Know what's on the label.
Know what it means for you.
Independent, plain-English guides to ingredients, allergies and sensitive skin, so you can read any label, spot your own triggers, and shop with confidence.
Understand any ingredient
Plain-English breakdowns of what's really on the label, what it does, and who tends to react to it.
2Manage your condition
Practical guides for eczema, dermatitis, rosacea, allergies and sensitive skin, without the jargon.
3Shop with confidence
Product round-ups, honest tool comparisons and how-tos so you can choose what suits your skin.
4Check it against your triggers
The tools that flag your own triggers on any product, including ClearaScan's personal avoidance list.
When it's something you ate
Not every reaction comes from what you put on your skin. Our Food wing covers the colours, preservatives and foods linked to hives, itching and eczema flares, never digestion.
Explore the Food wing
Foods and additives that trigger skin reactions, and a calm way to find your own.
Allura Red (E129): The Red Azo Dye Linked to Hives and Itching
Allura Red (E129) is a synthetic red azo dye in sweets, drinks and snacks, and one of the colours linked to hives and flushing in sensitive people. What it is, who reacts, and how to spot it.
Annatto (E160b): The Natural Colour That Can Still Trigger Skin
Annatto (E160b) is a plant-derived yellow-orange food colour in cheese, butter and snacks, and a recognised, if uncommon, trigger of hives in sensitive people. What it is, where it hides on UK labels, and calm steps if you suspect it affects your skin.
BHA and BHT (E320, E321): Antioxidant Preservatives and the Skin
BHA (E320) and BHT (E321) are antioxidant preservatives that keep fatty foods from going rancid, and they turn up in cosmetics too. A plain-English UK guide to what they are, who reacts, and how to spot them on a label.
Brilliant Blue (E133): The Synthetic Blue Dye and the Skin
Brilliant Blue (E133) is a synthetic blue colour in drinks, sweets and even mouthwash. Reactions are less common than with azo dyes, but they happen. What it is, where it hides on UK labels, and calm steps if you suspect a reaction.
Calcium Propionate (E282): The Bread Preservative and Sensitive Skin
Calcium propionate keeps bread mould-free and is one of the additives some people link to hives and eczema flares. What it is, who reacts, and where it hides.
Carmine and Cochineal (E120): A Natural Red That Still Reacts
Carmine (E120) is a natural red colour made from insects, and natural does not mean inert. A UK plain-English guide to what it is, who reacts, where it hides, and how to spot it on a label.
Carmoisine (E122): The Red Azo Dye in the Southampton Six
Carmoisine (E122), also called azorubine, is a synthetic red azo dye linked to hives and itching in sensitive people. What it is, who reacts, and how to spot it.
Chronic Hives and Food: Which Triggers Are Worth Checking
When hives keep coming back, food is a common suspect. A calm, UK-anchored guide to the additives and natural foods most often linked to chronic urticaria, and a sensible way to find your own triggers.
Erythrosine (E127): The Tightly Restricted Cherry-Red Dye
Erythrosine (E127) is a synthetic red dye now limited to cocktail and candied cherries in the UK and EU. What it is, who reacts on the skin, and where it still hides.
Monosodium Glutamate (MSG): What the Skin Evidence Actually Says
MSG (E621) is a flavour enhancer often blamed for reactions. For skin symptoms the honest evidence is weak and mixed. What it is, what the science shows, and how to test it for yourself.
Patent Blue V (E131): The Synthetic Blue Dye and the Skin
Patent Blue V (E131) is a synthetic blue colour in sweets, drinks and some medicines. Food reactions are uncommon, but they happen in sensitive people. What it is, who reacts, and where it hides.
Ponceau 4R (E124): The Red Azo Dye and the Skin
Ponceau 4R (E124) is a synthetic red azo dye in sweets, drinks and desserts that can trigger hives in people sensitive to azo colours. What it is, the UK children's warning it must carry, where it hides on labels, and calm steps if you suspect a reaction.
Potassium Sorbate (E202): A Common Preservative and the Skin
Potassium sorbate keeps countless foods and cosmetics fresh, and is an occasional cause of contact reactions and hives. What it is, who reacts, and where it hides.
Quinoline Yellow (E104): A Southampton Colour and the Skin
Quinoline Yellow (E104) is a bright yellow food colour, one of the 'Southampton Six', that some people with chronic hives find worsens their skin. What it is, who reacts, and where it hides.
Sodium Benzoate and the Benzoates (E210 to E213): Preservatives and Chronic Hives
Benzoate preservatives like sodium benzoate (E211) keep soft drinks, sauces and pickles fresh, and are repeatedly linked to worsening chronic hives in sensitive people. What they are, where they hide on UK labels, and calm steps if you suspect a reaction.
Sodium Nitrite and the Nitrites (E249 to E252): Cured Meats and Flushing
Nitrite and nitrate preservatives in bacon, ham and salami are linked to flushing and headache, and often pile onto the histamine load that drives hives. What they are, where they hide on UK labels, and calm steps if you suspect a reaction.
Sulphites (E220 to E228): Wine, Dried Fruit and the Skin
Preservatives in wine, dried fruit and processed foods that can trigger flushing, hives and itching.
Sunset Yellow (E110): The Orange Dye Linked to Hives
Sunset Yellow (E110) is a synthetic orange azo dye in drinks and sweets, and one of the colours linked to hives and itching in sensitive people. What it is, who reacts, and how to spot it.
Tartrazine and Other Azo Dyes: The Food Colours Linked to Hives
Azo dyes like tartrazine (E102) are bright synthetic food colours that can trigger hives and itching in sensitive people. A UK plain-English guide to what they are, who reacts, the label rules, and how to spot them.
Browse everything
Plain-English help for sensitive and allergy-prone skin, with the food triggers marked.
Ingredient guides
Plain-English breakdowns of common skincare and product ingredients.
Condition guides
Practical guides for eczema, contact dermatitis, fragrance allergy and more.
Product round-ups
Fragrance-free, allergy-friendly and sensitive-skin product guides.
Tool comparisons
How the popular ingredient-scanner apps compare, and which suit sensitive skin.
Symptom guides
Understanding skin reactions, allergy symptoms and what they might mean.
How-to guides
Practical steps for label reading, patch testing and identifying triggers.
Dermatology resources
Preparing for dermatology appointments, allergy testing and specialist visits.
Allergy video snippets
Quick, myth-busting video clips on allergens, ingredient labels and sensitive skin.
Food and skin
Foods and additives that trigger hives, itching and eczema flares, not digestion.
New here? Start with these
Three good places to begin if you're working out what your skin reacts to.
How to read an ingredient label
The three quick habits that let you judge any product in seconds.
What "fragrance" really means
How one word on a label can hide dozens of undisclosed chemicals.
Eczema-friendly skincare
What to look for, what to avoid, and how to build a simple routine.
Looking for a tool that checks products against your own list? See our comparison of ingredient-checker apps.
The Sensitive Skin Ingredient Decoder
A free one-page guide to reading a skincare label fast: the irritants to watch, the fragrance loopholes, and what "fragrance-free" and "hypoallergenic" really mean.