Viva both publishes and sells. That arrangement only works if you can see exactly how it works, so this page sets out what we do, what we will not do, and how to hold us to it.
How we choose what to stock
A product reaches the Viva store when it clears four things. It has to do what it claims, with evidence we can point to rather than marketing copy we were handed. It has to be made by a company that will tell us what is in it and where it came from. It has to be something a member of this team would recommend to a friend who was not paying us. And it has to belong in the world we write about, which rules out a great deal of perfectly effective, perfectly ugly product.
Being sent free samples does not get a product stocked, and paying us does not get a product stocked. We say no far more often than we say yes.
How we make money
Most of our revenue comes from selling products through this site. Some articles link to products we sell, and we earn from those purchases. A small number of pieces are produced in partnership with a brand; where that is the case, it is labelled at the top of the article, before you read it, not in small print at the bottom.
We do not accept payment to change a verdict, and we do not remove an unflattering line because a brand asked. If a brand withdraws over something we published, that is a cost of doing this properly.
How we write about health
Wellness writing sits close to medicine, and we treat that seriously. Claims about what a substance does to the body are sourced to published research or to a named practitioner, and we distinguish between what is well established, what is promising, and what is currently only interesting. We use the words "may" and "some evidence suggests" when they are the accurate words, even though stronger language would sell more.
Nothing on Viva is medical advice, and nothing here should replace a conversation with your own clinician — particularly if you are pregnant, taking prescription medication, or managing a diagnosed condition.
Who writes for us
Articles carry the name of the person who wrote them. Where a piece makes clinical or nutritional claims, we name the practitioner who reviewed it and their credentials. Contributors disclose to us any commercial relationship with a brand they are writing about, and we disclose it to you.
Recipes
Recipes published on Viva are either developed in our own kitchen or reproduced with credit to the person who created them. When a recipe comes from somewhere else, we say so and we link back.
When we get it wrong
We correct errors rather than quietly deleting them. A corrected article carries a note saying what changed and when. If you think something we published is wrong, tell us through the contact page — a correction from a reader is a favour, not a complaint.
Using our work
You are welcome to quote Viva and to reproduce a short extract, with a link back to the original piece. If you would like to republish something in full, or you are a journalist looking for a source on wellness, longevity, food or travel, get in touch and we will help.