Did you know?

Did You Know One Additive Has Many Names?

The same colour or preservative can appear under several names or an E-number, which is exactly how a trigger slips past you on a label. How to make sure it doesn't.

Clip coming soon

The quick version

A single additive often hides behind several names. Sulphur dioxide is also “sulphites” and E220. Tartrazine is also E102 and, in the US, FD&C Yellow 5. So you can scan a label, not see the word you were looking for, and still take home the very thing that flares your skin, because it was listed under a different name.

Why it matters

This is the single most common way a trigger gets past someone who is genuinely trying to avoid it. If you only memorise one form of your trigger, the label only has to use a different one to catch you out.

What to do

For each of your triggers, learn all its forms, the common name, any alternatives, and the E-number. Better still, keep a written guard list of every alias, or use a tool that knows the aliases for you so a different name cannot slip through.

A short video clip on this is coming soon.

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 handles the aliases for you: save a trigger once and it recognises the various names and E-numbers when you scan any product, food, medication or cosmetic, 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.