How we decide
what goes in the capsule.
Every Unived formulation is the output of the same five-step decision sequence — applied to every product, with no exceptions. This page documents what that sequence is, what it requires, and what it rules out.
Five-Step Formulation Framework
Applied to every product before formulation is finalised. The process takes months, not weeks — and no ingredient bypasses it.
01
Physiological Need
Define the specific physiological process the formulation is targeting. What is the body doing, or failing to do, that the product is meant to support? Under what conditions, and for whom? No ingredient is selected before this question is settled.
02
Literature Review
Read the peer-reviewed clinical literature for the physiology identified in Step 1. Identify which ingredients have been studied for the specific endpoint, in the relevant population, at characterised doses. Assess the strength of the evidence. The grade follows.
03
Form Selection
Choose the ingredient form the research used — magnesium glycinate, not magnesium oxide; an active folate, not synthetic folic acid; a standardised botanical extract, not a generic powder borrowing branded research. The form on the label is the form in the trial.
04
Dose Setting
Set the dose at the level the research validated. Not a fraction of it because cost-of-goods is easier at half the strength. Not padded above clinical relevance to inflate a label. The dose, and the rationale for it, is published on the product page.
05
Independent Validation
Every batch is independently tested before release. Microbial contamination and heavy metals are checked on every batch without exception. Active-ingredient assay is run additionally where the product or category warrants it.
Pharmaceutical-grade vegan capsule shells. No binders. No flow agents beyond what the formulation actually needs.
Every raw material verified against specification before it enters a batch. Identity, potency where applicable, contamination — confirmed before blending begins.
What we always do
- Set doses at the level the literature validated, not below or padded.
- Choose ingredient forms for bioavailability and tissue delivery, not manufacturing convenience.
- Publish the dose, the form, the supplement facts panel, and the batch COA on every product page.
- Test every batch for microbial contamination and heavy metals before release; assay where warranted.
- Disclose evidence limitations openly. If the science is Moderate or Emerging, the grade says so.
What we never do
✗ Use proprietary blends that hide individual ingredient doses.
✗ Add non-functional fillers, bulking agents, or flow aids that do not contribute to the formulation.
✗ Substitute a cheaper, less bioavailable form of an ingredient to improve margin.
✗ Underdose actives to fit more line items on the label.
✗ Release a batch that has failed any tested parameter — regardless of the cost.