You like baking and cooking with different food items. But you don’t want bland, colorless food. You enjoy experimenting with the whole spectrum of food colors, but you don’t like the idea of stains from food coloring on skin.
Unfortunately, your hands and arms can look like they have been dipped in a rainbow. How do you get the food coloring off your skin?
A range of options are available to remove food coloring from your skin. You can use:
- Soap and water
- Shaving cream
- Hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol
- Toothpaste
- Vinegar and Baking soda
You will want to take action immediately. The staining from food coloring occurs when you let it dry.
Let’s take you through 10 easy ways to remove food coloring from your skin.
There may be affiliate links in this article. You can read more about this in my disclosure.
10 Ways to Get Food Coloring Off Skin
The first step is to understand that a range of home remedies are available to remove food coloring from your skin.
Try these options and settle on the one(s) that you find most effective.
1. Wipe your hands
While using the food coloring, constantly wipe it off your skin using a paper towel or baby wipes. Getting onto the situation while the coloring is still wet makes cleaning yourself a breeze.
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2. Soap and water
This simple method can take some time before all the food coloring is removed. Lather your hands and any stained skin with soap.
Wash hands with soap and repeat until the coloring is gone. If any unwanted stains remain, a clean washcloth can help. Using equal parts water and soap can also help for a diluted solution to wash your hands with.
3. Scrub away the stains
Similar to option number 2 above. However, using an exfoliating sponge or a cloth to rub at the stained area would be best.
Lather up the sponge with soap and then rub vigorously at the food coloring.
If you have sensitive skin, then avoid this method. There are several other ways that you can try.
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4. Rubbing alcohol
Dab some alcohol onto a cotton ball and then blot at the stubborn stains. You may need to repeat the process.
An alternative to rubbing alcohol is nail polish remover or even baby oil for gentler action. Use the same process as above and watch the food coloring disappear.
Don’t use this method if you have sensitive skin or cuts.
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5. Toothpaste
You can use whitening toothpaste or a non-gel toothpaste. The best way is to use toothpaste that contains baking soda, as the soda is a natural bleaching agent.
Apply a small amount of toothpaste to the affected area. Rub your hands together for a couple of minutes in a circular motion.
Work the toothpaste into the skin, between your fingers, and under your fingernails.
Rinse your hands under warm water. Check to ensure the food coloring is gone.
Repeat the process if necessary.
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6. Vinegar with baking soda
Cleaning with vinegar is great for removing stains. There are a couple of approaches to this method. The first uses vinegar (with baking soda added later).
The second has you creating a vinegar/baking soda paste. Let’s take you through each procedure.
Vinegar only
For this, it’s best to use white vinegar for cleaning. This is because, like baking soda, white vinegar is a natural bleach.
Dab a cloth into the vinegar and then rub at the food coloring. If you experience any irritation or stinging sensation, then dilute the vinegar. Apple cider vinegar can also be an alternative.
Slowly add the water. You don’t want to affect the concentration levels of the vinegar to the point it’s ineffective.
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Baking soda paste
For stubborn stains, using a baking soda paste can be highly effective.
Add two tablespoons of baking soda and one tablespoon of vinegar into a bowl. Mix the ingredients to form a paste.
Massage the cleaning solution into your hands and fingers for a minute.
Wash off the paste with warm water. Repeat this process if needed.
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7. Shaving cream
Shaving cream is a quick, simple method for removing food coloring from your skin.
Spray a small amount of the shaving cream onto your hands. Rub foam shaving cream into your hands for at least 30 seconds, then wash off the cream with warm water.
Check to see if all the coloring has been removed. Do the process once more if there is still a stain.
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8. Oxiclean
Oxiclean has a variety of household uses. One of these is as a stain remover, making it an option worth considering to remove food coloring stains off your skin.
Before using Oxiclean, read the manufacturer’s recommendation for the correct amount. Add the required amount of Oxiclean into a bowl of warm water.
Wash your hands in the solution to remove the food coloring. Rinse your hands and look to see if the stains have gone.
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9. Lemon Juice
The acidity within lemon juice is an effective stain solution. However, just like the rubbing alcohol and vinegar methods, you shouldn’t try this if you have sensitive skin.
Mix the juice from half a lemon, a teaspoon of sugar, and some dish soap into a bowl to try this solution. Stir everything until thoroughly combined.
Apply the mixture to your hands, rubbing energetically at the food coloring.
Rinse your hands under some warm water. If you see that there are still some stains on your skin, then repeat the process.
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10. Hydrogen Peroxide
You can use hydrogen peroxide to remove food color stains from your skin. Hydrogen peroxide with a concentration of 3% is ideal for safe home use.
You can remove stains on your skin using hydrogen peroxide in two ways.
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Use a Q-tip
This is a straightforward solution.
- Pour some hydrogen peroxide onto the end of your Q-tip.
- Rub the Q-tip over the food coloring, then wait for 10 minutes.
- Rinse off the hydrogen peroxide with warm water. You want to thoroughly wash your skin to remove all traces of hydrogen peroxide.
- Dry your hands
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Combining hydrogen peroxide with soap
For this method, you will create a paste to apply to your skin.
- Grate or flake 30 grams of soap into a container.
- Add 30 milliliters of hydrogen peroxide.
- Mix the soap and hydrogen peroxide until it forms a paste.
- Apply the paste to your hands and wait for 10 minutes.
- Wash away the paste with warm water. You may have to scrape off the paste with your fingers. Do so while your hands are under the running water.
Getting the food coloring out from under your fingernails
You may find that some of the food coloring has made its way under your fingernails. It’s easy to take care of the issue.
Use any of the methods we have given you combined with a toothbrush. Dip the toothbrush into your solution and then scrub under your fingernails.
Wash away the solution, and you should find that your nails look clean and white.
FAQs About Food Coloring On Skin
Is food coloring safe on skin?
For the most part, yes, food coloring is safe to use on your skin. Since it’s made to be edible, the ingredients are non-toxic. However, some folks find it can cause minor irritation or allergic reactions. It’s smart to do a patch test first before going all out with it.
How long does food coloring last on skin?
Food coloring can stick around on your skin for a few hours up to a couple days. It really depends on the type you use, how concentrated it is, and your particular skin type. Over time, washing and your skin’s natural exfoliation will break it down.
Does liquid food coloring stain skin?
You bet – liquid food colors can definitely stain your skin. How dark and long the stain lasts has a lot to do with how concentrated the color is and how long you leave it on before rinsing. Some skin types seem more prone to holding the colors too.
How long does it take to get food coloring off skin?
That varies quite a bit. With lots of scrubbing, you may get it off in a few hours. But it can hang on for a couple days if you don’t work at it. Using certain removal methods can speed up the process.
What happens if you put food dye on your skin?
When food dye is applied to the skin, it will temporarily stain it. Most dyes are non-toxic and okay for skin contact, but some individuals may react with irritation or even allergic rashes. It’s wise to test a small area first before full application.
Enjoy playing with food coloring
Food coloring can stain your skin, but that doesn’t mean you need to avoid using it. Allow your creative juices to flow while being confident you can remove the stains on your skin.
If you have sensitive skin, avoid the options we provided that irritate your skin. A good option is to wear protective gloves.
Prevention is always the better choice. Have fun experimenting with your food coloring!
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Farah Zeb is a mother of five, including two children with special needs. She shares practical parenting tips and resources to help other families navigate daily challenges and create supportive, nurturing environments.
