Gluten-free No-contamination Eye-liner & Make-up

[raisin]

Even the Gluten-free makeup products advertised right here on this website have the classic "cross-contamination may be present" warning. Is there an eyeliner or any other type of makeup that is genuinely safe for the most sensitive celiacs?

[Julie anne]

i know i use burts bees stuff , so like i just read the ingredients.

i love to shop at the store "everything natural" . i think you just have to read many products.

[Gemini]

Even the Gluten-free makeup products advertised right here on this website have the classic "cross-contamination may be present" warning. Is there an eyeliner or any other type of makeup that is genuinely safe for the most sensitive celiacs?

Are you allergic to the ingredients in make-up? Topical products are not a problem, as far as gluten is concerned, unless you have an additional allergy. I have been using eyeliner for years with absolutely no problems. I would also guess that many eyeliners do not contain gluten. It's a little different than liquid make-up.

[oceangirl]

Lancome "Le Rouge Absolu" line is gluten free. I am VERY sensitive and have successfully used it every day for over 2 years.

lisa

[wschmucks]

I used to think that makeup wasnt a problem either-- but then i started to pay attention... and realize how many products can make it into your mouth. Maybe not so much mascara and eyeliner, but any bathroom product: lotion, shampoo and blush, foundation, powder-- can easily make their way onto your fingers which mean its bound to find its way into your mouth eventually. Its a personal decision but I just try my hardest to keep everything gluten-free.

I heard Maxx Factor is 100% gluten-free :-) although ive had a hard time finding it. Also NARS is supose to be 100% gluten-free. Search this site, there are a few common brands.

[Gemini]

I used to think that makeup wasnt a problem either-- but then i started to pay attention... and realize how many products can make it into your mouth. Maybe not so much mascara and eyeliner, but any bathroom product: lotion, shampoo and blush, foundation, powder-- can easily make their way onto your fingers which mean its bound to find its way into your mouth eventually. Its a personal decision but I just try my hardest to keep everything gluten-free.

I heard Maxx Factor is 100% gluten-free :-) although ive had a hard time finding it. Also NARS is supose to be 100% gluten-free. Search this site, there are a few common brands.

Sorry but I disagree with you. If a person feels they cannot use make-up or lotions without eating them, then it probably would be prudent to use gluten-free products.

I do not check ingredients on make-up, etc. because I do not eat them....ever. It hasn't been difficult for me at all. The proof that I am not ingesting any is my blood work and anyone else that was diagnosed through blood work/biopsy will be able to verify gluten-free status also. If you did not have a diagnosis, then it's more problematic, for obvious reasons.

I think it's wrong to give people the incorrect information regarding this diet. It has been proven that gluten is not absorbed through the skin...this is how they have been able to formulate meds that are topically applied. All of my repeat blood work has been right where my doctor wants it to be....near zero....well under the reference range. What more proof do people need? You obviously have to be careful about ingestion but it's not difficult by any means.

If a person chooses to use gluten-free products then that is perfectly OK to do but to say Celiacs really should, otherwise they'll be ingesting it is just wrong. Wheat tends to be used as a cheap filler so if people want gluten-free products, the more expensive brands are generally safe anyway.

[RiceGuy]

If stuff contacting the skin couldn't be a problem, allergists wouldn't be able to test for allergies by applying tiny amounts to the skin, and monitoring for reactions. Plain and simply, topical products do matter, and can cause a reaction. Just because one person doesn't react doesn't mean nobody else will.

A few months back, there was an article about how some Celiac workers who fed livestock were not improving on the gluten-free diet. It was found that they were inhaling particles from the animal feed. Now consider those powdery makeup items - they WILL become airborne. We also have tear ducts and other orifices to consider besides our mouths.

I cannot tell you how many times I get shampoo in my eyes or mouth. And just a few days ago, I was washing my hands, and some water splashed right up in my face, including on my lip. Better safe than sorry.

[oceangirl]

If you wear lipstick, you eat it. I also get shampoo in my mouth on occasion and I'm pretty coordinated!

I get cc'd very easily. I also stayed ill for a summer when I worked as a floral designer and frequently used wheat in dried arrangements. I was inhaling it.

