Dermatest excellent
A seal from Dermatest, a private German test institute. The product was patch-tested on volunteers' skin under a dermatologist's control and rated "excellent" for skin tolerance.
- Patch test on at least 30 volunteers, some with sensitive skin
- Skin checked for irritation after 24, 48 and 72 hours
- Test date printed on the seal, so you can see how recent it is
- Says nothing about ingredients, environment or packaging
- Paid test commissioned by the brand, not an ecolabel
A real skin test, but only a skin test
Dermatest really tests the product on people's skin, which is more than many "dermatologically tested" claims mean. But the brand pays for the test, and it says nothing about what's in the bottle or its impact on the planet.
How Dermatest excellent tests
The brand sends its product to Dermatest, which tests it in its own test centres in and around Münster. In the standard patch test the product is applied under a plaster to the skin of at least 30 volunteers, and specialists in dermatology check for irritation after 24, 48 and 72 hours; the seal requires fewer than 10% reactions. If the product passes, Dermatest issues a certificate with a rating (such as "excellent") and the brand may use the seal free of charge, always with the test date on it. It is a one-off test per product; Dermatest does not state an expiry date or regular re-testing.
Sources
- Dermatest – Original Dermatest seal of approval dermatest.com
- Dermatest – The Dermatest seal explained for consumers dermatest.com
- Dermatest – About Dermatest dermatest.com
- Example Dermatest certificate rated "excellent" (Bullard, 2021) api.bullard.com
- ÖKO-TEST – 7 dermatologische Gütesiegel im Test (2010) oekotest.de
We read the label's own standard and criteria, check them against at least one independent source and write down what the label does not cover. Every page names its researcher and the date we last reviewed it.
