How we review

SerumTruth is written and scored by its editorial team. These are the standards behind every review: what a score is made of, what we will and won’t do, and how the site pays for itself.

Where our scores come from

Every SerumProof score is built from two things: the published research on a serum’s key actives, and the formulation the brand discloses publicly (the ingredient list, any stated concentrations, and the packaging). We read the label and we read the literature. We don’t take a brand’s marketing at face value, and we don’t buy, sample, or lab-test the products ourselves. Where a brand hides its doses, we say so, and the score reflects it.

The five things we score

A score out of 100 comes from five parts: Evidence (how strong the research on the actives is), Potency (whether those actives are dosed at a working level or fairy-dusted below the label line), Delivery and stability (whether the format and packaging actually keep the actives alive), Formulation (disclosure and how well the actives are paired), and Value (real cost to use for a month). Every review shows the full math, and its score breakdown expands so you can see the working. The point weightings live in the scoring rubric.

Our commitments

We never accept payment to change or inflate a score, from a brand or anyone else. We grade the evidence honestly, which means calling out fairy-dusted actives and thin research even when the brand is popular. And when a formula changes, we update the review, because a score is only worth anything if it matches what’s in the bottle today.

How we make money

Some of our “where to buy” links are affiliate links, and we may earn a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. That commission never affects a score or a ranking. If a serum is worth buying, we say so. If it isn’t, we say that too, affiliate link or not.

Think we got something wrong? Tell us: hello@serumtruth.com