A new iPhone app wants you to ‘Think Dirty®, Think Dirty® app makes personal care shopping much cleaner.

Published: October 1, 2013

Updated: October 16, 2014
For Immediate Release

Toronto, Ontario, Canada – With so many beauty and personal care products in stores today, it can be difficult to make an informed, safe, and healthy purchasing decision. Product labels may also conceal any possible toxic ingredients that exist, which can put the consumer at risk. This is where the new Canadian-developed mobile app Think Dirty® comes in, as the app eliminates the risks that consumers face with confusing ingredient lists. With more than 150,000 searchable products in its growing database, Think Dirty® gives consumers the power to avoid potentially toxic ingredients.

Think Dirty® is the first independent tool in Canada that focuses solely on cosmetic ingredients. It is quick, fun, and easy to use – just scan any product barcode and the app will immediately provide easy-to-understand information on the product, its ingredients, and alternative products to use. In doing so, Think Dirty® users can learn about harmful ingredients in everyday cosmetics and personal care products all while they shop.

"Think Dirty® is a project born out of a personal passion to find the truth in the beauty industry,” explains says Lily Tse, Think Dirty® Founder and CEO, “When my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time, my research led me to discover some alarming information about cosmetic ingredients. With Think Dirty®, I wanted to create an app that was easy to use, had a playful tone, and provided credible information to change the way people view personal care products. It is a consumer revolution for safer cosmetics by learning one ingredient at a time; changing to cleaner options, one product at a time."

After a user scans the barcode, Think Dirty® will generate a Dirty Meter® score for each product. The score can range from 0 to 10, with 10 being the most ‘dirty’. This number is produced by consolidating information from multiple resources such as peer-reviewed journals, regulatory agencies’ guidelines, non-profit health organizations’ reports, and government lists of prohibited chemicals.

Since launch, Think Dirty® has consistently evaluated user feedback to make improvements and included links of scientific studies to better provide its users with information.

“It’s vital for everyone to make smart choices when purchasing items that can affect their health. I hope people will see value in downloading Think Dirty® for their mobile devices,” adds Tse, a Toronto-based designer and 2013 Spin Master Innovation Fund winner. Along with being a Spin Master Innovation Fund winner, Think Dirty® has also been selected in two other premier Canadian tech incubators: Canadian Film Centre IdeaBoost Cohort and MaRS JOLT Accelerator.

Think Dirty® database is updated daily with new product information and requests. For more information, please visit www.thinkdirtyapp.com.

About Think Dirty

Think Dirty® is a mobile app that allows consumers to learn about potentially toxic ingredients in everyday cosmetics and personal care products via a quick search or barcode scan. Currently, the growing database has more than 150,000 products available. Think Dirty® also generates a score on the Dirty Meter® for each product. This score is produced by consolidating information from multiple resources, such as government lists of prohibited chemicals, peer-reviewed journals, non-profit health organizations' reports, and regulatory agencies' guidelines. For more information, please visit www.thinkdirtyapp.com.. Twitter: @twitter

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Think Dirty

E: press@thinkdirtyapp.com