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All My Make-up, Shampoo, And Lotion Has Gluten!


ll79

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jerseyangel Proficient

Very well said Lisa, thank you :)

I'm currently using Goldwell Color Shampoo and Conditioner that I found at Ulta.

  • 1 month later...

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KPanther Newbie

I'd like to share the fruits of my research. I just spent the better part of the last week calling companies and corresponding with them via email to find out if their products are gluten/soy free. Since I can not have gluten AND soy, these items listed below are free of both. I hope this helps others in the forum!

Deodorant - Johnson's and Johnson's (specifically the cucumber melon scent) baby powder (gluten-free SF) - I use this instead of deodorant and it works fantastically. I can't find a nice-smelling gluten-free SF deodorant that received good reviews on Amazon/drugstore.com.

Mouthwash - Act cinnamon (gluten-free SF)

Shampoo - Gluten Free Savonneire Shampoo; California Baby Tea Tree & Lavender; Rene Furterer Naturia Gentle Balancing Shampoo, Rene Furterer Asteria Soothing Shampoo (all gluten-free SF)

Conditioner - Desert Essence Lemon Tea Tree & Desert Essence Fragrance Free; Gluten Free Savonneire Conditioner; California Baby Super Sensitive Conditioner; Rene Furterer Fioravanti Shine Enhancing Detangling Cream Rinse (all gluten-free SF)

Facial Wash - Aubrey Organics Vegecol (for sensitive skin); Avene Cleanance AC; Avene Cleanance Soap-Free Gel Cleanser; Avene Gentle Cleanser for Intolerant Skin (all gluten-free SF)

Facial Moisturizer - Avene Cleanance Oil-Control lotion; Avene Cream for Intolerant Skin; Avene Soothing Eye Cream (all gluten-free SF)

Body Moisturizer - Gluten Free Savonneire Lotion (gluten-free SF)

Lip Gloss - Afterglow Organic Hydra Lip Gloss (gluten-free SF)

Body Wash - Whole Foods 365 Value Grapefruit scented shower gel (gluten-free SF)

Hand Soap - Gluten Free Savonneire has several kinds that are gluten-free SF (gluten-free SF)

Makeup - Bare Escentuals Foundation, All-over color (Warmth, Bare Radiance), Mineral Veil, Eye liner & shadow. All are gluten-free SF.

The specific items I am sharing above were the ones that I am interested in....meaning...I have both sensitive AND oily skin. So I looked for a facial moisturizer meant for oil control - but the face cleansers are for my sensitive skin. I'm sure many of the companies I called have other products that are SF gluten-free for dry skin, normal skin, etc....but I didn't investigate those since I don't need that type of product.

Now, here are some UNSAFE items, or companies that were totally UNHELPFUL in my quest to find out if items were gluten-free and SF:

UNSAFE ITEMS LISTED BELOW UNSAFE ITEMS LISTED BELOW UNSAFE ITEMS LISTED BELOW UNSAFE ITEMS LISTED BELOW

Germ-X hand sanitizer (unsafe....and company was rude)

Neutrogena moisturizers (body and facial....unsafe...and company was rude)

Estee Lauder (foundation, lip gloss, moisturizers...everything I checked on! But the company was helpful and kind...I'll miss Estee Lauder.)

Aveda (all items I checked on were unsafe....and company gave me the runaround by just forwarding an ingredient list to me even though I had one in front of me....I needed to press them for info on ingredients "derived from" wheat/soy, etc) No more Aveda for me.

Udder Cream (soy filled, but gluten free)

Ban deodorant (the reason why I switched to baby powder) - company was unhelpful and gave me the "we can't control what our vendors add to ingredients they supply us with" line of bull. So...a vendor could supply them with a "fragrance" that also had a touch of rat piss added? And they can't tell the consumer that??

