MOM
TO MOM
dirty little secret
any moms already
know this, but
social media is
a great place for
parenting advice
and guidance.
My daughter recently had a bad diaper
rash and I went on Facebook and post-
ed a note asking for suggestions on how
to cure it. My Facebook friends spoke
up and offered a slew of helpful tips.
Facebook is where I came across
Think Dirty, an app created by Lily Tse
that allows users to search more than
500,000 products in its database to find
out their chemical contents.
It’s quick and easy. Just scan any
product barcode and the app will pro-
vide information on the product, its
ingredients and alternative products to
use — which is helpful when they have
high ratings.
What do the ratings mean? A green
box with a 0-3 rating means the product
does not contain any ingredients which
have a documented potential negative
health impact; numbers 4-7 are shown
in yellow and indicate that the ingredi-
ents have potential moderate negative
long-term health effects; red boxes with
8, 9 and 10 alert users to potential seri-
ous negative long-term health effects.
It’s like a stoplight. Green: Go (and buy
these products). Yellow: Slow down
(your use of these products, or consider
suggested alternatives). Red: Stop
(using these products now).
“When my mom was diagnosed
with breast cancer for the second time,
my research led me to discover some
alarming information about cosmetic
ingredients,” Tse says. “With Think
40
SPRING 2018 | (201) FAMILY
Dirty, I wanted to create an app that
have low ratings. The app also gives me
was easy to use, had a playful tone,
0 option alternatives.
and provided credible information to
One of my favorite aspects of the app
change the way people view personal
is the “like” button. When I am doing
care products. It is a consumer revolu-
research or scanning items I have in my
tion for safer cosmetics by learning one
home, I check out the alternatives of any
ingredient at a time; changing to cleaner
yellow- or red-rated products and “like”
options, one product at a time.”
possible replacements. I look back on
As a first-time mom, I am trying to
these suggestions the next time I make a
use products on my daughter that don’t
shopping trip.
contain harmful ingredients, so I imme-
Let me warn you: You will go crazy
diately downloaded the app to find out
the first time you use this app. I started
if I was succeeding. Luckily, most items
scanning every product in my home,
that Grace uses daily – SheaMoisture
and got more concerned each time
Raw Shea Chamomile & Argan Oil Baby
something came up yellow or red. But,
Head-to-Toe Wash & Sham-
like Tse says, it’s
poo (rating: 1), Babyganics
about changing to
Soothing Protective Ointment
cleaner options,
(rating: 3), and The Honest
one product at a
Company Face + Body Lotion,
time. ●
LAURA ADAMS STIANSEN
Fragrance-Free (rating: 3) —
M
APP REVEALS YOUR UNHEALTHY HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS