DUBAI // Taking care of the environment can start with one's beauty regime. This is the motto of a Dubai-based entrepreneur, Aly Rahimtoola, who founded a cosmetics company in Dubai four years ago.
His brand, Herbline Essentials, uses natural, plant-based components, blended in India and imported to the UAE where 30 different products are manufactured.
Mr Rahimtoola, who is also involved in a family shipping business, said demand for niche products is growing but it is often confusing for consumers to gauge what is good for them and for the environment.
Thousands of chemicals are used in many everyday products, he said.
"Our role is to make people aware and provide a choice," he said. "If someone decides they still like a particular product and want to continue using it, at least they are knowingly making that choice."
While authorities test products for known harmful contaminants, such as heavy metals and dioxins, it is impossible to test for all the hundreds of new chemicals that scientists are starting to suspect may have adverse effects, said Mr Rahimtoola.
Carefully reading labels and checking that the products comply with trusted certification schemes can help consumers make informed decisions, he said.
Despite advances in laboratory testing techniques, animal testing is still used by some cosmetics companies, said Mr Rahimtoola.
His company chose to take part in Beauty without Bunnies, a programme by animal rights group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which reviews companies' supply chains, the ingredients used in cosmetics and other factors to ensure products are animal-cruelty free.
Herbline Essentials was certified under the programme at the start of summer, said Mr Rahimtoola.
When it comes to an objective review of the ingredients in cosmetics, the US-based Environmental Working Group maintains a database of thousands of popular products that have been reviewed and had their chemical compositions checked by experts.
One chemical that is listed on the database Skin Deep as of concern is triclosan, which, along with its relative triclocarban, is used in antibacterial soaps and toothpastes.
Once the chemical is in sewage it becomes problematic because it is not removed by waste water treatment and, therefore, ends up in water sources.
The chemical is toxic to aquatic life and, even at low levels, may disrupt thyroid function in humans, warns the website.
Many of the chemicals mentioned on the website have adverse effects on human health.
This is the case with 1,4-dioxane, an animal carcinogen and probable human carcinogen, listed by the Environmental Protection Agency in the United States.
The substance is common in products such as shampoos, liquid soaps and bubble baths.
* In an earlier version of this article, we said that Mr Rahimtoola had left a career in his family's shipping business, when in fact, he continues to work in the family buisiness in addition to working for his own company.
