Skin Ninja aims for accountability in skincare
by Startacus Admin
Skin Ninja - The health-tech startup that'll help you make informed decisions when buying skincare products and cosmetics...
We all know that cosmetics are packed full of harmful ingredients such as parabens, allergens, and carcinogens like formaldehyde. Despite this, we - and we’re going to go out on a limb here and say most consumers - slap it all over their faces on a daily basis. Although the manufacturers are obligated to list ingredients, there are problems. Methylene glycol, Methanal, Methanediol, Formalin: these are just a handful of the names for the same ingredient in different forms - formaldehyde. Companies can basically hide the worst of the ingredients they put in products by using names that people will not instantly recognise. Add to this the fact that labels such as ‘hypoallergenic’ do not actually have official, legal meanings, and consumers can very easily be led astray.
London-based Sciapps (Scientific Applications) is a health-tech startup formed to help people better understand what is in their cosmetics and make informed decisions. This goes not just for potentially harmful ingredients, but also for any ingredients that consumers would like to avoid, such as animal-based. The way Sciapps founder Jo Osborne is doing this is through a free app, SkinNinja.
SkinNinja is simple to use: just scan your product’s barcode and the app will display its ingredients, along with a green, amber, and red coloured warning. The app tells you why the ingredient is flagged as potentially harmful, along with a source of the information. Users can then see alternative products free from these ingredients, with 
links to buy them. SkinNinja takes a cut of these sales from the retailer, which is where their income comes from and thereby allows the app to remain free.
Of course, with so many products available, not all will be listed on the app. But users who find this to be the case can submit their product to Sciapps for investigation and addition to the app’s library.
Earlier this year, Sciapps closed a $1m funding round led by the UK’s first women-run and female-focused venture capitalist, Voulez Capital. This money will go towards expanding the app’s library of products and adding functionality. Going forward, the startup will be trying to work with cosmetics companies to find what ingredients consumers do and don’t want in their products and making partnerships rather than rivalries with these brands.
We are very much in favour of a startup helping people to make informed decisions about what they put on their skin every day, and we hope SkinNinja goes far.
Subscribe to our newsletter
If you would like to receive our startup themed newsletter, full of the latest startup opportunities, events, news, stories, tips and advice, then sign up here.
EISA Survey reveals how key growth businesses needing investment now may disappear within 12 months if Government fails to act
Selfie Salon wants you to join the #selfiesalon movement to #stayhomesavelives by showing your support in taking a before-and-after beauty self-grooming picture!
Coronavirus. How do you survive as a business owner with minimal or no business at all? Consider the following tips...
Crowdcube launches campaign and calls on the government to take action to protect Britain's entrepreneurial future...
A UK-based social enterprise Lanterne, has developed, and is soon to launch, Keep Your Distance, a free app that will help us observe social distancing.
Bring! is a digital grocery tool that simplifies grocery shopping for you and anyone you are shopping for.
In a bid to help brands during the current pandemic, the GreenJinn grocery app makes some rapid changes to its service
Coronavirus & furloughing employees. Nichola Hailes of Payfit looks to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about the job retention scheme.
For startups entering the food industry, here's why accurate labelling on ready-to-eat food products is important.
Whether you’re looking to create a frugal startup, or it’s already up and running, here are 4 tips to reduce costs while keeping the work environment pleasant.
Published on: 30th September 2018
.png)
If you would like to enable commenting via your Startacus account, please enable Disqus functionality in your Account Settings.
- Industry survey indicates impact of COVID19 on growth businesses needing investment 7th Apr 2020 EISA Survey reveals how key growth businesses needing investment now may disappear within 12 months if Government fails to act
- Save Our Startups campaign launched 5th Apr 2020 Crowdcube launches campaign and calls on the government to take action to protect Britain's entrepreneurial future...
- Cerebreon the Irish deep learning startup raises £1.5m in seed funding 31st Mar 2020 The insolvency technology startup secures funding to help support the UK's most vulnerable consumers to avoid bankruptcy
- Chivas Venture divides this year's $1m Venture Fund between 26 global Startups 23rd Mar 2020 In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Chivas Divides its $1m No-Strings Venture Fund Between 26 Startups
