Ingredientsage - Beyond the Label - Because Ingredients Matter

I see brands pay individual dermatologists $300–$1,500 to "recommend" a product they never actually use. The claim is legally meaningless, medically hollow, and everywhere. How the "dermatologist recommended" scam works: One opinion, not a profession: The brand sends a sample to a dermatologist with a $500 check and a one-page questionnaire. If the doctor checks "would recommend to patients with dry skin," the brand can legally print "dermatologist recommended" on millions of bottles. No panel. No peer review. No long-term testing. One person's opinion becomes a million-dollar marketing claim. Paid recommendation, not clinical testing: This is separate from clinical trials. The dermatologist isn’t testing the product on patients. They’re reading the ingredient list, guessing if it’s benign, and cashing the check. I’ve seen doctors "recommend" products they later told me they’d never actually prescribe because the active dose was...