Yuka vs Think Dirty: Which Skincare Scanner Is Better?

Pori aside (we make it, and it rates ingredients for your skin type), Yuka is the better skincare scanner for most people. It shows the risk and sources behind every flagged ingredient, covers about 2 million beauty products, runs no ads and has no shop. Think Dirty suits you if you want allergen preferences, an expiry tracker and curated lists, and accept a stricter score.

Below we compare Yuka and Think Dirty on scoring logic, database, price, ads and shopping, and why the two can disagree about the same product. Everything comes from each app's US App Store or Google Play listing or official help pages, checked in October 2026. We didn't run a hands-on test of either app, so instead of claiming results on a product set, we show you how to run that comparison yourself.

Yuka vs Think Dirty: the verdict table

How does each app score a skincare product?

Yuka scores every ingredient and lets the worst one set the ceiling. Each ingredient is rated high, moderate, low or no risk, judged on potential effects including endocrine disruption, allergenic, irritant, carcinogenic and pollutant concerns. One high-risk ingredient means a score below 25/100, and a moderate one caps it below 50; the rest of the formula decides where the product lands within that band. Its sources include official bodies such as the EU's SCCS, ECHA, the US EPA and IARC, graded scientific research and databases such as Skin Deep, and it applies the precautionary principle, flagging risks that are still under suspicion even at levels that comply with current standards. Its US terms state that the app does not evaluate effectiveness nor take into account the quantity of ingredients.

Think Dirty says it evaluates products based solely on their chemical content, not brand reputation or marketing claims, and that it leaves out environmental and social factors to focus on health impact. Its methodology page rates each ingredient for evidence of cancer, developmental and reproductive harm, and allergy or immune effects, then gives the product a rating no lower than its highest-rated ingredient; any product listing "fragrance" gets 7 or higher. Its FAQ says ingredient families such as parabens, PEGs, siloxanes, sulfates and petrochemicals are rated 8 to 10 "no matter how high or how low of a concentration is present."

For a skin-first view, Pori takes a third approach. Its scanner rates each ingredient beneficial, use with caution or avoid for your skin type using fixed rules over about 250 common INCI ingredients, and the AI only reads labels and summarizes. Its database is far smaller than either app's, and it's iPhone-only.

Why do Yuka and Think Dirty disagree on the same product?

They can rate an identical product differently because they're measuring different things. Based on what each app publishes, these are the main reasons a cream can look fine in one and poor in the other:

• Environment counts in Yuka only. Yuka includes "pollutant" among its risk criteria. Think Dirty says it excludes environmental factors. An ingredient flagged mainly for environmental reasons can pull down a Yuka score without affecting Think Dirty.
• Different blacklists. Both apps let the worst ingredient drive the result, but they flag different things. Think Dirty rates whole families, including silicones (siloxanes), PEGs and sulfates, 8 to 10, so a silicone moisturizer can look worse there than in Yuka.
• Precaution vs evidence. Yuka openly flags ingredients still under suspicion. Ingredients like parabens, which the FDA says it does not have information showing affect human health as used in cosmetics, are where hazard apps and regulators most often part ways.
• Different source lists. Yuka names its sources for each ingredient; Think Dirty says its chemistry team and advisory board use public data from non-profit and government agencies. Two apps drawing on different databases will sometimes reach different conclusions about the same ingredient.
• Different coverage. A product may be rated in one app and missing from the other. Think Dirty lets users upvote non-rated products, which tells you some products in its database aren't rated yet.

Neither app's score tells you whether a product will suit your skin. In a study of 1,470 products marketed as "clean," researchers found the label has no standard, scientific basis or regulatory oversight, and 82.9% of those products contained fragrances or botanicals, which are common allergens. A high "clean" rating and a calm face are separate questions.

How can you compare them on your own products?

You can run your own head-to-head with products you already own. This is the test we'd suggest, since results depend on what's in your bathroom.

1. Pick five to ten products you already use, including at least one with fragrance and one with a preservative such as a paraben or phenoxyethanol.
2. Scan each barcode in both apps and write down Yuka's score out of 100 and Think Dirty's Dirty Meter rating.
3. For every product the apps disagree on, open the ingredient detail in Yuka and note which ingredient set its ceiling and why.
4. Check that ingredient on a neutral reference such as INKEEDecoder's Decode INCI tool, which explains what it does in the formula.
5. Compare all of it with how your skin actually reacted. That's the test that matters.

For help reading the list itself, see how to read skincare ingredient labels.

Which has the bigger database?

Yuka's is bigger. Its App Store listing cites about 2 million cosmetic products and 4 million foods, and its help center lists about 12,500 cosmetic ingredients. Think Dirty's Google Play listing says it covers over 850,000 cosmetics and personal care products from Canada and the US, and it asks users to submit missing products by scanning the barcode and photographing the ingredients.

Which is cheaper?

Both are free to download and scan. Yuka's paid tier is a single Premium Member subscription with $10, $15 and $20 tiers as of October 2026, and its help center says Premium adds the search bar, offline mode and food preference alerts. Think Dirty has more paid options: its App Store listing shows Premium from $2.99 to $29.99, All Access from $6.49 to $48.99 and a $199 "Clean Beauty Boss" lifetime purchase. Its real-time scanner, ingredient preferences and alerts are listed under the Premium and All Access plans. If you want allergen alerts on a budget, Think Dirty's entry plans cost less than Yuka's lowest tier.

Do Yuka and Think Dirty make money from brands?

Yuka says no. Its Google Play listing says it is 100% independent, that no brand or manufacturer can influence its evaluations, and that the app does not advertise. It is funded through Premium and says it has made its balance sheet public. Think Dirty describes itself as an independent source, and it also has a Shop Now feature to buy products directly from Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Well.ca, Sephora.com and Amazon.co.uk. Users who submit missing products get a discount code for its beauty box subscription. Neither listing says brands pay for ratings, but a scanner that sells you the "cleaner option" has a commercial incentive Yuka avoids.

Which scanner should you use?

• You want ratings for your skin type and to track results: Pori. If you aren't sure of your type, start with how to find your skin type.
• You want the most transparent hazard check and food too: Yuka.
• You want allergen preferences, an expiry tracker and curated lists: Think Dirty.
• You don't want hazard scores at all: see our Think Dirty alternatives and Yuka alternatives for apps built around skin fit.

Whatever you choose, patch-test new products: the American Academy of Dermatology suggests a quarter-sized spot on the inner arm, twice a day for 7 to 10 days. See a dermatologist if reactions keep happening. None of these apps is a medical device, and Pori doesn't diagnose skin conditions.

Methodology and disclosure

This comparison is published by the team behind Pori, and we listed Pori first. Features, ratings and prices come from each app's US App Store listing, Google Play listing or official help pages, as linked, checked in October 2026. App Store prices are in-app purchase ranges and vary by region. We didn't test either app on a product set or verify the accuracy of its ratings, and nothing here is medical advice.