The Skinny: Think Dirty App

Truth be told, I used to use the Think Dirty app or other sites like EWG as a resource. Then, I started working for a beauty brand in product development with chemists...you know, actual scientists. That was quite the education, and my entire mindset changed.

In my opinion, apps like these create unnecessary and unfounded fear in consumers and perpetuate misinformation. The average or even educated skincare consumer doesn't need to know all the specifics about the formulation, percentages, safety data, usage in a formula, etc. Why would they? It's not their job, and it's hard to read between the lines when you don't know what you don't know, right?! This leads people to believe that these apps are factual without taking considering the reality of the following...

• Information isn't accurate because of the current scoring methodology or little context provided.

• Some of the ingredients in Think Dirty score high (the range is 0-10, 10 being a "high hazard") because of one or more studies indicating that they may be allergens. While individuals with allergies may react to certain ingredients, that doesn't mean those ingredients are necessarily "unsafe" to the general population. (Like fragrance, ranked as an 8 across the board.)

• Think Dirty doesn't take into account the percentage of ingredients in products. 1% is VERY different than 50%!

• Preservatives score high, and Think Dirty doesn't consider the functional percentage used (often 1%), and not using preservatives in products that contain water poses a health risk. (Like mold, fungus, and bacteria!)

• Think Dirty doesn't consider proper/suggested usage or normal/expected side effects for specific ingredients and ranked those higher. For example, an ingredient that can cause skin irritation like retinol, AHA/BHA, etc., ranks as a 4-5.

• Many of the high-scoring ingredient explanations are scientifically unfounded.

• Some ingredients score high because they may contain impurities. Brands can obtain certificates of purity from suppliers to ensure that they are not contaminated- which isn't taken into account in the Think Dirty score.

As always, I am here to educate you so you can make informed decisions for yourself!

Some quotes from greenandgrowing.org