Makeup And Anxiety

[Ally7]

Hey guys!

I am fairly new to the gluten free stuff...I have been totally food gluten free since this past august. However my older brother who has celiacs disease for a while informed me my makeup and other products could potentially have gluten in them which will then enter my bloodstream and affect me. My question is I am having really bad anxiety lately and some of my products contain gluten...could it be the gluten? The anxiety just came on I am assuming I am getting more sensitive to my new allergy which is why it recently start? I don't really know just looking for some reassurance that its probably the gluten.

Thanks!

[saintmaybe]

Hey guys!

I am fairly new to the gluten free stuff...I have been totally food gluten free since this past august. However my older brother who has celiacs disease for a while informed me my makeup and other products could potentially have gluten in them which will then enter my bloodstream and affect me. My question is I am having really bad anxiety lately and some of my products contain gluten...could it be the gluten? The anxiety just came on I am assuming I am getting more sensitive to my new allergy which is why it recently start? I don't really know just looking for some reassurance that its probably the gluten.

Thanks!

Hey, I'm almost six months gluten free. I've only just recently started reacting to all my topicals, including my makeup. However, I did so with a vengeance. I had a full blown gluten reaction to eyeliner that I hadn't vetted, and hadn't used in a long time.

Now I go on the manufacturer's website and investigate everything I put on my skin, and/or read all ingredients labels.

By the way, makeups that I love and that I can personally vouch for being mostly gluten free are the Physician's Formula and Neutrogena lines, but you do need to investigate specific products. You also have to throw away and start over with any lip gloss/ lip stick from pre gluten free. None of it is safe, no matter what you do.

[DerpTyler]

hmmm i don't quite understand how makeup containing gluten can cause a reaction unless you are swallowing it or getting it in you digestive system?

[Skylark]

hmmm i don't quite understand how makeup containing gluten can cause a reaction unless you are swallowing it or getting it in you digestive system?

Powder flies where you can eat/inhale it and foundation gets on your hands when you apply it and then you can swallow it. Eyes are mucous membranes, so gluten at your eyes is a problem. Lipstick is obvious. Some of are topically sensitive too, maybe allergy? It's pretty easy to find makeup you don't have to worry about anyway.

[Gemini]

Hey guys!

I am fairly new to the gluten free stuff...I have been totally food gluten free since this past august. However my older brother who has celiacs disease for a while informed me my makeup and other products could potentially have gluten in them which will then enter my bloodstream and affect me. My question is I am having really bad anxiety lately and some of my products contain gluten...could it be the gluten? The anxiety just came on I am assuming I am getting more sensitive to my new allergy which is why it recently start? I don't really know just looking for some reassurance that its probably the gluten.

Thanks!

From someone who uses make-up with no anxiety......the only real problem with make-up would be the use of lip products, for obvious reasons, and hand cream. If you put your hands into your mouth a lot, then it would be essential that your hand cream be gluten-free. You have to ingest it into your GI tract to cause a reaction,unless you have an additional topical allergy to wheat. You cannot absorb gluten into your bloodstream through the skin so relax and don't automatically believe what others tell you.

I use eye shadow, eye liner and mascara and have had zero issues. My blood work is perfect so I know there isn't any ingestion going on. I would think if you got enough gluten containing make-up into your eye, that would cause a lot of irritation....enough that you wouldn't make it a habit. It would also have to get further down into the gut so unless that is happening, I wouldn't get all worried about it. The vast majority of people who complain of problems have additional allergies because that's how an allergy reacts...topical irritation. I am very sensitive to gluten and have been doing this for 7 years now so if I were continually being glutened, it would have reared it's ugly head by now. I would recommend that you use good quality products because the cheaper stuff

is more likely to have fillers and other junk that may cause a reaction of some kind. I use Lancome and have never had a problem. For lipstick, I use MAC...it's gluten free.

[Melissa Palomo]

I am kind of into my makeup and haven't had a problem with anything. Now, of course you want to keep an eye on the lipsticks especially as Gemini mentioned, I don't think it's urgent that you switch everything out right away. Many people use products with gluten in them topically just fine - I mean, I don't usually eat my eyeliner or anything and I doubt you do, either. Of course everyone is different, and people with sensitive skin or other allergies may react differently than I do... but I haven't had any GI reactions from my eyeshadow or foundation.

[saintmaybe]

I'm simply telling you what my own personal experience has been. Obviously I'm not eating my eyeliner (thanks for that, Melissa), but it is right around your *eyes.* Clearly. Which are mucous membranes. Also, if you are anything like me, and rub your eyes when you're tired or frustrated or angry or overwhelmed, or if your makeup runs when you're crying or sweating or you're taking a shower, it can very easily get into your mouth.

