Editorial standards

The rules every Trebalm page is written to: how we source claims, how we handle uncertainty, what we refuse to publish, and how we stay independent.

These are the working rules for everything published on Trebalm. They exist so that a reader can tell, from the page itself, how much weight a given statement will bear.

Sourcing

• Primary sources first. Where a claim is about regulation, we cite the regulation. Where it is about materials, we cite a standard (Codex, pharmacopoeial monographs, ISO), a peer-reviewed paper, or a supplier technical document, in that order of preference. Where it is about physiology, we cite the medical literature or a professional body.
• Named, checkable citations. Sources are listed with author, publication and year so they can be found even when we do not link them. We link a URL only when we are confident it exists and is stable. We do not invent URLs, DOIs or study titles. A citation without a link is better than a link that does not resolve.
• Craft sources are labelled as craft sources. A widely repeated figure from hobby blogs and supplier marketing is reported as exactly that, and where we have been able to trace it we say where it came from.

Numbers

• Melting points, fatty acid profiles and usage rates are quoted as ranges for commercial grades, because natural materials vary with origin, season and refining. A single decimal figure for a natural fat is usually false precision.
• All Trebalm pages draw the same core values from one shared dataset, so the melting point of candelilla wax is the same number on every page that mentions it.
• Percentages in formulas are always weight percent of the total batch, totalling 100, and are accompanied by a worked gram example.
• Where we calculate something ourselves, such as converting a volume-based recipe to weight percent, we show the arithmetic and state the assumptions, including the densities used.
• Rankings that are editorial judgement rather than measurement, such as relative slip or hardness scales, are labelled as such on the page.

Uncertainty

We would rather publish "this is untested" than a confident number nobody can trace. Concretely:

• Where the literature is thin or absent, the page says so and explains what it is reasoning from instead.
• Where two credible sources disagree, we present both and explain why they differ, rather than picking the tidier one.
• Where a popular figure cannot be traced to any original source, we report that it cannot be traced. That is a finding, not a gap.

Claims about health and safety

• Trebalm does not claim that any ingredient or formula treats, cures or prevents any condition. We describe what a material does physically and what the evidence does and does not support.
• Safety limits (essential oil levels, age restrictions on camphor and menthol, pet toxicity, hot fat handling) are stated conservatively and prominently.
• Where a symptom needs professional attention, the page says so plainly instead of offering an ingredient.
• Regulatory pages are orientation for a small maker. They are not legal advice, they carry a dated review, and they tell you what to search for and who to ask.

Independence

• Trebalm sells no products and takes no affiliate commission, referral fees or sponsored placements.
• We do not review, rank or recommend commercial brands or retailers. Comparisons are between ingredients, ratios and methods.
• The site carries advertising. Advertisers have no involvement in, or advance sight of, editorial content, and no page is written to support an advertisement.
• If that ever changes, this page changes first.

Updates and corrections

• Every article shows the date it was last reviewed. A date is a claim that somebody looked at the page on that day, so we do not refresh dates cosmetically.
• Substantive corrections are made on the page and logged with a date and a description on the corrections page. Typographical fixes are not logged.
• When new evidence overturns something we published, we rewrite the section and note what changed rather than quietly deleting it.
• Regulatory pages are reviewed on a schedule because the rules move, and each states when it was last checked.

What we will not publish

• Fabricated studies, statistics, quotations or citations.
• Product roundups, "best of" lists or anything whose real purpose is to move a reader toward a purchase.
• Medical claims, diagnostic advice, or dosage advice for anything ingested.
• Formulas we consider unsafe as written, including SPF claims from home-made products and essential oil levels above accepted dermal limits.
• Filler. If a topic does not need 1,500 words, it gets 900.

Related reading: how we test and calculate, about Trebalm, and the safety disclaimer.