Giovanni shampoo/conditioner (soy filled)

Clinique All About Eyes (eye cream) - gluten filled, but soy free

UNSAFE ITEMS LISTED ABOVE UNSAFE ITEMS LISTED ABOVE UNSAFE ITEMS LISTED ABOVE UNSAFE ITEMS LISTED ABOVE

darlindeb25 Collaborator

This is truly a hot topic. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, it only matters how you feel, and what you think. I know I am gluten intolerant, much more reactive than many are. There is an acceptable level of 20ppm to justify saying a product is gluten free. Some of us cannot tolerate 20ppm, nor 10ppm, or even 5ppm. All grains cause a reaction in me. Just as gluten ON my body causes a reaction, most grains on my body cause a reaction. Gluten in a lotion or soap, burns my skin...within seconds of touching my skin with gluten, I feel the burn. I used Tresemme Shampoo to wash my car, knowing it contained gluten and not using for my hair, I didn't even think about reacting to it when washing the car...I broke out in hives. Oats make me itch, exactly the opposite of what we have always been told about oats, it's suppose to be soothing. So, I know I can't use products with gluten or other grains.

I use Pantene Shampoo and Conditioner, Garnier Nutresse is ok, Softsoap for the shower and handwashing, Dove Body Lotion, Sauve Hairspray..I still use Gleem toothpaste, which many do not even remember, and have to buy it off the internet, no longer available in the stores, Garnier Hair Color, and some of the Bath & Body works lotions and body sprays are safe, Johnsons Baby Powder, Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Soap, Lady Bug Blessings Peppermint Oil Lotion....there is a lot out there that we can use. It's a personal choice to give up gluten containing products for our bodies.

still tiredofdoctors Rookie

KPanther --

Thank you for a GREAT list! That is fantastic.

I don't know about soy-free, but my kids' friend (my kids are grown . . . ) started selling Arbonne. She got a list of gluten-free products for me -- I'd be happy to share it -- and I can give you her email address, if you'd like it.

With regard to Estee Lauder? YIKES. They own an INCREDIBLE amount of cosmetic companies: MAC, Clinique, Philsophy, Origins (I think), Jane (available in drug stores, etc.) . . . I'll have to think about the others. When I called them years ago, they were incredibly rude, as well. Also -- evidently Neutrogena hasn't changed their customer service attitude! When I called them years ago, I was told -- in a VERY snippy voice, "You need to ASSUME that all of our products contain gluten." Assume? Let me tell you how tempting that one was . . .

Thanks again for a great list.

Darlin Deb: I agree. My dermatologist INSISTED that gluten on my skin could NOT cause a reaction. Perhaps he would like to explain why any time I use something with gluten I get these really AWFUL lesions on whatever area I used it . . . He rolled his eyes -- and I asked him to tell me why I was bleeding at all these spots . . . he never did give me an answer. Thanks for your input, too! Where do you get the Lady Bug Blessings peppermint lotion?

Oh -- also, I found this out: while Bare Essentials is gluten-free, RARE Essentials -- the one you can wear at night -- ISN'T!! Also, I think it is "L'Orac" (?) I don't know - it was outrageously expensive at Sephora - is NOT gluten-free!

I have found that our local Sephora is fantastic about checking on gluten-free status for me. THEY actually call the company rep while I'm there . . . and will either say, "It is DEFINITELY gluten-free" or they have even said, "I didn't like the answer I got . . . sounded questionable -- don't buy it!" It's been a really good experience shopping there.

KPanther Newbie

Hi -

I totally forgot to add some hair styling products to my "safe" list that I posted yesterday. To "still tiredofdoctors!" - thank you for the offer to put me in touch with your friend (the one who sells Arbonne). I think I'll be set now since I found a lot of safe alternatives for my body care/beauty products.

Here are some additions to my SAFE list. These items are gluten free AND soy free:

Hair styling products: Rene FurtererAnti-Dehydrating Vegetal Styling Spritz (good for wet hair while blow-drying it); Rene FurtererStyling Wax Sheer Shine (great for thicker hair with flyaways - use on dry hair to add texture); Rene Furterer Finishing Spray (hair spray - I believe this is good for all hair types); Rene Furterer Styling Paste (good for NON-thick/course hair. I spoke with an educator at Rene Furterer, and he told me to use the Wax Sheer Shine instead of paste. With my hair - thick, coarse, flyaways - the Paste was not for me!! The Rene Furterer Styling Paste is gluten-free/SF.) You can find Rene Furterer on drugstore.com/beauty.com