If you happen to be a super sensitive person, gluten in your makeup can very much be a problem. ENTIRE makeup lines have been developed for this very reason. Ditto soaps and skincare products. No, not every celiac needs them. But don't be stepping on other people's lived experiences just because YOU'VE not had a problem with it.

I have massively improved physically (hair stopped falling out) and emotionally (anxiety much decreased) when I got rid of topicals with synthetic dyes and gluten.

On a side note, Original Poster Ally7, you may be having an issue with getting more sensitive to cross contamination. I have been over the course of getting better. I work as a retail manager in a home improvement store, and a lot of the drywall and drywall paste happens to have gluten in it, coincidentally enough. The constant exposure to the dust has been making me more sensitive. There may be things in your environment that you're not aware of yet. I didn't even think about my issue until Yolo brought it up in a post a while ago.

[Gemini]

I'm simply telling you what my own personal experience has been. Obviously I'm not eating my eyeliner (thanks for that, Melissa), but it is right around your *eyes.* Clearly. Which are mucous membranes. Also, if you are anything like me, and rub your eyes when you're tired or frustrated or angry or overwhelmed, or if your makeup runs when you're crying or sweating or you're taking a shower, it can very easily get into your mouth.

I have Sjogren's Syndrome which affects my eyes to a huge degree. Believe me, having Sjogren's is a bigger deal than worrying about gluten in your make-up. I have not had a problem with most make-up out there and my eyes are extremely sensitive to many things because of the Sjogren's. I would imagine that anyone who wears eye make-up would not be rubbing their eyes with make-up on....that would make for a big mess. Ditto for the shower...who wears make-up in the shower? I usually remove my make-up before hitting the shower.You can manage this lifestyle any way you choose but most people I know, with a little bit of care, do not eat their make-up. Not a good habit to get into. If you have topical allergies, that's a whole other issue and then you may have to find a good hypo-allergenic make-up to wear.

If you happen to be a super sensitive person, gluten in your makeup can very much be a problem. ENTIRE makeup lines have been developed for this very reason. Ditto soaps and skincare products. No, not every celiac needs them. But don't be stepping on other people's lived experiences just because YOU'VE not had a problem with it. I have massively improved physically (hair stopped falling out) and emotionally (anxiety much decreased) when I got rid of topicals with synthetic dyes and gluten.

You need to be less sensitive about replies to this board. The poster who replied to you was not stepping on anyone's experience, they were giving an informed opinion. The reason whole lines of products have been developed has a lot to do with marketing and making money...just like gluten-free food lines. If there was no money in

it, there wouldn't be so many choices.

I am glad you are feeling better but the super sensitive issue has not been proven. Most people take a long time to heal completely and have their symptoms resolve totally. Anyone can say they are super sensitive to gluten but it could be from other health issues that go along with Celiac or they are slow healers. The resolution to hair loss is common among us and usually is from vitamin deficiencies that take quite awhile to resolve and not so much from topical products...unless you are allergic to an ingredient, which may have nothing to do with gluten.

[saintmaybe]

I have Sjogren's Syndrome which affects my eyes to a huge degree. Believe me, having Sjogren's is a bigger deal than worrying about gluten in your make-up. I have not had a problem with most make-up out there and my eyes are extremely sensitive to many things because of the Sjogren's. I would imagine that anyone who wears eye make-up would not be rubbing their eyes with make-up on....that would make for a big mess. Ditto for the shower...who wears make-up in the shower? I usually remove my make-up before hitting the shower.You can manage this lifestyle any way you choose but most people I know, with a little bit of care, do not eat their make-up. Not a good habit to get into. If you have topical allergies, that's a whole other issue and then you may have to find a good hypo-allergenic make-up to wear.

You need to be less sensitive about replies to this board. The poster who replied to you was not stepping on anyone's experience, they were giving an informed opinion. The reason whole lines of products have been developed has a lot to do with marketing and making money...just like gluten-free food lines. If there was no money in

it, there wouldn't be so many choices.

I am glad you are feeling better but the super sensitive issue has not been proven. Most people take a long time to heal completely and have their symptoms resolve totally. Anyone can say they are super sensitive to gluten but it could be from other health issues that go along with Celiac or they are slow healers. The resolution to hair loss is common among us and usually is from vitamin deficiencies that take quite awhile to resolve and not so much from topical products...unless you are allergic to an ingredient, which may have nothing to do with gluten.

And you need to let both viewpoints be expressed, especially as both are correct. I often fall asleep in my makeup, because I come home exhausted from work. I shower with my makeup.

