareth-20 Methacrylate CopolymerThickener
ResorcinolDye coupler — common allergen
EthanolamineAlkalizer (ammonia substitute)
m-AminophenolDye coupler
2,4-Diaminophenoxyethanol HClDye intermediate
PanthenolConditioning (provitamin B5)
AllantoinSoothing
Polyquaternium-10Conditioning polymer
Disodium EDTAChelator
Ascorbic AcidAntioxidant (vitamin C)
Sodium SulfiteAntioxidant / preservative
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium ChlorideConditioning
MentholSensory / cooling
Avocado OilEmollient
Macadamia Seed OilEmollient
Olive OilEmollient
Jojoba Seed OilEmollient
Grape Seed OilEmollient
Camellia Seed OilEmollient
Hydrangea Leaf ExtractBotanical
Arnica Montana Flower ExtractBotanical
Fennel ExtractBotanical
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root ExtractBotanical
Chamomile Flower ExtractSoothing botanical
Black Sesame ExtractBotanical
Mung Bean ExtractBotanical
Barley ExtractBotanical
Copper Protein ExtractConditioning
Quinoa Seed ExtractBotanical
Mulberry Bark ExtractBotanical
Licorice Root ExtractSoothing botanical
Coix Seed ExtractBotanical
Seaweed ExtractBotanical
Ginseng ExtractBotanical
Devil's Claw Root ExtractBotanical
Ginkgo Leaf ExtractBotanical
Acacia Senegal GumTexture
Peat WaterBotanical
Citric AcidpH adjuster
Hydroxypropyl MethylcelluloseThickener
Potassium SorbatePreservative
FragranceFragrance — allergen
Hexyl CinnamalFragrance allergen
LinaloolFragrance allergen
Hydrogen PeroxideOxidizing developer
Cetearyl AlcoholEmollient
Lanolin AlcoholEmollient — allergen
Glyceryl StearateEmulsifier
PEG-100 StearateEmulsifier
Salicylic AcidScalp / pH
Disodium PhosphateBuffer
Etidronic AcidChelator / stabilizer
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.

Shop the shelf
Before you buy

Nothing to hide

Every ingredient, listed

Plain-English breakdown on every product page.

Screened selection

If we wouldn't use it, we don't sell it.

Ships from Korea

All orders ship directly from our Korea warehouse, worldwide.

Honest reviews

Real results — the good and the work-in-progress.