“Plant-based.” “Botanical.” “Naturally inspired.” “Clean.”
When shopping for skincare, cosmetics and personal care products, words like these can make a product or its ingredients sound like the healthier or safer choice. But just because an ingredient is organic or a brand positions itself as natural, it doesn’t mean it’s safer or more effective. Likewise, a long, scientific-sounding ingredient name isn’t necessarily something to avoid.
Fortunately, you don't need to be a chemist to start understanding what's in your products. A growing number of ingredient-checking apps can help you scan a barcode, search for a product or enter an ingredient list to learn more about what’s inside. Below are 5 worth exploring.
1. Yuka
Yuka is one of the most recognizable product-scanning apps, covering both food and cosmetics.
Simply scan a product's barcode and Yuka provides a score along with information about the ingredients that contributed to it. Its database now includes approximately 2 million cosmetic products, and products that receive lower scores may be accompanied by suggestions for alternatives. Yuka also states that it operates independently, without advertising or brand influence over its ratings or recommendations.
Why you might like it: The color-coded system makes it exceptionally easy to use while shopping.
Keep in mind: A simple numerical score can't account for every aspect of a finished cosmetic formulation.
2. EWG Healthy Living
The EWG Healthy Living app brings together several resources from the Environmental Working Group, including its well-known Skin Deep® cosmetics database.
Users can scan or search products and receive a 1–10 rating, with 1 representing EWG's best-rated products. The database covers more than 200,000 food, personal care and cleaning products. Newer features include faster scanning, product comparisons and customizable ingredient preferences through its premium tier.
Why you might like it: It's particularly useful if you already rely on EWG's Skin Deep database when researching personal care products.
Keep in mind: EWG uses its own methodology for evaluating ingredient concerns, so its rating shouldn't be interpreted as a universal scientific consensus about a product.
3. Think Dirty
Think Dirty has been helping shoppers decode personal care labels since 2012. Users can scan cosmetics, skincare, personal care and household products and explore information about individual ingredients.
The app reports more than 3.4 million submitted products and 66 million unique scans. Depending on the version you're using, features can include ingredient searches, personalized ingredient preferences and alerts, product lists and alternative product recommendations.
Why you might like it: It's heavily focused on beauty and personal care, making it a useful option for someone specifically interested in evaluating their bathroom or cosmetics cabinet.
Keep in mind: Some advanced features require a subscription, and Think Dirty notes that certain user-submitted products have not undergone its team's manual evaluation.
4. INCI Beauty
If you've ever noticed the term INCI while researching cosmetics, it stands for International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients, which is the standardized naming system used for cosmetic ingredients. INCI Beauty focuses specifically on cosmetics and allows consumers to examine products and their ingredient compositions. Its professional database reports more than one million products and 15,000 documented cosmetic ingredients.
That ingredient-focused approach can make the platform especially helpful for people who want to move beyond an overall product rating and become more familiar with what's actually listed on cosmetic labels.
Why you might like it: It's focused specifically on cosmetics and provides extensive ingredient information.
Keep in mind: As with other rating platforms, use its ratings as a starting point for additional research rather than an absolute measure of product safety.
5. OnSkin
OnSkin takes ingredient checking a step further by incorporating information about your skin and personal skincare goals. Users can scan a barcode, take a photo of a cosmetic product or search by name. The app then analyzes the product's ingredients and provides information intended to help users determine whether a product may be appropriate for them. OnSkin says its database contains more than 2 million products.
Why you might like it: The personalization features make it appealing for shoppers who want information tailored to their skin rather than simply seeing a universal product score.
Keep in mind: An app can't diagnose skin conditions or predict exactly how your skin will react to a particular formula.
Bonus Tool: Cosmily
Prefer researching ingredients from your computer? Cosmily offers an online ingredient checker that lets you copy and paste an entire cosmetic ingredient list and receive a report explaining the ingredients. Its database currently lists thousands of ingredients and includes information such as ingredient functions, potential skin benefits and considerations for different skin types. It also offers tools for checking whether skincare products may work well together in a routine.
An important caveat: an app rating shouldn’t be treated as the final word on whether a product is safe. Cosmetic safety can depend on factors such as ingredient concentration, formulation and how a product is used. Cosmetic experts have also cautioned that scanning apps can sometimes oversimplify complex ingredient science. Instead, think of these apps as educational tools that can help you look past marketing language, better understand ingredient labels and become a more informed shopper.