I can quote MULTIPLE scientific studies where cosmetic companies have to demonstrate how much of their product is absorbed directly into the skin. There was another scientific study published in the British Telegraph demonstrating that up to 5 lbs of chemical products are absorbed absorbed through the skin over the course of the year.

Furthermore, why would cosmetic companies add all kinds of vitamins and nutrients to makeup and lotions, unless they could be ABSORBED THROUGH THE SKIN. Many of those complicated sounding chemicals on the back of the bottle are chemicals designed to enhance absorption rates. SO fine, go ahead and continue absorbing gluten if you really wanna. Ditto tons of lovely sulfates and detergents and phthalates. Floor cleaner is awesome for your hair, doncha know.

But don't, DON'T tell me what helped and what didn't for MY experience. Getting rid of Yellow 5 specifically, in my case, in my hair products, meant literally, and I mean overnight, stopping losing my hair. I mean from one day to the next. It wasn't like, oh look at that it's slowing down and then stopping. It was handfuls one day, and then stopping the next. So I'll take your advice with a grain of salt.

[Bubba's Mom]

I found it safest to just make sure my cosmetics don't have gluten or soy. Eye makeup especially seems wise to have gluten-free? I tend to rub my eyes when I'm tired or stressed, and then there's seasonal allergies that have me rubbing too. Eyes are mucous membranes.

Shhh...don't tell anybody, but I've been known to get so tired I go to bed with what's left of my makeup still on too.

I just feel like checking up front and having safe ingredients takes the chance of an accidental glutening out of the mix? Less anxiety for me.

I guess we all have to make that decision for ourselves..and do what we feel is best for us?

[saintmaybe]

I have Sjogren's Syndrome which affects my eyes to a huge degree. Believe me, having Sjogren's is a bigger deal than worrying about gluten in your make-up. I have not had a problem with most make-up out there and my eyes are extremely sensitive to many things because of the Sjogren's. I would imagine that anyone who wears eye make-up would not be rubbing their eyes with make-up on....that would make for a big mess. Ditto for the shower...who wears make-up in the shower? I usually remove my make-up before hitting the shower.You can manage this lifestyle any way you choose but most people I know, with a little bit of care, do not eat their make-up. Not a good habit to get into. If you have topical allergies, that's a whole other issue and then you may have to find a good hypo-allergenic make-up to wear.

You need to be less sensitive about replies to this board. The poster who replied to you was not stepping on anyone's experience, they were giving an informed opinion. The reason whole lines of products have been developed has a lot to do with marketing and making money...just like gluten-free food lines. If there was no money in

it, there wouldn't be so many choices.

I am glad you are feeling better but the super sensitive issue has not been proven. Most people take a long time to heal completely and have their symptoms resolve totally. Anyone can say they are super sensitive to gluten but it could be from other health issues that go along with Celiac or they are slow healers. The resolution to hair loss is common among us and usually is from vitamin deficiencies that take quite awhile to resolve and not so much from topical products...unless you are allergic to an ingredient, which may have nothing to do with gluten.

And one final thing as to the super sensitive issue not being proven: Tell that to my graduate advisor, who's son died in his early twenties from celiac shock. It's really insulting.

[Melissa Palomo]

I'm simply telling you what my own personal experience has been. Obviously I'm not eating my eyeliner (thanks for that, Melissa), but it is right around your *eyes.* Clearly. Which are mucous membranes. Also, if you are anything like me, and rub your eyes when you're tired or frustrated or angry or overwhelmed, or if your makeup runs when you're crying or sweating or you're taking a shower, it can very easily get into your mouth.

If you happen to be a super sensitive person, gluten in your makeup can very much be a problem. ENTIRE makeup lines have been developed for this very reason. Ditto soaps and skincare products. No, not every celiac needs them. But don't be stepping on other people's lived experiences just because YOU'VE not had a problem with it.

I have massively improved physically (hair stopped falling out) and emotionally (anxiety much decreased) when I got rid of topicals with synthetic dyes and gluten.

On a side note, Original Poster Ally7, you may be having an issue with getting more sensitive to cross contamination. I have been over the course of getting better. I work as a retail manager in a home improvement store, and a lot of the drywall and drywall paste happens to have gluten in it, coincidentally enough. The constant exposure to the dust has been making me more sensitive. There may be things in your environment that you're not aware of yet. I didn't even think about my issue until Yolo brought it up in a post a while ago.

Eep - it seems that there's only one right answer here which is "use only gluten-free makeup"? I shared my thoughts - and said "of course everyone is different" but I also don't think makeup is something that *most* Celiacs need to jump up and throw away right away. It's worth an investigation and some research, and everyone should be able to make an informed opinion based on their own experiences.

