Editorial Policy

We are independent

Actives & Acidstakes no sponsored placements, accepts no free products from brands, and sells no pay-for-ranking. No company can buy a spot on a list, buy a kinder verdict, or buy its way off a “skip this.” We reach for a product the same way you would — through a retailer, from its public listing — and the only relationship we have with the brands we cover is that we may earn an affiliate commission if you buy through one of our links. That relationship is disclosed on our affiliate disclosure page, and it is walled off from the editorial decisions described below.

How recommendations are chosen

Every pick is chosen buyer-first. We compile the stated concentration, compare the formulation and base, compute the cost per milliliter, and weigh all of it against the published evidence for the ingredient. The question we are answering is always “what is the best buy for this reader’s skin and budget” — never “what pays us most.” When the product that earns us less is the better value, it is our pick, and when a whole category isn’t worth the money, we say so. The full process is documented on our methodology page.

Commission never decides a ranking

We earn affiliate commissions, and we are candid about it. But the reasoning behind a recommendation is identical whether or not a link earns us anything. A higher payout has never moved a product up a list and never will; if two products are close, the tie is broken on value and formulation, not on commission. We do not sell reviews, rankings, or “sponsored” placements dressed up as editorial.

No fabricated proof, ever

Actives & Acids contains no invented reviews, testimonials, star ratings, or before-and-after photos. We have not physically tested the products we write about, and we never imply otherwise. Product images come from the retailer; verdicts are our own analysis of the formula. This is the single line we will not cross for any layout, any partner, or any reason.

Honesty about limits

The author is a skincare enthusiast, not a dermatologist, and the site is not medical advice. We say so on every guide. Where a brand hides a figure, we print “Not published” rather than estimate it. Where the published evidence for an ingredient is thin, we say the evidence is thin rather than talk it up.

Corrections

We get things wrong sometimes, and we would rather fix them in the open than quietly. If you find a factual error, tell us: we will check the claim against its source, and if you’re right, correct it and update the page’s “last updated” date. A substantive correction to a live claim is noted rather than hidden.

Updates

Formulas change, products get discontinued, and prices move. Each article shows a “last updated” date, prices are refreshed automatically and stamped with the date they were pulled, and we revisit our roundups as the products in them change.

Reader safety

We recommend patch-testing new actives, introducing one at a time, and using daily sunscreen alongside actives that increase sun sensitivity. For anything beyond general guidance — a persistent reaction, a diagnosis, a prescription active — we point readers to a qualified professional rather than pretending to substitute for one.