Behind the Scenes of CosmEthics

Remember I told you that I will be digging deeper into CosmEthics App? Well, I did. I actually contacted the company and had the pleasure of visiting them at their office in Helsinki. Having worked in a startup myself I really enjoy the cosy and friendly atmosphere that it comes with. I had the opportunity to chat with a few people and I am bringing your way some interesting insight into the app and its development. 

The first thing I was curious to discover was what is happening at their end once I attach the pictures for analysis and press the send button. They get a tremendous amount of new products sent to them daily. Hence the time it takes for a product to be added to their database depends on the amount of products they have waiting in a pipeline. They keep track of the time it takes to analyse the product and are aiming to improve it constantly. The actual process consists of three steps: typing the ingredients, verifying the ingredients and checking for toxicity by the in-house bio-scientitsts and referencing scientific research. I really appreciate that they have an actual science team working with them. It is comprised of people from various backgrounds such as chemistry, biochemistry and toxicology. This gives at least reasonable credibility to the validity of their information.

What is also interesting is how they compile their default lists. I asked about the Vegan one in particular. They have put it together based on the concerns vegans usually have and also feedback they received from people who are vegan. I think it is fantastic that they listen to people and want to continuously meet their needs better. A good example of this gesture was also when I mentioned having an atopic eczema. They immediately suggested that I talk with their scientists and see if they can make a corresponding list. Despite their main market currently being Europe they are planning on expanding. You can already get the app in several languages: Finnish, Chinese, Portuguese and French. 

Overall I think this app has a lot of potential. It is not only important for educating people but also increasing visibility for niche brands that have good quality products and ethics, but not necessarily millions to allocate for marketing. It can become a viral hit like Uber (biggest taxi company in the world that doesn't  own a single taxi but provides a platform) bringing a positive impact on how people consume and discover products.

This app is definitely worth checking out if you still haven't. With our society becoming more conscious of what it consumes in terms of food and cosmetics, I believe this app responds to this newfound awareness. 

If you've tried this app I would love to hear your thoughts! What are the things you enjoyed and what could be developed better?

Cheers,
Muffy

Disclaimer : I was not sponsored by ComsEthics to write this post, I wrote it out of my own interest.

Discovering CosmEthics

Don't get me wrong, I did not just make a massive typo in the title, I purposefully meant to say CosmEthics. I was introduced to CosmEthics by a friend, while I was vividly and passionately describing my recent initiative to start a beauty blog. She told me to check out CosmEthics, a new startup from Finland that has created an App to help consumers be more aware of the ingredients in the products they buy and eventually put on their bodies. 

CosmEthics App

Today I would like to focus on my experience with the app, things that I liked, why I think it is worth checking out and some things that I wish to see in the future. I assure you this wouldn't be the last time you hear about this new find of mine, as I am planning to dig deeper! CosmEthics is an App for your phone. It is free to download and currently available in Europe for iOS and Android platforms. You can learn more about various features and how to get started here. I got mine a few weeks ago to make sure I had the time to play with it before I give you my two cents. First and foremost it is an app that, in my opinion, has the potential to disrupt the consumer goods industry. When I used it for the first time, the thought crossed my mind as to why the heck I haven't thought about this! Here you need to remember that I am suffering with an atopic eczema, and I need to be very careful with what I put on my body and what ingredients to avoid. Therefore, this app was pretty much a Godsend! So how does is it work and can an average non-techy person use it? Yes, these guys ensured that a Joe Average can use this application without trouble. If you ask me, it is pretty straightforward and you can easily tailor it to your own needs. Let me give you an example. We already established that I have an atopic eczema. Hence, I need to be on a look out for chemical sensitisers and fragrances. To do this I need to understand what products contain these ingredients. That is where the app gets handy. I can select ingredients from a readymade list they have compiled based on the most common concerns, or create my own Alert List. In their readymade lists they've already taken chemical sensitisers and fragrance allergens into consideration. But if you just want to dodge certain chemicals you can make a more specific list containing only methylchloroisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone. Once you have done that, you can start searching for products in their database. Those that have a green approval mark next to them are winners while those that have a personal alert mark next to them have failed to meet your requirements. The app also suggests a better alternative for the product that contains unwanted ingredients.

Your Profile in CosmEthics App

Your Alerts Including Default Lists and Own Lists 

Product with a Personal Alert

Personal Alert Indicates the Unwanted Ingredient

Another way that I have been utilising this app is by scanning the products I already have at home and seeing what ingredients they contain. You can scan any product that has a barcode. To do this you just press a scan button and it actives the camera on your phone that acts as a barcode reader. Ingenious, right! Since it is a new app and still growing they naturally don't have all the products in their database. Therefore, once you have scanned the product it gives you a description of that product in case it's in their database. If not, you can send two pictures of the product to CosmEthics and they will do an analysis of ingredients for you and add it to their database. That is pretty much how they expand the selection. 

 When the Product Is not in the Database

Taking Two Pictures and Sending Them for Analysis

Obviously these are just two ways of using this app. It has way more features that you can test out and possibilities to learn in more detail about certain ingredients. It all depends on your needs and how much you already know about the topic. Things that I would like to see in the future would be, for example, a cruelty free list, an eczema list, or even a possibility to educate myself on the product's manufacturing- and expiration date. Truth be told, very often when you buy a product, especially on sale, you don't know how long it's been on the shelf!

To wrap up, I would say if you have allergies, sensitivity, ethical concerns or simply want to be more aware of various ingredients, do yourself a favour and get this app, it does not cost anything!

Let me know if you have tried this app or would you be interested in giving it a go!

Cheers,
Muffy