What ingredient in sour candies makes my face break out in a sweat?

Factual Questions
1

Just like the thread title asks.

I love sour candies, and my current addiction is Wonka’s “Tart ‘n’ Tinys” chewy candies.

But no matter what sour candy I’m gulping down – be they sour gummies, sour Skittles, sour Sprees, or the aforementioned Tart ‘n’ Tinys – I start sweating in my face, especially around my nose and upper lip.

Now, I don’t gush enough that I need a shower! But it’s very noticeable to me, and I need to dab my face with a facial tissue once or twice after indulging.

I see nothing obvious in the ingredient lists of these candies that’s not also in other, non-sour candies such as Sweet Tarts. I’m talking about the usual suspects such as dextrose, malto-dextrose, malic acid, etc.

Perhaps it’s malic acid, which perhaps is in much higher concentrations in sour candies? I don’t know. Perhaps it’s the ubiquitous “other natural and artificial flavors” that abound?

Anyone know the culprit?

Also, am I a freak and the only person in the world who has this reaction?

2

I can’t account for your unusual reaction, but it’s almost certainly malic acid, which is used to make sour candies sour, particularly the super-sour ones like Atomic Warheads. Here is an excellent article from Wired magaine on the popularity of such.

(My dad, GrillingWithCharcoal :wink: , used to be the president of a candy company, in fact, their products appear in one of the footer ads below.)

3

I get the same thing when I eat pineapple, if that helps/adds to the mystery.

4

Count me in on the OP’s “condition.” Sour candies do the exact same thing to me, and I never could figure out why. People look at me funny when I tell them about it. Well, people look at me funny pretty much all the time…but that’s not the point.