CONSIDER: The Yuka App

Decode, decide and clean up...

I’ve been passionate about clean beauty, wellness-focused eating, and nutritional supplements since the early 2000s. I earned a certificate in holistic nutrition in 2020 for "fun" and I still wrestle with whether I want to monetize that knowledge at some point or just continue sharing things that work for me in an organic way.

Since I’m a self-proclaimed supplement junkie and a fan girl of wellness podcasts, I’m always absorbing, researching, and exploring different perspectives from trusted sources to avoid being swayed by a single soundbite or clickbait. I am open to weighing positives and negatives about anything I plan to purchase. Some products and practices earn a perm spot in my routine while others end up becoming learning experiences that I’m happy to leave behind.

So, all that background to get to my point…I want to share an app I’ve been using that’s made a difference in how I choose which foods to buy and how I decide which skincare and beauty products are worth using. It’s called Yuka, and since it’s been helpful for me, I thought it might be helpful for you, too. I initially downloaded it a few years ago, intending to scan the labels of beauty products I owned to check how clean they were. (Note: just because a product uses buzz-words like paraben-free, vegan, etc…doesn’t mean it’s clean.) But life got busy, and I didn’t jump into using it regularly… until recently.

The app works by scanning a product barcode (food, hair/skincare, and beauty items, but unfortunately not supplements- yet!) and analyzing ingredients based on any known health risks. Each product is scored out of 100 to indicate how healthy/clean it’s considered to be. I love that the scores are based on European guidelines, which are much more stringent than in the US. The color-coded stop-light ratings indicate shades of green for good and excellent, orangish for poor, and red for bad. It also breaks down the details, showing which ingredients contributed to the score and recommends better options. This helps take the guesswork out, empowering the consumer to make conscious, informed decisions about whether to purchase or pass. Ratings aren’t influenced by brands or paid ads; they’re objective.

When I resurrected the app last month, I went all in. Not only did I scan every beauty product that I already owned…shampoo, skincare, blush…I also started using it to check every food item in our house and at the grocery store. I hadn’t realized the app could be used for food the first time around, and now it’s added a whole new dimension to my grocery runs! It accounts for factors like fat, sugar, sodium, protein, and even gluten, though it doesn’t consider cholesterol. It also rates non-alcoholic alternatives like Recess, Kin, and others. Ultimately, it’s up to me to decide if a product’s potential downsides outweigh its appeal and if it’s worth adding to my cart or putting in my body. Knowledge is power, and while I occasionally indulge in lower-rated items I love, 9 times out of 10, I’ll leave them on the store shelf or purge them from my cabinet.

I’m sure critics will argue that foods shouldn't be termed good or bad, and there are some valid points to that perspective. Like anything, this app has its pros and cons, and the industries have their own point of view as well - this article covers some of those. But, overall, I see Yuka as a helpful tool for identifying which foods align with my nutritional goals and which products I feel comfortable incorporating into my lifestyle. For me, there are more positives to using it than negatives.

The app is free, but a small donation unlocks enhanced features. One of my favorites: you can search their database without needing the physical product in hand. Just type in the name and get all the details about an item - great for online shopping or saving time in-store.

Whether you're looking to clean up your fridge, rethinking your toiletries, or just curious about how your favorite snack rates, the Yuka app provides insights to guide your decisions. Use the ratings to validate your purchase, select a higher-rated option, or choose to research further. Ultimately, it helps empower you to make informed choices that benefit your wellness and lifestyle goals. Download it now and start scanning products you already have at home. I know it sounds weird, but it’s actually fun, and you’ll be surprised at what you discover!