Beauty Ratings Guide exists because most beauty coverage in the US is paid for by the brands it covers, one way or another — sponsored posts, affiliate incentives, product seeding that shapes which items even get reviewed. We built this magazine to work differently. Every product we test is bought at full retail price, anonymously, from the same stores and sites where readers shop: drugstore chains, Target, CVS, Walgreens, Sephora, Ulta Beauty, Amazon.com. We do not accept review units from manufacturers or PR agencies, we run no paid placements, and no ranking here has ever been purchased.
Our testing is methodical rather than impressionistic: repeated use over realistic conditions, side-by-side comparison against category peers, and attention to the practical questions readers actually have — does it last through a humid August afternoon, does it hold up under dry winter heat, does the deep or tan shade genuinely match what the bottle shows.
Who Signs Off on Our Findings
Findings are reviewed by an editorial committee that includes a dermatologist, a biochemist with a background in topical formulation science, and a second dermatologist with clinical research experience in skin aging and cosmetic treatments. The committee does not test products itself; its role is to check that our methodology holds up, that any claims about skin barrier function, ingredient behavior, or safety are stated accurately, and that nothing in our writing overstates what the testing actually showed. No individual committee member is credited on a given review, and the committee has no role in selecting which brands or products we cover.
Corrections and Suggestions
If we got a detail wrong, a formula reformulated, a price outdated, or a category you think deserves a closer look, we want to hear it. Reach the editorial team through the contact page. We read every note personally, and we correct published errors as soon as we can confirm them.