Detox Me Tuesday Fling Week with Clearya
I have absolutely fallen in love with Clearya over the past few months and had to dive deeper with the founders. Clearya is a completely free Chrome Extension and Mobile App that allows you to see when unsafe ingredients are lurking in the products you bring home. Their free and non traditional “alert” approach struck me because it allows you, the consumer, to gather information, make informed choices and find safer alternatives where you shop most! (Currently Target, Amazon, iHerb, Sephora and Walmart.) Fun fact: It’s also important to note that Clearya does not use your personal data. They are funded by environmental health philanthropists and don’t need to sell anything or rely on the industry in any way. Clearya believes everyone has the right to make well informed choices when it comes to their health. Enjoy this interview with husband-wife Founders Amit and Chen. Download the app HERE.
How did you learn about the need for safer products in your home?
When I (Chen) recovered from breast cancer I learned that environmental factors account for 80-90% of the risk of developing cancer. Knowing that, we simply had to reduce our family’s exposure to toxic chemicals. We quickly realized that was an incredibly challenging and time consuming task!
What was the gap you set out to fill with Clearya?
As consumers we all have access to ingredient lists, but most of us can’t decipher them. Scientific papers and regulators databases are full of reliable data about the toxicity of different chemicals, but this data is not accessible to most consumers. We simply wanted to bridge the gap between consumers and data so consumers can make better informed decisions.
I love how different Clearya is from other resources. Why did you create it with the “alerts” rather than a typical toxicity rating scale?
The alert categories aim to provide informative guidelines that consumers can take into account when deciding which products to buy. For many people, grouping alerts to meaningful categories works better than a scale of numbers, because it allows anyone to choose the type of risk they are willing to tolerate, and what they will never accept.
Can you talk us through the different alerts?
Red: Classified as toxic or banned. You don’t want this chemical around you.
Orange: Potentially toxic. If you wish to be on the safe side - avoid this chemical.
Yellow: May cause an allergic reaction to people that are sensitive to it - including natural ingredients.
Darker Blue: You can use this chemical up to a restricted amount.
Light Blue: The brand does not disclose the exact ingredients (avoid “fragrance” if you can).
How exactly does Clearya work to find safety and ingredient alerts?
While you browse products with Clearya, it automatically reads the ingredient list and screens the ingredients against authoritative chemical hazard databases, created by the California Environmental Protection Agency, the Government of Canada, the European Union’s Commission, the European Chemicals Agency, the United Nations Environment Programme, and others.
How have you been able to switch to safer products without overwhelm?
The truth is it was overwhelming for us. This is why we try to make it an easier process for others. Now Clearya makes it much simpler to find products with safer ingredients by simply clicking the Discover tab - where Clearya lists products without alerts from the same category as the product you were looking at.
What is your favorite way to use Clearya?
I prefer to shop from my laptop, where I have Clearya installed as a Chrome extension. I just browse my favorite retailer website and select products of interest. Once I am on the product page I click the Clearya button to verify the ingredients are safe. If not - I click the Discover tab to explore alternatives.
Are there any big plans for the future?
We are going to support more online shops, add many more safer alternatives, and have some awesome surprises planned for the coming months - stay tuned! In parallel we’re collaborating with scientists, regulators and nonprofit organizations to protect public health. One project that we’re especially excited about will launch next month: we’ve partnered with the nonprofit Breast Cancer Prevention Partners and vetted nearly 10,000 products marketed to Black women and girls to help empower safer Black beauty.
Photos are from Clearya website
