Human Heart Nature says, "Read the label!"

Oct 25

When I was younger, I was very reckless about using skincare products. I thought, "What's the worst that can happen?" Indeed, what? I found out the hard way after allergic reactions and several breakouts later. Thus, I've taken to reading (or at the very least, scanning) the label of each product I use. You'll also notice that in most of my skincare and makeup reviews, I provide a snap of the ingredients (when applicable).

I usually Google the ingredients I'm concerned about. Now if you've tried doing that before, you'll notice that getting the results you want can be a challenge. The EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database is very helpful, but you'll have to wade through a lot of data to get the info you need. I also like Cosdna since it's more straightforward, but it's not as comprehensive as EWG.

So where else can we go? Fortunately, Human Heart Nature decided to develop an app that functions as an ingredients database. All you need to do is type in the name, and voila, you'll get a safety rating. It's built upon the EWG Database, so if you want more information about the ingredient, you can click the link that goes straight to its page in EWG. The app is free to download in your Apple and Android devices (just search for "read the label") but you can also access it online here.

Now I don't want you guys to get all paranoid about everything you use. If you obsess about it, you'll find that the only products that are safe to use are organic ones. I respect that. It's a lifestyle choice. But personally I prefer products that work as long as they don't irritate my skin - I don't really much care if they're organic or not. I know that non-organic beauty products have harmful ingredients, but they are usually low risk and are used in limited quantities (parabens, for example).

Human Nature products

I'm not an expert though so don't take my word on that. ;) In the end it really depends on your skin type and condition. I know some organic and supposedly hypoallergenic products that have given me horrid pimples and hives, so those labels aren't really a guarantee. It does, however, pay to know what you're putting on your body so you know which ingredients don't jive with your skin.

For reference, you can read about ten harmful ingredients you should avoid over at The Philippine Online Chronicles.

Here are some photos taken during the launch of HHN's Read The Label app in 7th High!