How a VCS study works

Glass entrance to the Validated Claim Support clinical testing lab in Teaneck, NJ

You tell us the claim. We measure it in person.

Every VCS study runs in our FDA registered and inspected lab in Teaneck, NJ. Panelists come to us, our trained graders assess them in the same controlled rooms at every visit, and our instruments and photography studio record what changes.

How long a study takes

4 to 8 weeks from quote to first visit, including the protocol, IRB review and recruitment.
The in-clinic phase is set by your protocol, for example 8 weeks for an anti-aging study.
3 to 4 weeks from the last visit to the final report. Topline data in as little as 2 weeks, at an extra charge.

Browse the claims we test →

Step 1: Plan the claim and the protocol

We start from the claim you want to make and work back to the study that can support it: the endpoints, the panel size, the visit schedule and the methods. You get a written protocol to approve before anything starts.

Step 2: Ethics review

When a study needs IRB review, we prepare and submit it to Allendale IRB, our external review board, within the planning timeline. Every study gets an informed consent document written for the panelist, in plain language.

Studies with ingestible products, and those testing approved OTC active ingredients for claims such as acne, hair growth, or eczema and psoriasis, must be tested at FDA registered sites. A decentralized, at-home study cannot meet that condition.

Hallway of private assessment rooms at the VCS clinical testing lab

Step 4: Recruit and screen

We match panelists from our database to your inclusion and exclusion criteria, and our staff meet and onboard each one in person before enrollment.

Our team confirms eligibility in the clinic, not only through an online questionnaire. That keeps enrollment criteria consistent and screens out panelists who simply want to take part and get paid. Each panelist signs informed consent before their first visit.

Panelist waiting room at the VCS lab where staff meet and onboard each panelist

VCS technician fitting a headband on a panelist before an in-clinic study visit

Step 5: In-clinic visits

At every visit, panelists wash the test area with a standard gentle cleanser and acclimate for at least 15 minutes in a room held at 20 to 24 °C (68 to 75 °F) and 30 to 70% relative humidity. Then, in the same conditions every time:

a trained expert grader assesses the skin or hair in person, on anchored scales;
calibrated instruments measure hydration, barrier function, elasticity, color and more;
our photographer captures images in a dedicated studio with fixed lighting, camera settings and positioning;
panelists answer the study questionnaire electronically in Datacapt.

Staff also ask about any change in health at every visit, and any reaction is recorded and reported.

Step 6: Quality review

Before a report is released, our Quality Department checks the study from end to end: the protocol against your quote, every consent form, product-use records, and the raw data against every results table.

Step 7: Your report

You receive a final report with the methods, the statistics and the results behind each claim, plus study images where the protocol includes photography. The data belongs to you.

Multi-angle clinical study photographs of a panelist taken in the VCS photography studio

In-clinic or at home: what changes in the data

At-home studies are fast and convenient, and they are a good fit for some consumer perception claims. When a claim says a product measurably improves skin or hair, where and how it was measured decides whether the claim holds up.

	VCS in-clinic study	Typical at-home study
Where it is measured	Our Teaneck lab, at every visit	Each participant's home
Conditions	Room held at 20 to 24 °C and 30 to 70% relative humidity, after a standard wash and at least 15 minutes of acclimation	Whatever the home is that day: heating, air conditioning, a recent shower, the time of day, and indoor and outdoor lighting
Who assesses the skin	A trained expert grader, in person, on anchored scales	The participant's own rating, or a reviewer looking at photos the participant took on a device, outside controlled conditions
Instruments	Calibrated, qualified instruments for hydration, barrier, elasticity, color and more	Usually none for skin
Photography	A dedicated studio and a professional photographer, with fixed lighting, camera settings and positioning	A phone or tablet, in the participant's own light and at their own angle
Why panelists take part	Paid for their time; in most studies, test product is reconciled and returned or disposed of at the end	Compensation can include keeping the product
Data checks	Raw data checked against every results table before release, in validated, audit-trailed systems	Varies by provider

Why graders assess in person

Several of the attributes on our scales cannot be judged from a photo at all: softness, elasticity and suppleness are graded by touch.

Even visual attributes such as fine lines, pores and radiance depend on light and angle, which a grader controls in the room and a participant's photo does not. Lighting, temperature and humidity can change how skin looks more than many topical products do, so they have to be controlled.

Panelist's skin seen through a magnifier lamp during in-person expert grading at VCS

Planning a study?

Tell us the claim you want to make, and we will send a written proposal for the study that can support it within 48 hours. No NDA is needed for a first conversation; we sign one before you share formulas or confidential data.

Get a quote See pricing Explore test methods

From the VCS blog

Consumer testing vs clinical testingHow the two compare and which claims each can support.Read more →Claims testing and claims validationHow a claim is turned into a study that supports it.Read more →

Where to next

Keep exploring

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FAQ

How a VCS Study Works: frequently asked questions

Can I add a consumer perception questionnaire to a clinical study?

Yes. Most VCS studies pair expert grading or instruments with a panelist questionnaire, so one study supports both measured claims, such as a percentage reduction in the look of fine lines, and perception claims, such as the share of panelists who agreed their skin looks smoother.

Why not just run the study at home? It is faster.

For some perception-only claims, an at-home design can work. For claims about measurable change, such as hydration, wrinkles, redness or elasticity, the readings depend on controlled conditions, calibrated instruments and in-person grading that a home cannot provide.

How long does a VCS study take?

Most studies take 4 to 8 weeks from quote to first visit, including the protocol, IRB review and recruitment. The in-clinic phase is set by the protocol, and the final report follows 3 to 4 weeks after the last visit. Topline data can be delivered in as little as 2 weeks at an extra charge.

Do panelists know which product they are testing?

That depends on the protocol. Products are coded on arrival, and we can run blinded and placebo-controlled designs.

Who owns the data?

You do. The report, the data and the study images, where included, are delivered to you.

Can I visit the lab?

Yes. Sponsors are welcome to tour the lab and audit our quality system.