The use of a transdermal Raman spectrum to measure glucose or other substance concentration can give an inaccurate result if the Raman signals originate at a wrong skin depth. To predict whether a spectrum of Raman signals received transdermally in a confocal detector apparatus and having at least one component expected to have an intensity representing the concentration of glucose or another skin component at a point of origin of said Raman signals below the surface of the skin will accurately represent said concentration, peaks in the spectrum at 883/4cm