How to Spot Fake Shilajit: 7 Checks Before You Buy in the UK
Shilajit has gone from almost unknown in the UK to something you can buy in a few clicks. That's great. But it also means there's a lot of it about, and not all of it is what it says on the jar.
Shilajit can be cut with fillers, sold as a powder with very little real shilajit in it, or sold with no testing at all. And some "lab reports" don't tell you much.
Here are 7 checks you can do before you buy, from anyone. We've included how our own Himalayan shilajit resin does on each one, so you can hold us to the same standard.
Why is there so much fake shilajit?
Real shilajit is hard to get. It forms over centuries in high mountain rock, it can't be farmed, and it has to be collected by hand and then cleaned. (We explain how it forms in The Ancient Secrets of Shilajit.)
When something is scarce and popular, people find ways to stretch it. That can mean bulking it out with cheaper ingredients, selling a powder that's mostly something else, or skipping the cleaning and testing to cut costs. From the outside, a jar of black paste looks much like any other. That's why you need to check.
Check 1: Is there a lab certificate?
This is the big one. If a seller can't show you a lab certificate, stop there.
A proper certificate of analysis (often shortened to CoA) is a report from an independent lab that's tested a sample of the product. It should be easy to find on the seller's website, not something you have to email and chase.
Ours is on our Lab Results page, and you can open the full certificate (PDF) right now.
Check 2: Is the certificate actually any good?
Having a certificate isn't enough. Some don't tell you much. Look for:
- A named lab. You should be able to look the lab up and find it's real.
- Accreditation. ISO 17025 is the international standard for testing labs. It means the lab's methods have been independently checked.
- A batch and a date. A certificate from years ago, or with no batch on it, could be for anything.
- The full report. Not a cropped screenshot with one or two numbers on it.
- The seller's name on it. The certificate should show it was done for the company selling it to you.
Our resin is tested by Huson and Hardwick, part of Alex Stewart Agriculture, an ISO 17025 accredited lab in Liverpool. Every batch is tested, and the full certificate for our February 2026 batch is published with the batch, dates and our company name on it.
Check 3: What has it been tested for?
A good certificate covers three things:
- What's in it. Fulvic acid is the main compound in shilajit, and a decent certificate measures it. So does total humic substances, which is fulvic acid plus humic acid.
- What shouldn't be in it: heavy metals. Shilajit comes from rock, so it should be tested for lead, mercury, arsenic and cadmium, with results within limits.
- What shouldn't be in it: microbes and pesticides. Things like E. coli and salmonella, plus a pesticide screen.
Our February 2026 batch came back at 73.8% fulvic acid and 88.5% total humic substances, with heavy metals within limits and no E. coli, salmonella or pesticides detected. All the detail is in the full certificate.
Check 4: Does the seller say where it's from?
"Himalayan" on its own isn't much of an answer. The Himalayas cross several countries. A seller who knows their source can tell you more: which country, roughly what altitude, and how it's dried.
Ours comes from the Nepal Himalayas, harvested above 16,000ft and sun dried. The whole process, start to finish, is in The Journey of Shilajit.
Check 5: Does it behave like real resin?
Once you've got a jar, there are two simple things to try at home.
The temperature test
Real shilajit resin reacts to temperature. In a cold room it goes firm, sometimes hard enough to snap. Warm it up, in your fingers or by standing the closed jar in warm water, and it softens and gets sticky. If it stays exactly the same whatever you do, be suspicious.
The water test
Drop a pea-sized amount into a glass of warm water and stir. Real resin dissolves completely and turns the water a golden to dark amber colour. If you're left with gritty bits, sludge at the bottom or something that won't break down, that's a warning sign.
These tests are useful, but they're not proof on their own. Some fakes can pass them. That's why the lab certificate comes first on this list.
Check 6: Is it resin, or something else?
Shilajit is sold as resin, liquid, capsules, gummies and powder. They're not all equal when it comes to checking what you're getting.
- Resin is the purest form and the easiest to check. You can see it, test it and compare it with the certificate.
- Powder is the hardest to check. You can't do the temperature test, and it's easy to bulk out with fillers.
- Gummies and blends often have shilajit as one ingredient among many. Read the label for how much shilajit is actually in each one.
Whatever the form, the ingredients list should be short and clear. For resin, it should just say shilajit. We compare resin and capsules properly in Shilajit Resin vs Capsules: Which Should You Buy?
Check 7: Does the price make sense?
Real shilajit costs money to get right. It's collected by hand at altitude, cleaned, dried slowly and tested by an accredited lab. All of that adds up.
So if a price looks very low, ask the seller how it's sourced, cleaned and tested. A good seller will happily tell you.
The way to compare prices fairly is cost per day, not cost per jar. A 30g jar of our resin holds about 60 servings, which works out at about 50p a day for a single jar, and less on bundles. We break it all down in How Long Does a Jar of Shilajit Resin Last?
Bonus: is the seller easy to reach?
Buying from a UK seller with a real address, contact details and a returns policy gives you somewhere to go if anything's wrong. We post from the UK, delivery is free on UK orders over £20, and we're a small, family-run operation. If you have a question, you'll get a real person.
Quick checklist
- Lab certificate published and easy to find
- Named, accredited lab, with a batch, a date and the seller's name
- Tested for fulvic acid, heavy metals, microbes and pesticides
- Clear origin: country, altitude, drying method
- Softens when warm, firms up when cold, dissolves fully in warm water
- Resin with a simple ingredients list
- A price that makes sense per day
FAQ
How can I tell if shilajit is real at home?
Try the temperature test and the water test. Real resin softens when warm, firms up when cold and dissolves fully in warm water. They're good signs, but a lab certificate from an accredited lab is the only proper proof.
What is a certificate of analysis?
A report from an independent lab showing what a sample contains and what it was tested for. You can see ours on our Lab Results page.
Is shilajit powder real shilajit?
It can be, but it's much harder to check. You can't do the temperature test and it's easier to bulk out. If you buy powder, make sure there's a full lab certificate for it.
Why does real shilajit go hard?
It's normal. Resin firms up in the cold and softens in the warm. Stand the closed jar in warm water for a few minutes. Our guide on how to take shilajit every day has more tips.
Where is your shilajit tested?
Huson and Hardwick (Alex Stewart Agriculture) in Liverpool, an ISO 17025 accredited lab. Every batch is tested.
Buy shilajit you can check
Our resin is harvested above 16,000ft in the Nepal Himalayas, sun dried, tested in Liverpool and packed in amber glass. The full certificate is published for anyone to read.