Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

The Skin Score ("we," "us," or "our") operates the website located at theskinscore.com. We publish consumer sentiment research and rankings in the luxury beauty category, based on publicly available Amazon buyer review data.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website. Please read it carefully. If you disagree with its terms, please discontinue use of the site.

2. Amazon Associates Disclosure

When you click an affiliate link on our site and make a purchase on Amazon.com, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. This commission supports our research and keeps the site free to access.

Amazon uses cookies and tracking pixels to recognize that you arrived at Amazon via our links. This tracking is how Amazon calculates commissions. By using our site and clicking affiliate links, you agree to Amazon's use of these technologies. You can review Amazon's privacy practices at Amazon's Privacy Notice.

Our rankings, recommendations, and editorial content are not influenced by affiliate compensation. We do not accept payment for product placement.

3. Information We Collect

Information You Provide Voluntarily

We may collect personal information you voluntarily submit to us, including:

• Email address — if you subscribe to our newsletter or contact us directly
• Name — if you include it when contacting us
• Message content — any information you include in contact form submissions or emails

We do not require account creation to use this website. We do not collect payment information — all purchases are processed directly through Amazon.

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, certain information is collected automatically by our hosting provider (Netlify) and third-party analytics tools, including:

• IP address (typically anonymized)
• Browser type and version
• Operating system
• Pages visited and time spent on pages
• Referring URL (the site that sent you to ours)
• Date and time of visit
• Device type (desktop, mobile, tablet)

This information is used in aggregate form to understand how visitors use our site and to improve our content. We do not use this data to identify individual visitors.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Send newsletters or ranking updates to subscribers who have opted in
• Respond to inquiries or requests you send to us
• Analyze site traffic and usage patterns to improve content quality
• Comply with legal obligations
• Protect the security and integrity of our website

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for their marketing purposes.

We do not use your personal information for automated decision-making or profiling.

5. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies. Here is a plain-language breakdown of what is in use:

Essential / Functional Cookies

These cookies are necessary for the website to function. They do not collect personal data for advertising purposes and cannot be disabled without affecting site functionality.

Analytics Cookies

We may use analytics tools (such as Google Analytics or Netlify Analytics) to understand how visitors interact with our content. These tools collect anonymized, aggregated data. Where Google Analytics is in use, we have enabled IP anonymization. You can opt out of Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

Affiliate Tracking Cookies (Amazon)

When you click an affiliate link on our site and visit Amazon.com, Amazon places a cookie on your browser to track the referral for commission purposes. This is a function of Amazon's affiliate program and is governed by Amazon's Privacy Notice. Amazon's cookie typically expires after 24 hours for standard purchases.

Managing Cookies

You can control and delete cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to refuse cookies entirely or to be notified before a cookie is set. Note that disabling cookies may affect certain website functionality. For more information on managing cookies, visit allaboutcookies.org.

6. Third-Party Services

Our website interacts with the following third-party services, each of which has its own privacy practices:

Amazon.com / Amazon Services LLC

We link to product listings on Amazon.com through the Amazon Associates Program. Amazon may collect data about your behavior on their platform. We have no control over Amazon's data practices. Review Amazon's Privacy Notice.

Netlify (Hosting)

Our website is hosted on Netlify, which may collect server logs and technical data as part of normal hosting operations. Review Netlify's Privacy Policy.

Google Fonts

We use Google Fonts to deliver typefaces. Google may collect basic request data (such as IP address) when fonts are loaded. Review Google's Privacy Policy.

Analytics Providers

We may use Google Analytics or similar services to measure site performance. These services collect anonymized usage data. See the Cookies section above for opt-out options.

Email / Newsletter Services

If you subscribe to our newsletter, your email address may be stored and managed through a third-party email service provider. We will identify that provider in a future update to this policy once our newsletter infrastructure is finalized. We will not share your email with any other third party.

7. Data Sharing & Disclosure

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may share information in the following limited circumstances:

• Service providers: We share data with providers who assist in operating our website (hosting, analytics, email delivery), under contractual obligations that restrict their use of the data
• Legal compliance: We may disclose information if required by law, regulation, court order, or to protect our legal rights
• Business transfers: If The Skin Score is acquired or merged with another entity, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to the same privacy protections
• Protection of rights: We may disclose information to prevent fraud, enforce our terms, or protect the safety of users or the public

In all cases, we share only the minimum information necessary.

8. Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary for the purpose it was collected:

• Newsletter subscribers: Until you unsubscribe. We will honor all unsubscribe requests promptly.
• Contact inquiries: We retain email correspondence for up to 2 years for reference purposes, then delete it.
• Analytics data: Aggregated and anonymized analytics data may be retained indefinitely as it cannot be used to identify individuals.
• Server logs: Netlify retains server logs per its own data retention policy.

9. Your Rights & Choices

Newsletter Opt-Out

Every newsletter email we send includes an unsubscribe link. You may also request removal by contacting us directly at the email address listed in Section 13.

Access, Correction & Deletion

You may request access to, correction of, or deletion of any personal information we hold about you by contacting us. We will respond within 30 days.

California Residents (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have the right to know what personal information we collect about you, request deletion of your personal information, and opt out of the sale of your personal information. We do not sell personal information. To exercise your rights, contact us using the information in Section 13.

European / UK Residents (GDPR / UK GDPR)

If you are in the European Economic Area or United Kingdom, you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation, including rights of access, rectification, erasure, restriction, portability, and to object to processing. Our lawful basis for processing is legitimate interest (analytics, site operation) and consent (newsletter subscription). To exercise your rights, contact us using the information in Section 13. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority.

Do Not Track

Some browsers transmit Do Not Track (DNT) signals. Our website does not currently respond to DNT signals in a standardized way because no universal standard has been adopted. We encourage you to use the opt-out mechanisms described in the Cookies section above.

10. Children's Privacy

Our website is not directed to children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we discover that we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child under 13, we will delete it promptly.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at the address in Section 13.

11. Security

We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. Our site is served over HTTPS. Our hosting provider (Netlify) maintains its own security infrastructure.

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security and encourage you to use caution when sharing personal information online.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

For material changes that significantly affect how we use your personal information, we will make reasonable efforts to provide notice — such as a notice on the site or (for newsletter subscribers) an email notification.

Your continued use of the website after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, please contact us: