What do the Clean, Low, Watch and Swap levels mean?

They are cut from a continuous concern level the app computes from the sourced claims that the chosen evidence lens shows: each claim counts its concern class, tier weight, confidence and dose relevance, combined worst-first with a decay so one serious finding outweighs many small ones, then scaled by how much of the substance reaches you in this use. Clean is below 0.35, Low below 1.1, Watch below 2.0 and Swap above that, on a 0 to 3 scale.

Is Shellac safe on skin (left on)?

Q: Is shellac safe on skin (left on)?

Under the app's default Cautious lens, shellac on skin (left on) rates Watch: worth watching; the app would list a cleaner alternative type. 1 sourced concern counts (irritant · allergen, consensus tier). This is research with sources, not medical advice.

Cosmetics1 use researched1 sourced claims

Where it turns up: natural film former, mascara, nail treatment. Detox My Life researched shellac under one use, because the same substance means something different in each use. Every claim below carries its evidence tier, how sure the research is that it applies here, and the sources it cites. The level is computed by the app's own deterministic engine, so the page says exactly what the app would.

Level by use and lens

Use	Mainstream	Cautious (default)	Based	Concerns · favour · fringe
On skin, left on	Watch	Watch	Watch	1 · 0

Mainstream shows consensus claims only; Cautious adds emerging research; Based adds fringe claims, labelled as such. The last column counts, under Cautious, the sourced concerns, the findings in its favour and the fringe claims Based would add.

Safer swaps: the app's swap catalog covers the products this turns up in: Nail polish. Alternatives are always types, never brands.

On skin, left on Watch

Under the default Cautious lens shellac on skin (left on) rates Watch: worth watching; the app would list a cleaner alternative type. Mainstream (consensus only) rates it Watch; Based (adds the fringe) rates it Watch. Researched 2026-09-03.

Sourced concerns (1)

ConsensusIrritant · allergenconfidence 90%

Shellac can cause allergic contact dermatitis, characterized by redness, swelling, and sometimes blistering, in individuals exposed to shellac-containing cosmetics.

Why here: Shellac is used as a film-forming agent and binder in leave-on cosmetic products such as mascara, lipstick, and hairspray, leading to direct and prolonged skin contact.
What would have to be true: Dermal contact with shellac in cosmetic formulations. Patch testing indicates reaction rates varying between 2% and 10% in individuals with suspected contact dermatitis.
The other side: The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel concluded that cosmetic-grade, wax-free bleached shellac is safe for use in personal care and cosmetic products at concentrations up to 6%, with clinical assessments demonstrating no measurable irritation or photosensitization at this level.

Sources the engine cites:

Shellac - PubMed — nih.gov (2011) · regulator or public body
Contact Allergy to Shellac. Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study With Data From the Spanish Registry of Research in Contact Dermatitis and Cutaneous Allergy (REIDAC) - PubMed — nih.gov (2023) · regulator or public body
Shellac: Contact Allergic Dermatitis - DermNet — dermnetnz.org (2024) · review
2 web articles (cmsderm.ca, dmshellac.com), linked in the app.
2 community or commercial pages, not counted here.

Not researched here

The engine has no dossier for shellac when cooked with heat, in cold food, as a finishing ingredient, in heated food packaging or other uses. The app researches an ingredient for the use it infers from your product, so a scan fills these in; this page only shows what has already been researched and source-verified.

This is research, not medical advice. Detox My Life shows sourced claims sorted by evidence tier. It does not diagnose, treat, or tell you to start or stop anything. Talk to a qualified professional about your health.

Scan your own. The app reads any product label with your camera, works out how you are about to use it, and researches every ingredient for that use with live sources. Every scan adds to a Detox Score for your home, where 50 is a typical home in your region, and a plan of next swaps.

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