How we write

Editorial Policy

The rules behind SPF Edit reviews, buying guides, claims, updates and affiliate separation.

What SPF Edit is

SPF Edit is a consumer sunscreen buying desk for UK and US readers. It explains how to compare daily SPF, pharmacy skincare, sensitive-skin labels, texture, travel formats and reapplication choices. The site is written for ordinary shoppers who want clearer decisions before opening retailer pages.

What SPF Edit is not

SPF Edit is not a clinic, pharmacy, laboratory or medical service. We do not diagnose skin conditions, prescribe treatment, invent dermatologist quotes, publish fake reader testimonials or claim that a sunscreen cures a medical problem.

How topics are chosen

Articles start with reader friction. Examples include sunscreen pilling under makeup, oily skin looking heavy by lunch, fragrance-sensitive labels, carry-on limits, water resistance, patch testing or whether a cheaper pharmacy format is more practical than a premium tube.

We prioritise topics that help a reader make a buying or routine decision. If a question is too medical, too individual or too dependent on a current retailer claim, the article should say that clearly instead of pretending certainty.

How guides are written

  1. We define the shopping problem before discussing products or labels.
  2. We check visible label wording, directions, pack size, texture signals, availability and public guidance where relevant.
  3. We explain trade-offs instead of pretending one product, filter type or finish is always best.
  4. We connect related guides so readers can move between skin type, texture, routine, budget and ingredient topics.
  5. We avoid invented lab data, fake exact testing scores, fake medical credentials and unsupported treatment claims.

Product and claim handling

SPF Edit may discuss products, formats or retailer categories, but the article should keep the decision criteria visible. A sunscreen can be useful for one route and wrong for another. A matte finish can help an oily routine but feel uncomfortable on dry skin. A water-resistant label can matter for swimming but does not remove the need to reapply.

Affiliate links and editorial separation

Some pages may contain affiliate links. Commercial potential does not decide whether a guide exists, what the criteria are or whether a lower-cost pharmacy route is mentioned. A guide can recommend checking a cheaper format, buying a larger bottle or not purchasing until the use case is clearer.

Corrections and updates

Labels, stock, prices and retailer pages change. If a reader spots an outdated label, broken link, unclear passage or missing context, they can email info@spfedit.co.uk with the article URL and detail to check. Corrections should improve clarity without hiding the change in the article logic.

Reader safety boundaries

SPF Edit writes consumer guidance. Readers with medical concerns, unusual reactions, medication questions or diagnosed skin conditions should use the site as general reading only and seek appropriate professional advice for personal decisions.

Source handling

SPF Edit uses public product pages, packaging language, retailer information and authoritative public guidance where relevant. External sources are used to clarify definitions, regulation or practical limits, not to create medical certainty where the article does not have it. If a source is used for a technical sunscreen point, the article should link to it or describe the limitation plainly.

Image policy

Images should support the shopping task: sunscreen texture, product formats, pharmacy shelves, label close-ups, bathroom routine setups or travel packing. Images should not imply that a fake doctor, fake lab or invented expert tested the product. Alt text should describe the image naturally, such as a sunscreen tube on a bathroom shelf or a label close-up, rather than stuffing keywords.

Update cadence

SPF and skincare content changes when labels, stock, packaging, retailer pages or public guidance change. High-traffic buying guides, sensitive-skin articles and label explainers should be revisited first. An update may change a link, clarify a claim, add a limitation, replace an image or move an article into a better category.

Conflicts and samples

If a future article is influenced by a sample, sponsored placement or direct commercial arrangement, that relationship should be disclosed clearly. The default editorial position is that commercial availability can help a reader find a product, but it cannot be used as a substitute for clear criteria.

Claim limits

SPF Edit does not treat marketing phrases as proof. Words such as invisible, lightweight, sensitive, clean, reef-safe or non-comedogenic can be useful clues, but they still need context. The article should explain what the phrase may help with, what it does not prove and what a reader should check on the current label.

Internal linking standard

Articles should connect readers to the next relevant decision. A sensitive-skin guide should link to fragrance and patch-testing notes. A travel guide should link to water resistance and carry-on rules. A makeup routine guide should link to pilling, texture and reapplication. Internal links are used to reduce confusion, not to inflate page views.

What we avoid publishing

SPF Edit avoids fake dermatologist names, fake reader testimonials, invented before-and-after stories and exact testing scores that were not actually measured. It also avoids claiming that sunscreen cures, treats or prevents a medical condition. When an article mentions a sensitive-skin routine, the wording should stay practical: tolerance, texture, fragrance, patch testing and label checks.

If a draft starts to sound like product advertising rather than reader guidance, the page should be edited back to criteria, limitations and next-step links.