Soaps, Shampoo, Face Wash, Etc

[dhiltonlittle]

Which easy to find soap, shampoo, face wash, and toothpaste are definitely gluten free?

[ravenwoodglass]

Suave and Garnier Nutritioneste will clearly label gluten ingredients. I use mostly Garnier products for skin and hair but they do make a couple face creams that do have gluten so do read the label. Giovanni and Burts Bees are good organic companies for gluten-free stuff, just be sure to read the labels to be sure. They also clearly label. Tom's of Maine toothpaste is great and they clearly label all ingredients. Colgate toothpaste and Crest are also safe I think.

[StephanieGF]

Suave and Garnier Nutritioneste will clearly label gluten ingredients. I use mostly Garnier products for skin and hair but they do make a couple face creams that do have gluten so do read the label. Giovanni and Burts Bees are good organic companies for gluten-free stuff, just be sure to read the labels to be sure. They also clearly label. Tom's of Maine toothpaste is great and they clearly label all ingredients. Colgate toothpaste and Crest are also safe I think.

Do you recall by chance which Garnier face creams do have gluten? I have been using a lot of their products lately, and I don't see anything obviously gluten (wheat proteins, maltodexrin, yeast extract, etc) listed, but sometimes I miss some of the more subtle/chemical sounding ones. Overall, I love their products, and have yet to see one that I recognized as containing gluten, but one face cream did bother me (I am sensitive to a lot of things) so I stopped using it. I did not know if it was hidden gluten or something else.

I love Tom's of Maine's Gel toothpaste, it's great!

[psawyer]

Maltodextrin, at least in North America, is made from corn and is not a gluten concern. Yeast extract is gluten-free, but does contain MSG to which some people (including some celiacs) react.

[ravenwoodglass]

Do you recall by chance which Garnier face creams do have gluten? I have been using a lot of their products lately, and I don't see anything obviously gluten (wheat proteins, maltodexrin, yeast extract, etc) listed, but sometimes I miss some of the more subtle/chemical sounding ones. Overall, I love their products, and have yet to see one that I recognized as containing gluten, but one face cream did bother me (I am sensitive to a lot of things) so I stopped using it. I did not know if it was hidden gluten or something else.

I love Tom's of Maine's Gel toothpaste, it's great!

I have only seen wheat in one or two products. They were for 'old' skin with tightening and firming. One was an eye gel the other a cream. The wheat was clearly listed in the ingredients. I use their cleansing product in the pump bottle and the Wrinkle Defense Night cream every day with no issues. I don't know your age but if wrinkles and sagging are an issue the night cream is great. It said I would notice a difference the first use and amazingly I did. After a month I looked like I lost 5 years.

[glutenfr3309]

anyone know about aveda products whether they contain gluten ingredients?

i emailed them but haven't heard back yet...

[StephanieGF]

Maltodextrin, at least in North America, is made from corn and is not a gluten concern. Yeast extract is gluten-free, but does contain MSG to which some people (including some celiacs) react.

I'm not sure, so forgive me if I am wrong, but yes I thought that was the case for maltodextrin and yeast extract as food additives in the US (or they have to label it is from wheat) but in cosmetics, those rules do not apply? Again, I am not sure, but I am cautious when I see those listed in cosmetics or imported foods manufactured overseas.

[StephanieGF]

I have only seen wheat in one or two products. They were for 'old' skin with tightening and firming. One was an eye gel the other a cream. The wheat was clearly listed in the ingredients. I use their cleansing product in the pump bottle and the Wrinkle Defense Night cream every day with no issues. I don't know your age but if wrinkles and sagging are an issue the night cream is great. It said I would notice a difference the first use and amazingly I did. After a month I looked like I lost 5 years.

Thanks! I have been using their day moisturizer with 28 spf and the eye cream that comes in a pump. I love that stuff. I think some of the wrinkle defense creams I read have caffeine added? Caffeine is also something I react too. (I can not each chocolate or even decaf coffees or teas.) I have no idea if that would translate to a skin reaction, but I prefer not to risk it.

[KateGrace]

I use coconut oil for moisturizer (awesome! lasts forever! and doesn't clog pores!) and baking soda for my teeth and/or Tom's of maine. I am currently on the search for a good shampoo with as FEW ingredients as possible, and preferably ones I can pronounce. I hate looking at the ingredients in most shampoos and not knowing whether "Methylchloroisothiazolinone" (this is from Aveda, the brand I used to use) has gluten in it or not!

