How we recommend products.

The skincare industry has a credibility problem. Influencer hauls, sponsored reviews, "AI-powered" products that are really just affiliate funnels. Here's exactly how Shikara works — what we use, what we don't, and what we don't know.

Step 1 — You tell us about your skin

We ask three things: your skin type (Normal, Dry, Oily, Combination, or Sensitive), your top concern (Acne, Aging, Hyperpigmentation, Dryness, Sensitivity, or Texture), and where you are in your skincare journey (just starting, have basics, or have a routine that isn't working).

We deliberately ask for one primary concern, not many. Trying to address every concern at once is how routines become 10 steps and stop working. Pick the thing bothering you most. Other things often improve as a side effect of treating the main one well.

Step 2 — We score products against your profile

For every product in our database, we calculate a score with three signals:

• Skin type match (5 points): If a product is formulated for your skin type, it scores high. "All skin types" gets a small score (2 points).
• Concern match (3 points each): If a product is recognised as effective for your concern, it scores higher.
• High community rating (1 point): Products averaging 4.5+ stars get a small bonus.

We then surface the top 2 products per routine slot (cleanser, moisturiser, SPF). You pick one.

Step 3 — We recommend 3 products. That's it.

A starter routine is always: cleanser, moisturiser, SPF. We don't add serums, toners, eye creams, or treatments at this stage, even if you ask. The 3-product starter is a deliberate constraint: we want you to use it consistently for 6 weeks before adding anything else.

After 6 weeks, we'll suggest one (just one) addition based on your primary concern. The wait isn't arbitrary — most skincare improvements show up between weeks 4 and 8. Adding a new active in week 1 makes it impossible to know what's working.

How products get into our database

We curate every product in the database manually. Selection criteria:

• Strong community recognition — products consistently recommended on r/SkincareAddiction, by board-certified dermatologists, or in evidence-based publications.
• Ingredient quality — we read the full INCI list and exclude products with ingredient combinations that contradict their marketing claims (a "sensitive skin" cream with fragrance and essential oils, for example).
• Variety across price points — every category has budget, mid-tier, and premium options. We don't want to push you toward expensive products.
• Variety across origins — Western drugstore, K-beauty, J-beauty, French pharmacy, and Indian DTC brands are all represented.

We don't accept payment for inclusion. We don't take samples. We don't have brand partnerships. If a brand offers us money or product for placement, the answer is no.

How we make money

Right now, we don't. Shikara is free.

Eventually, we'll add affiliate links to retailers like Amazon, Cult Beauty, and ASOS. If you buy a product through our link, we get a small commission (typically 3–8%) from the retailer. This will not influence rankings— recommendations are scored against your skin profile, not commission rates. When affiliate links go live, we'll show a clear disclosure on every product card and in this page.

We will nevercharge brands for recommendation placement, ranking, or visibility. If we ever change this policy, we'll announce it loudly.

What we don't know

A lot. Honest list:

• We can't see your skin. We're working from self-reported data, the same way a friend with skincare knowledge would.
• We don't know your hormones, your microbiome, your medications, or your environment. All of these affect how a product performs.
• We can't predict allergic reactions. Some people react to ingredients others tolerate fine.
• We don't have personalised dosage data. The 0.5% retinol that's perfect for one person might be too much for another.
• We can't replace a dermatologist. Cystic acne, severe rosacea, eczema, anything not improving — please see a real doctor.

What we've built in

To partly mitigate the limits above, every routine has:

• Patch test reminders — we tell you to test any new product on your inner forearm before applying to your face.
• Daily check-ins — a 5-second "how does your skin feel today?" tracker. We watch for negative patterns.
• Troubleshoot flow — if you have 3+ rough days in a row, we surface a banner that walks you through pausing products, taking a barrier break, or escalating to a dermatologist.
• The 6-week wait — you can't add new products on a whim. The routine is locked in until your skin has had time to actually adapt.

How to give us feedback

We're a few weeks old. We will get things wrong. If a recommendation doesn't fit, if a product is missing, if the analyser misses an ingredient, please tell us. Email getshikara@gmail.com.