Sodium Metabisulfite
A sulfite antioxidant/preservative — a recognised contact allergen for sulfite-sensitive people, and the one that can cause hives
INCISodium Metabisulfite
- Category
- Preservative
- Risk level
- medium
- What it is
- A sulfite-family salt used as an antioxidant/preservative (also a food additive, E223)
- Cross-reaction
- Reacting to it predicts sensitivity to other sulfites (sodium bisulfite, potassium metabisulfite, sulfur dioxide)
- Food vs skin
- Dietary sulfite sensitivity (wine, dried fruit) and topical sulfite contact allergy are related but separate — you can have one without the other
- Where it hides
- Often as a stabiliser in vitamin C and brightening products, and in hair-processing chemicals
Look for these names on ingredient lists
This ingredient may appear under any of these names:
Commonly found in
Possible reactions
- Allergic contact dermatitis in sulfite-sensitive people
- Urticaria (hives) in some sulfite-allergic individuals
- Redness and stinging at the application site
- Rarely, respiratory symptoms in severe sulfite sensitivity
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What is sodium metabisulfite?
Sodium metabisulfite (also sodium pyrosulfite; food code E223) is an inorganic salt in the sulfite family. It works as an antioxidant and preservative — stopping oxidative breakdown — which makes it especially useful in formulas with easily-oxidised actives like vitamin C and in some brightening/skin-lightening creams, where it prevents discolouration and potency loss. It's also common in food preservation, water treatment, hair-processing chemicals, and pharmaceuticals.
In cosmetics it's less common than organic preservatives, but it's a recognised contact allergen worth knowing if you're sulfite-sensitive.
Why it causes reactions
Sodium metabisulfite is an established contact allergen in the sulfite group, included on standard patch-test panels. In sensitised people it can cause:
- Allergic contact dermatitis — redness, itch, and dermatitis at the application site.
- Urticaria (hives) in some sulfite-allergic individuals — less typical for a contact allergen, and a feature worth flagging.
- Cross-reactivity across sulfites — sodium bisulfite, potassium metabisulfite, sodium sulfite, and sulfur dioxide.
A useful distinction: dietary sulfite sensitivity (reactions to wine, dried fruit, preserved foods — and, in asthmatics, occasionally airway symptoms) and topical sulfite contact allergy are related but separate. You can have one without the other, though some people have both.
How to spot and avoid it
- Read labels for Sodium Metabisulfite / Sodium Pyrosulfite, and the related sulfites (bisulfite, potassium metabisulfite, sodium sulfite).
- Check vitamin C and brightening products specifically — common homes for it as a stabiliser.
- Mind salon hair chemicals if you get scalp/hand reactions.
- Prefer sulfite-free stabilising — vitamin C derivatives, or vitamin E/ferulic acid systems.
When to see a dermatologist
A rash from vitamin C or brightening products, or hives that seem to track with sulfite exposure, is worth patch testing — sodium metabisulfite is on standard series. Confirming it lets you avoid the whole sulfite group, topically and (with your doctor's input) where it matters in diet.
The bottom line
Sodium metabisulfite is a sulfite antioxidant that quietly stabilises vitamin C and brightening products — and a genuine, if uncommon, contact allergen (occasionally causing hives) for sulfite-sensitive people. If that's you, treat the sulfite family as a group and choose sulfite-free stabilisers.
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