- Commercial Partnerships: The Zash participates in affiliate marketing programs, earning commissions on retail purchases made through our links.
- No Extra Cost to Readers: Clicking an affiliate link or making a purchase never increases the price you pay at checkout.
- Editorial Independence: Products are selected solely based on editorial merit and testing performance, regardless of affiliate availability.
- FTC Compliance: This policy conforms with Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR Part 255 regulations regarding endorsements and testimonials.
Transparency is essential to our relationship with our readers. In compliance with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines and global consumer protection standards, this page provides a comprehensive explanation of how The Zash is funded and how our affiliate partnerships operate.
How We Fund The Zash
Producing in-depth product reviews, maintaining testing protocols, and employing specialized writers and fact-checkers requires significant investment. To keep all of our articles free and open to everyone without paywalls or expensive subscriptions, The Zash generates revenue through two primary methods:
- Display Advertising: We host programmatic display advertisements provided by reputable ad networks such as Google AdSense.
- Affiliate Links: When you click a retail link on The Zash and make a purchase, we may receive a small referral commission from the retailer.
How Affiliate Links Work
When an article discusses a skincare formula, beauty tool, or lifestyle item, we often include direct links to verified retailers where the product can be purchased (such as Sephora, Ulta, Nordstrom, Amazon, or brand storefronts).
If you click on one of these links and complete a purchase, the merchant tracks the referral through a secure tracking cookie and pays The Zash a percentage of the sale. This commission comes entirely out of the retailer’s marketing budget; you will never be charged a higher price or any additional fee.
Our Commitment to Editorial Independence
We maintain a strict firewall between our editorial recommendations and commercial partnerships:
- Merit-First Selection: Our editors choose which products to test, review, and recommend based solely on ingredient quality, performance, and value. If a product is outstanding, we feature it whether or not the retailer offers an affiliate program.
- No Financial Incentive for Writers: Our writers and testers are compensated through fixed editorial fees and do not receive commissions tied to specific product sales or traffic. They have no personal incentive to praise one brand over another.
- Negative Reviews Are Never Suppressed: If a viral product fails our testing or underperforms, we state so clearly, even if the brand offers high affiliate commission rates.
Retailer Affiliate Programs
The Zash participates in several established affiliate platforms and publisher networks, including but not limited to:
- Amazon Services LLC Associates Program: As an Amazon Associate, The Zash earns from qualifying purchases.
- Skimlinks & Impact Radius: Connecting our editorial desk to major beauty and department store retailers worldwide.
- RewardStyle / LTK: Facilitating verified retail links for fashion, beauty, and home lifestyle collections.
Questions Regarding Commercial Disclosures
If you have any questions regarding our affiliate disclosures, advertising policies, or brand relationships, please reach out to our team at partnerships@the-zash.com.