K-Beauty AtlasK-Beauty Atlas is a visual index, not a compatibility score. Use it to move between ingredients, products, brands, concerns, and trend waves—then read each connection according to what the data actually represents.
1. Read the node before the line
Colored ingredient nodes are grouped by broad cosmetic function. Smaller neutral product nodes connect to ingredients mapped from their available ingredient lists. Node size and prominence help exploration; they are not measures of clinical effectiveness or concentration.
2. Distinguish two kinds of connection
- Contains: a product-to-ingredient line means the ingredient was mapped to that product. It does not reveal an exact percentage.
- Interaction: an ingredient-to-ingredient line summarizes a layering consideration recorded in the Atlas, with confidence and source context where available.
3. Inspect evidence and confidence
Open an ingredient or hover a connection to see its type, note, confidence, and source link. An interaction candidate is excluded from the public graph until its source is reviewed for direct relevance and its wording is narrowed to that evidence. “Formula companions” only means two ingredients appear together in mapped products; it is not proof of synergy or safety.
4. Narrow the graph before zooming
Concern, wave, category, and brand filters reduce visual density and create a more useful starting point. Search is better for a known name. Use the full map to discover nearby products, then switch to detail pages when you need source and formula context.
5. Turn discovery into a decision
- Compare two mapped product formulas side by side.
- Build a routine to place products in AM or PM and review duplicated ingredients.
- Browse concern guides for a smaller, goal-based entry point.
- Use the directory when you want an alphabetical index instead of a graph.
6. Keep the data limits visible
Product formulas change, regional lists can differ, ingredient order is not an exact concentration, and the current database is curated rather than exhaustive. The live data policy and coverage page reports dataset size, formula-link depth, interaction-source coverage, and the rules used to publish each edge.
Start exploringOpen the Atlas with a critical reading frameworkFilter first, follow one connection at a time, and use product comparison or the routine builder when you are ready to act.Open in K-Beauty Atlas →Sources and further reading
- Summary of Cosmetics Labeling Requirements (opens in a new tab) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- Cosmetic Ingredient Names (opens in a new tab) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration
External sources support the general guidance above. They do not verify every product, regional formula, or individual reaction.