How Important Is Using Gluten Free Soaps/sunscreen/detergents

[warrenfamily]

Mason is two and his blood work numbers are going up instead of down. Are toiletry items causing this to happen. Currently he uses Johnsons Head to Toe, Water Babies Sunscreen, Oral B Little Bear Toothpaste, Bath and Body Works Foaming Handsoap and Chapstick. What about laundry detergent (All) and Kirkland brand Dish soap and Dishwasher soap. What about using Pledge furniture polish on tables that he touches and Simple Green on countertops that he touches and Kirkland or Clorox anti-bacterial wipes.

[TCA]

The Bath and Body works stuff usually has gluten in it. I would be most suspicious of that. I don't know about pledge, simple green and Kirland's brands, but the others are all gluten-free. It does make a big difference, though. My daughter was so sick after doing really good for a while. I traced it back to some curel lotion I kept by the kitchen sink. I put in on my hands and touched her bottles and food. We got rid of everything in the house with gluten in it and she started thriving again. You might also want to double check his foods and meds. It's easy to miss something while in the learning process. We've all done it. good luck!

[Ursa Major]

I agree with TCA. Especially the chapstick would be a huge problem, as obviously, some of it will end up in his tummy. But soap is as well, as you wash your hands with it, and then touch the food you eat.

[happygirl]

is your son eating restaurant food at all?

[CarlaB]

I know Simple Green is gluten-free. I went to their website because the gym where I work out uses it for people to clean the equipment when they're done with it.

Oral B is a company that won't commit to being gluten-free or not. They give a cya statement that they can't guarantee it. I use Crest.

[warrenfamily]

is your son eating restaurant food at all?

We have not ventured out to restaurant foods yet, it just seems too likely to get contamination from other sources. The only thing he has had are the pre packaged apple slices at McDonalds on a car trip to Seattle.

[teankerbell]

The most recent issue of Gluten Free Living Magazine says that we don't need to be overly concerned with bath products getting into the blood stream. Traces of gluten is very low.

Use your own judgement.

[fullofhope]

With my own 2 yr old, I know that whatever we use will somehow end up in his mouth- like the shampoo/soap when he blows bubbles in the bath, the furnature polish/cleaning agents when he touches the table while he's eating, the lotion/sunscreen/chapstick when he touches his arms, then puts his finger in his mouth, etc. 2 yr olds for the most part are not yet past the oral stage, even though we think they should be. For adults I don't think it's as important as it is for a child, since they are touching everything and are not likely to be aware of then touching their mouths.

Another thing to think about would be if anyone in your house eats gluten- is he touching the floor where there might be crumbs? Is he touching a chair or table that somebody touched after eating gluten? We had a lot of trouble crop up over that. We had to get meticulous about wiping down chairs as well as tables, and banning his toys from the kitchen floor while confining my hubby and his gluten to the kitchen (crumbs on the couch, living room floor....). Sounds impossible and paranoid but made all the difference and is now just a part of life.

best wishes,

janel

[chili]

green beaver is gluten free, you can check out some of their items. Not too crazy about the smells.