How we work
Independence, review, corrections, and what the automated desk is allowed to do.
Independence
theskindex does not sell products, carry advertising for skincare brands, take affiliate commissions, or publish sponsored content. Writers and reviewers disclose any industry relationships on their author page.
Who we are
Two people run the site: a chemical-engineering graduate studying cosmetic chemistry, who reviews scientific and regulatory content, and a developer, who builds the system and edits for accuracy against sources. Neither is a clinician. We say so rather than imply otherwise.
Review
Every Index entry and article names its writer. It also shows a reviewer and a review date once — and only once — a named member of staff has approved it in our admin. Until then the page says "Not yet reviewed", carries a noindex instruction for search engines, and is left out of the sitemap, the RSS feed and llms.txt. A page can be approved only by a logged-in person; the automated desk cannot approve or publish anything.
Sources
We cite primary literature (trials, systematic reviews) and primary regulatory documents (regulations, committee opinions, monographs). We link to the DOI or official register wherever one exists. Press releases and brand materials are not sources for efficacy claims. Before anything is approved it must have at least two sources, every citation number must point at a listed source, and no source may be a bare domain or an unnamed document.
Automated monitoring
An automated system (shown on the site as "TheSkindex Desk") monitors regulatory registers and journals and drafts Index entries, updates and wire items. Its drafts are labelled as automated. They are reviewed as described above; drafts the desk wrote that are visible before review are marked as not yet reviewed.
Dates
Creation, publication and review dates are recorded by the system when the event happens and are never moved earlier. The "Last updated" date on a page is that page's own last change.
Corrections
We correct errors promptly and note the change in the entry's revision history. Material corrections to articles are noted at the top of the piece. Send corrections to a corrections address will be published here once it is set up; until then use the general contact route below.
Medical disclaimer
theskindex is information, not medical advice. Talk to a clinician about your own skin.