I’m Dave Kender, editor in chief of USA TODAY’s Reviewed, the site that helps you buy the right stuff, for the right price. I’ve personally tested hundreds of products, from TVs to toothbrushes to duct tape, which can sometimes take months. AMA!

Clothing is seasonal, and reviews will be out of date in a few months. There are so many skincare and haircare products out there, they wouldn't have enough skin and hair to review them properly. I mean to review a skin care product you need to use it for months, and different people will respond better to different products. Otherwise it just comes down to first impressions. That's why the reviews are "dumbed down", you simply can't make good reviews in any practical way. Also... a lot of skincare and haircare products can be pretty bad for you. It isn't easy to make a stable product without some interesting chemistry... so I wouldn't wish it on any person's body to subject themselves to being a lab rat.

/r/IAmA Thread Parent