How Products Are Selected
When we mention a product, you should know how it got there and how much work stands behind it. Those are two different questions, so here are both. The short version: so far it's desk review of shop and brand pages, and no specific products are featured yet.
Desk review, and what testing would mean
We keep these apart, and we try to say which one applies each time.
Label and desk review. This is what we do today. We go through what a brand or shop publishes on its public pages and set it beside what the research covers. This is desk review, not testing. If a page says something, we attribute it to the supplier.
Independent testing. Laboratory or third-party testing. We don't run laboratory testing, so we don't describe products as tested by us. If a supplier cites a test, we report it as the supplier's claim and note what it covers. Our own judgement is labelled as judgement.
Why these brands
Our starting group is eight brands: Azarius, Cibdol, Mush Magic, Zamnesia, MADMONQ, Orangefit, Upfront and PLNKTN. They were chosen by the owner of Smart Supplements to cover the areas we focus on: smartshop exploration, psilocybin truffles and microdosing, gaming and focus, sleep, and selected fitness and nutrient products.
Being selected isn't the same as being independently tested, approved or ranked best. Other brands may appear as factual comparisons, but they aren't recommendations. How we handle commercial links is covered on our commercial relationships and disclosures page.
What we intend to check before a product is featured
No specific products are featured yet. This is the method we intend to follow once the October catalogue work gives us product data, not a record of checks already done:
- the full label, including every ingredient and the amount per portion
- the portion size and how many portions are in a pack
- the form: powder, capsule, liquid, gummy or something else
- any documentation the supplier provides
- whether it's available to readers in the Netherlands and EU
- the price, with the date we saw it, since prices move
If we can't verify one of those, we'll leave the detail out rather than guess. Prices and availability are a snapshot, so check the shop before you buy.
How a product connects to the evidence
We explain the ingredient first, then what differences between products matter, and only then point to a product. A product mention is an editorial choice, not evidence that a health claim is true. A recommendation should depend on what the label actually contains and on what research exists for those ingredients, not on the product's marketing.
For reading a label yourself, our guide to how to read supplement labels shows what to look for.
Where to read next
Two more pages explain how we work and who we are:
- Editorial approach and corrections, for how we pick and read sources, how AI-assisted drafting and review work and how pages are dated.
- About Smart Supplements, for what the site covers, why 'smart' means two things and how it's made.
Last updated: 12 October 2026