Luminelle vs Think Dirty
Luminelle vs Think Dirty: which is right for you?
Luminelle is a lab notebook - products, meals, cycle phase, and daily skin selfies, with regulator citations behind every flag.
Public launch Q2 2026. We'll email once - when we ship.
TL;DR
The short version
Luminelle scans cosmetics, then adds meals (calories, macros, EDC-flagged additives), a daily skin selfie, cycle phase on every scan, and weekly pattern detection. Every cosmetic flag links to a primary regulator entry - Annex II row, AB bill section, SCCS opinion ID, or Prop 65 listing - across EU and US jurisdictions.
A four-pillar journal that ties cosmetics, food, cycle phase, and skin observations together with a 0-100 continuous score and primary-source citations on every flag.
Before the comparison
What Luminelle actually is
Luminelle is a different shape - a journal underneath your scans, tagged with your cycle phase, paired with a daily skin selfie and a meal scan.
Product scan
Score every label
Barcode or ingredient list. Every product scored against EU CosIng, California AB 2762/2771/496, Prop 65, and ECHA - with the regulator citation behind every flag.
Meal scan
Calories and EDC-flagged additives
Plate photo or barcode. Calories, macros, and EDC-classified food additives scored against the same regulatory lists. Adds to your daily intake automatically.
AI skin observations
A daily selfie, week over week
Five plain-language observations per scan - pores, tone, the tired softness under your eyes. Saved next to your products, meals, and cycle. Observed without judgement.
Cycle tracking
Phase tagged on every scan
Log your period; Luminelle figures out the phase. Every product and meal you scan carries the phase you were in. Patterns surface over time. No forecasts.
The user observes patterns. Luminelle keeps the lab notebook. Not a diagnostic, not a diet app, not a brand attack.
At a glance
Side-by-side
| Luminelle | Think Dirty | |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2026 | 2013 (Toronto) |
| Scans cosmetics | ✓ | ✓ |
| Scans food (calories + macros) | ✓ | - |
| EDC-flagged food additives (Luminelle) | ✓ | - |
| Daily skin selfie observation (Luminelle) | ✓ | - |
| Cycle phase on every scan (Luminelle) | ✓ | - |
| Weekly pattern detection (Luminelle) | ✓ | - |
| Platforms | iOS, Android | iOS, Android |
| Score scale | 0-100 (continuous) | 0-10 (3 categories: Clean / Half / Dirty) |
| Maximum-severity scoring (Luminelle) | ✓ | - |
| Methodology published at /methodology (Luminelle) | ✓ | - |
| Specific regulator citations per flag (Luminelle) | ✓ (Annex II row, AB bill §, SCCS opinion ID) | - |
| EU CosIng / Annex II / SCCS depth (Luminelle) | ✓ | - |
| California AB 2762/2771/496 (Luminelle) | ✓ | - |
| Prop 65 (cosmetic context, Luminelle) | ✓ | - |
| EPA CompTox PFAS Master List (Luminelle) | ✓ | - |
| Biological personalization: sex, age, cycle (Luminelle) | ✓ | - |
| Geographic focus | EU and US | - |
| Clean alternatives feature | - | ✓ |
| Free tier | ✓ | ✓ |
| Premium | Luminelle+ | - |
What Luminelle does
Five things Luminelle does
0-100 scoring with category-weighted severity. Luminelle uses a continuous 0-100 scale weighted by cosmetic relevance. A 71 and a 74 reflect different ingredient profiles - answering how heavily a product is flagged, not just a bucket.
Full methodology published. See /methodology for the complete weight table and aggregation rules. EU Annex II ban weighs 2.5×, California cosmetic law (AB 2762/2771/496) 2.0×, EU allergen 0.6×. Industrial REACH/CLP flags that don't apply to skin contact weigh zero. Every weight is auditable.
