Food Intolerance, Topicals Aswell?

[arian]

Hi ! I'm new here , and I really need help because no one is helping me ! I just found out im intolerant to gluten, corn, dairy, and foods high in sulphur. My question is, if I'm intolerant to these foods, can I use cosmetics with them in it, as long as I don't ingest it? I know it will absorb into my bloodstream still, but I thought It has to be eaten to cause my symptoms ( anxiety, depression, rls, etc) Someone help :/

[Minstinguette]

I am wondering about the same thing. I have been gluten/dairy/corn free for more than a year but still have a few symptoms here and there. I don't seem to react when I touch something with corn or gluten. But I suspect that if it gets to your bloodstream it probably causes a immune reaction to some level. Hoping somebody more knowledgable replies this post.

[bartfull]

The trouble with topicals is when you get them on your hands (lotions for example), you might just forget and pop something in your mouth. Depending on your sensitivity, even lotion that has completely dried could make you sick. Shampoo and conditioner MIGHT get in your mouth or up your nose when you are using them. Make-up is the same as the lotion. If you touch your face and then eat something, you might get a tiny bit of that make-up on your hand and thus on the food.

I have psoriasis, and people have brought me all kinds of lotions to use on it. I thank them politely and then give them away. Everything they have brought has SOMETHING in it that I can't have. Even if it weren't going to be rubbed into broken skin, I won't use them.

Think of it this way - rat poison has to be ingested to kill you, but would you still want to put it on your skin?

[ccheri]

That's been a big question of mine, too. The research of heard by doctors have been conflicted as far as I can tell. I did just find the website "The Celiac Diva", she seems very informative on things like gluten-free sun tan lotion, nail polish, bodywash, etc, the products that aren't so black and white. Hope it helps.

[lovegrov]

You do NOT absorb things like cosmetics into your bloodstream. Yuck. Think how gross that would be. Nasty.

richard

[jerseyangel]

Hi ! I'm new here , and I really need help because no one is helping me ! I just found out im intolerant to gluten, corn, dairy, and foods high in sulphur. My question is, if I'm intolerant to these foods, can I use cosmetics with them in it, as long as I don't ingest it? I know it will absorb into my bloodstream still, but I thought It has to be eaten to cause my symptoms ( anxiety, depression, rls, etc) Someone help :/

Hi arian and welcome. The issue with topicals is that generally you apply lotions, makeup, etc with your hands and there is the chance you could get some in your mouth by preparing food, biting a fingernail, etc. Shampoos and conditioners in the shower run down your face. The molecules are too large to be absorbed through your skin.

The decision on what to use is up to you--some use gluten containing personal care products without a problem. Personally, as a Celiac with several additional food intolerances, I use gluten-free topicals (because I don't want to think about it while showering, etc) but I don't check them for my other intolerances. That works for me--sometimes it takes a bit of experimentation to come up with what will work best for you.

[Juliebove]

I would say, "no". When my daughter was intolerant to soy and wheat I was using shampoos on here that contained them. They gave her a rash on her scalp. If I took a bath in Aveeno myself, the residue gave her a rash.

[Pac]

You do NOT absorb things like cosmetics into your bloodstream. Yuck. Think how gross that would be. Nasty.

richard

not molecules as big as gluten, but the small ones (hormones, parabenes...) you DO absorb.

[T.H.]

I thought this was a nice explanation about what can penetrate the skin vs. get absorbed into the body: Open Original Shared Link

He doesn't address issues that pertain to allergies, but it's interesting with regards to how the body works.