Editorial policy

How we work.

True Beauty Cost exists to answer one question honestly: when does doing a beauty treatment at home actually cost less than the salon? Money content is only useful if you can trust how it was put together, so this page lays out the standards behind every calculator, guide and review on the site.

How we research

Our default prices are illustrative 2026 estimates assembled from three kinds of sources: current retailer and brand-site listings for products and refills, published salon and clinic menus plus aggregated regional pricing for services, and manufacturer specs (bottle size, refill life, treatment longevity) that determine cost per use. For claims about how a treatment works or whether it is safe, we lean on primary authorities - government agencies, medical and dental associations, and peer-reviewed research. The specific references we rely on are listed on our sources & data page, and the full calculation approach is in our methodology.

Who writes this, and how

Content is researched, written and reviewed by the True Beauty Cost editorial team. We attribute to the team rather than invent individual author personas, because the standard that matters is the review process, not a byline. We use software tools to help draft and pressure-test our work, but a person is responsible for the accuracy of every published figure and claim, and nothing goes live without that editorial review.

Editorial independence

We make money through affiliate links (including the Amazon Associates Program and Skimlinks) and display advertising, and we disclose that wherever those links appear. That revenue never changes the math: a product does not earn a better break-even, a higher ranking or a kinder verdict because it pays us a commission. The calculator arrives at the same number whether or not a link is monetized. We also never present scraped live retailer prices as current - our figures are clearly marked as illustrative estimates, and the real-time price always lives on the retailer's own page.

Accuracy and corrections

The calculator formulas are unit-tested, because these are numbers about money and should hold up to scrutiny. Prices still move, and we still get things wrong. When a default no longer matches reality, or you spot an error, tell us on the contact page and we will correct it. We date every article with when it was last reviewed so you can see how current it is.

Cost only - not professional advice

For treatments with a health or safety dimension - chemical peels, microneedling, teeth whitening, laser, microblading - our content compares price and nothing else. It is not medical, dental or financial advice, and it does not weigh safety, suitability or results. Always consult a licensed professional before any procedure. On those pages we deliberately avoid medical schema and efficacy claims, and where we summarize expert reviews we link to the original so you can judge the source yourself.

Questions about any of this? The contact page reaches the editorial team directly, and About explains who we are and why the site exists.