Direct regulator citations on every flag. Tap any flag to read the specific Annex II row, AB bill section, SCCS opinion, or Prop 65 listing. AB 2762 (in force) and AB 496 (in force 2027) require different responses; specific citations carry that information.
Daily skin selfie observed by a vision model. Five plain-language observations per scan, saved next to today's products, meals, and cycle phase. A scan rating tells you about a product in the abstract; a weekly observation tells you about your skin in the real world. A journal, not medical advice.
Cycle phase tagged on every scan. Log your period; Luminelle tags follicular, ovulatory, luteal, or menstrual on every product and meal you scan. The SCCS evaluates many ingredients differently for pregnant women and adolescents; Luminelle surfaces the right flag for the right profile. Patterns surface across products, meals, and skin over weeks.
Who each is for
Match the tool to your habit
Luminelle is best for…
- You want products, meals, cycle, and skin observations connected - not in four different apps
- You've ever wanted to read the specific Annex II row, AB bill section, or SCCS opinion behind a flag
- You live in the EU, UK, or US - your local rules are the most aggressive
- You're pregnant, trying to conceive, or buying products for children
- You want to see the math behind a score, not a single bucket
- You prefer a 0-100 continuous score over three coarse categories
- You track your cycle and want it in the same place as your scans
Luminelle may not be right for you if…
- You prefer a simple three-tier verdict over a 0-100 score
- You're in North America and want the largest cosmetics-focused product database in that region
- You want in-app "switch to this" product suggestions in your scan results
- You don't track your cycle and don't want a daily skin selfie loop
- You only need a cosmetics scanner, not a multi-modal journal
Many users will benefit from having more than one app installed - different shapes do different jobs.
Migration support
How to add Luminelle (or run both)
- Nothing to export. No accounts to transfer between apps.
- Download Luminelle, scan a few products you care about, and read the linked regulator citation behind any flag.
- Tap a flagged ingredient. Luminelle shows the specific Annex II row, AB bill section, or SCCS opinion behind the rating.
- Set up your profile (sex, age, optionally cycle phase) - this is where Luminelle's personalization kicks in.
- Take your first selfie. Five observations, saved next to today's scans. Repeat tomorrow.
- Run Luminelle alongside any other scanner. The apps don't conflict.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
- What does Luminelle do?
- Luminelle scans cosmetics and meals, adds a daily skin-selfie observation loop, tags cycle phase on every scan, scores on a 0-100 continuous scale with category-weighted severity, and links direct regulator citations behind every flag (Annex II row, AB bill section, SCCS opinion, Prop 65 listing).
- How does Luminelle's score work?
- Luminelle uses a 0-100 continuous scale with maximum-severity scoring. Industrial REACH/CLP flags that describe workplace chemical exposure but don't apply to skin contact weigh zero. EU Annex II bans weigh 2.5×. California cosmetic law (AB 2762/2771/496) weighs 2.0×. Full methodology at /methodology.
- Does Luminelle scan food?
- Yes. Luminelle scans plates and barcodes for calories and macros and flags EDC-classified food additives against the same regulatory pipeline it uses for cosmetics.
- Can I use both Luminelle and Think Dirty?
- Yes. The apps don't conflict; many users will install both.
- Is Luminelle free?
- Yes. All scans are free. Luminelle+ adds personalized scoring, scan history, and re-flag alerts when scanned products receive new regulatory actions.
- Does Luminelle have an alternative-product suggestion feature?
- Not in v1. Luminelle's current focus is regulator-cited analysis of the product you scan, plus the meal, cycle, and skin layers.
- Is Luminelle good for users in California?
- Yes - California is a primary jurisdiction. Luminelle tracks AB 2762, AB 2771, and AB 496 with specific bill section citations and effective-date awareness, plus Prop 65 cosmetic signals.
A scanner is a snapshot. Luminelle is the notebook.
Free at launch. Products, meals, cycle, skin selfie - every scan saved, every flag linked to a regulator.
Public launch Q2 2026.