Lip balm: Gluten Free Savonnerie lip balm (Open Original Shared Link)

Rene Furterer was AWESOME and so helpful. When I called their toll-free number for assistance, they gave me the name and phone number of one of their educators to speak with. I called him and it was his cell number. He was literally traveling for business when I was on the phone with him - yet he patiently helped me find safe products. He knew exactly what was in each product (off the top of his head) - incredible!!! Rene Furterer's sister company is Avene - they make facial care products. I highly recommend both companies (Avene facial care, and Rene Furterer hair care). Both companies were so helpful and were dedicated to standing behind the safety of their products, and they ensured their customer (me) received the product information needed in order to make an educated decision. You can find Avene on drugstore.com.

I have a call in to Kiehl's (Open Original Shared Link) to check on their lip gloss. Their team of experts are checking on the product's soy/gluten content. Same with Matrix regarding their Proforma hair spray. Once I have updates on those two products, I'll add it to the forum here.

darlindeb25 Collaborator
Where do you get the Lady Bug Blessings peppermint lotion?

Open Original Shared Link At first, I thought I could only get it online, then we had our gluten free vendor fair, and a lady was selling it. Cost just about the same price from her though as it does with shipping online. It's well worth it's cost. I get this rash on my tummy, and this peppermint lotion is the only thing that clears it up. I also use it on my feet, keeps them soft, which has always been a major issue for me. My daughter often teased me about my feet, we agreed, I used to be able to sand wood with them! :lol: Peppermint lotion is great on sunburn too, well, probably any burn.

sylviaann Apprentice
This is truly a hot topic. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, it only matters how you feel, and what you think. I know I am gluten intolerant, much more reactive than many are. There is an acceptable level of 20ppm to justify saying a product is gluten free. Some of us cannot tolerate 20ppm, nor 10ppm, or even 5ppm. All grains cause a reaction in me. Just as gluten ON my body causes a reaction, most grains on my body cause a reaction. Gluten in a lotion or soap, burns my skin...within seconds of touching my skin with gluten, I feel the burn. I used Tresemme Shampoo to wash my car, knowing it contained gluten and not using for my hair, I didn't even think about reacting to it when washing the car...I broke out in hives. Oats make me itch, exactly the opposite of what we have always been told about oats, it's suppose to be soothing. So, I know I can't use products with gluten or other grains.

I use Pantene Shampoo and Conditioner, Garnier Nutresse is ok, Softsoap for the shower and handwashing, Dove Body Lotion, Sauve Hairspray..I still use Gleem toothpaste, which many do not even remember, and have to buy it off the internet, no longer available in the stores, Garnier Hair Color, and some of the Bath & Body works lotions and body sprays are safe, Johnsons Baby Powder, Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Soap, Lady Bug Blessings Peppermint Oil Lotion....there is a lot out there that we can use. It's a personal choice to give up gluten containing products for our bodies.

Hey Deb!

Have you called Pantene recently?? I was advised several months ago by a company representative that they could not guarantee that Pantene shampoo and conditioners were gluten free due to the fragrance in the product. The fragrance is "proprietary info" and therefore, they could tell me what specific ingredients are in the fragrance. I found this to be true with many cosmetic products. Now when I am inquiring about a cosmetic product, I will question every company specifically about the fragrance. Most companies will resond with the standard "I don't know" or it is proprietary info, BUT yet they will say the product is gluten-free!! I stopped using Pantene products several months ago and switched to California Baby super sensitive shampoo and Shikai conditioner.

Sylviaann:)


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  • 6 months later...
SaraLynnMusic Newbie

I am trying to approach my recent diagnosis of Celiac Disease in a proactive and positive way. Since I've been on the gluten free diet for just 2 months I can't say whether or not something affects me from a wheat allergy perspective or if it's an internal Celiac issue; but, I've decided to try to eliminate all gluten etc. from my topical products as well for the time being until my GI issues calm down some and hopefully return to normal.

