Why Are Cosmetics So Frustrating?

[gfreecarboholic]

I have been searching everywhere for information on gluten free cosmetics but I can't find any current information. Am I missing something? I'm a newbie (just a week Gluten-Free) and I really want to try and replace all of my skin care and cosmetics as I need them but I can't figure out what is safe. Any suggestions? I really need mascara!

[ElseB]

I use Marcelle products. They actually have an ingredients guide on their website that you can use to find which of their products do and don't contain gluten. They tell you what ingredients denote gluten, and then you can search for which products do and don't contain those ingredients.

Just google "marcelle ingredients guide" and you should be able to find it.

[sa1937]

I use Maybelline Great Lash Mascara (the washable kind)

[pondy]

I have been searching everywhere for information on gluten free cosmetics but I can't find any current information. Am I missing something? I'm a newbie (just a week Gluten-Free) and I really want to try and replace all of my skin care and cosmetics as I need them but I can't figure out what is safe. Any suggestions? I really need mascara!

I use some products by Ecco Bella. The Flowercolor Natural Mascara has these ingredients:

Purified water, carnauba wax, palmitic acid (from palm oil), clay, methylparaben, propylparaben and iron oxides

I'm pretty sure that the first three ingredients are safe - don't know about the rest.

I love EB's concealers - they work great. Check out Lucky Vitamin's website. They have little wheat icons underneath all the products they sell - if the icon is there, it's gluten free.

Best of luck to you!

[iamsarar]

I was having the same problem. I was using Clinique and after calling the company I found out they are not gluten free. I now use bare Minerals. I LOVE it. I did call and all their products are gluten free.

[K8ling]

I had to switch to Bare Minerals after I got pregnant, clinique was giving me a rash... It's amazing, it has changed my life. Usually my breakouts are horrible and now I am thinking that it had something to do with the gluten in Clinique. My skin is so much better and the minerals provide surprisingly good coverage. I'll be sticking with that even after I have the baby.

[gfreecarboholic]

Thanks everyone. I am trying to take all of this in but it's really overwhelming. I'm doing pretty well with food right now but I figure it makes sense to eliminate gluten in everything I use if I can. I'm just trying to take it one day at a time and change things out slowly.

Thanks for the advise.

[Fire Fairy]

Thanks everyone. I am trying to take all of this in but it's really overwhelming. I'm doing pretty well with food right now but I figure it makes sense to eliminate gluten in everything I use if I can. I'm just trying to take it one day at a time and change things out slowly.

Thanks for the advise.

Currently I use Zuzu (which i buy at my health food store) and Joelle (also called my mineral glitters) which I but online.

[Gfreeatx]

Almost all of Laura Mercier's products are gluten free and they list their ingredients on the website.

[Minnie777]

Dior, Tarte Cosmetics and most Benefit Cosmetics should be gluten free

Dior takes the precaution to state that they can not guarantee that their products might not be cross-contaminated somewhere along the line.

Cross-contamination is probably a slighter risk in cosmetics than in food ?

My all time favorite mascara is Lancome Hypnose, but I never got an answer to my email regarding ingredients. Sephora lists ingredients for many of the brands they sell, but not for all.

[Almendra]

I have used the Tarte Lights Camera Lashes Mascara. I really liked it for thick, more dramatic lashes. Now I'm using their Multiply mascara (only part 3 of a 3 part process), which is a softer, more natural looking mascara.

I mostly use Afterglo - which is almost like airbrushing my face. Then, for moisturizers I use 100% Pure (face - and some yummy lip butters made from edible ingredients) and Hempz (for body). The LaVanila Baby Butter is a great cream for any chronic dryness in winter.

Overall, switching cosmetics seemed like a blessing due to the real quality of so many of the products I have since tried (though more expensive than my WalGreens BOGO and Target clearance ways). I feel like my makeup looks better than it has my entire life.

As to your questions,

I recently received this e-mail from an inquiry with Sephora:

Thank you for contacting the Beauty Advisor.

We've been getting this question at the Call Center more and more and while it may be a celebrity craze, it's also a serious condition. One of 133 Americans has a wheat-related allergy according to CNN.com. That's no fun at all.

We've compiled a list of gluten-free beauty products available on sephora.com. These products do not contain any wheat, rye, or barley derivatives, and they were made in gluten-free laboratories so there's no chance of cross-contamination. Besides this list, you can always type "gluten" into our new and improved search field for the most recent assortment. And, since you can't be too careful, discontinue use of any product that triggers an attack. - Theresa

