Methodology

How I review vendors

Every vendor review on this site starts the same way: I go through the vendor's own website. That means product range, published certificates of analysis (COAs), shipping and return policy, payment methods, and contact information. I write down what I find with a source and a date, and I don't repeat a vendor's own marketing language as if it were a verified fact.

First-look profiles versus hands-on reviews

Some reviews on this site are first-look profiles: desk research based on what's published, with no personal order behind them yet. Those posts say so explicitly, near the top. I don't describe placing an order, getting a package, or checking a physical batch against its COA unless that actually happened. Once it has, the review says so, and describes what actually happened, including anything that didn't go perfectly.

Every review includes real weaknesses

A review with nothing negative in it isn't a review, it's an ad. Every vendor review on this site has a section that states, plainly, where the vendor falls short or where the published information has gaps. If my research turned up thin documentation instead of an outright problem, that's what gets stated: limited information available is itself a finding.

How vendors get scored

Vendor reviews on this site use the Papa Score, a 100-point rubric covering testing transparency, quality signals, ordering and shipping, customer service, and reputation. See the full Papa Score rubric for exactly what earns points and how the bands work.

How vendors get chosen

I only review vendors I have an actual affiliate relationship with, and being an affiliate doesn't buy a better writeup. The review reflects what I found researching the vendor, not what makes the best sales pitch.

Affiliate links

Some links on this site are affiliate links, meaning I earn a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. That relationship doesn't change what I write about a vendor. See the full affiliate disclosure for details.

Research use only

Everything discussed in a vendor review is a research chemical, not an approved human product. Nothing on this site is medical advice or a treatment recommendation. See the research-use disclaimer for the full picture.