I am guessing that a lot of you are from the U.S. from some of the products and stores you mention. Here in Canada I have managed to find gluten free shampoo and conditioner from Curelle. They don't appear to have a website up and running yet; but, not only are they gluten free, they are also less toxic in every other way too. There is also an eco neutral salon in Yaletown, Vancouver that uses as many natural products as possible: Open Original Shared Link

I have read that Crest toothpaste products are gluten free and I'm using Crest toothpaste now instead of the Sensodyne (contains gluten) that I was previously using. If anyone knows differently about Crest please let me know.

Does anyone here go to a salon to have their hair colored? Would you happen to know if Goldwell Commericial Hair Colouring products contain wheat or gluten in them? I've sent them a comment via internet with no reply as yet.

For deoderant products I've been using Dove and was assured it was gluten free. Great thing is you are also supporting their self esteem program with every purchase. Does anyone know if their shampoos and conditioners are also gluten free?

For soap I use Canus Goat's Milk Soap - Original formula. Everyone who comes to my house comments on how great it is for your skin and that is smells so wonderful. I even had someone phone me from her cell phone as she left my house to ask what kind of soap it was. LOL! I wrote to the company and checked regarding gluten and this was the response "You can use all of our fragrances except for the products with Olive Oil & Wheat Proteins (Bar soap, body wash, body lotion, body butter, liquid hand soap, lip balm, Foaming Milk Bath, etc) because they contain Hydroticum WAA and Olyvoil Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein which can be bad for you. DO NOT worry about using our other fragrances; the original formula, Marigold Oil, Shea Butter and Orchid Oil." You can find the gluten free soaps and products at London Drugs, Safeway, Rexall Drug Store, and numerous other Canadian grocery stores and drug stores. Here's a link to their site: Open Original Shared Link

Nice to see an active group on here and know I'm not alone. Recovery is taking much longer than I had anticipated.

- Sara

samcarter Contributor

I, too, used to think i didn't need to worry about my shampoos and other personal care products. But then I realized that I've had a scabby, red, painful rash on my forehead, right around my hairline, ever since I started using a JASON brand shampoo that has wheat protein. I didn't check the label, was just using it because it's sulfate-free (i avoid SLS), and that's when the rash started. I thought it was acne but acne treatment wasn't working at all.

Shikai shampoos and conditioners are gluten free. For soap, try Kiss My Face Olive Oil soap; it's only got three ingredients and is very pure. Neutrogena products are pretty much all gluten free; the manufacturer will provide a list.

tatersalad Newbie

Hello!

Hope this helps! I contacted them last week and received my reply. I know this has been posted on here in several locations as being gluten-free, and I still checked to be safe. As you can see, it is not 100% gluten-free :

Thanks for contacting Pantene.

We know Celiac is a serious disease, so we want to give you clear information regarding the use of our beauty care products. If wheat and/or gluten aren't directly added to a product by us, these ingredients won't be listed on our packages. Like many companies, we often purchase the scents for fragranced products from outside suppliers, and the components of these substances are proprietary information belonging to those companies. Therefore it's possible that a very small amount (generally parts per million) of gluten may be present.

We sought advice from physicians; they told us it would be very unlikely a person with Celiac disease would have a reaction from a trace amount of gluten coming into contact with his skin or hair. This is because wheat, rye, barley and/or gluten generally cause symptoms when they're ingested. Since our beauty care products are designed to be used externally on the skin, their use shouldn't be an issue for someone with this disease.

Since gluten sensitivity can vary among people, it would be best if you consulted with your physician about the use of all types of consumable goods, if you haven't already. You might even consider using one of our fragrance free products that doesn't list gluten or wheat extracts on the label.

Thanks again for getting in touch with us. I hope this response has been helpful to you. For more information about Celiac, you may want to check out Open Original Shared Link and Open Original Shared Link

John

Pantene Team

  • 5 months later...
Frances03 Enthusiast

I found this on the Giovanni website. It doesn't sound like any of their products are necessarily gluten free.

Q Do your products contain Gluten?

A Our product formulations contain ingredients that are derived from a variety of sources and combinations of derivatives. They are manufactured where products with gluten are also produced. With this in mind, we cannot ensure cross contamination will not occur during the manufacturing process. We cannot explicitly guarantee that are products are gluten-free.

