As a culture here in Portland, Oregon, we think a lot about self-care: what we put in our bodies and how we take care of ourselves. Most of us think a lot less about what we are putting on our bodies. Unlike the food industry, our cosmetics are widely unregulated.1 Though many ingredients used in beauty products are safe, many of them pose serious potential problems to our health.
As a health-conscious consumer, how does one learn to navigate the ‘dirty list’ of skincare ingredients?
This MFA Thesis focuses on creating a user-centric tool that explores the question — how might digital design empower health-conscious Portland beauty consumers to make more informed decisions about their skincare products? By having the agency to make healthier decisions about our skincare products, we will have the potential to shape priorities within the industry for the better.