FRAGRANCE

PACIFICA

Pacifica Mediterranean Fig Spray Perfume

Pacifica French Lilac Spray Perfume

Pacifica French Lilac Perfume Roll-On

HAIR

ALTERNA

Caviar Glitterati Shimmer Sparkling Shine Spray

Bamboo Smooth Anti-Frizz Shampoo

Bamboo Smooth Anti-Frizz Conditioner

Bamboo Smooth Kendi Oil Pure Treatment Oil

Bamboo Smooth Kendi Oil Dry Oil Mist

SKINCARE

First Aid Beauty

SUPER by Dr. Perricone

DR. BRANDT

anti-irritant soothing moisturizer

anti-irritant comforting cleanser

Pangea Organics Moroccan Argan with Willow & Rosemary Facial Cream

LAVANILA

The Healthy Baby Lotion

The Healthy Baby Butter

The Healthy Baby Block SPF 40

MAKEUP

TARTE

FACE

clean slate foundation primer

the eraser concealer

smooth operator spf 20

provocateur powder mineral pressed powder

EYES

lights, camera, lashes! mascara

lights, camera, splashes! waterproof mascara

multiplEYE? lash enhancing serum

multiplEYE lash enhancing mascara

4 day stay

lash hugger mascara

bottoms up lower lash mascara

emphasEYES? high definition pencil

indelible wink liquid liner/shadow duo

lock & roll creaseless eyeshadow duo

lifted? eye primer

emphasEYES? Brow pencil

rest assured brightening wand

LIPS

24.7 Natural Lip Sheer SPF 15

Natural Lip Stain with LipSurgence Technology

vitamin infused lipgloss

rise & shine plumping lip stain

BODY

glam gams leg bronzing stick

Regards,

Melissa

Sephora.com Client Services

[margotb]

Do celiacs really have to worry about gluten in makeup? I'm confused. I thought we would only have to worry about ingesting gluten. Can it actually be absorbed by the skin? For example, I thought touching a bread crumb is not important to avoid but eating one is. So is the idea that we ingest make-up when it drops into the mouth or that it is absorbed via the skin?

[Almendra]

Do celiacs really have to worry about gluten in makeup? I'm confused. I thought we would only have to worry about ingesting gluten. Can it actually be absorbed by the skin? For example, I thought touching a bread crumb is not important to avoid but eating one is. So is the idea that we ingest make-up when it drops into the mouth or that it is absorbed via the skin?

I am not worried about absorbing it into my skin. However, because I seem to be very sensitive to the smallest ingested amounts, I am worried about the trace amounts that would be in makeup.

Mascara can flake off. What if it lands in my food? And face lotion/makeup... Who would really have to worry about glutening from licking that last morsel off your face - and really, I'm the type to even eat food that has fallen on my leg or arm - if the food is good enough. Also, in applying it, it gets on my hands. If I forget to wash them afterwards and snatch a few almonds, I could get glutened. For me it's more about reducing my exposure to ANY CHANCE of any glutening. Overall, I'm a living, breathing Calamity Jane; if there's danger nearby, I'm likely to get lost in thought and fall right into it. In my situation it is worth it.

[SaraKat]

I know these lipsticks are gluten-free- Benefit, Laura Mercier, and most of Estee Lauder. Also, Oil of Olay moisturizer is gluten-free too.

I didn't change mascara or anything else. Lipstick is the only thing I would ingest possibly.

[Almendra]

I know these lipsticks are gluten-free- Benefit, Laura Mercier, and most of Estee Lauder. Also, Oil of Olay moisturizer is gluten-free too.

I didn't change mascara or anything else. Lipstick is the only thing I would ingest possibly.

June 18 of 2010 I received this e-mail from Oil of Olay:

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. It may be helpful to know that the entire Pro X line is gluten free.

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

Stacy

Olay Team

Therefore, they do not seem to stand behind their products as being gluten free 100%. In fact, like so many large companies, they receive many of their base ingredients from wholesalers who have collected the ingredients at low prices from others... WHICH means they have no actual control (as they state in this e-mail) over truly being gluten free in all aspects. While telling me they couldn't help me really, they managed to tell me that they thought my question was an irrelevant one and referenced me to THIS very site to get information (where I got the idea to contact them).

Furthermore, I would encourage anyone to be careful with what information you receive on the phone vs. what you may get in writing. Revlon/Almay would not answer my questions in an e-mail form, would not put anything in writing - BUT when I called the representative, EVERYTHING I asked her about was perfectly safe. This was a little TOO suspicious for me.

[CarolinaKip]

Currently I use Zuzu (which i buy at my health food store) and Joelle (also called my mineral glitters) which I but online.

I use ZuZu eyeliner, but watch out for the lipgloss. My last check, it had wheatgerm oil in it.

[CarolinaKip]

I was having the same problem. I was using Clinique and after calling the company I found out they are not gluten free. I now use bare Minerals. I LOVE it. I did call and all their products are gluten free.

I use bare minerals make up,but that's all. I called summer of 2010 and was told that some of their cleansers etc contained gluten. I was instructed by them to take some items back and get a refund. I know on their website there is a small list of gluten-free items, not sure how old that info is.

[Macbre]

Do celiacs really have to worry about gluten in makeup? I'm confused. I thought we would only have to worry about ingesting gluten. Can it actually be absorbed by the skin? For example, I thought touching a bread crumb is not important to avoid but eating one is. So is the idea that we ingest make-up when it drops into the mouth or that it is absorbed via the skin?

I never thought about the make-up either until I got a free sample of Estee Lauder's night cream & had a gluten reaction to it. I knew I hadn't eaten anything with gluten so I looked up the ingredients & found "wheat" listed. I gave it away the next day! I have always used bare essentials & since it's gluten-free I never had any issues. Now I think about everything I put on my skin (i.e. soap, shampoo, sun tan lotion, etc.). It's a pain in the butt, but it keeps me feeling good so it's worth it.