If you are sensitive to an ingredient or want to decrease your exposure to a specific ingredient, it is important to know exactly what your personal care products are made of before your purchase. Therefore, we suggest that you study the product in question to know what ingredients are used. Due to the chain of supply certain Giovanni products may have previous ingredient statements. Please refer to the ingredient label as affixed to or printed on each product.

We understand how difficult it can be finding products that meet the requirements of a restricted lifestyle and we wish you success in finding the product that meets your needs.

Many people with sensitivities and allergies have used our products with great success.

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    • trents
      So, essentially all of the nutrition in the food we eat is absorbed through the villous lining of the small bowel. This is the section of the intestinal track that is damaged by celiac disease. This villous lining is composed of billions of finger-like projections that create a huge amount of surface area for absorbing nutrients. For the celiac person, when gluten is consumed, it triggers an autoimmune reaction in this area which, of course, generates inflammation. The antibodies connected with this inflammation is what the celiac blood tests are designed to detect but this inflammation, over time, wears down the finger-like projections of the villous lining. Of course, when this proceeds for an extended period of time, greatly reduces the absorption efficiency of the villous lining and often results in many and various nutrient deficiency-related health issues. Classic examples would be osteoporosis and iron deficiency. But there are many more. Low D3 levels is a well-known celiac-caused nutritional deficiency. So is low B12. All the B vitamins in fact. Magnesium, zinc, etc.  Celiac disease can also cause liver inflammation. You mention elevated ALP levels. Elevated liver enzymes over a period of 13 years was what led to my celiac diagnosis. Within three months of going gluten free my liver enzymes normalized. I had elevated AST and ALT. The development of sensitivities to other food proteins is very common in the celiac population. Most common cross reactive foods are dairy and oats but eggs, soy and corn are also relatively common offenders. Lactose intolerance is also common in the celiac population because of damage to the SB lining.  Eggs when they are scrambled or fried give me a gut ache. But when I poach them, they do not. The steam and heat of poaching causes a hydrolysis process that alters the protein in the egg. They don't bother me in baked goods either so I assume the same process is at work. I bought a plastic poacher on Amazon to make poaching very easy. All this to say that many of the issues you describe could be caused by celiac disease. 
    • catnapt
      thank you so much for your detailed and extremely helpful reply!! I can say with absolute certainty that the less gluten containing products I've eaten over the past several years, the better I've felt.   I wasn't avoiding gluten, I was avoiding refined grains (and most processed foods) as well as anything that made me feel bad when I ate it. It's the same reason I gave up dairy and eggs- they make me feel ill.  I do have a bit of a sugar addiction lol so a lot of times I wasn't sure if it was the refined grains that I was eating - or the sugar. So from time to time I might have a cookie or something but I've learned how to make wonderful cookies and golden brownies with BEANS!! and no refined sugar - I use date paste instead. Pizza made me so ill- but I thought it was probably the cheese. I gave up pizza and haven't missed it. the one time I tried a slice I felt so bad I knew I'd never touch it again. I stopped eating wheat pasta at least 3 yrs ago- just didn't feel well after eating it. I tried chick pea pasta and a few others and discovered I like the brown rice pasta. I still don't eat a lot of pasta but it's nice for a change when I want something easy. TBH over the years I've wondered sometimes if I might be gluten intolerant but really believed it was not possible for me to have celiac disease. NOW I need to know for sure- because I'm in the middle of a long process of trying to find out why I have a high parathyroid level (NOT the thyroid- but rather the 4 glands that control the calcium balance in your body) I have had a hard time getting my vit D level up, my serum calcium has run on the low side of normal for many years... and now I am losing calcium from my bones and excreting it in my urine (some sort of renal calcium leak) Also have a high ALP since 2014. And now rapidly worsening bone density.  I still do not have a firm diagnosis. Could be secondary HPT (but secondary to what? we need to know) It could be early primary HPT. I am spilling calcium in my urine but is that caused by the high parathyroid hormone or is it the reason my PTH is high>? there are multiple feedback loops for this condition.    