Scoring Guide

How CarCareTruth Scores Headlight Restoration

What these scores are, and what they are not

CarCareTruth editorial assessment against a published rubric, from manufacturer documentation and public sources. We have not lab tested this product, and a score is not a safety determination.

Quality. The Quality Score rates how a product performs on the dimensions its category rubric names, read from manufacturer specifications, documented materials and public owner reports. It is not a bench test we ran, and it is not a verdict on the company that makes the product.
Health. The Health Score rates the chemical health impact of the ingredients and GHS hazards disclosed on the Safety Data Sheet, for an adult using the product as directed. It is not a medical assessment, a regulatory determination, or a substitute for the label and the SDS.
Environment. The Environment Score rates documented environmental impact from typical consumer use, using ingredient data and public regulatory listings. Nothing flagged means nothing was documented, which is not the same as a product being proven clean.
CarCareTruth Score. The CarCareTruth Score combines the quality, health and environment scores with our editorial opinion. It is one publisher's assessment of the product, not a measurement of it.

Formulations and labels change without notice. Read the manufacturer label and Safety Data Sheet before you use anything, and see the full disclaimer.

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Scoring Guide — Headlight Restoration (Single-Product)

Quick reference

Axis	Start	Pathway	Typical range
Health	10.0	SDS deduction algorithm	8.5–9.5
Environment	7.0	Neutral ×1.00	6–8
Quality	—	4-dimension weighted average	5.5–8.0

Quality dimension weights

Dimension	Weight	Key evidence source
restoration_clarity	0.40	Amazon before/after reviews; forum threads
durability_protection	0.30	60+ day Amazon reviews; forum 6-month follow-ups
ease_of_application	0.20	Q&A; first-timer reviews; video tutorials
formula_transparency	0.10	SDS §3; label photos

CCT composite formula

formula_result = (quality × 0.60) + (health × 0.25) + (environment × 0.15)
composite = (formula_result × 0.75) + (cct_opinion × 0.25)

Step order

Read SDS: note signal word, H-codes (§2), ingredients (§3), PPE (§8), physical data (§9), Prop 65 (§15)
Compute health: base 10.0 → non-Cat-1 deductions → Cat-1 deductions (diminishing) → Cat-1 ceiling → floor clamp → bonuses → 9.5 ceiling
Compute environment: base 7.0 × 1.00 (neutral) → deductions → credits → clamp → round-half-up to the nearest integer → store that integer
Score quality: assess each dimension against community evidence → multiply by weights → sum
Set CCT opinion: 5–10 scale; 7.0 is neutral; above-average product, good brand
Compute composite = formula_result × 0.75 + opinion × 0.25
Check hard caps from cct-score.md
Determine lifecycle_state: published_pass (no DANGER, no Prop 65, no asthmagen, no PFAS, no high_voc) or published_flag
Determine award: Top Pick ≥ 8.5 (quality ≥ 8.0), Recommended ≥ 7.0 (quality ≥ 6.5)

Common mistakes to avoid

Do not use H227 to set signal_word_danger. H227 (combustible liquid Cat 4) is a physical hazard, not a health hazard. The health score uses health-tier H-codes only for the DANGER deduction.
Do not set lungs: required unless H331, H330, or H334 is confirmed in SDS §2. H333 (Acute Tox Cat 5 inhalation) alone does NOT warrant lungs: required.
Do not use Rainforest Prop 65 flag alone for prop65_warning. Chemical Guys has 15+ documented false positives. Always verify SDS §15.
Cap durability_protection ≤ 6.0 when no community 6-month follow-up data exists.