Think Dirty vs Yuka: two ratings that run in opposite directions
Think Dirty and Yuka both scan a barcode and both let the riskiest ingredient set a cosmetic’s result, but their scales run in opposite directions. Yuka scores out of 100, where higher is better; Think Dirty’s Dirty Meter tops out at 10, where higher is worse. Yuka also scores food; Think Dirty does not.
This page compares the two methods as each app describes them, not the two companies. It covers what each rating is built from, what each covers, what each costs, and which fits which shopper. Neither is treated as the default, and neither is called inaccurate.
The same rule, on two opposite scales
Both apps use a worst-ingredient rule for cosmetics. Yuka says the score is based on the level of the highest-risk ingredient present; Think Dirty says a product is rated no lower than the highest rating of any single ingredient. One risky name decides the band in both, whatever else is in the bottle.
- Direction of the scale
- Yuka 0 to 100, higher is betterThink Dirty Dirty Meter up to 10, higher is worse
- One high-risk ingredient
- Yuka Score turns red, below 25/100Think Dirty Product rated no lower than that ingredient
- One moderate-risk ingredient as the worst
- Yuka Score below 50/100Think Dirty Product rated no lower than that ingredient
- Several high-rated ingredients
- Yuka Stays in the red bandThink Dirty Product set to 10
- Exceptions to the worst-ingredient rule
- Yuka Not described on its cosmetic method pageThink Dirty Case by case for certified products and for 4–7 rated ingredients under 5%
Data as a table
| What happens | Yuka | Think Dirty |
|---|---|---|
| Direction of the scale | 0 to 100, higher is better | Dirty Meter up to 10, higher is worse |
| One high-risk ingredient | Score turns red, below 25/100 | Product rated no lower than that ingredient |
| One moderate-risk ingredient as the worst | Score below 50/100 | Product rated no lower than that ingredient |
| Several high-rated ingredients | Stays in the red band | Product set to 10 |
| Exceptions to the worst-ingredient rule | Not described on its cosmetic method page | Case by case for certified products and for 4–7 rated ingredients under 5% |
A 9 means opposite things in the two apps. On Think Dirty it is close to the worst rating; on a Yuka-style scale out of 100 it would be close to the floor. Reading both without checking the direction is the most common way to misread them.
The shared rule has a shared consequence. A long, plain formula with one flagged preservative can land in a worse band than a short formula with several moderate ingredients, because neither app averages; the worst name wins. That is a design choice both make openly, not a flaw either hides.
What each rating is built from
Each app classifies ingredients from its own sources. Yuka groups cosmetic ingredients into four risk levels — risk-free, low, moderate and high — by potential effects on health and the environment. Think Dirty rates ingredients from publicly available data released by non-profit and government agencies in North America.
- Where ingredient ratings come from
- Yuka Yuka’s own risk classification by potential health and environmental effectsThink Dirty Publicly available data from non-profit and government agencies in North America
- Ingredients not yet rated
- Yuka Not described on the cosmetic method pageThink Dirty A separate band for ingredients not yet rated
- Undisclosed fragrance
- Yuka Not described on the cosmetic method pageThink Dirty Treated as a component that cannot be evaluated
- Food
- Yuka A separate formula: 60% nutrition, 30% additives, 10% organicThink Dirty Not covered
Data as a table
| Axis | Yuka | Think Dirty |
|---|---|---|
| Where ingredient ratings come from | Yuka’s own risk classification by potential health and environmental effects | Publicly available data from non-profit and government agencies in North America |
| Ingredients not yet rated | Not described on the cosmetic method page | A separate band for ingredients not yet rated |
| Undisclosed fragrance | Not described on the cosmetic method page | Treated as a component that cannot be evaluated |
| Food | A separate formula: 60% nutrition, 30% additives, 10% organic | Not covered |
Different sources are why the two apps can disagree on the same lotion. If one ingredient sits in a higher band in one app than in the other, the worst-ingredient rule carries that difference to the whole product, so a single classification can separate the two results by a full band.
Coverage, price and account
Yuka covers food and personal care in one app; Think Dirty’s listing names skincare, cosmetic, hair care, personal care, household, baby and pet items, and its FAQ says it does not input chips, water, soda or basic food. Both are free to download with paid tiers on top.
