Yuka flags an ingredient as "bad" regardless of how much is present. Yarai estimates concentration and judges in context. If you want analysis instead of a hazard list, this is the alternative.
Yuka is a popular ingredient-scanning app, but its scoring model treats every flagged ingredient the same regardless of concentration. A preservative at 0.01% and the same preservative at 2% get the same red flag. Scoring without regard to concentration is a common criticism of hazard-rating apps generally, because an ingredient that is safe at the level actually present can still read as alarming.
If you've ever scanned a product you love, seen a scary score, and thought "that can't be right," the problem is probably dosage-blindness, not the product.
| Yuka | Yarai | |
|---|---|---|
| Scoring method | Binary hazard rating: ingredient present = flagged | Dosage-aware: scored by estimated concentration from INCI position |
| Product lookup | Barcode scan (requires product in database) | Reads any ingredient label directly, no barcode needed |
| Imported / indie products | Often "product not found" | Works on any label in any language |
| Routine analysis | One product at a time | Checks all your products together for conflicts and redundancies |
| Conflict severity | Not available | Graded: minor to significant, with chemical reasoning |
| Regulatory basis | Internal hazard database | EU CosIng thresholds; EU vs FDA divergence shown |
| Product recommendations | Suggests alternative products when it flags one | No product recommendations at all; scoring only |
The core difference: Yuka tells you an ingredient is "bad." Yarai tells you how much of it is present, what the EU safety threshold is, and whether it matters at this concentration in this product. One is a verdict; the other is an analysis.
Point your camera at the ingredient list and it works. Imported products, indie brands, products without barcodes, products Yuka says "not found." If it has an ingredient list, Yarai reads it.
The thing irritating your skin is usually not one product; it's how several of them interact. Yarai checks every product in your routine against every other one, flags conflicts (retinoid + AHA, retinoid + benzoyl peroxide, stacked exfoliants), and grades each by severity with the reasoning and the source. It also declines to flag pairs that turn out to be myths: niacinamide and vitamin C are fine together, and Yarai says so. Full detail on the routine conflict checker.
Scores are based on EU CosIng regulation, the strictest major framework globally. Where the EU and FDA disagree on an ingredient, both positions are shown. You see the regulatory basis, not a black-box score.
Yuka suggests alternative products when it flags one. Yarai doesn't recommend products at all, in either direction. You get the analysis of what you're holding and you decide. That's a deliberate design choice: the moment an app starts steering you toward specific products, its scoring and its commercial interests are pointing at the same thing.
If you want a quick "good or bad" answer and don't mind the dosage-blind model, Yuka works fine. If you want to understand what's actually in your products, why it matters at the concentration present, and how your whole routine interacts, Yarai is the tool built for that.
Yarai is free to scan and analyze. Premium features (unlimited AI routines, full conflict detection) are available via optional subscription: $2.99/month or $19.99/year, with a 7-day free trial.