Red Dye Diaries

this is a work in progress

In addition to my lifelong (and worsening) allergy to red dye, I’ve recently acquired new contact allergies (fun!). It’s surprisingly lonely to be allergic to highly common ingredients and makes me wonder if I’m the only one. Why does everything need fragrance? Even products marketed as “unscented” may contain a masking fragrance. And most products marketed for “sensitive skin” are anything but sensitive to skin like mine

The Red Dye Diaries is a blog about trying to avoid ultra-common allergens in everyday life, specifically and primarily red dye (I can’t eat it or get it on me) and fragrance (I can’t get it on me — synthetic or some natural ones). I’m also allergic to parabens but it turns out those are fairly easy to avoid these days. Last but not least, I only use cruelty-free skincare, haircare, and cosmetic products, further reducing my options. So I’ll try to share a bit about how I got creative when I couldn’t replace all my old favorite products.

I’m documenting my experiences and sometimes using this space to vent. Or maybe plead with manufacturers. And if there is another adult avoiding red dye out there, they’ll know they’re not the only one buying cough medicine in the children’s aisle.

Disclaimer: brands change their animal testing policies and product formulations periodically and without warning. Sometimes, this is the result of a smaller brand getting acquired by a larger corporation. Other items, who knows. The point is, if you are reading this, use it as a starting point for your own research but remember that ingredients change. If, in my own day-to-day experience I discover a discrepancy, I’ll do my best to update it here. Also, you should keep your own goals and priorities in mind. For me, I want to avoid products that are tested on animals or contribute to animal cruelty, and I need to avoid products that contain my “no-no” ingredients or I’ll get a big rash on my face. So my motivation may be different than yours s’all I’m saying.