Get the ingredients off the packaging
Ingredient lists are printed in tiny type on the back of the bottle and nowhere else. Scanning the packaging pulls that list into a product card with the ingredients as tags — water, glycerin, sodium hyaluronate, niacinamide — so you can see at a glance what a product actually contains and tap for the full list.
Record the period after opening
The small open-jar symbol on packaging shows the period after opening: 6M, 12M and so on. Add it to the product and the shelf shows the remaining days, so "PAO 365d" on a fresh moisturiser or "Past PAO" on a forgotten serum is visible without digging through drawers.
Tie products to steps
A shelf is most useful when it maps onto a routine. Your morning and evening steps in the Routine tab — cleanse, serum, moisturiser — are where each product gets used, and your latest face scan can inform product suggestions matched to how your skin currently looks.
This guide and the app offer general skincare wellness guidance, not medical advice. Skin scan readings are not a diagnosis. If you have a skin concern, consult a dermatologist.
Review, do not hoard
Every month or two, open the shelf and ask of each product: is it in a routine step, and is it within its period after opening? Delete what fails both tests. A shelf of six products you use beats a shelf of twenty you do not.
Steps
Setting up the shelf takes one AI scan per product; browsing it afterwards is always free.
- Gather what you actually use
Put your daily products on the counter. Leave out anything you have not touched in a month — you will decide about those in step 5.
- Scan each ingredient list
In Shelf, tap Scan and aim at the ingredient block on the packaging. The app extracts the ingredients into a product card with the name and brand.
- Add the period after opening
Check the open-jar symbol on the packaging and record the months as PAO days on the product. The shelf will show the remaining days.
- Match products to routine steps
Open the Routine tab and make sure each product on your shelf has a Morning or Evening step where you use it.
- Review the leftovers
For each product you left out: if it has no step or is past its PAO, let it go. Anything you decide to keep, scan into the shelf so it is tracked.
Frequently asked questions
Does scanning a product use an AI scan?
Yes, one scan per product for the ingredient extraction. Browsing the shelf, reading ingredients and checking PAO days never use scans.
Can I add a product without scanning it?
The shelf is built around scanning the packaging so the ingredients come in accurately. Scan the ingredient block and edit the name or brand if needed.
What does PAO mean?
Period after opening — how long a product is meant to stay good once opened, shown on packaging as an open-jar symbol with a number of months.
SkinCare AI provides general skincare wellness guidance only. Skin scan results are not a medical diagnosis and the app does not treat or prevent any condition. If you have a skin concern, consult a dermatologist or another qualified professional.