What nemi is
nemi is a free app for finding out what is actually in a cosmetic product. Scan the barcode, or search by name, and you get the product’s complete ingredient list with an explanation of what each ingredient is and how safe it is, plus a score for the product as a whole. It works in English and Japanese.
It is most useful in a situation Japan produces constantly: you are holding a bottle in a drugstore in Tokyo, the entire label is in Japanese, and the reviews you can find are marketing copy. Japanese law requires every ingredient to be printed on the package, so the information is right there — nemi is the part that reads it for you.
How it works
- Scan or search. Point the camera at the barcode, or type a product name in either language.
- Read the ingredients. Every ingredient in the product, in the order printed on the package, each one tappable for a plain-language explanation of what it does.
- See the score. Computed from the ingredients and where they sit in the list.
- Make it yours. Tell nemi your skin type and anything you want to avoid, and the score reflects your skin rather than an average one.
Where the data comes from
Every product page is built by transcribing the ingredient list from a specific source — the manufacturer’s own page, or a trusted Japanese retailer — and the app records which one. Safety information for individual ingredients comes from public databases including EWG, CosIng and the JCIA Japanese Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary, combined with our own review.
Where we do not have reliable information about an ingredient, it is marked unverified rather than guessed at. If something looks wrong, we would rather hear about it — see for brands.
About the score
The score is calculated from the ingredients a product contains and their positions in the list, so it reflects the formula rather than a brand’s reputation or price. It is a starting point for a decision, not a verdict — nemi is not a medical service, and nothing in the app is medical advice. How the score is calculated explains the method.
Once you have entered a skin profile, the score you see is already adjusted to your skin. There is no separate generic number underneath it.
Learning to read the label yourself
The app does the work, but the label is not actually that hard to read once someone explains the rules. Our ingredient guides cover how the ordering works, what the recurring ingredients do, and what claims like 無添加 mean — which is worth knowing whether or not you use the app.