In an age where we’re more conscious than ever about what we consume, finding trustworthy tools to help navigate food and beauty products can feel overwhelming. That’s why I’ve relied on the Yuka app for months—it’s an amazing tool for scanning, learning, and making informed choices about the products we use every day.
Like with all technology, it is not perfect, and after using it for a while, here are the pros and cons of the Yuka App.
Yuka App Review: What is It & How Does It Work?
Yuka is a simple product-scanning app that rates products on a scale from 0 to 100, where 0 is poor, and 100 indicates a clean, perfect product. Next to the score, it has a traffic light system: Excellent, Good, Poor, Bad.
If a product has a bad score, Yuka provides good-quality alternatives.
Yuka app focuses on food and cosmetics, with a database of over 5 million products (3 million food items and 2 million cosmetic products).
When scanning food, the Yuka app highlights whether a product has any additives and marks it as hazardous, moderate risk, limited risk, and risk-free. Yuka app also lists nutrition, such as whether the product is too high in salt or fat and, generally, whether it is healthy. You can read about their food scoring here.
Cosmetics and beauty products score using the same 0 to 100 traffic light system. The Yuka team lists ingredients based on the latest scientific research and assigns a risk level according to their potential health and environmental effects. You can read a full explanation of scoring here.
If you are looking for a clean-ingredient sunscreen, I wrote an article BEST NON-TOXIC SUNSCREENS YOU CAN BUY IN 2024 using the Yuka app, scientific research, and customer reviews.
The Yuka app is currently available on Apple Store and Google Play in France, Belgium, Spain, the UK, and the US, and it has over 55 million users as of this article’s writing. (Update, it has 63 Million Users on the 1st of April 2025).
Now that we know what the app does let’s begin with the Yuka App review.
Pros and Cons of the Yuka app:
Pros
✅ The Free Version is Highly Functional
The free version of the Yuka app is excellent. It differs from other apps, where the free versions are not great or are bombarded by ads. Of course, you can get a premium version, like I did, but even a free version is amazing.
✅ Scans Both Food & Beauty Products
I love that Yuka is a two-in-one app, as most scanning apps are focused on food or cosmetics (it would be great to see cleaning products on the Yuka app soon )
✅ It highlights harmful ingredients
Especially when scanning beauty products, I like Yuka because it is not about the brand name but the ingredients and quality. I was surprised to see how the same brand can have excellent and terrible products. For example, I used Cerave day cream with SP, thinking it was perfect for my skin, with very clean and simple ingredients, only to find out that it scored zero on the Yuka app as it has multiple hazardous ingredients. Another very important lesson I have learned since using the Yuka app is that many sunscreens have hazardous ingredients. Yuka was very useful in helping me pick a new sunscreen that is good for my skin and the environment.
✅ Saves Time While Shopping
Especially when shopping in a physical shop. Being a conscious shopper, I used to take ages reading labels when building food. With cosmetics, I always found all the ingredients so confusing and difficult to memorize that I would always go for a trusted brand rather than analyzing the ingredient list.
✅ It helps to make healthier choices
Yuka helps me make healthier choices and learn. I am a digital nomad, and the Yuka app is excellent when traveling! I lived in Spain for three months and used it every single day. It was beneficial when looking for vegan products and choosing olives with no horrible ingredients (I was shocked to see how many olives had flavorings and horrible preservatives ).
✅ It offers healthier options
Healthier suggestions is a great feature. Even if you can’t find an alternative in the shop, you can save the more nutritious options in the app and buy the better product later or online. This feature is more helpful for cosmetics, but I also used it for food a few times.
Now, when I need to buy something, for example, a new mascara, I search Yuka and then go to the shop to see if I can find it.
✅ Educational & Science-Based
Yuka app is not only easy to use but also educational and science-based. It allows you to learn about hazardous ingredients and look up the latest studies about them.
✅ Encourages Industry Change
A recent feature in the Yuka app allows consumers to ask brands to stop using harmful ingredients in their products. Seeing a tech company providing the tools to change the food and beauty industry is incredible. It is also great for brands to see that consumers are educated and want products that do not harm them.
I love the Yuka app, but a few things could be improved for a better customer experience.
Cons of the Yuka app
❌ Offline Mode is Buggy
Unfortunately, the offline mode does not function properly, even with a paid subscription. I’ve tried multiple times, but I keep encountering errors. In a normal situation, people would always have the internet. However, as a digital nomad, I would love to shop without the internet, so this is the biggest Yuka app criticism.
