How to Remove Food Color from Skin

Prepare some Isopropyl alcohol. If Isopropyl alcohol is not available, you can use Acetone or nail polish remover. Remember that Acetone and nail polish remover are very strong and drying to the skin, not suitable for children or people with sensitive skin. If you want to clean baby food coloring, you should use isopropyl alcohol, non-acetone nail polish remover or hand sanitizer.

• Do not use Isopropyl alcohol, Acetone or nail polish remover if food coloring gets on your face. Use toothpaste instead.

Dip a cotton ball in Isopropyl alcohol. For larger areas of skin, use a folded paper towel or clean towel. If using hand sanitizer, you can skip this step and apply it directly to your skin.

Apply a cotton ball to the food stain. Isopropyl alcohol helps dissolve pigments in food coloring. Most food coloring will fade after a few rubs.

Repeat with a new cotton ball and Isopropyl alcohol until the food color disappears. Do not reuse an old cotton ball to avoid re-staining the color on the skin. Discard old stained cotton balls and dip new ones in Isopropyl alcohol. Continue scrubbing until the food color disappears.

Wash food coloring with soap and water and pat dry with a towel. If the color remains, you can use more isopropyl alcohol to wash it off. Make sure to rinse and dry your skin after applying Isopropyl alcohol.

Apply hand lotion for sensitive skin. Because Isopropyl alcohol can dry out the skin, you need to apply extra lotion after washing off the food coloring. This step is especially recommended if you use Acetone or nail polish remover.

Wash food stains with soap and warm water. You can dip a towel in water and then use it to rub food stains on the skin.

Dip a clean towel in white vinegar. Prepare a lot of vinegar because you need to dip the towel many times in vinegar.

Rub the towel over the food stain. If vinegar causes burning or heat, you can try mixing vinegar with water in a 1:1 ratio. This will help dilute the vinegar and make it less irritating.

• If food coloring gets on your face, you need to dilute the vinegar with water first. Or you can use toothpaste.

Rinse the towel with cool water and then dip it in vinegar. During the scrubbing process, the food color will stick to the towel, so you need to wash the towel with water to avoid spreading the food color back to the skin. Make sure to dip the towel again in the vinegar after washing it with water. Continue scrubbing the food coloring until it fades.

Use a mixture of baking soda and water for stubborn food stains. Mix baking soda with water in a ratio of 2:1 in a small dish. Spread the mixture over the food coloring and gently rub it with your fingers in a circular motion. ^[4]

• Do not scrub too hard as baking soda is abrasive and can make skin dry.

Wash off the mixture with soap and water. Baking soda is not easy to wash off, so it takes a while to rinse. Be sure to wash the area with soap and water until the skin is free of the grit from the baking soda.

Repeat the cleaning process with the vinegar and baking soda mixture if necessary. Most food coloring will disappear after the first wash, but you may need to repeat several times for very deep stains.

Take a shower. Sometimes you just need to use warm water and soap to wash off food coloring. After bathing, the food stain will almost disappear.

Wash food stains with a little water and laundry detergent. Fill the tub with warm water and add some stain remover. Use your hands to stir the mixture evenly. If the food stain is on another part of your body, you can splash water on that spot.

• Do not use this method to remove food coloring from your face. Instead, you should use toothpaste.

Make a salt and vinegar mixture. Put 2-3 teaspoons of salt in a bowl and add a few drops of vinegar enough to make a paste. Wet the food coloring on the skin with a little water and then apply the salt-vinegar mixture. Wash the mixture off with soap and water. ^[5]

Try using wet wipes or baby wipes to remove food stains. The oil in the towel can help break down food colors and make them fade.

Try a little baby oil or other food-grade oils. Dip a cotton ball in the oil and rub it over the food coloring. Replace the cotton ball with a new one when the old one becomes stained. Be sure to wash off food stains with soap and warm water.

Use shaving cream to remove food stains. Shaving cream contains peroxide to help remove food coloring. Just apply shaving cream to the stain like you would apply soap. Wash thoroughly with soap and warm water.

Make a scrub with dish soap, some lemon juice, and a pinch of sugar. Rub the mixture over the food coloring until the color disappears. Be sure to wash off food stains with soap and warm water.