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Wanna know what's in your lipstick? Check this app


Almost every cosmetics-loving woman knows how difficult it is to find the perfect lip color. You scour every make-up counter until you find “the one"—a shade that miraculously makes your eyes look brighter and your cheekbones a little higher, with a single swipe. While most of us memorize the name of our perfect shade by heart, it’s seldom that make-up lovers make the effort to know what makes their products oh-so-effective—something that the team behind social enterprise Human Nature wants to change. Cosmetics ingredients, demystified “It’s not about edging out or bad-mouthing brands that do use these chemicals," said Anna Meloto-Wilk, who founded Human Nature alongside husband Dylan Wilk and sister Camille Meloto in 2008. Instead, she said, it’s about making sure people make informed choices. On a bustling Friday night in Taguig, the 7th High Club Room was packed with bloggers, beauty writers and make-up mavens, all of whom were faced with the awful truth behind some of their favorite beauty products. They were there for the launching of “Read the Label," a campaign to inform consumers on the hazards of certain beauty product ingredients.

So you want to know if your shampoo has harmful chemicals? There's an app for that.
“When 60 percent of the product is absorbed by your skin, it makes you think—maybe we should be more discerning about what we put in our body," said Joanna Gilladoga, Marketing Head for Human Nature. The centerpiece of the campaign is a free smartphone application that helps users differentiate ammonium chloride from ammonium lauryl sulfate. (They’re ingredients commonly used in shampoo. And don’t worry, they’re safe.) The app, which is a database of over 26,000 ingredients, runs on both iOS and Android; there are plans to create a Blackberry app as well. People without smartphones can visit the Human Nature website instead. After showing an ingredient’s toxicity rating, the app gives users the option to visit the “Skin Deep" cosmetics database, a website managed by the US-based Environmental Working Group where they can get more information about the ingredient. “We want to inspire and encourage other manufacturing companies to revisit their own formulation and take stock of the things that they can improve so that they will be able to provide better products for consumers," said Anna. Given the lack of government and industry regulation, Joanna and Anna said that consumer education becomes all the more important. “At the end of the day, it’s still their choice. We’re just here to let them know the possible risks they can have by using [synthetic] products," added Anna. Ingredients to watch out for Below are some sample ratings from the Environmental Working Group that you can find in the “Read the Label" application: Triclosan - high hazard Your desire to be “99.9%" germ-free might be doing more harm than good! Triclosan, an ingredient found many personal care and home-cleaning products, is classified in the Environment Canada Domestic Substance List as follows: “expect to be toxic or harmful." In Japan, triclosan concentration is restricted in cosmetics use. The Canadian Medical Association has also cautioned against the use of triclosan because of its potential to cause bacterial resistance. Mineral Oil - moderate hazard The glow from your makeup is probably due to mineral oil, a liquid by-product of petroleum distillation that can clog pores and hasten ageing. The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified untreated or mildly treated mineral oil as carcinogenic to humans. DEET - moderate hazard DEET is the most common active ingredient in insect repellants. During the launch, the Human Nature team sprayed insect repellants on Styrofoam plates to illustrate the potential toxicity of the ingredient. By the end of the night, the plates had huge holes in them, where the product ate away the Styrofoam. In Canada, DEET is restricted in cosmetic ingredients while the European Union restricts DEET exposure in workplaces. The ingredient is also considered harmful for the environment and wildlife in the European Union. Paraben - moderate hazard Parabens can be found in a plethora of cosmetics including shampoo, moisturizers, make-up and shaving gels. Animal and human studies have shown that it may cause endocrine disruption at moderate doses. A cosmetics industry review has also given strong evidence of parabens as skin irritants. Organic for less Human Nature, which celebrates its 3rd anniversary next month, enjoys a fairly strong following. It's not surprising to find a Human Nature booth in fairs and tiangges—even the foodie haven Mercato occasionally has Human Nature in its list of stalls. “It’s very encouraging whenever I meet someone new and they tell me that they’re used our products already," said Anna. “I think it’s really gotten a lot of high brand awareness already and people are more aware of natural products as alternatives to synthetic products out there." It also helps that their products are much cheaper than other organic brands. Their tinted lip balms sell for less than a P100, which is a huge bargain considering other brands charge around P500 for a pot of balm. DEET-free insect repellants also sell for less than P100. The affordable price tag, Joanna explained, was deliberate. “Our bottom line is sustainable profits, impact on the community, and the environment. So we can make business decisions like lowering the profit margins and pass that on to the consumers so they don’t have to pay that much," she said. “We wanted Filipinos to be given the chance to buy something that’s good for their body without having to shell out money that could’ve gone to tuition or food," Joanna added. Dylan Wilk, Human Nature CEO, said the company is continuously working on new products. During the event, he also hinted at a line for men, set to be launched next year. - YA, GMA News Photos courtesy of Human Nature
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