It's great if you are someone who doesn't react to much; not everyone is the same.

lisa

[hermitgirl]

There are a surprising number of people who do react to topical products for various reasons, and it is very easy for people to get beauty items into their mouths. There are also a surprisng number of products out there that though they do not contain the words gluten free on them, are gluten free. I for one try to be cautious, as it is hard to think about scrubbing my hands after applying lotions to prevent contamination of food I eat with my fingers. I have also found that many of the cosmetics that are marked gluten free are also much more gentle on the skin. The simple fact that once I switched all my cosmetics to gluten free, my skin cleared up and looks much healthier was a nice benefit. Also, I live in an area that allergies are very prominent. Anything inhaled can stick to drainage, run down the back of the throat and be digested.

If you are lucky enough not to react, awesome! If you do react, well, then that tells you not to do something.

[Gemini]

If stuff contacting the skin couldn't be a problem, allergists wouldn't be able to test for allergies by applying tiny amounts to the skin, and monitoring for reactions. Plain and simply, topical products do matter, and can cause a reaction. Just because one person doesn't react doesn't mean nobody else will.

If a person is having a topical reaction from a particular product, you are correct, that would be an allergy which is a totally different animal than an internal, autoimmune reaction. If you read any reputable Celiac information, especially those by Dr. Peter Green, he goes into this in depth in his recent book, "A Hidden Epidemic". It is very common for people to have both intolerances and allergies. However, make-up, unless you are allergic to an ingredient, will not cause a person to be glutened. It's a shame many Celiacs do not take the time to learn the correct medical information on this disease and how a reaction is initiated. Using mascara or eye-liner which may contain a gluten component will not cause a problem, unless you eat it or wear it on your lips.

Inhaling something like a powdery substance which contains gluten is a no-brainer and doesn't even deserve a comment. I don't think that has anything to do with mascara or eye liner.

As I've pointed out a hundred times, for those who were diagnosed via blood work, it's pretty easy to see if what you are doing is causing a problem. Get re-tested. If your levels are good, then why all the fear? I am not lucky....I know what will harm me and have had no problems. The reason I do not react is because I took the time to learn the correct information and follow it to a tee. This isn't rocket science.....really.

[raisin]

i know i use burts bees stuff , so like i just read the ingredients.

i love to shop at the store "everything natural" . i think you just have to read many products.

Burtz Bees products get a reaction out of me. The lines seem to be cross-contaminated.

[raisin]

If a person is having a topical reaction from a particular product, you are correct, that would be an allergy which is a totally different animal than an internal, autoimmune reaction.

The reason I do not react is because I took the time to learn the correct information and follow it to a tee. This isn't rocket science.....really.

On top of being celiac, many here have a wheat allergy. Apply an allergen to your face and you can get zits, eczema, hives, etc. I happen to have that problem. I also tend to get eyeliner on my fingers, I am not a good applier, and I don't like putting "poison" on my face.. So is this really a crime to post about?

[raisin]

I contacted Max Factor via their live chat with "customer service" ..

They sent me a link to this page : Open Original Shared Link (ingredients list for all of their products), and when I specified that I was asking about the actual line/equipment, (not just an individual product,) they disconnected me! I have never had a company hang up on me before.

[RiceGuy]

If a person is having a topical reaction from a particular product, you are correct, that would be an allergy which is a totally different animal than an internal, autoimmune reaction...

Inhaling something like a powdery substance which contains gluten is a no-brainer and doesn't even deserve a comment. I don't think that has anything to do with mascara or eye liner.

Sure, an allergy is different than an auto-immune reaction. However, that doesn't change the fact that the body can detect what is applied to the skin. The antibodies are in the blood, and the blood is all throughout the body. So ingestion is not a prerequisite for an auto-immune reaction to gluten.

As for eyeliner, mascara, etc; let's not forget tear ducts, ears, and nostrils, which are just some of the places where microbes are known to enter the body. Those microbes are a whole lot larger than a gluten molecule. In addition to that, it is a well-known fact that people have a tendency to touch their faces. Just brushing your hair back, handling eyeglasses, or scratching an itch, is all it takes to get a cosmetic product from your face to your hands. From there it can get everywhere - doorknobs, keyboards, computer mice, remote controls, faucet fixtures, drinking glasses, telephones, you name it.

