gluten-free Shampoo, Conditioner, And Body Products

[Guest Dori827]

It depends on what your personal habits are. I NEVER put my fingers in my mouth unless they are clean......meaning I wash them well before doing that. The only time my fingers go near my mouth is when I am eating finger type foods. I just do not have those habits, which is probably why I never get colds or the flu. You have to look at what you do and make decisions based on that. Personally, I am a disbeliever that a person could be glutened bad enough from that anyway and I'll tell you why. You do rinse your hair well after washing, don't you? It's the same principal as washing your hands. Do you leave soap on them or just wash and not rinse? I think you have to be careful about becoming paranoid about everything. I was diagnosed through blood work/symptoms and my blood work was some of the highest my doctor had ever seen. I have been re-tested repeatedly and now it is in the very low normal range and has been for the past 4 years. If I were being glutened by touching my hair, I couldn't possibly have recovered to the extent that I have.

Do not worry about your malabsorption issues just yet. It took me a year to get my antibodies in the fantastic range and 3 years before all my symptoms went away completely. It can take a very long time for things to resolve and 4 months isn't long enough. Have patience....you will get there.

As for your topical problems......your reaction is indicative of an allergy to something you are using. Allergies can pop up anytime. You may not even be reacting to the gluten in the shampoo. It could be another ingredient in it that you now have a problem with. Or it could be that all the toxins are working their way out of your body, a sort of purge, and you are breaking out because of that. Toxins come through the skin and it's not unusual for that to happen especially once you go gluten-free. You are cleaning house, so to speak, and sometimes it can take awhile and weird things can happen in the process.

It can be very frustrating to figure this all out. However, learn about the correct way this disease works so the odds of your having problems will diminish. I learned as much as the medical community and Celiac organizations had to offer and it has made the transition much easier. Just remember, you have to ingest gluten for a reaction to occur....it comes from within. You can use topical products as long as you do not have an additional allergy to any ingredient in them. Except for lip products, of course. However, if this makes you uncomfortable or you have additional allergies, by all means go gluten-free on everything. If you stand in the shower and let the soap and water run down your face, it may be prudent to go gluten-free.

Have patience but read Dr. Green's book. It's very interesting and answers many questions on this subject. If you do go gluten-free on topical stuff and your issues clear up, then you have a contact allergy to some ingredient in the other shampoo OR you have been ingesting enough to cause problems. Are you having any other symptoms besides the scalp problems to make you think you may be ingesting your products? Were you very symptomatic with other problems? If this is your only symptom, then it leans heavily towards an allergic reaction.

Thanks for this...I have read Dr. Green's book (as well as 7 others, plus 8 cookbooks!). I was not symptomatic to begin with, but after my diagnosis, I had some serious gut issues which I rarely have now, and I know that I'm feeling much better overall, but my labs aren't corresponding with that. So, it is good to know it can take time for the malabsorption to rectify itself. I use a thickening spray on my hair after I shower (which contains gluten) and also hairspray (haven't heard back from the company on that yet), so I get what you are saying about shampoo/condition and rinsing it out, but with products put on afterward, I just wasn't sure. Appreciate your very wise response!

[hermitgirl]

I would be very hesitant about items that are sprayed, as you can quite easily end up with those in your mouth. I have year round allergy problems, so I do have constant drainage, so I am even more careful about what I am inhaling than most seem to be.