What do the Clean, Low, Watch and Swap levels mean?

They are cut from a continuous concern level the app computes from the sourced claims that the chosen evidence lens shows: each claim counts its concern class, tier weight, confidence and dose relevance, combined worst-first with a decay so one serious finding outweighs many small ones, then scaled by how much of the substance reaches you in this use. Clean is below 0.35, Low below 1.1, Watch below 2.0 and Swap above that, on a 0 to 3 scale.

Is Colorants safe on skin (left on)?

Q: Is colorants safe on skin (left on)?

Under the app's default Cautious lens, colorants on skin (left on) rates Swap: the app would put this near the top of your swap plan. 3 sourced concerns count (suspected carcinogen, consensus tier; irritant · allergen, consensus tier; environmental, consensus tier). This is research with sources, not medical advice.

1 use researched3 sourced claims

Detox My Life researched colorants under one use, because the same substance means something different in each use. Every claim below carries its evidence tier, how sure the research is that it applies here, and the sources it cites. The level is computed by the app's own deterministic engine, so the page says exactly what the app would.

Level by use and lens

Use	Mainstream	Cautious (default)	Based	Concerns · favour · fringe
On skin, left on	Swap	Swap	Swap	3 · 0

Mainstream shows consensus claims only; Cautious adds emerging research; Based adds fringe claims, labelled as such. The last column counts, under Cautious, the sourced concerns, the findings in its favour and the fringe claims Based would add.

Safer swaps: the app's swap catalog has no entry tied to this ingredient yet. When you scan a product that contains it, the app suggests cleaner alternative types for that product; the swap categories list what the catalog covers today.

On skin, left on Swap

Under the default Cautious lens colorants on skin (left on) rates Swap: the app would put this near the top of your swap plan. Mainstream (consensus only) rates it Swap; Based (adds the fringe) rates it Swap. Researched 2026-09-28.

Sourced concerns (3)

ConsensusSuspected carcinogenconfidence 100%

Certain synthetic colorants, such as coal-tar derivatives, FD&C Red No. 40 (due to benzidine), D&C Red No. 3 (thyroid tumors in animals), Carbon Black (classified as a possible human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)), and p-phenylenediamine, are classified as possible carcinogens or linked to cancer risk with long-term exposure from dermal application.

Why here: Prolonged dermal contact in leave-on products can lead to absorption of these substances, increasing potential for long-term health risks.
What would have to be true: Long-term topical application of products containing these specific colorants.

Sources the engine cites (no regulator, review or study among them):

3 web articles (irenshizen.com, scientiamag.org, enhesa.com), linked in the app.

ConsensusIrritant · allergenconfidence 100%

Artificial colorants are allergenic and sensitizing, leading to skin irritation, redness, rashes, and inflammation when applied topically in leave-on products.

Why here: Direct and prolonged contact of leave-on products with the skin allows for sensitization and irritation.
What would have to be true: Topical application of products containing artificial colorants.

Sources the engine cites:

Allergy to selected cosmetic ingredients - PMC - NIH — nih.gov · regulator or public body
1 web article (irenshizen.com), linked in the app.

ConsensusEnvironmentalconfidence 100%

The production and disposal of synthetic dyes and heavy metals found as contaminants in colorants contribute to water pollution and harm aquatic ecosystems, with many being recalcitrant and bio-accumulative.

Why here: Colorants from dermal leave-on products eventually enter wastewater and landfills, leading to environmental contamination.
What would have to be true: Disposal of cosmetic products containing synthetic colorants and heavy metal contaminants.

Sources the engine cites (no regulator, review or study among them):

1 web article (thepowdershampoo.com), linked in the app.

Not researched here

The engine has no dossier for colorants when cooked with heat, in cold food, as a finishing ingredient, in heated food packaging or other uses. The app researches an ingredient for the use it infers from your product, so a scan fills these in; this page only shows what has already been researched and source-verified.

This is research, not medical advice. Detox My Life shows sourced claims sorted by evidence tier. It does not diagnose, treat, or tell you to start or stop anything. Talk to a qualified professional about your health.

Scan your own. The app reads any product label with your camera, works out how you are about to use it, and researches every ingredient for that use with live sources. Every scan adds to a Detox Score for your home, where 50 is a typical home in your region, and a plan of next swaps.

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