Isn’t it crazy to think that products and items people say are healthy for you, they actually aren’t? For example, Australian Gold lotion, Colby Jack Cheese, sugar free ketchup, Special K cereal, and Vaseline; you think they are safe right? Well…you’re wrong! These food items and products are what I thought would be healthy or helpful. However, they are actually very harmful. With the help of an app called Yuka, I can find out what is harmful and what is helpful for my body. Although this can turn into a little obsession, I really like knowing what everything stands for! 

Let’s talk about the app Yuka and how to figure out what is harmful. When you open the app, you first start by scanning the barcode of the chosen item. Once you scan, the app pulls up the product or food item and tells you the risks of using that certain item. For instance, a product I scanned before was Cheirosa 62 Perfume Mist, also known as a Sol de Janeiro perfume, at 39/100. As you read about your item, under the number the app rates it and it will give either the color red which is bad, orange which is poor, light green which is good and dark green which is excellent. Under the rating, it will say ingredients in bold. However, the list of ingredients for food and the way it is organized is different to the list of ingredients for products and the way that is organized. So it is a little easier to understand. For cosmetic products, it will just give the ingredients and the type of risk for those. However, for food, if there are more negatives then it will list the negatives first and if there are more positives it will list the positives first.

Let me give a good example because that was a bit confusing, I know. Let’s say you wanted to see if a protein snack bar was healthy. The one that I had in my pantry, got rated a 12/100 which is low. It showed the negatives which are a lot of additives and a lot of calories. Then, it gave the positives which are protein, fiber, saturated fat, sugar, and sodium. Although there were more positives with the ingredients, the additives and calories made this a very poor choice.

 Now for the cosmetic products. Everyone believes that CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion is healthy for your skin and body. Well, it’s not! It was rated a 15/100 which is also low. There is a high risk of additives and questionable material within the cream. In the lotion, the risks and the ingredients were pretty awful.  You can click on an ingredient and the app will tell you more about why it is so bad. For example, they talk about the ingredient being harmful to women’s hormones, fertility, and overall health. WOW! Who would have ever guessed that it was in a really popular cream. AND IT DERMATOLOGIST RECOMMENDED! Oh my!

Finding out what products and foods you should be using is very healthy for you and can really benefit you. If you scan a certain item that rates low, under all of the ingredients, it will give unbiased recommendations that are rated very high. Ever since my cousins told me about Yuka, I have been using it more and more. If you are curious and want to know more about what effects many items and products have and what they can do to you, then Yuka is your app! Hey, we all want to be healthy, but are you willing to give up your favorite lipstick or deodorant because there are harmful ingredients. THAT IS THE QUESTION! However, the next time you are shopping with me, just know I will say “Wait, I have to scan it!”