AI Skincare Report Reveals Nearly Half of Product Claims Lack Proof

Why this matters

More people are using search engines, social media, and even AI tools to help pick skincare products. A new analysis suggests that the product claims these sources repeat aren’t always easy to check. That makes it harder for shoppers to know what’s true — and it can create problems when people choose products for sensitive or medical skin concerns.

What the analysis looked at

The company M11 scanned 633 skincare brands and checked 1,470 “high-impact” claims for a report called the Trust Gap in Skincare. High-impact claims are statements that could strongly influence a person’s decision to buy a product, such as promises about treating skin conditions or protecting against the sun.

(Source: M11 Labs, The trust gap in skincare)

Key findings in plain language

• Nearly half of brands had no independently verifiable evidence for any of the high-impact claims M11 checked. In other words, you may see confident wording on a product page but not find proof on that same page.
• Out of 1,470 claims examined:
  • 849 pointed to evidence that existed somewhere but was not published on the product page itself.
  • 454 had no published proof or were contradicted by information on the product page.
  • 128 used wording that’s regulated (language that suggests a medical or drug claim).
  • Only 39 claims had proof available directly on the product page.
• About 35% of brands made claims about treating, curing, or preventing a condition that could not be verified from the product page.
• 23% made allergen or “free-from” claims that couldn’t be checked easily, and 12% made sun-protection claims without accessible testing data.
• M11 gave examples where product text crossed into medical territory, for example a balm described as providing relief for eczema and psoriasis without showing medical authorization or supporting evidence on the page.

Safety and product data gaps

M11 also found other problems beyond unsupported claims. The group documented 250 serious product-data gaps across 214 brands. These included:

• Missing certifications.
• Incomplete ingredient lists.
• Different information about the same product across a brand’s website, retailers, and marketplaces.
• Undisclosed concentrations of active ingredients.
• Claims with no clear backing.

About a third of brands had at least one data gap judged to have high or critical impact. Those gaps matter most for people choosing products because of allergies, sensitive skin, or chronic inflammatory skin conditions.

Does price mean better evidence?

M11 made a 100-point Verifiability Index that looked at claims, evidence sources, and how complete product data was. The average score for skincare was 52 out of 100. Scores were similar across mass-market, mid-market, indie, and luxury categories.

Notably, luxury brands showed large gaps in evidence. Sixty-eight percent of flagged luxury claims referred to results without providing the supporting study. Among indie and challenger brands, 37% of flagged claims offered no evidence at all.

Across all the evidence links M11 checked (2,859 links), only about 1 in 20 positively confirmed a claim.

Why this matters for AI-based shopping tools

Many people now ask AI chatbots or shopping tools for product recommendations. Those tools can only use the information they find online. If brand pages, retailers, or marketplaces show unsupported, incomplete, or conflicting information, an AI may reproduce those same issues in its answer.

The M11 report did not test whether AI tools routinely give wrong skincare advice. Instead, it looked upstream at the information those tools and shoppers depend on. In short, a confident-sounding result online or from an AI does not guarantee the claim is backed by evidence.

How the analysis was done and its limits

M11 focused on brands with a presence in the UK market and grouped them into mass-market, mid-market, indie and challenger, and luxury categories. The company used a multimodel scanning approach using models from several AI providers to find and classify claims on product pages and related public materials.

The analysis checked about two high-impact claims per brand. A sample of automated classifications was reviewed by people, showing 77.8% agreement across detailed labels and 86.7% agreement for the high-risk versus low-risk classification that underlies the main headline.

Important limits: this was a point-in-time check and public webpages can change. Brands were not contacted, and the study evaluated verifiability rather than whether a claim is actually true. A claim that couldn’t be verified on the brand page might still be true, but the public materials didn’t make that proof easy to find.

What this means for you when shopping for skincare

See confident-sounding claims as a starting point, not proof. If you’re choosing a product for sensitive skin, allergies, or a diagnosed skin condition, look for clear, accessible information like full ingredient lists, active ingredient concentrations, test results for sun protection, or links to studies. If those aren’t on the product page, try to find them elsewhere or contact the brand for details.

If you use AI or a shopping assistant online, remember it can only repeat what’s publicly available. That means unsupported or missing information on brand pages may show up in automated recommendations.

Quick tips

• Check the product page for ingredient lists and any linked studies or test results.
• Compare product information across the brand site, retail listings, and marketplaces. Look for consistency.
• For claims about treating medical conditions, expect to find clinical evidence or clear regulatory approval. If you don’t, be cautious.
• When in doubt, ask a doctor or dermatologist before using a product for a medical condition or severe skin issue.

Tracking changes to your skin

Keeping simple photos over time can help you notice if a rash, irritation, or other change is improving or getting worse. That record can be useful when you talk with a dermatologist or pharmacist. If you see quick worsening, signs of infection, or new bleeding, seek medical advice.

When to see a doctor

Talk with a healthcare professional if you have severe or spreading rash, intense pain, signs of infection (pus, increasing redness, warmth), rapidly changing moles or growths, or if an over-the-counter product makes symptoms worse. For chronic conditions such as atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, or persistent acne, a dermatologist can help choose safe, effective treatments based on your medical history.

Disclaimer

This article is informational and not medical advice. Always discuss treatment decisions with a healthcare professional. For urgent or serious symptoms, seek immediate medical care.

Sources

1. M11 Labs. The trust gap in skincare. (Source: M11 Labs, The trust gap in skincare)
2. Advertising Standards Authority. ASA ruling on L’Oréal (UK) Ltd t/a Garnier. (Source: Advertising Standards Authority)
3. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Public safety notification on exosome products. (Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration)