What Goes On, Goes In (Gluten in Skin Care Products)

Hi Kristin,

I like both of your articles on cosmetics and shampoos. Would you mind sharing the brand/product names of the ones you like? I'll share one with you: Desert Essence Organics Body Care makes six hand and body lotions that are vegan, wheat, and gluten free. I like the lavender and the vanilla-chai.

Hi Wendy! I was formerly in love with the Desert Essence Organics Shampoos and Conditioners--their scents are simply amazing. But once I discovered Sircuit Skin's Liquid Crystal Shampoo and Crystal Cream Conditioner, I was a fast convert. Friends were even asking if I had just come from the salon! The Sircuit Skin products are pricier, but because they are concentrates, the bottles last twice as long as any others.

I just found out that BeautiControl has LOTS of gluten-free cosmetics, skin care and spa products. In fact, they have committed that every new product and every reformulated product will be gluten-free.

I have Celiac disease, but have the most sensitive scalp and skin on earth, and anything containing not only gluten, but sodium lauryl sulfate, alcohol of any kind, citrus, panthenol, coconut or any type of nut, oat, artificial coloring or scents will cause extreme rash and blistering on my scalp especially. Does anyone know of any shampoo/conditioner that would be safe for me and where I could locate it? I'm just pulling my hair out in frustration, and I have yet to meet a beautician who hasn't even heard of Celiac disease!

Hi Wendy and Lisa!

I had some bad news, Sircuit Skin may have been wrong about the gluten free status of two products in their line (Crystal Cream and Happiness). The wheat germ oil in these two products has come into question, Sircuit Skin is checking with their lab, so I will know soon whether it is 'safe.'

I am buying and trying out alternatives already, so as soon as I know how the products perform, I will let you know.

As for something very gentle, California Baby is free of gluten, milk, eggs, peanuts, almonds, pecans, cashews, walnut, fish, shellfish, casein and fragrance (but they do use coconut derivatives).

I have been doing some research for you Lisa, and I am really excited about a product I have just found. Now, I have not tried this, so I cannot tell you how well it works, but there is a line called Timothy Han London. His shampoo contains only five ingredients, all of which sound safe for you!!

I will be trying this out too--it could be a wonderful option for sensitive scalps, I will let you know what I learn!!

Lisa, I found Timothy Han's full ingredient list on a UK site, and I don't think that this line would work very well for either of us.

The search continues, I will let you know when I find something for you!!

I have Celiac and I have been losing my hair. Has anyone else experienced this? I have just ordered gluten free shampoo and conditioner but I haven't received it yet. I am hoping that using it will help this. I am just curious if anyone else has lot hair and what they did about it.

Thanks,

Cindy

Hi Cindy!

Unfortunately, I have been through that as well. Speaking from personal experience, using very natural, gluten-free hair care products helps me, and I have also heard from many other women with celiac or gluten intolerance that supplements for hair and skin can help, since our bodies might be lacking in some of the important nutrients. It would probably be a good idea to watch the topical products and talk to a nutritionist regarding the supplements. Good luck! And I know it can be so stressful, but don't worry it WILL get better, just watch your diet and stay away from gluten.

Take care!

Kristen

To Cindy who is losing her hair. The most likely reason for your hair loss is the malabsorption that comes along with celiac disease. as your villi heals and you start to absorb more of your nutrients from your food, your hair will come back. I had the same problem.

Hello Cindy

I had major hair loss before I went gluten free.

Getting gluten completely out of my diet cured it! Good luck.

I am a hair stylist and have recently been diagnosed with Celiac Disease. I have had irritations to hair products since beauty school but have just figured out the ingredients causing the problems.

Rumor has it, another stylist to have these issues had to find another line of work due to her issues.

Now I have been sent on a mission to find a professional line of products with gluten-free status, including hair color. I have checked with my distributors and everyone is on the hunt.

If anyone has any ideas, please let me know, for the sake of my career.

Also, if anyone has experienced symptoms after leaving the salon, please let me know. I realized the days I am in the salon for longer periods of time, I leave with headaches & extremely fatigued...perhaps from inhaling hairspray all day. Has anyone else experienced this?

Thanks for your input.

Until I was diagnosed with celiac about a year and a half ago, I had very thick, curly hair. Since then, it has gradually been getting thinner. I didn't pay much attention, until I realized my hair is now less than half the thickness it was, and you can see a lot of my scalp along my part. Another thing that caught my attention is my eyelashes, eyebrows, arm hair, etc. are all the same as they've ever been. I had heard that gluten on the skin wouldn't affect us, that we had to actually ingest it but I have to disagree. Come to find out, my Suave spray gel has hydrolyzed wheat protein in it. I have since stopped using it and have switched to a more natural Garnier formula of shampoo and conditioner, and found a gluten free gel. I now lose about 6 strands of hair in the shower every morning as opposed to 30. I'd say those who say gluten can't be absorbed through the skin need to be corrected. I don't get hives or anything like some others do, but I like my hair and would like to keep it! Thanks for you article, it made me look at my hair care ingredients. Now I won't be bald at 21!

I just went to get a spiral perm (after months of putting it off). I get there to find out that the solution has wheat in it. We called the company and it was not gluten free. I really want a perm and need it to be spiral but am having no luck finding a solution. The stylist and I are both looking and she said if I find one she will do it. Any help would be great!

Lisa I work for a Regis corp company I am a hairstylist and We have no problems with gluten as we have a pure line of products it's gluten free and paraffin free also sulfate free it is all organic!! Our company has a whole line from body care to hair care so go in and try it!! I don't know where you live what state I live in Texas I also work at TGF But if there is a SmartStyle in your Super Wal-Mart you can get this products they ( the stylist ) may have not clue what Celiac disease but she or he can use this product and you will have no more problems.

Hi, I think I might be a celiac. I have had a lot of health problems that I thought my symptoms were related to and never really thought about the fact that all of them didn't fit. Now, I think I finally found the answer. I notice when I eat gluten I feel physical pain in my stomach. I also have pernicious anemia. I cannot go gluten free yet as I still need to be tested. What I do want to know is this......Do any of you feel like your hair is glass sticking out of your scalp? Sharp shards of glass that my break? It is very painful and I actually cut off my hair about a year ago as it is very thick, thinking that might be the problem. Now it is a pixie cut but still no relief. I would like to know that I am not alone here. Any response would help. Thanks.

I used to do hair as well, and quit due to health issues. I usually have my mom cut my hair, but a month or so ago, I went to a salon and got really sick afterward. The stylist next to me was using a hairspray with wheat in it and I broke out in blisters all over my face. I'm interested in returning to work, so I started researching products and found a line called Surface Hair Health which is a professional product that's gluten free. Still looking for perms and colors that I could use.

I have a B12 deficiency and when I don't keep up with my shots, I start to lose my hair.

I am 67 years old and about 2 years ago I was diagnosed with gluten intolerance/lactose intolerance/ and dermatitis herpetiformis. I am too old to have to deal with this. However, I have been doing a lot of research and I am pretty much gluten free. Restaurants hate to see me. Anyway what seems to be the problem is shampoo products. I break out with small spots on my scalp if I am not really careful. I am having a time finding hair care/body products that are gluten free. Any help as to where to start would be very helpful. I felt so good reading all the notes, at least I don't seem to be alone.

Hello all. So many familiar stories. I have been gluten free a little over two years.

Jill....If you believe gluten is your problem then I wouldn't wait to be tested, I would stop immediately. I have never been tested and don't feel the need to. I have SEVERE reactions when I do eat gluten, and that was enough for me. There are tests out now that you can have done even if you have stopped eating gluten, if you want to be tested.

As far as hair products you just need to become a VERY good label reader. You don't have to go to a product that says gluten free if you know your ingredients. In the beginning I did purchase another brand conditioner and broke out with a rash on my head, and I purchased a body wash that also made me break out. In fact, I ended up in an urgent care center it was so bad. And at first hadn't even thought about gluten being the problem.

Many body shampoo and conditioners contain wheat. So be on the lookout. I don't know the name of the color that is used on me but I do know that it is safe. So they do exist.

It is VERY easy to feel that you have to become a person that ONLY buys things that say gluten free, but if you educate yourself well enough on ingredients then you will do just fine.

On a side note they believed or do believe that I also have multiple sclerosis. When I took gluten out of my diet my symptoms got MUCH better. There is now a belief that multiple sclerosis and celiac are somehow related. I have severe neurological symptoms after about 10 minutes of eating gluten.

To Jill about the hair-as-glass feeling;

I actually know what you mean, I used to feel that on and off. I haven't felt it for a long time. I have been gluten-free for a year now. But I am losing my hair a bit due to Hashimotos, which I've had for a long time but haven't been treated until one month ago. Hang in there!

My grown daughter also wrestles with dermatitis herpetiformis. We went gluten free last summer, and have been working on finding shampoo etc. that's gluten free. She went to our local beauty supply & found both shampoo & conditioner.

I found a bar shampoo made by a local beekeeper, pretty simple ingredients (and no gluten!) and for conditioner have been using Alba botanical's products - they SEEM to be OK. She passed on a hair gel that bothered her, & today I noticed my scalp feels itchy again (for years I scratched my head, and realized that after going gluten free, it rarely bothers me!).

I am looking for a list of gluten terms; in other words, all the different names gluten has in products whether it be foods or body/hair products.

Cindy, This is happening to my teenage daughter. I would love to know what shampoo and conditioner you use, my daughter has been off of wheat for a few days now and I want to change her shampoo, etc asap! Thanks! Karen

You are not alone, I figured out my allergy problems with gluten on my own after 55 years of being treated by specialist in the field of asthma and sinus. Had hair loss. But the most disturbing was the teflon brain, nothing would stick in my mind or memory after eating gluten, and brain fog, actually to tired to think things through. Taking gluten away has made things a lot better and I can now hold a job that requires retaining instructions. Now I need a perm, any suggestions.

Hi Cindy have you had your thyroid tested and have you been to a dermatologist ? I have celiac disease, hypothyroid disease and alopecia, since I was diagnosed with celiac disease and have been on a gluten free diet my thyroid numbers are slowly going back to normal so hopefully my hair will start to improve. Luckily most of my hair loss was in the back so it's not to noticeable. Good luck.