Toxic makeup? Two apps help you find out

The Think Dirty App allows barcode scanning to find products, with ratings drawn from nonprofits like EWG, along with publicly available government databases in Canada, the US, and Europe. So far, the app contains a database of more than 12,000 cosmetic products. (Think Dirty iPhone app / ©Apple)

From lead-filled lipsticks to carcinogenic moisturizers, two apps aim to help you find out what toxic chemicals you might be exposing yourself to on a daily basis through cosmetics and personal care products.

US health research and advocacy group Environmental Working Group (EWG) says that women are exposed to about 168 chemicals in beauty products each day. In 2004, the EWG launched its Skin Deep database, which lists potentially hazardous ingredients in some 78,000 products available in the US.

Now the group plans to launch a new app, also named Skin Deep, this autumn for both iOS and Android devices. Users can find out ratings or view ingredient lists for their favorite products via a searchable database or barcode scanning.

A similar app called Think Dirty launched recently as a free iPhone app that also allows barcode scanning to find products, with ratings drawn from nonprofits like EWG, along with publicly available government databases in Canada, the US, and Europe. So far, the app contains a database of more than 12,000 cosmetic products.