The comforting illusion of a “green score”
You’re standing in a pharmacy, sunscreen in hand. You scan it with the Yuka app. A green score flashes on your screen – relief. Safe to buy! Or maybe it’s a red score – panic. Surely this sunscreen must be dangerous?
It feels empowering to let an app decide. But when it comes to sunscreen, this is a dangerous shortcut. Yuka app sunscreen ratings are misleading, unscientific, and can even put your skin at risk.
How the Yuka App Rates Sunscreen Ingredients
The Yuka app (and similar rating apps) assigns a score to products based on their INCI list (ingredient list). Using a traffic-light system, it labels ingredients green (safe), orange (questionable), or red (risky).
But sunscreen is not like food or a simple moisturizer. Sunscreens are regulated, tested, and designed for medical-grade protection against UV radiation. By ignoring this, Yuka fails consumers with the sunscreen rating.
Why Yuka Ratings Mislead Sunscreen Protection
- No knowledge of concentration
- Yuka doesn’t know the percentage of each ingredient.
- Yet safety in cosmetics always depends on concentration.
- In the EU, every UV filter is rigorously reviewed by the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) and approved only up to strict maximum percentages.
- A filter flagged “red” in Yuka could be perfectly safe and essential at 5–10%.
2. No measure of efficacy
- A sunscreen’s purpose is not just to look safe on paper.
- What matters is proven UVB (SPF) and UVA protection (ISO 24443 testing), plus photostability under sunlight.
- Yuka does not measure SPF, UVA-PF, or stability — which means it cannot tell you how well a sunscreen actually protects.
The result: filters labeled “dangerous” by an app are often the very ones dermatologists trust most.
What Really Matters in Choosing Sunscreen
- SPF (Sun Protection Factor): Indicates UVB protection against burning.
- UVA protection: In Europe, the UVA circle logo means UVA-PF ≥ 1/3 of SPF – essential for long-term skin health.
- Filter stability: Advanced filters like Tinosorb S, Uvinul A Plus, and Mexoryl 400 remain photostable and reliable in sunlight.
- Formulation synergy: Sunscreens combine filters and antioxidants in carefully designed systems. One filter stabilizes another; textures ensure daily use.
👉 None of these factors are captured by a Yuka sunscreen rating. Check our Blog post “Not All Sunscreens Are Equal” to understand the difference of UV-Filters..
Examples of Misleading Yuka Sunscreen Scores
Mineral-only sunscreens: Score green because zinc oxide and titanium dioxide seem “natural.” But many fail to block long UVA wavelengths, leaving skin vulnerable to aging and DNA damage.
Next-generation filters: Tinosorb S, Mexoryl 400, or Uvinul A Plus may not even be recognized or may be marked as “synthetic,” despite being gold-standard UVA filters.
It’s like judging a car by its paint color — without checking brakes, airbags, or crash-test results.
What to Trust Instead of Yuka App Ratings
- Regulation: In Europe, only rigorously tested UV filters are allowed.
- Labels: Look for the UVA circle (EU) or PA++++ (Asia)
- Dermatologist recommendations: Professionals base their advice on safety, efficacy, and compliance.
- Texture & wearability: The best sunscreen is the one you love to apply daily.
RoseKin’s Standpoint
At RoseKin, we don’t chase app scores. We chase protection.
Our formulas:
- Use modern EU-approved filters at tested concentrations. No outdated filters.
- Deliver ISO-tested high UVA protection.
- Contain antioxidants for added cellular defense.
- Feature lightweight Korean textures you’ll enjoy applying every day.
Because true protection means science, regulation, and pleasure in use.
FAQ
Is the Yuka app accurate for sunscreen?
No. Yuka does not know ingredient concentrations, does not measure SPF or UVA protection, and ignores regulatory safety assessments.
Why does Yuka flag sunscreen ingredients as risky?
It applies a blanket score based on the ingredient’s presence in the INCI list, sometimes referencing outdated or decontextualized studies, without considering actual safe concentrations.
What matters more than Yuka ratings when choosing sunscreen?
SPF, UVA protection (look for the UVA circle logo or PA++++), filter stability, and whether the texture is wearable daily.
💡 Closing: Don’t Let an App Decide Your Skin Health
Apps like Yuka are designed to simplify choices – but sunscreen is not simple. Real protection depends on concentration, UVA and UVB balance, filter stability, and regulatory approval – all factors no app can measure. A traffic-light score may look reassuring, yet it says nothing about whether your sunscreen can truly defend your skin against photoaging, pigmentation, or even the DNA damage that leads to skin cancer. Instead of relying on an algorithm, the smarter choice is to look for sunscreens with high SPF, proven UVA protection, and modern, photostable filters
At RoseKin, every formula is built on this foundation of science: EU-approved modern filters at carefully tested concentrations, ISO-verified UVA protection, and textures that make daily use effortless. Because true daily protection has nothing to do with an app score – and everything to do with evidence, regulation, and real results for your skin.