[saintmaybe]

Eep - it seems that there's only one right answer here which is "use only gluten-free makeup"? I shared my thoughts - and said "of course everyone is different" but I also don't think makeup is something that *most* Celiacs need to jump up and throw away right away. It's worth an investigation and some research, and everyone should be able to make an informed opinion based on their own experiences.

Actually, no, that isn't what I said at all. I'd be lying if I said I thought it was okay for a celiac to keep on using gluten containing makeup, because honestly? I think there are equally as good if not better brands available in stores that are all gluten free. PF, Neutrogena, Boots Brand No. 7, and E.L.F., and Milani are just a few that span the range of what's available just in CVS in a range of very affordable options. It seems like a risk that's unnecessary and totally avoidable. No wait, sorry, Boots and E.L.F. are only available at Target. Just mentally rummaging through my bathroom here.

But, in my first response, I said not all celiacs need to go out and replace everything, in the sense that they won't get gluten reactions by using gluten containing makeup. Me? I do. I really, really do. Did I used to? No. Do I now? Yes. What I didn't like about your response in particular was basically being compared to the girl sitting in the corner eating paste(by implication), and also not knowing what's affecting my own body.

If on a particular day, I've controlled for diet, for reasons of my own, by eating rice cakes, eggs, and soup, all of which I know to be non allergenic to me, and the only new thing I add is a new makeup product, and I get sick, I think the makeup is the culprit. Horses, not zebras. Follow up the next day confirms it, although I always take a gander at the ingredients in the makeup.

In a larger sense, it has to do with being empowered about my own health, as well as sharing experience with fellow celiacs. Ally7 can make an informed decision- anxiety is a tough, tough thing, and once those mental patterns are entrained, man it is difficult to get rid of them.

What I don't like are people saying oh, you must be mistaken, that method didn't work for you. Well, how do you know? Have you lived in my skin? "You must be mistaken." "You didn't feel what you felt." "It's all in your head." Hm. Where have I heard those words before? I was disappointed to hear them from fellow celiacs. That's where I was coming from.

[sa1937]

My take on makeup and personal care products is very simple...if you feel it is causing you problems, by all means replace it. Just one less thing to worry about. I feel it's very difficult to understand the ingredients in those products.

Personally I did not replace my makeup products except to throw out a lot of lipsticks and I'm doing just fine using what I've used for years. I did replace my hand cream as that could easily be ingested.

I did, however, replace a lot of kitchen equipment as some of mine were very old and I felt I couldn't get them clean.

[Gemini]

And you need to let both viewpoints be expressed, especially as both are correct. I often fall asleep in my makeup, because I come home exhausted from work. I shower with my makeup.

I can quote MULTIPLE scientific studies where cosmetic companies have to demonstrate how much of their product is absorbed directly into the skin. There was another scientific study published in the British Telegraph demonstrating that up to 5 lbs of chemical products are absorbed absorbed through the skin over the course of the year.

Furthermore, why would cosmetic companies add all kinds of vitamins and nutrients to makeup and lotions, unless they could be ABSORBED THROUGH THE SKIN. Many of those complicated sounding chemicals on the back of the bottle are chemicals designed to enhance absorption rates. SO fine, go ahead and continue absorbing gluten if you really wanna. Ditto tons of lovely sulfates and detergents and phthalates. Floor cleaner is awesome for your hair, doncha know.

But don't, DON'T tell me what helped and what didn't for MY experience. Getting rid of Yellow 5 specifically, in my case, in my hair products, meant literally, and I mean overnight, stopping losing my hair. I mean from one day to the next. It wasn't like, oh look at that it's slowing down and then stopping. It was handfuls one day, and then stopping the next. So I'll take your advice with a grain of salt.

You definitely have an attitude problem, don't ya? I think the subject was gluten, not chemicals, vitamins or minerals. Stay on topic.

I honestly wonder how people get through life, if they fear ingredient listings in shampoo so much. It's pretty easy to figure out what a person is allergic to and many non-Celiacs have problems with certain ingredients also that have zero to do with gluten. You do have to do what works best for each individual, no doubt, but I know I am not absorbing gluten at all because I actually get tested on a regular basis and I have recovered well enough that I do not get as snarky as you do with others on this board. You can restrict yourself as much as you want but it doesn't sound like you've done your homework as far as making comments to those who still use whatever eye shadow that agrees with them, gluten filled or not. You seem to be pushing your belief more harshly than I ever did by saying, quite truthfully, that not everyone has to obsess about eye make-up with regards to gluten. Lipstick and hand cream, yes, but not eye make-up. Not unless you have an allergy.

