If you are looking to buy a new product, particularly one that you will use on your body, you want recommendations from sources you can trust. Nowadays, the internet is awash with review sites - websites claiming to review products, to give you the roundup of the best models, helping you to decide which one to buy. Helpful, right?

But what you may not know is that the overwhelming majority of the writers from these websites have never even set eyes on the products they are promoting. Review articles are written based on the manufacturer's claims, product descriptions and customer reviews - and it is increasingly common for customer reviews to be fake as well.

The team at Our Good Living Formula (OGLF) aim to change the face of review sites. They are uniquely transparent that they promote only products that they have thoroughly researched and tested themselves.

The website's founder, Amy Tribe, who has a background in Medical Imaging, is proud of their methodical and scientific approach to publishing:

"So many review sites simply promote the products that will earn them the most money in commissions, but we feel it is wrong to endorse a product that we haven't had our hands-on. This is especially true in the beauty industry, where brands are already preying on people's insecurities. So we decided to create a testing facility for beauty products and a platform to share our honest, impartial results."

Source: https://www.oglf.org/wp-content/uploads/P1130780.jpg

The OGLF Team also consists of Diana Zambrano, who has a background in Psychology and Public Health, and Elizabeth Murray, who has worked in corporate litigation. Suffice to say; this varied and competent team are well-versed in scientific and methodical approaches. They set up the testing facility in Havant, United Kingdom, in a commercial space that would give plenty of room for the testing procedures.

All of the products featured on OGLF are put through a specific examination process before they are included in a line-up. The team spends many hours researching consumer reports and clinical trials before purchasing the products. They examine the manufacturer's claims and investigate the evidence behind them to ensure that they are legitimate. The team then designs a series of specific experiments to put the products through their paces.

They look at both quantifiable and less-easily measured features. For example, when testing hair dryers, Amy and the team first tested the wind speed, the temperature of the air and dryer unit, noise levels and the time it takes for dryers to completely dry hair. They then moved onto considering the user-friendliness of each model. Similarly, they regard features like ease of assembly of equipment, and the smell or feel of a body cream on the skin and how well it absorbs. They then pool and compare all of the results, before creating the final list.

Source: https://www.oglf.org/wp-content/uploads/P1130742.jpg

They aim to take into account every angle of the products - from features like the aesthetics and how it will look in your bathroom or on your dressing table, to the comfort and ease of use and the performance. This all-rounder approach is far more helpful for people trying to determine which product is right for them, or whether or not it is suitable for them at all.

OGLF only promote products that they would happily use themselves, and that they truly believe are high-quality. They aren't shy about naming and shaming negative experiences with products either.

Amy says "We have had a few bad experiences with products that did not perform as they should or could have even caused injury, and we feel that it is extremely important to relay that information to prevent others from experiencing this."Leaving no stone unturned, the OGLF team also takes their own photographs of the products. Manufacturer's photographs are often airbrushed and sometimes computer-generated, so this helps them to thoroughly demonstrate the features they are discussing.

With new technologies in development and improved designs and concepts being created every day, the health and beauty world is constantly changing. To make sure they are always giving the best advice, the OGLF team keep all of the products they test and regularly revise and update their articles.

With the aim of establishing a beauty platform you can trust, Amy and the team have succeeded in creating an impartial, informative space for well-researched insights and beauty advice, up-to-date, honest reviews. Our Good Living Formula is a welcome addition to the beauty world!