[ravenwoodglass]

I'm not sure, so forgive me if I am wrong, but yes I thought that was the case for maltodextrin and yeast extract as food additives in the US (or they have to label it is from wheat) but in cosmetics, those rules do not apply? Again, I am not sure, but I am cautious when I see those listed in cosmetics or imported foods manufactured overseas.

Your correct the label regs for foods and cosmetics differ as do the regs for labeling drugs. Neither food nor drugs need to declare if an ingredient is derived from a gluten ingredient, even wheat. Many companies get ingredients or even the actual product made overseas and being cautious is, in my opinion, a good way to go.

[celiacmom2]

Which easy to find soap, shampoo, face wash, and toothpaste are definitely gluten free?

I just emailed Suave because I want to know what products I can use too, here is my email response:

Suave Consumer Services Case #:######

From: "comments@unilever.com" <comments@unilever.com>

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello *******,

Thank you for writing us regarding Suave .

We do not specifically test our products for the presence of gluten, a sticky protein found in some grains such as wheat. Gluten may be present in products that contain derivatives of wheat, oat, rye, and barley. In labeling our products, our company follows the guidelines established by the International Nomenclature for Cosmetics Ingredients (INCI) process. Therefore, if we use an ingredient derived from a grain such as wheat, oat, rye and / or barley, those names will appear on the label.

Example

One common example is "Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein" If you see this name on the label, the material was derived from wheat, so the product may contain gluten.

We recommend that you consult with your physician as to whether your exposure to grain derivatives from the use of personal care products will cause the symptoms of Celiac-Sprue Disease.

Since product formulations change from time to time, we do not have a printed list of products that identifies those products that contain specific allergens or gluten.

We hope this information is helpful.

Sincerely,

Your friends at Suave

I don't know about you but this annoys me...my doc just sent me lists of food things to avoid but it was like a 12 year old food avoid list...only place I am getting info from is from some books from the library or from this website. But apparently if it is not listed as the allergen it doesn't contain the gluten in it according to Suave....

[kareng]

anyone know about aveda products whether they contain gluten ingredients?

i emailed them but haven't heard back yet...

I looked a couple of things from them & they listed wheat. I don't know if every product would have it.

[glutenfr3309]

I looked a couple of things from them & they listed wheat. I don't know if every product would have it.

i stopped by the aveda store tonight. looks like they DO label their products clearly. from what i can tell the cleanser i use Enbrightenment Brightening Cleanser does not have any gluten ingredients but the Tourmaline Charged Hydrating Creme that i use does have wheat ingredients.

i also found that some my MAC eye shadows do and do not have gluten. it was clearly marked on the one that does have gluten ingredients (wheat). i need to investigate the other ones a little more. the store had a book with ALL products ingredients but it hadn't been updated in 4 years.

[kayo]

I love that giant MAC book with all the ingredients. The one I flipped through did have current listings and the ingredients were clearly labeled with wheat, oats, etc.

Avon is great for shampoo, bath products and cosmetics and much more affordable than MAC (although their eyes shadows pale in comparison to MACs). They produce a list of all their gluten-free and gluten containing items. I like that they list all the ingredients on the website too. Makes for easy shopping. I do a big order every few months and stock up on lotions, body wash, shampoos and lip glazes.

Also California Baby is a great line. Their produtcs are free of gluten as well as the big 8 allergies.

[StephanieGF]

Avon is great for shampoo, bath products and cosmetics and much more affordable than MAC (although their eyes shadows pale in comparison to MACs). They produce a list of all their gluten-free and gluten containing items. I like that they list all the ingredients on the website too. Makes for easy shopping. I do a big order every few months and stock up on lotions, body wash, shampoos and lip glazes.

I just looked on their website I could not find such a list, do you happen to know where it is? Thanks!

[Mtndog]

anyone know about aveda products whether they contain gluten ingredients?

i emailed them but haven't heard back yet...

When I first went gluten-free this was my favorite brand but had to stop using it because MOST of their products did contain gluten. I noticed recently that more and more of their products are gluten-free now and it seems like they clearly label them.

[Mey Marie]

What is the reaction people are getting from there cosmetics? Is that what might be making me sick. Like maybe my lotion, if it gets in my mouth some how when I'm eating?

[ravenwoodglass]

What is the reaction people are getting from there cosmetics? Is that what might be making me sick. Like maybe my lotion, if it gets in my mouth some how when I'm eating?

I can only answer for myself but CC from cosmetics and shampoos etc give me the same symptoms as if I had gotten CC from food.

