Endocrine disruption, Organ system toxicity, Neurotoxicity, Cancer.                                       The effects of living next to a chemical plant?                                                                     Probably. But it’s also the list of side effects of your shower gel.

What’s in it?                                                                                                                      That’s a question more and more people ask themselves when buying cosmetics, body care products or food. And the answers are confusing. Everyday there are new claims for the latest superfood, or the dangers of fat. Are they true? What about all these other ingredients listed on my lip balm, tooth paste, shaving cream, ice tea, energy bar, macaroni cheese, …

The ingredient list of many personal care products and even food items reads like the catalog of hazardous chemicals we handle in the laboratory – with gloves only. They are the same ingredients. Which raises an obvious question – why should I be lathering some of these substances onto my skin, let alone put them into my mouth? It’s a question that always intrigued me. Not just as a biochemist – which gives me some benefit of decoding ingredient lists – but also as a person who developed sudden unexplained allergies. And had to determine the causes  – by trial and error.

bar-e is about decoding ingredient lists, demystifying what’s good and what’s bad. It’s about laying bare the chemicals that have become part of our daily routines. In the bathroom and kitchen. In front of the mirror and on the table. It’s about alternatives. Because whether by skin or mouth – it all becomes part of us.