Our method
How we compare
Last updated
Every DermaRatings article is built from what brands, regulators and researchers publish. We line those facts up in the same units, link each one to where it came from, and show the date we last checked them.
What we compare
- Price. One-time and subscription prices from the brand's own US site on the day we checked, and the price per session where the brand states how many sessions a kit holds. We show the sum.
- What's in the box. Device, serums, refills and accessories, as the brand lists them.
- Ingredients. The key ingredients each brand names, and whether a full ingredient list is published.
- Regulatory status. Taken from the FDA databases or the brand's own statement, quoted exactly. We say "cleared" when a device is cleared, never "approved".
- Studies. Who ran the study, how many people took part, for how long, and whether there was a control group. If a brand says "clinically proven" without a published study, we say so.
- Terms. Return windows, guarantees and how you cancel a subscription, quoted from the policy page.
- What buyers say. Ratings with the platform, the count and the date, and themes that come up across many public reviews. We never quote individual customers.
Every fact has a source
The small numbers in each article link to a numbered list of sources at the bottom of the page, with the date each one was opened. If we can't source a fact, we leave it out. We don't use other review sites, AI-written lists or social posts as proof of anything.
Same criteria for every brand
Each article uses one set of criteria for every product in it, written out in a "How we compared" box. Every product gets its downsides listed. Comparisons don't name an overall winner: they say which product fits which need. Best-of lists are ordered by a published scoring table, and the scores decide the order.
What we don't do
- We don't test products hands-on or in a lab. When an article reports how a product is used, it follows the brand's own instructions and what buyers report.
- We don't use affiliate links, discount codes or "buy now" buttons.
- We don't give medical advice. For questions about your skin, hair or health, talk to a dermatologist or doctor.
Keeping articles current
Prices, kits and ratings change. Every article shows when it was last updated and when its facts were last checked. When we find that a fact has changed, we update the article and the dates.