so I will keep eating the bread and some wheat germ that does not seem to bother me too much (it hasn't got enough gluten to use just wheat germ)    but I'm curious- if you don't have a strong reaction to a product- like me and wheat germ- does that mean it's ok to eat or is it still causing harm even if you don't have any obvious symptoms? I guess what you are saying about silent celiac makes it likely that you can have no symptoms and still have the harm... but geez! you'd think they'd come up with a way to test for this that didn't require you to consume something that makes you sick! I worry about the complications I've been reading about- different kinds of cancers etc. also wondering- are there degrees of celiac disease?  is there any correlation between symptoms and the amnt of damage to your intestines? I also need a firm diagnosis because I have an identical twin sister ... so if I have celiac, she has it too- or at least the genetic make up for having it. I did have a VERY major stress to my body in 2014-2016 time frame .. lost 50lbs in a short period of time and had severe symptoms from acute protracted withdrawal off an SSRI drug (that I'd been given an unethically high dose of, by a dr who has since lost his license)  Going off the drug was a good thing and in many ways my health improved dramatically- just losing 50lbs was helpful but I also went  off almost a dozen different medications, totally changed my diet and have been doing pretty well except for the past 3-4 yrs when the symptoms related to the parathyroid issue cropped up. It is likely that I had low vit D for some time and that caused me a lot of symptoms. The endo now tells me that low vit D can be caused by celiac disease so I need to know for sure! thank you for all that great and useful information!!! 
    • trents
      Welcome, @catnapt! The most recent guidelines are the daily consumption of a minimum of 10g of gluten (about the amount found in 4-6 slices of wheat bread) for a minimum of two weeks. But if possible stretching that out even more would enhance the chances of getting valid test results. These guidelines are for those who have been eating gluten free for a significant amount of time. It's called the "gluten challenge".  Yes, you can develop celiac disease at any stage of life. There is a genetic component but also a stress trigger that is needed to activate the celiac genes. About 30-40% of the general population possesses the genetic potential to develop celiac disease but only about 1% of the general population actually develop celiac disease. For most with the potential, the triggering stress event doesn't happen. It can be many things but often it is a viral infection. Having said that, it is also the case that many, many people who eventually are diagnosed with celiac disease probably experienced the actual onset years before. Many celiacs are of the "silent" type, meaning that symptoms are largely missing or very minor and get overlooked until damage to the small bowel lining becomes advanced or they develop iron deficiency anemia or some other medical problem associated with celiac disease. Many, many are never diagnosed or are diagnosed later in life because they did not experience classic symptoms. And many physicians are only looking for classic symptoms. We now know that there are over 200 symptoms/medical problems associated with celiac disease but many docs are only looking for things like boating, gas, diarrhea. I certainly understand your concerns about not wanting to damage your body by taking on a gluten challenge. Your other option is to totally commit to gluten free eating and see if your symptoms improve. It can take two years or more for complete healing of the small bowel lining once going gluten free but usually people experience significant improvement well before then. If their is significant improvement in your symptoms when going seriously gluten free, then you likely have your answer. You would either have celiac disease or NCGS (Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity).
    • catnapt
      after several years of issues with a para-gland issue, my endo has decided it's a good idea for me to be tested for celiac disease. I am 70 yrs old and stunned to learn that you can get celiac this late in life. I have just gradually stopped eating most foods that contain gluten over the past several years- they just make me feel ill- although I attributed it to other things like bread spiking blood sugar- or to the things I ate *with* the bread or crackers etc   I went to a party in Nov and ate a LOT of a vegan roast made with vital wheat gluten- as well as stuffing, rolls and pie crust... and OMG I was so sick! the pain, the bloating, the gas, the nausea... I didn't think it would ever end (but it did) and I was ready to go the ER but it finally subsided.   I mentioned this to my endo and now she wants me to be tested for celiac after 2 weeks of being on gluten foods. She has kind of flip flopped on how much gluten I should eat, telling me that if the symptoms are severe I can stop. I am eating 2-3 thin slices of bread per day (or english muffins) and wow- it does make me feel awful. But not as bad as when I ate that massive amnt of vital wheat gluten. so I will continue on if I have to... but what bothers me is - if it IS celiac, it seems stupid for lack of a better word, to intentionally cause more damage to my body... but I am also worried, on the other hand, that this is not a long enough challenge to make the blood work results valid.   can you give me any insight into this please?   thank you
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