Let’s be honest. Reading the back of a label used to feel like decoding a chemistry exam you didn’t study for. And trying to figure out whether a product was truly “clean” or just pretending to be? Overwhelming. That’s where tools like EWG and Yuka come in—and honestly, they’ve changed the way consumers are making purchasing decisions.

But which one is better? Or do you actually need both? Spoiler: if you’re trying to make healthier choices, they each bring something unique to the table. Let’s break it down.

What is EWG?

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a nonprofit organization that’s been around for DECADES! They’re the ones behind the Skin Deep database, the annual Dirty Dozen list, and EWG Verified™ certifications. If you’re researching a skincare ingredient, there’s a good chance you’ll end up on their site.

What it does well:

• Gives you in-depth ingredient info and product scores
• Tells you about potential hormone disruptors, carcinogens, allergens
• Offers expert-backed scientific research
• Tracks everything from tap water safety to sunscreen effectiveness

Drawbacks:

• Can be a little difficult to understand why a product got the rating it did
• They rate products with essential oils as an “ingredient concern,” which makes some of our ratings seem “bad” to a consumer that doesn’t know to click on the number to determine why it got that rating. So, it’s only a concern if you’re allergic to that particular essential oil. Also, they list essential oils as “fragrance” which is very confusing to the consumer as we talk all the time about why we don’t use “fragrance” just essential oils.
• To become “EWG Verified” is very expensive for a small brand. There’s a fee of $250 per product for them to evaluate and dissect ingredients. Then, there’s an annual licensing fee to use their symbol based on the companies annual revenue and on how many products you’d like to use the symbol. So, typically larger brands are verified and those are the ones that get promoted on EWG. Obviously, we’d LOVE to be verified, but it may take some serious growth before we can consider that opportunity!

What is Yuka?

Yuka is an app that lets you scan food and cosmetic products using your phone. It gives an instant rating from 0 to 100 and a color-coded score (green is good, red means reconsider). It also explains why a product scored that way and often recommends cleaner alternatives.

What it does well:

• Super fast and user-friendly
• Great for quick decisions at the store
• Explains ingredients in plain language
• Offers clean swaps when something flunks

Drawbacks:

• Doesn’t go as deep on ingredient research as EWG
• It utilizes AI technology which can occassionally be erroneous
• If you search “Simple Body,” we don’t come up, even though our products are listed on there, you must scan the barcode to get our product to come up
• Occasionally over-simplifies complex ingredient safety

Why We Recommend Using Both

Here’s the thing: Yuka is your shopping BFF. It helps you make better choices on the fly. EWG is like your wise older sister who’s going to give you the long story, the context, and the scientific footnotes. While technology is changing fast and always improving, sometimes good ‘ole science beats a computer.

Using them together? That’s where the magic happens.

Let’s say you scan a moisturizer with Yuka and it gets a “Poor” score. You can pop over to EWG’s Skin Deep to learn more about the ingredient that triggered the red flag. Maybe it’s a known allergen. Or maybe it’s controversial, but still being studied. Either way, now you get to decide with more info in your back pocket.

Bottom Line: Your Health Is Worth the Extra Step

It can feel overwhelming to clean up your skincare or switch to safer foods. But tools like EWG and Yuka make it so much easier. Are they perfect? Nope. But they’re empowering, transparent, and genuinely helpful.

If you haven’t used either yet, we highly recommend downloading Yuka and EWG. Start scanning, start learning—and start choosing what goes on and in your body with confidence.

You deserve to feel good about what you’re using. And these tools are here to help you do just that.

xoxo
Jewels