The hands are the most common method for the spread of communicable diseases, and though gluten intolerance and Celiac aren't communicable, gluten certainly can be spread around like germs. Studies have actually shown that a computer keyboard can harbor more germs than a toilet seat. Look Open Original Shared Link for more on that.

Now, consider if you knew that a cosmetic product had anthrax spores in it. Would you use it, just because you don't intend to consume it or breath it in? After all, anthrax won't burrow through your skin. I'm sure there aren't very many who'd want to even touch the container.

Viruses aren't alive, and neither is gluten, but both can be dangerous. Perhaps one consolation is that gluten doesn't multiply. Come to think of it, viruses have amino acid sequences, and so does the gliadin protein which causes the auto-immune reaction in celiac disease. While I know gluten isn't a bacteria or virus, I think there is good reason to use many of the same cautions.

[julirama723]

You will have to double-check this, but I remember reading that Bare Minerals products that are "dry" or "powders" are gluten-free. I know for a fact that their eyeshadows are gluten-free. What's nice about them is that you can add water to the lid to make them eyeliner, use different brushes for different effects, and you can really play with the colors. It's like being a kid in art class again.

I don't wear foundation or powder or anything, the only makeup I wear is Bare Minerals eyeshadow, and I have not had any problems. But once again, this is a "your mileage may vary" type of subject so always double-check and use caution!

[raisin]

I don't know about Bare Minerals, but Everyday Minerals is a gluten-free product line. I will have to email and make sure they don't use shared equipment.

A

re your products vegan & gluten-free ?

All of the products at Everyday Minerals, with the exception of the soaps (they contain honey) and silk dust (renewable from broken silk worm husks) are vegan and gluten free.

[DinaB]

Even the Gluten-free makeup products advertised right here on this website have the classic "cross-contamination may be present" warning. Is there an eyeliner or any other type of makeup that is genuinely safe for the most sensitive celiacs?

I am not Celiac, but Clinique's eyeliner. It is also fragrance free, but you must check certain brands.

[psipsina]

I wanted to add to the medical aspect of this debate. It definitely makes sense not to get gluten into your eye. Your tears drain directly into your nose which then drains into your pharynx which drains into your esophagus. Its entirely reasonable to not want gluten anywhere near your eyes! I also know that I don't want it on my hands from application. If I can react to a reeses cup that has been cross contaminated I certainly don't want to risk having some gluten on my hands after applying makeup and getting it into my breakfast. Gluten is a super stick molecule so I'm just not going to gamble with that. The long term risks of continuous glutening outweigh benefit of having more freedom with cosmetics lines. When I get glutened I feel like crap for weeks so I'm willing to go above and beyond to make sure that never happens, even if it might be going too far sometimes. I understand that I'm pretty sensitive and that others aren't, but there is a medically logical explanation of why getting gluten in your eyes could be super bad for an ultra-sensitive celiac person.

[irishgirl6]

i know i use burts bees stuff , so like i just read the ingredients.

i love to shop at the store "everything natural" . i think you just have to read many products.

Hi, I'm new here, just finding my way around. I tried Burt's Bees just Saturday and my face and neck have been itchy ever since, so I'm returning them. The lip gloss is fine though, go figure. I don't have DH and have no symptoms of celiac except for malnutrition (anemia) so it's hard for m to tell if I've had gluten. I think I reacted to something else in Burt's Bees as I do have very sensiive skin. I'm sticking with Avon for now, which I've used for years.

[irishgirl6]

I am not Celiac, but Clinique's eyeliner. It is also fragrance free, but you must check certain brands.

I called Maybelline this morning to ask about their mascara and the Great Lash with the green cap is gluten free. I also have been using Avon for years and got a list of gluten-free products from someone who sells it and there are a ton of products on the list that are okay.

I don't react to the gluten, my only symptom is malnutrition so I have no idea if I've been 'glutened' which really is difficult since I've only been diagnosed for 5 months. It's a challenge figuring out everything - as you all know!