Creams, lotions, makeup, hair...

[jen22]

Hi all.  I was diagnosed with celiac about 10 days ago.   I've done pretty well so far with not eating food with gluten (I think) but I still seem to be getting a rash under my insulin pump site (I also am Type I).  I was thinking about all of the products I put on my skin, brush my teeth, hair, makeup, etc and I have been overwhelmed with looking at all of that.  Does anyone have any suggestions for how they did that?  Do you think it is necessary?    

[Molly Powers]

There’s a make-up brand I like called Tarte I have done a bit of research on. I’d be interested to know what everyone else uses!

[Fbmb]

23 hours ago, jen22 said:

Hi all.  I was diagnosed with celiac about 10 days ago.   I've done pretty well so far with not eating food with gluten (I think) but I still seem to be getting a rash under my insulin pump site (I also am Type I).  I was thinking about all of the products I put on my skin, brush my teeth, hair, makeup, etc and I have been overwhelmed with looking at all of that.  Does anyone have any suggestions for how they did that?  Do you think it is necessary?    

So, the makeup and cosmetics thing can be exhausting. There's a lot of conflicting information. I didn't have issues with my skin when I was diagnosed, so I'm just speaking as a plain ol' celiac person. haha. 

I stay away from products that contain wheat. A lot of hair products contain hydrolyzed wheat protein. It's not processed, so the gluten is alive and well in those products. So anything that says it contains wheat germ, oats or oatmeal (like aveeno products), barley, etc. I stay away from. Even lotions. I can't risk it getting into my mouth. It can be a challenge to find hair products that are gluten free. I use Head and Shoulders shampoo because I have dry scalp, and I use Redken All Soft conditioner. I also like Healthy Sexy Hair shampoo and conditioner, and it says it's gluten free on the bottle. I heat treat my hair so I need to use salon brands, except the head and shoulders. Also my mom and dad are both hairdressers so I'm kind of a snot about hair products.  

Makeup is hard because it's on your face and by your mouth. I use Bare Minerals because they've told me their mineral foundation doesn't contain gluten. Tarte products don't contain gluten but they also don't test them to see if they may contain trace amounts from third party manufacturers. I still use their eyeshadows. If you read labels you'll be able to spot gluten ingredients. Typically the only ingredient that stumps me is "Tocopherol Acetate" or vitamin E. That can be derived from gluten grains, so I always call the companies to ask what the sources of their vitamin E is. Most of the time it isn't wheat, and it's usually soy or it's synthetic (as is the case with Philosophy products). I've also read some stuff on here about how tocopherols are so processed that even if they did come from wheat, they wouldn't contain gluten. For moisturizers, I have used plain Argan Oil (Josie Maran) and I like that, but it can be a little greasy. Arbonne also has a lot of certified gluten free products, but you have to order it and it's kinda pricey. I just ordered some Vanicream lotion for body and face, and it says on the bottle that it's gluten free. You can find a lot of gluten free lotions and stuff at health food stores like Sprouts.

You'll do a ton of researching, emailing, calling to find out what products contain gluten. Most companies will tell you that they can't say that things are gluten free because they don't test for gluten in them, but that they also don't add gluten to their products. I know that carmex (the original kind) is safe. Blistex will send you a long list of chapsticks that are safe. Vanicream products are usually safe. Badger chapstick is safe. 

I learned all of this from hours of researching. Come here with questions because a lot of us have done the research. I'm a makeup junkie, so I was obsessed over this for a long time. 

[Fbmb]

Also, Dove lotions are gluten free. And I love "Everyone Lotion", which is usually in the crunchy body products section at the store, or at a place like Sprouts. It says on the bottle that it's gluten free. 

Gluten proteins are too large to penetrate your skin, but some people react to them because of skin sensitivities to gluten. I don't have that problem. But I worry about putting lotion on my hands and then touching my mouth, or putting it on my babies and kissing them. So I buy gluten free.