When shopping, ever find yourself browsing the newest “organic” or “natural” product on the market and trying to make sense of the ingredients only to find a long, convoluted list of names and chemicals?
Many times I’ve put a product back on the shelf because thinking about the ingredients was too frustrating and due to my inner research-nerd, if the ingredients are too incomprehensible or unrecognizable I don’t initially end up buying it. I’ll usually research products or ingredients on EWG’s Skin Deep database or on Google but I’ve always wondered, isn’t there an easier way?
Well, now it seems there’s an app for that. Enter, the Think Dirty app. Think Dirty is a product-comparison app that lets you scan barcodes or search for specific products or keywords which will then give you instant information about the general safety or harmfulness of the chemicals inside products.
The Think Dirty app seems like it could be a game-changer the next time you’re out shopping. The app boasts a growing-database of over 10,000 beauty and personal care products and if you don’t see a product or ingredient you can send specific product information to the database for it to be included.
According to the developer, the app rates products based upon information gathered by U.S. and Canadian-based non-profit and governmental agencies regarding potential health impacts and toxicity of ingredients. Products and ingredients are rated by toxicity level on the app’s “Dirty Meter” scale based on a level of 0-10 and among 3 categories: Carcinogencity, Developmental & Reproductive toxicity, Allergies & Immunotoxicities. The app will also provide you with “Cleaner Options” to the product or ingredient you have searched.
For now, the Think Dirty app is in Beta format and only available for iPhone and iPad though the developer has stated that future versions will be available for Android as well.
This sounds like an interesting resource, though since it’s a bit new, I wonder how much information (and credible information) is really given and what the ease of using the app is like. You could also wait until September when the EWG has announced the long-awaited release of a mobile version of their Skin Deep database, which is known as the world’s largest personal care safety guide. Woohoo!
Would you use the Think Dirty app? Have you tried this app or anything similiar?
Download the Think Dirty app for free at the iTunes store here.
Sources: Think Dirty, Crazy Mike’s Apps, What Are Apps For
(Images from Crazy Mike’s Apps and What Are Apps For)
