The textile, pharmaceutical, and coloring industries can all benefit from a better understanding of the process by which dyes and surfactants interact to develop better formulas and techniques for dye separation. UV–vis spectroscopy was widely used to investigate interactions between the anionic food colour sunset yellow (SSY) and the anionic surfactant sodium tetradecyl sulphate (STS) in the absence and presence of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (NaCMC) in various concentrations at 25 °C. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) of STS was lowered in both aqueous and NaCMC solutions when SSY was present. NaCMC prevented STS from becoming micellized when the amount was increased in the micellar medium. The CMC values obtained using the “second-derivative” method were consistent with those discovered using UV absorbance techniques. The binding capabilities of SSY with STS micelles in the presence of NaCMC were evaluated using a UV absorbance study at 25 °C. The outcomes demonstrated that hydrophobic interaction influenced SSY binding. The occupancy of SSY molecules was projected to rise with an increase in NaCMC in the STS micellar solution based on the quantity of SSY molecules (i0). Finally, when NaCMC was present, the presence of SSY was used as a counterion to enhance the micellization of STS. This formulation would be necessary for both medicinal and textile applications.