[Gemini]

And one final thing as to the super sensitive issue not being proven: Tell that to my graduate advisor, who's son died in his early twenties from celiac shock. It's really insulting.

Ummmm....just because a person nearly dies from Celiac, does not mean they are super sensitive to gluten. There are plenty of people on this board who nearly died from it, including myself, and they don't go through life labeling themselves as a super sensitive. Everyone with Celiac, all the way down to the gluten sensitive, need to avoid gluten, period. But they don't need to be paranoid about it either. There is a balance with this disease and most people, who learn how this disease process works, do very well with it.

[Gemini]

My take on makeup and personal care products is very simple...if you feel it is causing you problems, by all means replace it. Just one less thing to worry about. I feel it's very difficult to understand the ingredients in those products.

Personally I did not replace my makeup products except to throw out a lot of lipsticks and I'm doing just fine using what I've used for years. I did replace my hand cream as that could easily be ingested.

I did, however, replace a lot of kitchen equipment as some of mine were very old and I felt I couldn't get them clean.

Another good post from Sylvia, the voice of reason!

[saintmaybe]

I don't think I'm the one here with an attitude problem.

[saintmaybe]

Also, with Boots, PF, Smashbox, PF, Red Apple, urban decay, elf, neutrogena- I really don't feel limited. Not to mention the gluten free products within brands like covergirl (who has gotten much better about ingredients communication) and olay. I mean, I am limited in the sense that I have acne prone skin even at 27, so I use sensitive skin formulas, but that's a whole different issue. Point being, these are brands I used before I went gluten free and loved then. Bonus that they are gluten free now! W00t! You're acting like it's a terrible trial to find these things, and maybe it is if you're a huge makeup snob. I have not and will never pay forty dollars for a bottle of foundation no matter how good it supposedly is. I also don't insist on no possibility of cross contamination, although I know people who do, and I respect that decision. Especially not knowing what led them to it in the first place. There are some pretty rare (and expensive) brands that can accommodate that choice. As long as there are no listed gluten ingredients on the back and it doesn't induce a reaction in me, I'm good.

[Melissa Palomo]

Well I am most definitely a makeup snob, admittedly. I would absolutely switch brands if necessary but I think it's something that each person should evaluate - for themselves - and not immediately jump to freak out. That's all. I'm glad you've found something that works for you - and others might find something different that works for them. Glad we can all offer our individual perspectives and realize that it's possible for different strokes to work for different folks.

[saintmaybe]

Ummmm....just because a person nearly dies from Celiac, does not mean they are super sensitive to gluten. There are plenty of people on this board who nearly died from it, including myself, and they don't go through life labeling themselves as a super sensitive. Everyone with Celiac, all the way down to the gluten sensitive, need to avoid gluten, period. But they don't need to be paranoid about it either. There is a balance with this disease and most people, who learn how this disease process works, do very well with it.

He didn't nearly die. He expired. He is deceased. He is no more. And yes, celiac or gluten shock is a syndrome brought about when someone on a strict gluten free diet is inadvertently exposed to gluten, goes into tachycardia, and in rare cases dies. Feel free to look it up. I would say that's pretty damn sensitive.

[Darn210]

This is a reminder to adhere to Board Rule #1:

Do not be abusive or otherwise out of line towards other board members. Show respect for each board member, no matter what you think of their views.

[livelifelarge24]

Regardless of what other might say I have gotten incredibly I'll from makeup with gluten in it, even mascara. Some people are more sensitive than others but it is virtually impossible to keep from inhaling and ingesting makeup. She you wash your face where does all the makeup run? Right down past your mouth. And how often do you touch your face and hair? Probably all day long like everybody. You ingest much more than you think when it comes ro beauty products. My reaction is very noticeable and yes anxiety is one of the worst symptoms. Change your makeup and hairsprays, etc and you should see a difference quickly since it is usually a small amount of contamination

[livelifelarge24]

And to add to my comment some of these comments are unbelievable! Just because somebody is more sensitive or than you does not make them wrong. We are all here for the same reasons and should be more supportive of each other. After being completely gluten free for months I took the advice of a doctor and switches back to my favorite gluten containing products. He was WRONG. And. I I don't eat my eyeliner either. Why would you bee try ro make someone feel bad for their level of sensitivity? We all have different individual cases, that's the nature of this beast. You know your body best, you will figure out what does and doesn't work for you.

[Bubba's Mom]

I got a good lesson in how many times I touch my eyes or nose this summer when I was helping my hubby chop up jalapenos. I even washed my hands afterwards..but boy did my eye sting when I rubbed it a bit later!

Made me realize that everything I touch MUST be gluten free.