What apps do you depend on when you’re the founder of an app yourself? ‘Safe’ cosmetics whizz Lily Tse tells us what scores screen time in her world
Ever wondered what’s really hiding in your wash bag? Lily Tse is committed to helping you to find out, by way of her ingenious ‘healthy’ beauty product comparison app, Think Dirty . Designed to reveal just how ‘toxic’ and potentially harmful your cosmetics could be (or on the flipside, how safe and saintly), the app works by simply scanning a barcode of a product you’d like to investigate, and revealing a rating between 0-10 (10 being the peak potential for possible harmful side effects). Unbiased and slightly addictive (you’ll be scanning EVERYTHING in your bathroom), Think Dirty cuts through the crap and gets to the nitty gritty of whether your beauty stash is as ‘natural’ as it’s claiming to be, thanks to expert scientific evaluations by medical and biochemical experts and a host of specialised not-for-profit organisations. Basically, it’s a crack team on the case 24/7, exposing the good guys and probable risky buys in the beauty industry.
Founder Lily was inspired to create Think Dirty after extensive research into the environmental impact that cosmetics can have on our health, prompted by a family history of cancer. What she discovered, that some cosmetics were laden with the kinds of toxins that would never be permitted in the food and drinks sectors, shocked her, but also motivated her to develop a simpler way to access and assess information about products’ ingredients, and their possible health implications. With over 3 million scans to date, the public are clearly passionate about ‘Thinking Dirty’, but what does Lily use herself to keep her business, and daily life, healthy and flourishing? She let us in on her tech prerequisites…
Get The Gloss: What apps can you not live without?
Lily Tse: Think Dirty (of course!), Instagram, Twitter, Etsy and Gmail.
GTG: What’s in your bookmark bar?
LT: Buffer app, Basecamp, Redbooth, Awesome Screenshot and WhatTheFont.
GTG: What are your deskside essentials?
LT: My laptop, some hand sanitizer, a magnetic hourglass, pens, a notebook (not all tech!) and a head massager tool.
GTG: Deskside snack?
LT: Trail-mix, and the occasional Kinder Bueno.
GTG: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest and why?
LT: I love both Instagram and Twitter. For Think Dirty, Instagram is our most active channel of all. I am a designer and creative soul, and I for one adore everything visual, so this suits me fine! Twitter is great for news and a quick burst of thoughts on the other hand.
GTG: Tea, coffee. water or...what?!
LT: Coffee and water. Need to stay awake!
GTG: What sort of chair do you sit on?
LT:I invested in a Herman Miller Sayl chair at my home office. No exaggeration; it changed my life.
GTG: Standing desk or sitting?
LT: Sitting for the moment, but I am in search of an adjustable desk for standing.
GTG: How do you disconnect from your desktop at the end of the day?
LT: I like to read an actual book on paper, ideally in a café or bookstore. When I get the chance I’ll also go to the cinema and go hiking with my dog.
What tech gets your through the day? Comment below or tweet us @GetTheGloss
Lily is kindly offering Get The Gloss readers special rates at Think Dirty’s Etsy Clean Beautique . Simply use the code LOVEGTG10 at checkout.