A Peak Under the Hood to See How I Review Products
You have probably read a lot of my reviews and based on your purchases based my verdicts. But, wouldn’t you like to know how I ended up coming to those verdicts? I imagine it would help you be a little more confident when making your purchase if you knew the methodology behind my reviews instead of just buying based on what I said. It is time to dive deep under the hood and give you a rundown of how I come to my ultimate verdict on the products I review.
First, I check out the science
Science is important – especially with the kinds of products that I review. The scientific trials and studies conducted on the products and their components are the be all and end all for the products. If the science does not check out, I would be very hard-pressed to give the product my seal of approval.
When I scrutinize the product, I look at scientific evidence to answer the following questions:
- Can the product be consumed without any risk to my health?
- Does taking the product actually deliver the advertised benefits?
The first place to look when trying to answer these questions is obviously the ingredients list. From there, I look up each ingredient on medical databases and scientific journals to see what trials and studies have been done on them. Once I gain a solid understanding of the ingredients, I relay my findings to all of you in the product’s review. I state what the product is supposed to do and if the listed ingredients will actually help bring about the advertised effect or if they are just fluff. More importantly though, if I find out that any of the components are unsafe for consumption, that will definitely be mentioned front and center in the review.
I feel like the scientific side of the review is the important part, as it determines the safety and effectiveness of the product. If you know that the science behind a product checks out, you can then make a more informed and confident purchase instead of flying blind or just buying based on the bluster of the company trying to sell the product.
Next, I check out what others have to say about the product
Knowing that the science behind a product checks out is great and all, but nothing quite compares to seeing what other people who have actually used the product have to say about it. That said, it is hard to tell what reviews are legitimate and what reviews are just fakes posted by representatives and affiliates of the product’s maker to help their product’s credibility. That is why I only look at 100% genuine customer testimonials and include some of what they say in my review of the product.
I find it easier to get myself to buy a product when I know that many others have experienced its benefits. While science may show that the components of a product provide benefits, it may not always deliver that benefit when all of those components are put together. That is why it is essential (at least for me, as it should for you) to know that all different kinds of people have experienced success using the product.
That is basically it as it pertains to the actual review process, but now I would like to give a bit of insight on how I determine what products are deemed worthy of reviewing.
I pay attention to product launches and trends
Look, reviewing obscure products that nobody is buying does not do anybody really any favors. These obscure products likely have nothing to base a review off, as there are not any legitimate testimonials and the company is likely shady and scheming. That is why I look at big-time product launches and try to get review samples and other background info on that product from the maker. Not only do I look at launches, but I also check out what products are currently trending in the market and do reviews on those. I feel like reviewing super popular product is a public service. I feel this way because if a potentially harmful product is surging in popularity, it can be a huge problem. On the flipside, if a really good product is surging, I can increase awareness for the product even more so that more people can reap the benefit. Sometimes I do come across hidden gems that I feel are too good to not be reviewed, though, so not all of my reviews will be of big-time popular products.
I do my homework about the companies behind the products
Knowing what makes up a product and what real life people say about the product are important. However, an often overlooked aspect of a product review is an analysis of the company behind the review. And this is where a product’s problems are usually found. I find it to be very common in the health supplement market that the company has very little public information provided about it. You usually just a get name and an address for a company and sometimes you do not even get that. If a popular product has that problem, I will be sure to point it out and make a case for why you should practice caution before buying the product. Not to mention, many companies use a lot of boast and bluster to make their brand and product seem more important. My job is to analyze those boasts and see how well they stand up to scrutiny. That is not all I scrutinize, though. If I find that a company has a record of unethical business practices, I will be the first to hit them for it and potentially withhold my seal of approval, no matter how well the product is selling.
Conclusion
My review process is tough. I do not let things slide and anything that bothers me about a product, no matter how minor, will be pointed out. This is because I feel as consumers we all deserve to know everything there is to know about a product before being asked to shell out money for it. I do not like spending money in the first place, so the product will have to be up to my standards for me to be fine with parting with some money to buy it. I am sure many of you feel the same way. I hope this insight into my review procedure has helped you gain a lot more confidence in buying products based on my reviews.
