Easy Gluten Free Living

Celiac Disease and Beauty Products

I know it’s been a while since I posted last. I’ve been doing research into gluten in beauty products. What I have found is conclusively inconclusive, but I will share with you what I’ve found so far.

When you are first diagnosed with celiac disease, you think that gluten is only found in the food that you were eating. Not so. Gluten is found in many things other than food, like toothpaste, although the major brands lke Crest and Colgate do not contain it. Body wash, body lotion, hair care products, make up, almost everything you come in contact with.

Lipstick, and possibly chapstick. Since they are used on the lips should be a concern. Since I’ve used chapstick for a very long time, never really thinking about it, I called the chapstick contact number to see if chapstick has gluten in it. I mean why would it? Right? The answer I received in my opinion was a complete run around.

I asked this exact question, “I have celiac disease, which is an intolerance to gluten, so I cannot eat any products with wheat, rye, or barley in it. Does chapstick contain any of those grains.” What I was told, “We do not put gluten in the end product.” HUH? Okay but is it in any of the ingredients that make up the end product. Again I got we do not put gluten in the end product. I guess I’ll be finding a new product to use instead of chapstick.

Now onto what if it is body lotion or makeup that is not going anywhere where you might ingest it? This is where it gets inconclusive.

In her book The G Free Diet, Elisabeth Hasselbeck says that she can’t have any hair care products, body washes, lotions, or anything that she comes in contact with have any type of gluten in it.

However, Dr. Michael Picco at the Mayo Clinic says, “Gluten containing products and cosmetics aren’t a problem unless you accidentally swallow them.”

“If you use a cosmetic or skin care product that contains gluten and you develop a skin reaction, see your doctor or dermatologist to identify the cause. It is possible to have an allergy to wheat or another grain that could cause a skin reaction.”

To read Dr. Picco’s full article click here.

That is pretty much what I am finding all over. Celiac Disease is an intolerance to ingested gluten, but there are some people that can’t use skin products that have gluten in them.

So it seems the best advice to follow is Dr. Picco’s. If you use a product and have a reaction see your doctor to find out why.

Uncategorized | Mary Blackburn | January 27, 2010 12:03 pm

7 Comments

By Patti, January 31, 2010 @ 4:45 pm

Yes, Mary, I believe we can find things that are toxic to us in all sorts of places. Sometimes we forget that our skin is porous – we are not hermetically sealed. Beauty products don’t just sit on our skin, it’s absorbed. Thanks for the reminder and thanks for another great topic.
By Loretta, February 6, 2010 @ 4:26 pm

I never thought about this when we were talking about your gluten intolerance. I guess you would treat it like I treat my allergies, complete avoidance in everything whether I’m eating it or putting it on my skin! Heck some things I don’t even want to be in the same room as -lol-

What a strange answer to say that they don’t put it in the end product, very odd wording, sounds like someone wanting to cover their rear end!
By Karon, February 12, 2010 @ 7:01 pm

This has nothing to do with beauty products, Mary, but I was wondering what you know about eczema with relation to gluten. (Did see another way to contact you so I posted here.)

It seems I *may* have a gluten allergy. Will have to do an elimination diet to confirm.
By Sandy, February 19, 2010 @ 3:39 pm

I have celiac and one year after I stopped eating anything with gluten I still continued to have acne.. I discovered that the deep conditioner that I used on my hair monthly for the past few years..was causing blister type acne on my face. Upon reading the ingredients I discovered it had Wheat Starch.. After I discontinued the use of all products with wheat listed in the ingredients My problems went away. I have to agree with Elisabeth Hasselbeck on this one … Maybe advise from someone who has dealt with this personally is better than doctors who never experienced it themselves HAHA
By Jen, February 20, 2010 @ 4:49 pm

Hey there, just found your website. I cannot use products with gluten in them. I had called the pharmacist several years ago to see if I could, and he said it was fine as long as I didn’t ingest them. NOT SO!! I have learned this the hard way, and can always tell when I missed something.
Thanks for your informative blog. Love, love, love thin mint cookies. Will have to try your recipe soon.
Best,
Jen
By Mary Blackburn, February 22, 2010 @ 9:26 pm

Sandy and Jen,

With Celiac Disease and gluten intolerance, in my opinion, there are no hard and fast rules. We are all just kind of muddling through this. I found that there were certain eyeliners I couldn’t use because they made my eyes itch.

I just started using an eye cream by Garnier that after just a few applications, my eyes have started itching.

Celiac Disease “technically” affects the small intestines and the villi found there. That doesn’t mean that we can’t have an intolerance to products with gluten in them that we use other places on our bodies.

Karon,

Eczema can certainly be connected to celiac disease and gluten intolerance.

I will be posting about that here soon.

I don’t think the “experts” know either.