Our Editorial Policy

Our Editorial Mission

ShamimGuide's editorial mission is to cut through the noise in the health and supplement industry by providing readers with honest, evidence-based product reviews, health information, and wellness guidance they can actually rely on.

The supplement and health product industry is riddled with misleading claims, sponsored "reviews," and financial conflicts of interest that are never disclosed. We exist to be the resource we all wish we had — genuinely independent, thoroughly researched, and always reader-first.

Editorial Independence

ShamimGuide maintains complete editorial independence from the brands, manufacturers, and retailers whose products we review. This independence is non-negotiable and is upheld through the following policies:

Our Editorial Team

All content on ShamimGuide is produced and reviewed by a qualified team with relevant professional credentials. We do not use anonymous authors or unqualified content writers for health-related content.

Each published article clearly identifies the primary author and — where applicable — the reviewer who verified its accuracy. Credentials are displayed openly so readers can assess the qualifications behind every piece of content.

Learn more about the people behind ShamimGuide on our About Us page.

Product Selection Process

Products reviewed on ShamimGuide are selected based on editorial relevance and reader value — not based on which brands have affiliate programs or which products offer the highest commissions.

How we decide what to review:

• Reader requests: Our most common selection trigger. Readers frequently ask us to review specific products — these requests are prioritised based on demand.
• Market prominence: Products that are widely marketed, frequently purchased, or heavily promoted deserve scrutiny whether or not they deserve a positive review.
• New formulations or launches: When a brand updates a product formula or launches a new product in a category we cover, we review the new version.
• Safety alerts or regulatory action: If a product in our library receives a regulatory warning, adverse event report, or recall, we prioritise updating or reviewing that content immediately.
• Category gaps: Our editorial team identifies categories where readers lack quality, independent guidance and proactively builds coverage.

Our 5-Step Review Methodology

Every product review published on ShamimGuide follows the same structured, evidence-based methodology. No shortcuts are taken regardless of how well-known or trusted a brand may be.

Scoring Criteria & Weighting

ShamimGuide scores products on a 10-point scale based on eight weighted criteria. This framework is applied consistently to every product in every category. Reviewers do not have discretion to deviate from the framework without documented justification.

Content Types We Publish

ShamimGuide publishes several distinct content types, each with its own editorial standards and review requirements.

Sources & Citation Standards

All factual health claims published on ShamimGuide must be supported by a credible, verifiable source. We operate a strict source hierarchy — claims are only as strong as the evidence behind them.

We link to primary sources directly in our articles wherever possible so readers can verify our claims independently. We never misrepresent or overstate what a study shows — if a study has limitations, we note them.

Medical Review Process

Content covering the following topics is submitted to our medical reviewer (Dr. Rania K., MD) before publication:

• Articles that make specific claims about treating, preventing, or managing medical conditions
• Content discussing drug-supplement interactions or contraindications
• Reviews of supplements targeting serious health issues (diabetes management, cardiovascular health, mental health conditions)
• Articles providing dosage guidance for medical conditions
• Any content where clinical inaccuracy could directly harm a reader

The medical reviewer has the authority to require changes, add warnings, or block publication of any content she determines to be medically inaccurate or potentially harmful. These decisions cannot be overridden by commercial considerations.

After medical review, approved content is marked with a "Medically Reviewed by [Name, Credentials]" attribution displayed prominently in the article header.

For important health and safety information, please read our Medical Disclaimer.

Conflicts of Interest Policy

ShamimGuide maintains a formal conflicts of interest policy that applies to all team members, guest contributors, and any external reviewer who contributes to our content.

Declaration Requirements

Before working on any product review or health article, all contributors must declare whether they:

• Have any financial relationship with the brand being reviewed (employment, ownership, investment)
• Have received free products, payments, gifts, or hospitality from the brand
• Have personal relationships with the brand's employees or founders that could bias their judgment
• Have previously published content for, or been paid by, the brand in question

How Declared Conflicts Are Handled

Affiliate Marketing Policy

ShamimGuide participates in affiliate programs. The following rules govern all affiliate relationships and content:

• Reviews precede affiliate links. We always evaluate a product first. We do not seek out an affiliate relationship and then write a justifying review.
• Commission rates are not disclosed to reviewers. Where possible, the reviewer evaluating a product is kept unaware of the commission rate to prevent unconscious bias.
• All affiliate links are clearly disclosed at the article level using a visible disclosure notice before the first affiliate link appears.
• A product can rank #1 on 5% commission or rank last on 30% commission. Our editorial scores determine ranking — not financial yield.
• We link to non-affiliated sources when they offer better value, stronger evidence, or more credible information than affiliated alternatives.
• No product is "required" to have an affiliate link to be included in our reviews or rankings. Many of our reviewed products have no affiliate relationship.

For complete details, see our dedicated Affiliate Disclosure page.

Sponsored Content Policy

On rare occasions, ShamimGuide may publish content that has been funded or commissioned by a brand. The following rules govern all sponsored content without exception:

• Labelling is non-negotiable. Brands cannot request that sponsored labels be removed, reduced, or made less visible.
• Editorial control remains with ShamimGuide. The funding brand can suggest topics and provide factual corrections but cannot dictate opinions, conclusions, or editorial tone.
• Medical accuracy is still enforced. All sponsored health content goes through the same medical review process as our organic content.
• We refuse to publish sponsored content that is misleading or that makes health claims unsupported by evidence, regardless of how much the brand is willing to pay.
• Sponsored content appears in a separate section or is clearly visually differentiated from organic editorial reviews to prevent reader confusion.

Content Update Policy

Health and supplement information evolves. A review that was accurate in 2024 may need updating by 2026 due to formula changes, new research, regulatory action, or shifts in user feedback. We take content currency seriously.

All updated articles display a "Last Updated" date in the article header alongside the original publication date. We distinguish between minor copyediting updates and substantive content revisions — the latter are noted in an "Update History" section at the bottom of the article.

Corrections Policy

ShamimGuide is committed to getting things right — and to publicly acknowledging when we don't. Our corrections policy is designed to prioritise accuracy over reputation.

Corrections Process

Types of Corrections

• Minor corrections (typos, formatting errors, broken links) — fixed promptly without a correction notice.
• Factual corrections (incorrect data, misattributed study, wrong dosage figure) — corrected and noted with a correction notice at the top of the article explaining what changed and why.
• Substantive corrections (findings that materially change our conclusions or recommendation) — corrected, prominently disclosed, and where necessary, our rating or verdict is revised.

We do not delete incorrect articles — we correct them transparently. Readers deserve to see that we acknowledge mistakes rather than hiding them.

Reader Feedback & Content Challenges

We genuinely welcome challenges to our content. If you believe something we have published is inaccurate, misleading, or unfair, we want to know about it — regardless of whether you are a reader, a brand, a healthcare professional, or a researcher.

How to Submit a Content Challenge

• Use our Contact Form and select "Content Correction"
• Include the URL of the article in question
• Specify the exact claim you believe is incorrect
• Provide your evidence or source (peer-reviewed research preferred)

Challenges from brands regarding their own products are held to the same process as reader challenges. A brand's belief that their product deserves a higher rating does not constitute a content error — only factual inaccuracies do.

Contact the Editorial Team

For editorial questions, content challenges, corrections, guest contribution enquiries, or media requests related to our editorial work, please contact us using the details below: