Advertising & Sponsorship Policy
What commercial partners
may—and may not—pay for.
Skin Candid may work with brands, retailers and service providers through advertising, sponsorships and paid partnerships.
This policy explains how commercial content is labelled, how editorial independence is protected and which forms of influence are not accepted.
Core principle
Commercial funding can support the site. It cannot control the answer.
Advertising and sponsorship may help fund research, publishing, technology and editorial work. Payment does not purchase a positive conclusion, ranking position, favourable review or removal of accurate criticism.
Skin Candid keeps commercial agreements separate from independent editorial decisions.
Commercial formats
Different paid relationships require different disclosures.
Display advertising
Clearly separated ad placements that do not alter the surrounding editorial content.
Sponsored content
A defined paid article, guide, video or campaign with explicit sponsorship labelling.
Sponsored placement
A paid, clearly marked promotional position that is not presented as an independent editorial ranking.
Brand partnership
A broader commercial collaboration with agreed deliverables, boundaries and disclosure requirements.
Newsletter sponsorship
A labelled sponsor message inside a newsletter, separated from the independent editorial content.
Affiliate relationship
A commission-based link relationship governed by the separate Affiliate Disclosure.
What brands may buy
Commercial partners may pay for defined promotional services.
Acceptable examples
- Clearly labelled display advertising
- Clearly labelled sponsored articles or videos
- Newsletter sponsorships
- Sponsored educational campaigns
- Paid event, webinar or content-series partnerships
- Commercial use of separately licensed creative work
Required conditions
- Clear commercial labelling
- Written scope and deliverables
- Editorial boundaries agreed in advance
- Relevant conflicts disclosed
- Claims supported and legally suitable
- Skin Candid retains final publication control
What brands cannot buy
Editorial conclusions are not for sale.
Rankings
Payment cannot secure a higher position on best-product, comparison or recommendation pages.
Positive reviews
Payment, gifting or access does not guarantee favourable coverage.
Editorial approval rights
Brands cannot approve, rewrite or veto independent editorial conclusions.
Suppression of criticism
Accurate limitations, risks and negative findings cannot be removed in exchange for payment.
Hidden advertising
Paid content cannot be presented as independent editorial work without disclosure.
Guaranteed inclusion
Commercial interest does not guarantee inclusion in future reviews, roundups or comparisons.
Labelling standard
Readers should be able to recognise paid content immediately.
Sponsored or paid material is labelled before the main content begins or in another prominent position that is difficult to miss.
Labels may include terms such as “Sponsored,” “Paid Partnership,” “Advertisement” or “In partnership with,” depending on the format and applicable requirements.
Editorial control
Skin Candid retains final responsibility for what appears on the site.
Final wording
Skin Candid controls the final wording, structure and presentation of published content.
Claim review
Commercial claims must be supported, appropriately qualified and consistent with the evidence.
Safety review
Medical or safety-sensitive sponsored content may require appropriate professional review.
Right to refuse
Skin Candid may decline or cancel work that conflicts with its standards, audience trust or legal obligations.
Sponsored reviews and product access
Paid access does not turn a commercial project into an independent review.
Sponsored review-style content
- Must be labelled as sponsored
- Must not be presented as independent editorial ranking
- Must disclose whether the product was supplied
- Must preserve accurate strengths and limitations
- Must not guarantee a positive conclusion
Independent product review
- Follows the Product Review Methodology
- Records how the product was obtained
- Retains independent recommendation logic
- May conclude positively, negatively or inconclusively
- Cannot be purchased by the brand
Separation rule
Sponsored placement must not masquerade as editorial ranking.
A paid placement may appear near related editorial content, but it must be visually and verbally distinguished from independent recommendations.
Sponsored products are not inserted into editorial ranking tables without clear disclosure and a separate explanation of their commercial status.
Restricted and unsuitable partnerships
Some campaigns will not be accepted.
Unsupported medical claims
Campaigns relying on disease-treatment, guaranteed-result or clinically misleading claims are rejected.
Unsafe use
Content that encourages dangerous, contraindicated or irresponsible use is not accepted.
Deceptive presentation
Fake reviews, undisclosed testimonials, manipulated before-and-after claims and hidden sponsorships are not accepted.
Audience harm
Fear-based, shaming, discriminatory or exploitative campaigns are not suitable for Skin Candid.
Editorial interference
Partners requiring control over independent conclusions, criticism or future coverage are rejected.
Conflict with site standards
Campaigns may be refused when the product, message or business practice conflicts with Skin Candid’s trust principles.
Data and targeting
Advertising technology must respect reader privacy.
On-site advertising
- Must comply with applicable privacy and consent requirements
- Must not create deceptive page elements
- Must not obstruct essential content
- Must not materially damage mobile usability
- Must not imitate editorial buttons or navigation
Third-party services
- May use cookies or similar technologies
- May process data under their own policies
- Must be disclosed through the relevant privacy and cookie notices
- May be limited or disabled based on consent settings
- Remain subject to technical and compliance review
Corrections and campaign changes
Commercial content may be corrected, updated or removed.
Skin Candid may update or remove sponsored content when claims become inaccurate, products change, safety concerns emerge, legal requirements change or the partnership ends.
Commercial payment does not prevent a correction or removal when reader trust, accuracy or safety requires it.
Current stage
Traffic and trust come before aggressive monetisation.
Skin Candid’s initial priority is building useful content, search visibility and reader trust.
Advertising and sponsorship opportunities will be developed only when the site can support them without compromising usability, editorial clarity or trust.
Commercial enquiries
Partnership proposals must respect these boundaries.
Brands and commercial partners may contact Skin Candid with a clear description of the proposed format, deliverables, market, claims and disclosure requirements.