Gluten Free Cosmetics?

[Jess-Ay]

I was just wondering.. is it necessary to use gluten free cosmetics? Like lotions, shampoos, makeup, etc? I was assuming the only things that needed to be gluten free are things that are entering the digestive system. So what's the deal? Is there a concern that it will be absorbed through the skin? I understand that it makes sense for chapstick to be gluten free, since you usually ingest it unintentionally. But what about the other things?

I had a lot of hair loss before I was diagnosed, and am hoping that with time it will regrow after being gluten free for a while. Just making sure the shampoo has nothing to do with this..

Thanks!

[SaraKat]

I just buy gluten-free lipsticks, nothing else.

[GlutenFreeManna]

The answer depends on your personal level of sensitivity and your hygiene/eating habits. I'm one of the few that reacts topically by breaking out in hives when I use products with wheat germ oil in them. Perhaps I also have an allergy. Beyond that, however, I also try to make sure anything that touches my hands is gluten free. The reason being is that I like to eat with my hands and prepare almost all my own food. I am super sensitive to cc from other sources. I don't want to have to worry about whether residue from the soap I use to wash my hands with prior to eating or cooking has gluten in it. I want to be able to lick my fingers if I'm eating something tasty. I'm just gross like that however. I have seen others here say they never lick their fingers and never eat food that they pick up with their hands (like gluten-free sandwiches, wraps, chips, raw veggies, etc). Some people alway use utensials for eating and never do stuff like chopping veggies or kneading bread with their bare hands. I guess they either don't cook much or always use gloves. I also have problems getting shampoo in my eyes and mouth while in the shower. Personally, I just feel better knowing there's no gluten in my shampoo, hand soap, dish soap and lotion. I don't wear make-up so that hasn't been an issue for me.

[T.H.]

If you don't get a skin rash from it, I tend to think of it this way: If this product is on anything that might enter my mouth, or there's a high chance that use of it might get a bit in your mouth, make it gluten free.

So licking food off your fingers, chewing your nails, touching any food with your hands: get gluten free lotions, nail polish (I think that most is), etc...

If you don't clamp your mouth completely shut when you wash your hair, or rinse off the shampoo by leaning your head back, what are the chances that a little shampoo may get in your mouth as you rinse off? You may want gluten-free shampoo.

On makeup, I'd imagine it's more a look at what makeup might get in your mouth. A powdered foundation or blush could be pretty easily inhaled into your mouth if the powder gets into the air, which means some is going to get swallowed at that point. Base makeup might get some on your lips as you put it on, so could be digested. But mascara, on the other hand, is unlikely to get in your mouth, yes?

So I think you are correct in starting out looking at what gets into your digestive system; there's just a number of ways products can do that.

A few others to think of?

Cat litter - the dust can get into your mouth when you inhale, and so you swallow a little.

Dry wall dust and plywood sawdust - contains wheat often (You can check the safety data sheet to see if a particular brand does), and if the dust is in the air, you breathe it in, swallow a bit, and get glutened.

All that said - there are some who report issues with gluten on skin contact. And if you are still having hair issues after being gluten free for a few months, it's not really going to hurt anything to hunt down gluten-free shampoos, lotions, and such and see if it helps, ya know?

[Takala]

I try to use mostly gluten free cosmetics, but individual reactions vary. I have super sensitive skin.

My husband has accidentally glutened me from barehanding ice cubes into a glass after using hand lotion. We changed lotion.

I will use apple cider vinegar in water, and shea butter or coconut oil on my hair, for conditioner. I wish manufacturers would stop messing around with the cosmetics formulas constantly, as I don't want to be putting oats and wheat or wheat oil on my hair, then toweling it off, and spreading the residue all over the place. Women touch their hair a lot. This is just one less thing I have to worry about if it's the total cross contamination load.

I notice you have a dog in the picture. I have, by coincidence, two dogs adopted from the pound who both turned out to have wheat allergies. (maybe that was why at least one of them was there... my vet figured it out on the first visit, fortunately, suggesting we try a home made elimination diet, which worked splendidly.) Sometimes I will plunk the other dog into the tub or sink for a bath, after she's been in the really disgusting mud outside, and I tend to grab the people shampoo. I figure that anything that is mild enough for me is not going to upset a dog's skin. Since dogs tend to lick themselves, other dogs, and then us, this is just another way to stop spreading the gluten around.

