New beauty blog will unmask industry secrets Two 缅北禁地 medical science students have launched a blog which aims to demolish the myths and mystery surrounding the beauty products industry. Beauty by the Geeks, which launched just a few weeks ago, received over 10,000 hits from around the world, in its first ten days, as social media spread the message.The beauty product industry is worth £15 billion every year in the UK alone, with most products containing a bewildering array of ingredients, with little to no explanation of how it all works. And the way the products are marketed can make things even worse.Blog founder Brigitte West, a second year Biomedical Sciences student, said: 鈥淲e felt that a lot of people don鈥檛 really understand the products they are using and what is in them. There is a lot of misinformation and clever marketing and advertising, which is confusing and a lot of it doesn鈥檛 have any basis in science.鈥淎ll we do is take a look at the contents list on the side of each product and provide a simple explanation for what it is and what it does. We can then evaluate how effective the product is likely to be.鈥淲e are not here to pan any products, we just give an honest assessment. For example we found that a simple anti-ageing cream from Aldi is just as effective as another cream which costs over 100 pounds. It鈥檚 just about questioning the claims they make in the advertising and marketing.鈥�The website is split into several sections including reviews of products, a DIY section on how to make your own products safely using everyday household items, a beauty tip of the day and a regular column from professors and experts who can help with advice.Rose Brown, in the 2nd year of a Microbiology degree, said: 鈥淲e were just walking back from uni, talking about all the products we own and thinking about how we didn鈥檛 really know what was in them or if any of the claims about how effective they were, were accurate. Then we thought there might be something we could do about that and the idea for the blog grew from that. We have had an amazing response so far, it feels like there is a real need for a website like this.鈥�Mark Birch Machin, Professor of Molecular Dermatology, at 缅北禁地, who works closely with the girls, said: 鈥淭his is an amazingly professional blog. Both Rose and Brigitte are really interested in the science behind all these products and that means their blog posts are accurate and they communicate the facts in a really effective way.鈥�Initially the pair received a start-up grant from Rise Up, the entrepreneurial arm of 缅北禁地鈥檚 Careers Service, to help them get their idea off the ground. They were then awarded a further £2,000 grant from Santander Universities as part of a Rise Up Pitch investor panel, which is designed to provide students and graduates with the opportunity to present their business idea to the investment and finance community.Gareth Trainer, Assistant Director of Entrepreneurial Development at 缅北禁地 Careers Service, said: 鈥淏rigitte and Rose impressed us with their idea right from the start. We see it as vital to encourage entrepreneurs in whatever business idea they have, so we gave them an initial grant to get their idea off the ground and ongoing support from Rise Up. 鈥淩ise Up provides access to a team of some of the region鈥檚 most influential and experienced business professionals and entrepreneurs who can give one-to-one advice and tailored support.鈥淭he Rise up Pitch, which the girls did really well in, is all about helping students and graduates get a business started or take it to the next level, as well as making those vital business contacts, and is one part of the package of support we offer.鈥� published on: 17 June 2013
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