Frequently asked questions
Questions about refunds, withdrawal and cancellation are answered on their own pages, so each rule has only one version: Refund Policy · Cancellation Policy · Withdraw from contract here.
A. What the Field Guides are
Is this a buying guide? Will it tell me what to buy?
No, and that is deliberate. Each Field Guide teaches six questions you can ask of any label, then works through the materials most often found in that category so you can see the method applied. Which product is worth your money depends on your budget and priorities. The guide gives you what you need to decide that yourself.
Does it tell me whether an ingredient is safe?
No. No material is described as good, bad, safe, harmful, effective or useless. That line separates education from medical advice, and the guides stay on the education side of it. What you get is the ability to know what you are holding: where each material comes from, why it is in the formula, where else it is used, and what the label does and does not disclose.
What will I actually learn?
A method that works on any personal-care label, including products and categories the guide never mentions.
Why pay, when ingredient data is public?
The raw data is public, but it is scattered across regulatory databases in technical language. You are paying for the work of checking each material against primary sources, keeping what matters, and turning it into a method you can use in the aisle.
B. Format and reading
What exactly do I receive?
One PDF per volume, in English, delivered digitally. Nothing is shipped. Each product page states the edition date, approximate page count and what is included. Please check it before you buy.
How should I read it?
Two ways, and both are complete. The fifteen-minute read covers the method plus the printable checklist; take it shopping. The full read adds the material profiles: origin, purpose, other uses, and what changes between cheaper and more expensive formulations. Start with the method either way.
Do I need a science background?
No. It is written for a general reader. Chemical formulas and regulatory references are there for readers who want them, and you can skip them without losing the thread.
What do I need to open it?
Any standard PDF reader: a web browser, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Apple Preview, or a phone or tablet PDF app.
Can I print it?
Yes, for your own use. Results depend on your printer, paper and settings.
Do I get editable files?
No. The purchase is the final PDF only.
C. Buying and delivery
How do I get my PDF?
Immediately after payment you receive an order confirmation, a receipt and a download link at the email address you entered at checkout. Please double-check that address.
My email or link didn't arrive, or doesn't work. What do I do?
Check your spam folder and your device's Downloads folder first. If it is still missing, email info@assayhouse.eu with your order number and the email used at checkout. What happens next is described in the Refund Policy.
Where are the refund, withdrawal and cancellation rules?
On their own pages, so there is only one version of each rule: Refund Policy and Cancellation Policy.
Who processes my payment, and why does my statement show another name?
Payments are handled by Stripe, which acts as the Merchant of Record: the reseller that handles payment, VAT and your receipt. Your statement may therefore show Stripe rather than Assayhouse.
D. Use and sharing
Can I share it?
The licence is for one person's own use. Please don't forward, upload or resell the PDF. Details are in the Terms.
Who is it for, and who isn't it for?
It is for anyone who has turned a bottle around and understood none of the ingredient list. It is not for anyone who wants a ranked "best products" list, or advice on a skin condition. For a skin condition, a dermatologist is the right resource.
Is it useful outside the US?
The label-reading method works on any INCI ingredient list, and INCI is used in both the EU and the US. Regulatory notes cover US and EU rules. Rules in other countries are not covered.
E. Updates and sources
Are future updates included?
Your purchase is the edition current on the day you buy. We plan to review each volume about once a year, but a new edition, its timing and whether it is free are not guaranteed unless the product page says so. New editions are announced on this website. We do not send update emails.
What if I find an error in my edition?
Email corrections@assayhouse.eu. If a material factual error is confirmed in the edition you bought, you can request the corrected file free of charge at info@assayhouse.eu.
Does a new edition mean mine was wrong?
No. New editions can clarify, update references or add material. Every profile carries a "last verified" date, so you always know how current it is.
Can information in the PDF become outdated?
Yes. Regulations and products change. Check the edition date and verify time-sensitive points before relying on them. See the Terms.
Where does the information come from?
Regulatory databases (EU CosIng, US FDA, ECHA), peer-reviewed literature and Cosmetic Ingredient Review assessments. No brand supplied any information. Full sourcing is on the References page.
Are any brands named?
No. Materials are profiled, not products.