what the chips mean
next to each vendor you'll see a few small chips. they answer different questions that get mixed up a lot in this community, so we keep them separate on purpose.
we never call a shop "safe", "approved", "trusted" or "certified". nothing in diy hrt is certified by anyone with regulatory authority. we point at what was published, when, and by whom. you decide what it means for you.
the tiers come down to one question: who chose the bottle that got tested?
- 3rd partysomeone independent buys a bottle (independent of the vendor)an independent lab tests it (independent of the vendor)the tester publishes it (independent of the vendor)
- 2nd partythe vendor picks a sample (the vendor)an outside lab tests it (independent of the vendor)the vendor publishes it (the vendor)
- 1st partythe vendor measures it (the vendor)no outside labthe vendor publishes it (the vendor)
done by someone other than the vendor
- 3rd party
6 vendors now
Astrovials, Aurelia, Hera, Otokonoko, Serapharma, Symphony Labs
did someone independent get the sample and have it tested?
someone other than the vendor (typically transharmreduction.org, artemis analytical) obtained the sample on their own and had it tested. the vendor had no say in what got tested.
the strongest claim we make, and still not a promise about every future batch: suppliers change, processes drift, and a test only covers what was tested.
- 2nd party
5 vendors now
Calyx Labs, Felicitas, PawSnax, Proletalabs, Celestial
did the vendor send a sample to an outside lab?
the vendor sends samples to a named outside lab (often Janoshik) and publishes the results. the lab is credible and reports can usually be checked on the lab's own site.
the catch: the vendor chooses what gets sent. nothing links the tested vial to the one you get. much better than nothing, but not the same as 3rd party.
- 1st party
no vendors right now
are these the vendor's own numbers?
the vendor publishes their own measurements, with no outside lab named or nothing to check against. good that they publish anything, but nobody outside the vendor has checked. an honest vendor and a made-up page look the same from here.
- testing · in progress
no vendors right now
why is a vendor listed but not tracked?
we know about the vendor but their testing isn't published yet. until it is, we don't check their stock or list their products. once results are out they move to the matching tier and tracking starts. if testing finds problems, they stay off.
- new
2 vendors now
Calyx Labs, Proletalabs
why the red NEW chip?
the vendor is recent here and doesn't have a long track record yet: months of steady shipping, no public complaints, a second clean batch.
it isn't about their lab tier, which still applies. it's a nudge: start with a small order, check the lab report yourself, and watch the discord before ordering more. it drops off once "new" stops being the most important thing about them.
- returning
3 vendors now
Astrovials, Felicitas, PawSnax
what does RETURNING mean?
not a brand new face. the people running it have sold before, either under this name before a break or somewhere else first. there is some track record, but the shop itself is freshly (re)opened: re-check current stock and lab results, and start small.
- suspended
no vendors right now
why did tracking stop?
the vendor isn't operating or reachable right now, so we've paused tracking. the note on their card says what we know. it isn't a verdict; it can be lifted when they're back.
- closed
1 vendor now
Celestial
what does CLOSED mean?
the vendor has shut down. don't send them money. they stay listed so people with an open order can find what's known, and the discord is the best place to compare notes.
is the vendor still in control of their own setup?
a warrant canary is a regularly re-signed PGP message from the vendor saying they're alive, free, and haven't been served warrants, gag orders or seizures. anyone can check the signature with
gpg. the chip shows the month it was last signed.it tells you about the operator, nothing about what's in the bottle.
no vendors right now
the canary chip went red?
the vendor missed their own re-signing date. that's the alarm canaries exist for. it may be nothing, but ask questions before relying on them.
a dash means we have nothing published to point at. that doesn't make the vendor bad, just uncited. ask in the discord, ask the vendor, or have a sample tested yourself through a community program like artemis analytical.
we keep this current by hand. if you know of a lab result, canary or vendor lab page we're missing, or one that's out of date, send it through the contact form with the link and we'll check and update it.