This App Says Your Favorite Beauty Products Are Toxic — Is It Legit?
Beauty scientists say the Yuka app isn’t as straightforward as it claims to be.
Amid the push for clean beauty and the growing awareness of ingredients, beauty fans are in search of methods to educate themselves about the products they use on a daily basis. As a result, TikTok has motivated users to look deep into the ingredient lists of their favorite beauty products with scanning apps like Yuka. However, for many beauty fans, the Yuka app has not only discouraged them from trying new products — but has also convinced them that their holy grail products contain toxic ingredients.
On the surface, Yuka’s promise of tracking down harmful products seems straightforward. By simply scanning the barcode, the app gives products a score on a scale of 0 to 100 — with a zero score indicating the presence of multiple harmful ingredients and a 100 suggesting no ingredients with high risk. However, while some TikTokers have assembled their entire makeup and skincare routines based on products the app deems safe, other beauty lovers are still not convinced.
@adimalnick You’d be surprised on how bad some of these “clean” products are!! @covergirl if it says clean is should be clean but it isn’t always the case 🤷🏻♀️ #cleanbeauty #cvsbeauty #covergirlclean #covergirl #yukaapp #yukaappchallenge ♬ original sound – Adi Asher
For cosmetic chemists, Yuka’s scores speak more to a product’s individual ingredients, rather than its complete formula. Smitha Rao, beauty chemist and CEO of Parëva Beauty, finds that Yuka draws from cosmetic ingredient databases to determine scores. However, she also notes that ingredient concentrations aren’t commonly disclosed in cosmetics — meaning Yuka’s ratings are not entirely accurate. “Apps like Yuka provide a general understanding of potential hazards, but they evaluate ingredients individually, without accounting for concentration, formulation context or delivery system,” she tells Hypebae.
Similarly, founder of Acaderma Dr. Shuting Hu says that the Yuka app can be effective in distinguishing allergens — although it’s unable to analyze products based on their specific ingredient concentration. “As a skin biologist and cosmetic chemist, I treat these scores as screening tools, not verdicts,” she says. “Two products can contain the same flagged ingredient, yet one can be perfectly appropriate because the dose, vehicle and use pattern keep exposure well below accepted safety margins.”
@abbeyyung Because Yuka is not a reliable source of what is “good” and “bad.” There is a reason why reputable dermatologists & cosmetic chemists don’t recommend Yuka & it’s because it isn’t a fair representation of actual science- Don’t take my word for it… @Dr Dray | Dermatologist recently posted a video (featuring @Lab Muffin Beauty Science) that summarizes the issue with this app perfectly! #yuka #yukaapp #haircare #skincare ♬ original sound – ⱼₐcₒb🇵🇱
Although giving products a score of “good” or “bad” seems like an uncomplicated way to crack down on harmful ingredients, beauty formulas are far more nuanced than that. For biochemist Mollie Kelly Tufman, Yuka’s main failure is that it leads users to oversimplify the toxicology process. “It’s not just about whether an ingredient is present — but how much, how it’s used, and on what kind of skin,” she says.
Additionally, Tufman says that a low score on the app shouldn’t immediately be attributed to chucking it in the trash. In fact, she finds that if you already know a product works well for you, there’s no reason to panic over a low score. “The best product is one that’s well-formulated, stable and suits your skin, not necessarily the one that gets a perfect rating on an app.” When in doubt, it’s best to consult with a dermatologist if you have real concerns about a product’s ingredients.
While the Yuka app might be a helpful starting point for spotting potentially harmful ingredients, beauty experts advise against discarding products that score low or allowing the app to solely dictate which products to use. “Context matters far more than a red, yellow or green icon,” Tufman adds.
For more beauty, read why Hypebae readers are skeptical about AI.
