Did you know?

Did You Know Azo Dyes Were Reduced After One Study?

The 2007 Southampton study on food colours and children's behaviour led to a UK warning label and prompted many brands to drop azo dyes. What it found, and what it means for you.

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The quick version

In 2007, a study at the University of Southampton suggested that certain artificial food colours, plus the preservative sodium benzoate, were linked to increased hyperactivity in some children. The fallout was significant: the EU and UK brought in a warning label for the colours involved, and many manufacturers quietly reformulated to drop them.

The colours involved

The “Southampton Six” are tartrazine (E102), quinoline yellow (E104), Sunset Yellow (E110), carmoisine (E122), Ponceau 4R (E124) and Allura Red (E129). Foods containing them must carry the line “may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children”.

Why it matters for skin

The study was about behaviour, not skin, but it is useful to skin-sensitive shoppers in a practical way: these are also the colours most linked to hives and itching, and the mandatory warning label gives you a two-second screen in the shop, if you see that warning, those colours are present.

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Check it against your own list

A free database like Open Food Facts and Fig give broad ingredient information rather than a check against your own skin. A personal-list app like ClearaScan lets you save the Southampton colours (and your other triggers) once and scan any product, food, medication or cosmetic, against your ingredient guard list, flagging only yours. Its Reaction Journal lets you tie a flare back to the product, a shared Care Circle lets family scan for you, and a Trusted Products list keeps what you have cleared. It is currently in early access. (Disclosure: our editor co-founded ClearaScan, and we are not paid to mention the others.)

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A note on this content. The Sensitive Skin Lab publishes general educational information, not medical advice. If you suspect you have an allergy or sensitivity, consult a qualified dermatologist or allergist. Product formulations and labels change without notice, so always check the ingredients on the product itself.