❌ Does Not Highlight the Quality of Ingredients
This is the biggest downside of the Yuka App, especially for beauty products. It highlights if there are any harmful ingredients, but it does not say anything about the formulation. What is great for one person, might not be suitable for another. Or ingredients can be very clean but cheap and not effective.
So if you only rely on the Yuka App you can buy something with very clean but not suited for your skin.
❌ Occasional Errors
I have been using the app for a few months and have found a few errors.
For example, two identical-ingredient soya sauces had different scores. Based on the score, I bought a three times more expensive one, only later noticing that the cheaper one was as good.
I also noticed “vegan” sardines that are actually (and obviously) not vegan. This case is obvious, but if more nonvegan products are labeled vegan, it could hinder the consumers’ trust.
I have also found some cosmetic products like mascaras with inaccurate ingredient lists.
❌ Difficult in Reporting Mistakes
If you notice an error on the Yuka app, it is challenging to report it. I tried two times and both gave up, as you need to submit a picture and send an email via Apple native Mail instead of Gmail, for example. I don’t have the Mail app, so I just can’t be asked to send the feedback. I hope that the process of sending feedback will be simplified.
I tried multiple times to report a mistake, but it crashes when uploading a photo.
It should be improved in the future.
❌ Hidden Features
It’s not a big issue, but some of the cool features are a bit hidden, like the “vegan” label in the subscription version of the app. I only saw that it has it by reading Apple Store reviews. I wish there were an explainer walkthrough for users when they first start using the Yuka app.
❌ Potentially Harmful for Those with Eating Disorders
Food scanning apps, in general, could be harmful to people with eating disorders like orthorexia and should come with a warning for people who could be affected. Sometimes, the scores could also make us choose the worst options. For example, we could pick up something with additives instead of something high in fat or salt. So in terms of food, I think It should only focus on additives, rather than score food on fat or calorie content.
Is Yuka Accurate?
Despite some inconsistencies, Yuka is accurate 99% of the time. However, you should use it as a guiding tool rather than relying on it 100% for your food and cosmetic choices.
Is the Yuka app free?
Yuka app is free, but you can also pay £12.99 for a whole-year subscription with extra features like a search bar, an offline mode, unlimited history, and customisable filters like vegan, vegetarian, palm oil-free, etc. In my eyes, the free version is absolutely fine, but I wanted to pay this small fee because I like the app, and I want to support the Yuka team and see the app develop more cool features in the future.
Who owns the Yuka app?
Yuka is a small, independent company founded in 2016 by two brothers, François and Benoît Martin, and a friend, Julie Chapon, who wanted an easier way to shop for the best quality food. Since February 2024, it has been a B Corp-certified company. The company’s commitment to transparency—operating without ads or brand sponsorships—further solidifies its reputation.
Final Verdict: Pros & Cons of the Yuka App
After reading the Yuka app reviews on the app store, I realized I am not the only one who loves this app so much. It is no wonder that the Yuka app community is growing so fast, and I love being a part of it.
The Yuka app is a great tool for anyone looking to make healthier and more informed choices about the products they buy. While imperfect, its ease of use, educational features, and ability to suggest better alternatives make it a standout option in the crowded space of product-scanning apps. Whether you’re a busy parent, a digital nomad, or someone trying to live a healthier lifestyle, the Yuka App can be a game-changer.
I hope you have enjoyed reading the Yuka app review. Download it here and give it a go.
Please note that I am not sponsored or affiliated with the app; I love using it.
Are you a Yuka app user? Do you love it or think it is misleading?
If you love using apps for your nutrition and exercise inspiration, you can also read: 6 COOL HEALTH APPS FOR YOUR WELL-BEING 2024
You might also want to find out about the Zoe App: PERSONALIZED NUTRITION: IS THE ZOE APP WORTH IT?
Clean product lists:
Best non-toxic sunscreens you can buy in 2025
The Best Clean Mascaras, 2025,
Last Updated:
- 05/05/2025 by Silvija Meilunaite
- 20/03/2025 by Silvija Meilunaite
Silvija Meilunaite PN1-NC, is a certified nutrition coach and a writer in the nutrition and self-improvement field with a passion for exploring science-based knowledge focusing on holistic health and plant-based nutrition.
Featured in the Wellness on Time magazine.
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Rather useful topic. great way to learn about the Yuka app.
thank you, glad you like it !
great article amout Yuka App, I use it all the time. Thank you for sharing!
I love Yuka app, it saves so much time when shopping!Great article!
Love Yuka app, thanks for sharing !
I have been using Yuka app for a while now. I agree with you, it is great as a baseline but I still check ingredients to make sure there are no errors.