Potassium benzoate and sodium benzoate are common causes of itchy rashes.

It sounds a lot like what I experience- mine started last year and I would experience hives and facial swelling. I had never before had a food allergy.

I tried to pinpoint specific foods which were the trigger but couldn’t do so.

I went to an allergy specialist who tested me and diagnosed me as having a salicylate sensitivity. Many foods have salicylates. Since changing my diet and eating only foods with a low amount of salicylates, it has definitely improved my condition.

Good luck!

I would love to get advice from you Melanie.
I have also been diagnosed with salicylate allergy and I am experiencing extremely painful rash round my lips and mouth, blisters and hives!
So hard to eat foods with low salicylate content- But I'm determined to do what it takes to get rid of this ugly painful inflammation!
On high dose of cortisone which is doing very little to reduce the symptoms.
I would love to hear from you.

That is so useful-
I have been diagnosed with sensitivity to salicylates and I am desperate! My lips are swollen with blisters, I have a painful red rash around my mouth and nose. I am on a very strong course of cortisone which is barely helping! I have also tried to eliminate foods high in salicylates but I am experiencing very little improvement. I have been on this eating plan for two weeks- Am I being impatient to see quick results?
Is it possible to send e an eating plan you followed?
Which foods did you think were the worst for you to consume.
Can you drink coffee?
I would love to hear from you.
Feel so relieved that someone else has experienced this awful allergy.

I had same sort of condition. Moved around & now has settled on my lips when it flares up. Doctor said to eliminate ALL gluten 100% forever. Seems to work, but I still have issues with cross-contamination if I eat out. There is an enzyme you can take to help digest gluten and casien if not sure, but of course I forgot yesterday b/c I ordered something that was declared "gluten free". Awful. Personally, I avoid "natural" flavors and preservatives also wherever possible & bought a Berkey water filter system. Bottled water is not good for you at all & very expensive. Plastic leaches into the water. Good luck. I pray your specialist is knowledgeable also. A book I recommend is by Dr. Ben Lynch, "Dirty Genes". Very good information on how you can "clean" your genes so they work synergistically in your body correctly. Epigenetics = you can turn on or off helpful and mutated genes by lifestyle and nutrition choices... but it's a daily process.