The Clean Beauty Movement
In the wake of the clean beauty trend and heightened ingredient awareness, beauty enthusiasts are actively seeking ways to understand the products they apply daily. TikTok has played a significant role in this quest, encouraging users to scrutinize ingredient lists through apps like Yuka. However, for many, Yuka has not only dissuaded them from trying new products but has also instilled concerns about the safety of their beloved staples.
How Yuka Works
At first glance, Yuka seems to offer a straightforward solution for identifying harmful beauty products. By scanning a barcode, users receive a score from 0 to 100. A score of zero indicates the presence of multiple harmful ingredients, while a perfect score suggests a product is free from high-risk components. Some TikTok users have curated their entire makeup and skincare routines around Yuka’s ratings, but others remain skeptical.
Expert Opinions on Yuka’s Ratings
Experts in cosmetic chemistry argue that Yuka’s scores often reflect individual ingredients rather than the product’s overall formulation. Smitha Rao, a beauty chemist and CEO of Parëva Beauty, explains that the app relies on cosmetic ingredient databases to generate scores. However, she points out a significant limitation: ingredient concentrations are rarely disclosed in cosmetic products, rendering Yuka’s ratings somewhat misleading. “Apps like Yuka provide a general understanding of potential hazards,” Rao states, “but they evaluate ingredients individually, without accounting for concentration, formulation context, or delivery system.”
Oversimplification of Toxicology
Dr. Shuting Hu, founder of Acaderma, concurs, noting that while Yuka can effectively identify allergens, it falls short in analyzing products based on specific ingredient concentrations. “As a skin biologist and cosmetic chemist, I treat these scores as screening tools, not verdicts,” she explains. Two products may contain the same flagged ingredient, yet one could be completely safe due to its formulation and use pattern.
The Complexity of Beauty Products
Despite Yuka’s intention to simplify the assessment of harmful ingredients, beauty formulas are inherently complex. Biochemist Mollie Kelly Tufman emphasizes that the app leads users to oversimplify the intricacies of toxicology. “It’s not just about whether an ingredient is present — but how much, how it’s used, and on what kind of skin,” she notes.
Assessing Product Safety
Tufman also advises against immediately discarding a product based solely on a low score. If a product has proven effective for an individual, there’s no reason for alarm. “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,” she insists.
Conclusion: Use with Caution
While the Yuka app can serve as a useful starting point for identifying potentially harmful ingredients, beauty experts caution against allowing it to dictate choices entirely. “Context matters far more than a red, yellow, or green icon,” Tufman adds. When in doubt, consulting a dermatologist for concerns about product ingredients is the most prudent course of action.
Source inspired by international fashion publications. Adapted & edited for Maverick.
We respect copyrights. Articles on this site are submitted and written by external contributors. If you believe any content infringes your rights, please contact our team at Info@maverick-magazine.co.il.
ref:4d9f6b71-6384-4668-9ef6-cf74d83ec7bf
