Editorial Standards

How we research, source, fact-check, and update the Elelaf Journal. Every claim has a citation. Every correction stays visible. Every relationship is disclosed.

Our editorial mission

The Elelaf Journal exists to publish slow-skincare content that prioritizes correctness over clicks. We do not chase trends. We do not run sponsored editorial. We do not rewrite history when we get something wrong — we correct it with a visible “Updated” line and a note describing the change.

The Journal is owned by Elelaf Skincare. Editorial decisions are made by the six independent desks. The brand does not direct coverage, suggest topics, or review drafts before publication outside of the Editorial desk’s brand-essay work.

How we source

Every Elelaf Journal piece is built from a hierarchy of sources:

  • Tier 1 — Peer-reviewed and regulatory. JAAD, Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, IJCS, Dermatologic Therapy, Cosmetic Dermatology, JAMA Dermatology, NEJM Dermatology coverage, PubMed-indexed clinical trials. AAD position statements, FDA cosmetic-ingredient guidance, NIH MedlinePlus, CDC, WHO. Korean MFDS guidance where relevant.
  • Tier 2 — Named clinicians with public profiles. Board-certified dermatologists, named cosmetic chemists, named formulators with traceable employment history.
  • Tier 3 — Industry technical data. Ingredient supplier technical data sheets (TDS), patent filings, formulator-grade trade publications.
  • Never used as primary sources. TikTok claims, anonymous influencer recommendations, brand marketing copy, untraceable “expert” quotes, AI-generated medical content.

When we cite, we cite specifically: study name, journal, year, sometimes DOI. “Research shows” is not a citation. Where consensus is unsettled, we say so rather than picking a side.

How a piece gets published

  1. Brief. Each desk maintains its own pipeline of topics. The desk lead approves a brief before drafting.
  2. Draft. The writer assembles sources first, then drafts against them. We aim for 4-8 cited sources per ingredient explainer, 2-4 per routine piece, 6+ per condition guide.
  3. Fact-check. A second desk member reviews the draft against the cited sources. Every numeric claim is verified.
  4. Edit. Editorial desk does the line-edit pass for clarity and voice.
  5. Publish. Each piece gets a TL;DR, a citations block, schema markup (Article + FAQPage + BreadcrumbList), and a Keep Reading block linking related coverage.
  6. Review. Every published piece is reviewed at least every 12 months. Reader-reported errors are corrected within 48 hours.

Corrections policy

When we publish an error, we correct it inline. We do not silently rewrite. Every correction appears as a visible “Updated:” line at the bottom of the post with a one-sentence description of what changed and when. Significant corrections — a reversed claim, a meaningful number revision, a removed recommendation — also get a top-of-post note.

If you spot an error, email [email protected]. We aim to acknowledge within 24 hours and correct within 48.

Disclosure policy

  • Brand relationship. Elelaf Skincare owns the Journal. The Journal does not review Elelaf products. When the Journal covers a category that overlaps with an Elelaf product line (microbiome serums, peptide creams, mindful application protocols), it links to the category-level page on elelaf.com, not the product page.
  • Test units. When we receive a product or device free of charge for review, we say so in the review.
  • Affiliate links. The Journal does not currently run affiliate links. If we add them in future, every affiliate link will be marked, and editorial coverage will remain independent of commission opportunity.
  • Personal relationships. If a writer has a relationship with a brand or a person being covered (former employee, family member, paid consultant), the relationship is disclosed in the byline or the first paragraph.

What we do not do

  • Diagnose conditions. The Journal is informational; it is not a substitute for a dermatologist.
  • Recommend prescription strategies in place of clinical care.
  • Publish “sponsored editorial” or “branded content.”
  • Accept payment for coverage.
  • Delete published pieces. If a piece is significantly wrong, we correct it. If it’s outdated past correction, we update or 301-redirect; we never silently disappear it.

Editorial team

The Journal is staffed by six desks: Skin Health, Ingredients, Routines, Education, Reviews, and Editorial. Each desk has its own writers, sourcing standards, and editorial autonomy.

The founder, Khabir Uddin, writes only on the Editorial desk under his own byline. He does not set the editorial line for the other desks.

Contact

Editorial questions, corrections, press: [email protected] — typical reply within 24 hours.

For the brand mailing address and contact details, see About.