[gemmy124 (OP)]

Hi there, this is my first post[]
Plenty of search results come up when one looks up artificial colourings, in particular the link between a small number of asthmatics who don't react well to tartrazine - also known as FD&C Yellow no 5, E102, CI 19140 etc etc except that all the entries relate to tartrazine as a trigger for asthmatic episodes. I'm mildly asthmatic, however if I ingest tartrazine it leaves me with skin from hell! I get papules I think- closed, hard lumps with are red and sometimes burst, but more often the redness and swelling goes down and the lump stays, often for months before either a flare-up followed by bursting, or ever so slowly shrinking away. A "mishap" with food eaten at cafes etc and OTC medication without ingredient listing have been the main sources of my breakouts, which can affect face, decolletage and back. I also suspect I have a problem with red food dyes too but I'm not prepared to challenge yet to find out which one. The red or reds result in whiteheads and blackheads, as distinct from the yellow. Lately I've had a particularly ferocous breakout- mostly on my back. It is unsightly and reminds me of when I was a teenager, long before I realised I had a problem. I've known I had a problem for maybe 6 yrs now and since I started avoiding the problem foods- mostly things I shouldn't eat anyway- my skin has been great. I suspect I may be reacting to another colour, perhaps even a natural one, but having trouble isolating the suspect. I should also mention that often cosmetics contain artificial colourings too, which means that now I make my own eyeshadows and lippy[] Colourings in shampoos give me dandruff and make my scalp itch. Is there anyone out there that has a similar problem with food additives resulting in specific kinds of blemishes, or am I a complete freak?

[ROBERT]

http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~aair/urticaria.htm#AspUrt

If your skin condition only affects skin exposed to sun, then you should consider the possiblity of Phytophotodermatitis.
http://www.emedicine.com/derm/topic324.htm
The plant extracts in perfumes when combined with sunlight can cause phytophotodermatitis:-
http://adam.about.com/encyclopedia/2723.htm
http://www.stacommunications.com/journals/cme/2004/July/pdf/037.pdf

[gemmy124 (OP)]

Hi Robert, thanks for your post[]

I've checked out your suggestions and I don't think it is hives- they don't itch and often involve a head as well as pus, so its not simply a case of an infected scratch. I get outbreaks where I'm not exposed to sun - eg my back during the winter months.

I'm wondering if perhaps the colouring is causing either overproduction of the surface skin cells around the hair shaft openings, thus allowing a whitehead or blackhead to form underneath. As to the biological mechanism- no clue. If I've eaten red colouring the resultant whiteheads/blackheads normally show up after a week. But why only on some parts of my skin and not others? I've never had a zit on my leg, for example. Yellows get a "blind pimple" happening within 48 hours, could that be some kind of very localised immune damping (which might allow resident and normally harmless bacteria to go awry), since asthma seems to be tied up with abnormal immune responses?

[ROBERT]

quote:Originally posted by gemmy124

overproduction of the surface skin cells around the hair shaft openings

I think what you have described is "Keratosis Pilaris":-

" According to Clark C. Otley, M.D, clinical associate professor of dermatology at the Mayo Clinic and Mayo Medical School, keratosis pilaris "stems from a buildup of cells that get trapped around hair follicles...[and] is often confused with acne or eczema." To this definition, Alai adds, "Often, a small, coiled hair can be seen beneath the papule [formed by the entrapment]." "
http://www.skin-disorders.org/keratosispilaris/
http://www.skincare4uonline.com/keratosis_pilaris_up_close.jpg

To reduce the possiblity of infection (indicated by pus), you could try ensuring that your
 soap/shower-gel/shampoo are "pH balanced": (i.e. slightly acid, not alkaki).

" pH And Skin Care

The epidermis is protected by an external layer of dead, dry, tightly knit cells (outer stratum corneum) arranged like shingles on a roof. Any disruption to the acid mantle, elevating overall skin pH, interferes with this protective barrier, wrenching cells away from each other and results in dehydration, roughness, irritation and noticeable flaking. Skin is left defenseless and susceptible to further environmental damage.

As cells pull apart, minute breaks become exposed, leaving skin more vulnerable to bacterial invasion. Under normal circumstances, bacteria not only have a difficult time penetrating through the stratum corneum, but the acid mantle creates a hostile environment for bacteria which prefer an alkaline environment to flourish. A rise in pH plays mayhem with natural infection prevention, further increasing infection due to bacteria typically paralyzed by an acidic environment. Once the pH exceeds 6.5, bacterial invasion increases dramatically, a loss of normal skin integrity results and a variety of various skin diseases and disorders such as atopic dermatitis, seborrhea, ichthyosis and irritant contact dermatitis flare.

Washing the skin with moderately or highly alkaline soap or detergents is one of the most common mistakes made that strips away the acid mantle. "
http://www.dermadoctor.com/pages/newsletter248.asp?WID=%7BE774E149-5C42-4984-A6B9-92CD8A75720D%7D