Editorial Policy and Verdict Methodology

Every claim on this site traces to one of three things: the printed Supplement Facts panel, published research, or a policy the seller has put in writing. Where the packaging and the panel disagree, we publish the panel.

How we rule on a claim

1. Read the panel before anything else. Nutrients and amounts before any marketing copy.
2. Check the ingredient exists. A benefit attributed to collagen or hyaluronic acid fails immediately if neither is on the label, however prominent the artwork.
3. Compare the amount against the reference intake. %DV where one exists; the adequate intake or studied dose where it does not.
4. Name anything that rounds to nothing. Choline at 0% DV and inositol at 40 mcg are stated plainly rather than listed alongside functional doses as if equivalent.
5. Note the nutrient form. Methylcobalamin versus cyanocobalamin, zinc citrate versus oxide, d-alpha versus dl-alpha. These decide how much actually reaches you.
6. Apply the tissue timeline. Skin turns over in about 28 days, nails grow about 3 mm a month, hair about 1 cm. No claim can outrun those numbers.
7. Lead with the safety issue, not the benefit. A 5,000 mcg biotin product gets the FDA lab-test warning near the top of the page, not buried at the bottom.
8. Dermatologist review. Dose figures, cautions and safety wording are checked by a board-certified dermatologist.
9. Date it. Every page carries published and updated dates.

Sourcing standards

We cite primary sources — government health agencies, dermatology bodies and regulator guidance. We do not cite other affiliate pages, and we never treat a seller's claim as evidence for itself. The sources we rely on most:

• NIH Office of Dietary Supplements — Biotin
• FDA — biotin may interfere with lab tests
• NIH ODS — Vitamin A
• NIH ODS — Zinc
• NIAMS — healthy skin
• American Academy of Dermatology — skin care basics
• FDA — dietary supplements
• FTC — health products compliance guidance

On describing competing pages

Where we describe what another Gelagen page publishes, we describe only what is verifiable on that page at the time of writing — the number of ingredients it names, the statements it makes about dose disclosure, the wording of its FAQ. We draw no conclusion about anyone's intent. Where our reading of the label differs from theirs, we say so and show the label.

Corrections

If a dose figure, price or policy statement here is wrong, tell us through the contact page and we will correct it and note the change. Labels and pricing change without notice, which is why every page tells you to confirm at checkout and read the panel on the bottle you receive.

What our reviews are not

They are not medical advice and not a substitute for seeing a dermatologist. They are not clinical trials of the finished product — no such trial exists for this gummy, and we say so rather than implying otherwise. And they are never a reason to delay investigating sudden hair loss, new nail changes or a changing mole.

Independence

We earn affiliate commission on qualifying purchases. No manufacturer reviews, approves or pays for our content, and no brand has editorial input. The critical findings published here — the collagen and hyaluronic acid discrepancy, the two negligible ingredients, the added sugar, the biotin warning — are findings a brand-controlled page would have deleted.