New To Gluten-Free, Do gluten-free Beauty Products Really Make A Difference?

[OhLivia]

Hey everyone. I'm 17 years old and am self-diagnosed because my doctor just tells me I have IBS and gives me medication that does not work. Recently, I met someone who is celiac and she said my symptoms sound exactly like hers and that I should try going gluten-free, because I could have an intolerance. And what do you know, as soon as I went gluten-free, I stopped having the terrible pains, cramping, bloating, gas, and horrible bowel movements were EXTREMELY less frequent and almost gone. The only thing I have now is the fact that I look pregnant whenever I eat ANYTHING , even gluten-free fruits/veggies/nuts.

I have no idea what's causing this horrible bloating. It's not painful bloating, and a lot of my pain symptoms are gone. I think it's because I'm still using non-gluten-free shampoos conditioners lotions and makeups.

My question is: Will it really make that big of a difference if I switch to gluten-free bath and beauty products? Could that be what is causing this crazy bloat? What else can I do to help it?! Any suggestions are SO very appreciated.

[SaraKat]

I bought gluten-free lipsticks and face lotion. I didn't change my shampoos or conditioners. A lot of mainstream lipsticks are gluten free. I use Laura Mercier, Benefit, and Estee Lauder- you have to check each type- I know all Benefit's and LM are gluten-free, but EL's aren't all gluten-free. I use Oil of Olay lotion and that is gluten-free.

[OhLivia]

Awesome, I like Estee Lauder. Did you find that switching to gluten-free makeup and lotion helped your symptoms? Does it help the bloating too?

[Gemini]

Hey everyone. I'm 17 years old and am self-diagnosed because my doctor just tells me I have IBS and gives me medication that does not work. Recently, I met someone who is celiac and she said my symptoms sound exactly like hers and that I should try going gluten-free, because I could have an intolerance. And what do you know, as soon as I went gluten-free, I stopped having the terrible pains, cramping, bloating, gas, and horrible bowel movements were EXTREMELY less frequent and almost gone. The only thing I have now is the fact that I look pregnant whenever I eat ANYTHING , even gluten-free fruits/veggies/nuts.

I have no idea what's causing this horrible bloating. It's not painful bloating, and a lot of my pain symptoms are gone. I think it's because I'm still using non-gluten-free shampoos conditioners lotions and makeups.

My question is: Will it really make that big of a difference if I switch to gluten-free bath and beauty products? Could that be what is causing this crazy bloat? What else can I do to help it?! Any suggestions are SO very appreciated.

I, too, only opted to use gluten-free lipstick and hand cream. I am a very, very sensitive Celiac, officially diagnosed and was severely malnourished and sick when diagnosed. What you have to ask yourself is whether or not you can use topical products without ingesting them? I do not find this hard at all...I mean, who wants to swallow shampoo? It isn't healthy to swallow any shampoo, regardless of gluten content. Gluten cannot be absorbed through the skin so you would have to get it into your eyes, nose or mouth for it to be a problem. I have had zero ill effects from this and am careful...it gets to the point where it's second nature and you don't have to think about it anymore. You will have to find your comfort level. If you have a reaction that's topical from make-up, that would be an allergy and nothing to do with Celiac.

The bloating could be from a number of things....additional food intolerance's, a yeast overgrowth or you just need time to heal longer. Many people with Celiac have additional food issues like dairy. Do you become bloated after eating dairy products? That is pretty common.

I would stick with looking at food and not worry about your make-up and lotions because food is most likely the culprit. Make sure your lip products are gluten-free and be careful about ingesting any thing else and you should be fine from that point of view. I have never had a moments problem with the topical stuff but I'm careful and don't obsess about it. You may want to start a food diary so you can see what you eat and when you react. I know...more work but it could help solve the problem for you. Keep asking questions if needed...we are here to help. Doctors will just tell you that you have IBS and that's a load of bull, if you ask me!

[ravenwoodglass]

I have no idea what's causing this horrible bloating. It's not painful bloating, and a lot of my pain symptoms are gone. I think it's because I'm still using non-gluten-free shampoos conditioners lotions and makeups.

Best way to tell if that is an issue for you IMHO is to stop using gluten toiletries and see if it makes a difference.

[T.H.]

The only thing I have now is the fact that I look pregnant whenever I eat ANYTHING , even gluten-free fruits/veggies/nuts.

Okay, my thoughts:

1)I'd start keeping a food diary, tracking what you eat, and what your symptoms are. Often, this is easier if you eat one thing at a time - like a one ingredient snack, so you can make sure that it really IS bloating after anything, and not you getting a number of foods all at once. Even salt tends to have additives, these days. Oil can even be an issue, so track everything, and look up what ingredients it has on the labels.

2) How gluten free is your home? Do other gluten eaters live there? Do you have shared pans and cutting boards with gluten foods? Those could contaminate things enough to gluten cc all your food, if you are not extremely careful.

3)You could have other intolerances (food journal will help with that, again), but if you are actually reacting to so many foods, you might want to check out 'fructose malabsorption.' It involves fruits, veggies, grains, nuts - lots of things. And tends to involve gut issues and lots of gas/bloating as a symptom (the bacteria in the gut gorge on the undigested fructose and give off tons of gas). Also, can be an issue for people who already had other gut issues, is the prevailing thought. But the foods are hard to track, so you'll want to google this to find some good diets to try out and see if it helps, or see if the 'bad' foods are bad for you, too.