28 million
- Shelves covered
- Yuka Food and personal careThink Dirty Skincare, cosmetics, hair and personal care, household, baby and pet; no basic food
- How you start
- Yuka Scan a barcodeThink Dirty Scan a barcode or search the database
- Free use
- Yuka Free app with in-app purchasesThink Dirty Free to download with premium features
- Paid tier
- Yuka Annual Premium from $10 in the USThink Dirty Premium from $2.99 a month or $28.99 a year; All Access from $6.49 a month or $48.99 a year, US prices in its FAQ
- Account
- Yuka Registration requiredThink Dirty Used for premium features and product submissions, per its FAQ
Data as a table
| Axis | Yuka | Think Dirty |
|---|---|---|
| Shelves covered | Food and personal care | Skincare, cosmetics, hair and personal care, household, baby and pet; no basic food |
| How you start | Scan a barcode | Scan a barcode or search the database |
| Free use | Free app with in-app purchases | Free to download with premium features |
| Paid tier | Annual Premium from $10 in the US | Premium from $2.99 a month or $28.99 a year; All Access from $6.49 a month or $48.99 a year, US prices in its FAQ |
| Account | Registration required | Used for premium features and product submissions, per its FAQ |
Prices are the vendors’ own, read on 12 October 2026, and tiers change without notice. The Think Dirty alternatives comparison sets the app beside three other cosmetic tools, and alternatives to Yuka does the same on the food side.
Which app fits which shopper
The choice follows from the shopping, not from which app is better in the abstract. A shopper buying groceries and skincare in one trip needs an app that reads both; a shopper focused on personal care alone can choose either and should pick the scale they read without thinking.
You shop food and skincare together
Only Yuka covers both shelves. Its food score uses a different formula from its cosmetic score, so a number on a cereal and a number on a cream are not measured the same way.
You only check personal care
Both apply the same worst-ingredient rule. Think Dirty also rates household, baby and pet items, which Yuka does not advertise.
You want to see why, not just a band
Both apps list the flagged ingredients behind a result. Neither prints the regulatory document behind an ingredient, because neither result is a regulatory rating.
Both apps sit in a wider field. Yuka against EWG’s app adds a third scale, 1 to 10 with 1 as best, and the ingredient checker apps compared set five tools side by side on what each reads.
Where LabelPeek sits in this
LabelPeek is not a barcode app, so it is not a third entry in this comparison. It reads an ingredient list you paste and matches it against a published list printed on the same page, reporting what matched, what did not, and what it could not read at all.
LabelPeek
Matches the ingredient text against a list published in full beside the checker, and reports how many names it could not recognise instead of rounding the result to clean.
Think Dirty and Yuka
Both start from a barcode and a stored product record, which makes a two-second scan at the shelf possible and lets each app rank products against each other.
The pore-clogging ingredients checker is the LabelPeek tool closest to what these apps do for skincare, with one difference that matters: the list it matches against is printed in full under the tool, with a version date.
Common questions
Which is better for skincare, Think Dirty or Yuka
How accurate is the Think Dirty app
Does Think Dirty scan food like Yuka does
Why does the same lotion get different results in Think Dirty and Yuka
When is neither Think Dirty nor Yuka the right tool
Sources
Every factual claim on this page that can be checked against a document is listed here with the document it comes from.
- How are cosmetic products evaluated? Yuka Help Centre · help.yuka.ioThat Yuka classifies cosmetic ingredients into four risk categories by potential effects on health and the environment, and that the score is based on the highest-risk ingredient present — red and below 25/100 with a high-risk ingredient, below 50/100 with a moderate-risk one.
- How are food products rated? Yuka Help Centre · help.yuka.ioThat Yuka scores food on a separate method — 60% nutritional quality based on Nutri-Score, 30% additives, 10% organic — with a high-risk additive capping the product at 49/100.
- Yuka — Food & Cosmetic Scanner on the App Store Yuca SAS / Apple App Store · apps.apple.comThat Yuka is a free app with in-app purchases that scans the barcodes of food and personal care products and recommends alternatives when a product rates poorly.
- How much does membership cost? Yuka Help Centre · help.yuka.ioThat Yuka's annual Premium subscription starts at $10 in the US.
- Why do I have to register to use Yuka? Yuka Help Centre · help.yuka.ioThat Yuka requires registration, explaining it as necessary to secure user contributions in a collaborative app.
- Yuka press kit — key figures Yuka · yuka.ioYuka's own figures of 28 million users in the US, 85 million worldwide and 6 million products rated.
- Our methodology — how we rate ingredients Think Dirty · thinkdirtyapp.comThat ingredient ratings rest on publicly available data from non-profit and government agencies in North America, that a product is by default rated no lower than its highest-rated ingredient and is set to 10 when several ingredients rate high, the case-by-case exceptions for certified products and for 4–7 rated ingredients under 5%, and the band for ingredients not yet rated.
- Think Dirty Help Centre (FAQ) Think Dirty · thinkdirtyapp.comThe Premium and All Access subscription tiers and their US prices, and that chips, water, soda and basic food products are among the things Think Dirty does not input.
- Think Dirty – Shop Clean on the App Store Think Dirty Inc. / Apple App Store · apps.apple.comThat Think Dirty is free to download with premium features, works from a barcode scanner or search, names skincare, cosmetic, hair care, personal care, household, baby and pet items, and cites over 8 million users.