I found out that dogs also really like things like a bite of rice cake or a piece of corn tortilla for a treat a lot more than dog biscuits, which is a win- win since they are cheaper and probably lower in calories, besides being gluten free. There are some pretty weird and nasty sounding ingredients in some of the pet food treats now, many of which are made overseas, and I'd rather give them an American made thing of simple ingredients. Plus I don't have to worry about washing my hands immediately.

And that was a good point about bringing up the cat litter. I mean, who would have thought that a few brands of cat litter could contain wheat ?

[glutenfr3309]

I was just wondering.. is it necessary to use gluten free cosmetics? Like lotions, shampoos, makeup, etc? I was assuming the only things that needed to be gluten free are things that are entering the digestive system. So what's the deal? Is there a concern that it will be absorbed through the skin? I understand that it makes sense for chapstick to be gluten free, since you usually ingest it unintentionally. But what about the other things?

I had a lot of hair loss before I was diagnosed, and am hoping that with time it will regrow after being gluten free for a while. Just making sure the shampoo has nothing to do with this..

Thanks!

when i was diagnosed i was realllly itchy all the time with the lotion/body wash i was using before. not sure if i just became more sensitive to certain ingredients or if it could have been gluten related.

i chose to switch.

i now use dove sensitive skin body wash and dove shampoo. these seem to be the only things that don't make me feel itchy. i also chose dove because they label ingredients more clearly.

for body lotion i use gold bond which is gluten free.

for my face cleanser/moisturizer i have stuck with mary kay. for makeup i have been using all bare minerals products.

for me it was a personal choice to switch products. i'm still trying to figure out how sensitive i really am at 9 months gluten free.

[scottyg354]

I know I'm a guy and this is a little off topic for me, but I have a question regarding this. I've been using Keihl's lip balm for a while, I've just recently noticed that my lips are dry as hell and cracking. I also noticed when I first started using this that my lips would go sort of numb. I looked on the back and there is a wheat based ingredient. Could that be causing this? I just recently came to the conclusion that gluten may be my problem so I was paying attention to this.

[eatmeat4good]

Lip balms usually contain wheat germ oil unfortunately.

Burts Bees Lip Balm I have read on this cite is safe and gluten free.

The numbing you felt may be from menthol which they often add to chapsticks and lip balms.

Or..maybe you are right and it is from gluten though I haven't had that happen to me.

[shopgirl]

Carmex brand is also safe. They don't even use gluten in any of their products so there's no danger of cross contamination.

[GlutenFreeManna]

Lip balms usually contain wheat germ oil unfortunately.

Burts Bees Lip Balm I have read on this cite is safe and gluten free.

The numbing you felt may be from menthol which they often add to chapsticks and lip balms.

Or..maybe you are right and it is from gluten though I haven't had that happen to me.

I just wanted to say be sure to get up to date information for anything made by Burt's Bees. They may have been safe at one time, but I have read the company was sold a couple years ago and changed their formulas. Many people (not just in the gluten-free world) were upset by the company changing formulas. So double check the dates of any posts you read about this company and others. Products can change. To the original question, yes gluten in lip balm is a big problem because it's virtually impossible to not ingest it. All you need to do is lick your licks or eat or drink somethign and you have just glutened yourself. You need to try to find a product without any gluten. Also be careful about the listick or lip balm your significant other wears. You wouldn't want to be poisioned by a kiss.

[CeliaCupCake]

I use cherry-flavoured Lypsyl, which is gluten-free Open Original Shared Link

I live in the UK and was told by a staff member of a coeliac organisation not to worry about gluten in skin products, even in lipsticks, as gluten needs to be literally eaten to be affected by it. I reminded her that lips get licked, but she was adamant that coeliacs don't need to avoid gluten in lipsticks. I was surprised to hear such inaccurate information from a highly respected coeliac organization. Surely, licking gluten off lipstick amounts to the same as licking gluten off ice cream.

I use Max Factor lipsticks as they informed me that there is NO gluten in any Max Factor products with the exception of Max Factor Natural Minerals Foundation.

[OlyHiker]

Lip Smackers Naturals is gluten free and the least costly of the gluten free chapsticks I have found. It can be found at most stores and on Amazon.

[Strawberry-Jam]

What are the gluten-containing ingredients often found in lotions and soaps, etc. that we ought to avoid?

I see wheat germ oil on the list. Also I assume anything involving oats.

What else should we be on the lookout for?

[NancyL]

This product is a gluten free lip balm

And a gluten-free Open Original Shared Link

I think a lot of their products are gluten-free