If you are still having issues and are using toiletries with gluten ingredients try changing to some gluten free products and see if the issues go away.

[masterjen]

First off, I use Glaxal Base for moisturizing. I emailed them and found out that there is no gluten used to make their product BUT that they could not guarantee that cross contamination has not occurred somewhere along the line. When I spoke to a pharmacist about this, he commented that Glaxal Base is used as a base cream for creams that also contain pharmaceutical ingredients, and as long as the pharmaceutical is gluten-free, the pharmacy calls the entire product gluten-free (in other words, even pharmacists seem to consider glaxal base gf_.

Having said that, however, I thought gluten had to be ingested to be harmful to us. Meaning, to me, that cosmetics and face creams (that do not go on the lips, that is) should be fine. Ditto for shampoos, soaps and body lotions. (Hand lotions, of course, are an obvious problem, as are lip stuff). What is happening to cause reactions in some people (perhaps in me too - I'm not sure yet )? Although creams, for example, can be absorbed by the skin, there is no way they are entering the digestive tract. Can someone clarify for me why celiacs have a gluten reaction to topical substances?

[ravenwoodglass]

Having said that, however, I thought gluten had to be ingested to be harmful to us. Meaning, to me, that cosmetics and face creams (that do not go on the lips, that is) should be fine. Ditto for shampoos, soaps and body lotions. (Hand lotions, of course, are an obvious problem, as are lip stuff). What is happening to cause reactions in some people (perhaps in me too - I'm not sure yet )? Although creams, for example, can be absorbed by the skin, there is no way they are entering the digestive tract. Can someone clarify for me why celiacs have a gluten reaction to topical substances?

Many products are formulated to leave a residue on the skin or hair. With lotions this is to keep moisture in and in shampoos and conditioners it is to make the hair smoother. Anything that you get on your hands has the chance of being injested, granted in small amounts. However even very small amounts are enough to get us. Otherwise we could eat that salad by just removing the croutons or consume those veggies that a restaurant cooks in pasta water (yes some do that, it was common practice in one restaurant I cooked at). The antibody reaction can also be triggered by contact with a mucous membrane like in the eyes or nose. That is why some countries use a mucosal challenge in the mouth or rectum to test for antibodies instead of having us do a oral gluten challenge to produce villi damage, which takes longer. The mucosal challenge gives a result in hours without us having to consume gluten for months. To bad doctors here don't use it, think of all the misery that would be avoided if folks didn't have to redamage their intestines for months for diagnosis.

There are of course different levels of sensitivity amoungst us. If you are using gluten containing topicals and are still having issues drop them and see if it helps.

[Gemini]

Having said that, however, I thought gluten had to be ingested to be harmful to us. Meaning, to me, that cosmetics and face creams (that do not go on the lips, that is) should be fine. Ditto for shampoos, soaps and body lotions. (Hand lotions, of course, are an obvious problem, as are lip stuff). What is happening to cause reactions in some people (perhaps in me too - I'm not sure yet )? Although creams, for example, can be absorbed by the skin, there is no way they are entering the digestive tract. Can someone clarify for me why celiacs have a gluten reaction to topical substances?

To give you another viewpoint on this subject.....you are absolutely correct in that a celiac would have to ingest gluten into their GI tract for a reaction to occur. Any other type of reaction to topical contact with gluten is an allergy reaction and not an intolerance type reaction. If someone reports a Celiac type reaction, they have ingested the offending product. You also could be having a reaction to another ingredient in that particular product and it may not be related to wheat or gluten at all. If a person is new to celiac, this can become very confusing.

I have been gluten-free for 5 years and am a diagnosed Celiac. I am extremely sensitive and know when I have suffered a gluten hit. Happens only once in a blue moon now. The only topical products I screen are lipstick and hand cream. I just received my repeat blood work yesterday, to check for dietary compliance and I was thrilled to see my AGA IgA/IgG are now at 1! My tTg is also a 1. This wouldn't be possible if a person could be glutened by skin contact alone. I worked very hard to bring my numbers to such low levels but made the decision to concentrate on what are true dangers and what are not. If a person feels they cannot use shampoo's or other products without ingesting them , by all means go completely gluten-free but I have found for many, this is not necessary.

It's also entirely possible that a Celiac could have additional topical wheat allergies, which would be another reason to use gluten-free products. Not everything will be caused by gluten exposure but it's hard to remember that when you feel lousy and are looking for answers.