Think Dirty

Not what you think!  Haha!  I came across an article linking the Think Dirty app that allows you to check what you have in your stash by scanning the barcode on a product to review in their database of stored items.  I did a post a couple years ago Safe Cosmetics - what we really put on and was happy to see an easy way to check products!  This free app can help you make better choices when shopping for personal and beauty care items on the go.  Sephora has done a great job in listing what a product is without (parabens, sulfates etc) in their product descriptions and on the Ulta website you can filter ingredients.  I do like Sephora's individual product call-out so I can zone in on a specific item.



From the website:

THINK DIRTY® METHODOLOGY

Think Dirty® is committed to helping consumers identify the potential risks associated with the personal care products they use every day. Unlike other ingredient databases, we focus exclusively on the chemical content of the products in question. We have consciously avoided the widely-used practice of “greenwashing”, whereby the environmental or social responsibility of a product’s manufacturer is factored into the assessment allowing a product to receive an artificially low toxicity rating. We are solely concerned about the possible impact of a given product on an individual’s health, and our ratings methodology reflects that singular commitment.

Our ratings are determined based on publicly available data released by non-profit and government agencies in North America regarding the health and safety of the individual components found in your personal care products. A list of our data sources can be found in Appendix A.

We assess the overall risk of a given product based on the potential health impacts of its published ingredients. Each ingredient listed on the product label or manufacturer’s website is evaluated for documented evidence ofCarcinogenicity, Developmental & Reproductive Toxicity and/or Allergenicity & Immunotoxicity, as show in the table below.

Evaluations are performed by Think Dirty’s Founder and Advisory Board, all of whom have extensive experience in relevant fields such as Medicine, Biochemistry, Biology, Physiology, Environmental Toxicology, Environmental Health & Safety and Chemical Engineering, and a track record of working with Health Canada, the US Food & Drug Administration, the European Medicines Agency, Environment Canada, the US Environmental Protection Agency and other related government and not-for-profit agencies.

What I like about the scaling is that this is based on their own evaluations with an extensive background.  The scoring also includes suggestions for safer product alternatives which is a bonus. This may or may not reflect in your purchasing habits, but it is helpful to know what is going into the products you put on your face, body and potentially ingest (lip products).  How scary it is to think that while we may be beautifying ourselves, we could be possibly be causing more harm.

I checked some items in my stash and from the most recent FOTD in this post to see where these land.

Face:

Julep Blank Canvas Mattifying Primer - No rating

Maybelline Fit Me! in 240 Golden Beige

Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Medium/Matte Bronzer

MAC Fleur Power Blush

Eyes:

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Sin - Did not have Sin, so based on the original formula.

Based the following on MAC shadow rating

MAC Shroom Eyeshadow

MAC Unsquare Eyeshadow
MAC Browshader Maple/Soft Charcoal

Physician's Formula Organic Wear Fake Out Mascara in Ultra Black

Lips:

Maybelline Baby Lips Electro Lip Balm in Strike A Rose

I was sad to see some of the most commonly used items have poor ratings.  Price point did not matter as both higher and lower end items showed up with higher number ratings.  Will this change your mind about products you buy?