About Glow · Methodology

Review Methodology.

How Glow scores products, how Glow selects featured clinics, and the protocols underneath both. Versioned, dated, public. The cornerstone document is The Glow Standard, v4.2.

The Glow Score — product reviews.

The Glow Score is a single number out of 10 calculated across five axes by a named editor over a six-week minimum test (twelve weeks for anti-ageing claims), and validated by a second editor before publication.

Axis	Weight	What it measures
Efficacy	30%	Does the product produce its claimed result.
Formulation	25%	INCI verification, active concentration, vehicle quality, stability.
Tolerability	20%	Irritation rate across panel, allergen and fragrance burden.
Value	15%	Performance per dollar in current Australian retail.
Distinction	10%	Editorial judgement on category contribution.

Score banding: 9.0–10.0 = category-defining; 8.0–8.9 = excellent (recommended); 7.0–7.9 = solid (worth buying with the right brief); 6.0–6.9 = mid-tier; 5.0–5.9 = concerns; below 5.0 = not recommended.

The Glow does not score brand prestige, social media presence, packaging, founder narrative, or affiliate rate. None enter the calculation.

Clinic features — the nine-point framework.

The Glow Score applies to products. Clinics are assessed against a separate nine-point editorial framework, applied jointly by the Devices Editor and the Editorial desk. Clinics are featured, not scored numerically.

Founder credentials. Verifiable medical qualifications, peer-recognised training pathways, depth of clinical background.
Clinical oversight. Whether a credentialled physician is meaningfully involved in patient assessment and protocol design.
Treatment breadth. Whether the menu allows multi-modal planning under a single clinician.
Consultation model. Whether the first appointment is a diagnostic or a sales call. Willingness to send a patient away without treating is the test.
Public reputation. Visible track record across peer bodies, trade press, and the patient community.
Transparency. Clarity around credentials, complications protocol, and treatment boundaries.
Patient suitability. Explicit guidance on who the clinic is right for and who is better served elsewhere.
Pricing clarity. Published or readily-available pricing matching the credentialling and treatment depth.
Editorial independence. No commercial relationship with Glow at time of featuring.

The test protocol — step by step.

Every product reviewed under The Glow Standard moves through nine documented steps:

Retail acquisition (no PR samples for graded reviews)
Batch verification
Four-tester panel recruitment (Fitzpatrick spread published)
Day-zero photographic baseline under controlled light
Six-week use phase (twelve weeks for anti-ageing claims)
Photographic re-test under matched conditions
Editor scoring with written justification per axis
Second-editor review
Publication with editor name and panel skew on file

What the methodology does not do

Glow does not run paid placement under any product or clinic name. Brands cannot see scores before publication. Featured clinics cannot dispute their feature except through the formal corrections route. The methodology is the contract between Glow and the reader; it is not subject to commercial override.