Investigations
In-depth reporting that examines claims against the available evidence.
Featured investigation
Can Microbial Dyes Replace Synthetic Textile Dyes?
Microbial dyes are moving from laboratory development into industrial textile production.
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All investigations
25 investigations
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Brand Check
C E Ferulic: a new formula, an older research history
SkinCeuticals has announced a new version of its vitamin C serum. Its research history deserves attention—but so does the question of which formula those studies tested.
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Brand Check
How much research is behind SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic?
A claim of more than 100 peer-reviewed studies sounds impressive. But the documented research record tells a more precise story.
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Brand Check
The six words that change CeraVe’s acne claim
CeraVe’s Acne Control Gel promises to clear acne and help stop new breakouts from forming. Those claims sound naturally connected — but they rely on different kinds of evidence. FG looked at what the public clinical record actually supports.
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Brand Check
Clarins Double Serum: the retinol comparison study tested a cream base, not the finished serum
Clarins Double Serum retinol claims cite a clinical study on Harungana, yet the research evaluated a cream base rather than the finished retail formulation.
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Brand Check
Does Olaplex really rebuild broken hair bonds? Here’s what the evidence shows.
An independent 2024 lab test bought Olaplex off the shelf and found it makes hair stronger — but not through the mechanism the label describes.
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Brand Check
Advanced Night Repair: does it work? What the science actually proves
A clinical trial cited as proof of Advanced Night Repair’s key ingredient tested an oral supplement, not a serum.
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Tech Check
Is the Dyson Airwrap worth it? What the science says about “no heat damage”
Dyson’s £479.99 styler claims to cause no damage. Peer-reviewed hair science tells a different story.
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Brand Check
Crème de la Mer: the £350 cream that performed no better than Nivea
Independent testing compared Crème de la Mer against Nivea on two instruments. The results were nearly identical.
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Brand Check
RoC Retinol Correxion: the one-night wrinkle claim that peer-reviewed science measures in months
The smoothness in the morning mirror is genuine, and so is the disappointment at the sink. Only one of them has anything to do with the retinol.
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Brand Check
Sisley Paris and the zombie cells: what the 15% and 45% figures rest on
Behind the €310 serum and its talk of zombie cells sits a supplier’s unpublished lab experiments and a 28-day questionnaire about skin firmness.
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Sustainability Check
Nudie Jeans: the brand EU policy cites as a reference
Nudie Jeans holds Fair Wear’s highest labour designation, full GOTS brand certification, and a free repair programme cited by an EU policy body — and a living wage gap that covers only half its supplier workers.
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Tech Check
Red light therapy masks: what the research actually reveals about ‘clinically proven’ claims
The €4,000 Dior LED mask relies on a single manufacturer-funded study of 20 volunteers lacking a control group to support its ‘clinically proven’ marketing.
