Did you know that your favorite shade of lip gloss might contain wheat germ oil, wheat-derived vitamin E oil, or another concentrated gluten derivative? Ditto for your favorite shampoo, hand lotion, and even mascara. Just as gluten pops up in the unlikeliest foods, it also sneaks into a wide range of personal care products. It’s used to bind liquids, to prevent powders from clumping, and to keep colors from fading.
Right about now, you might be thinking: So what? Isn’t gluten absorbed exclusively through the digestive tract, and not the skin? Why does it matter what kind of hand lotion I use?
Unfortunately, the products we put on the surface of our skin have a funny way of getting inside our bodies. If you are wearing a wheat-enriched lipstick, you could be ingesting a little bit of gluten every time you lick your lips. If your hairspray contains wheat protein, as many do, you might be inhaling gluten whenever you style your hair. (I used to feel sick for a day or two after getting my hair done at the salon before realizing this was the case.) If your contaminated oats-containing body gel splashes into your eyes or mouth in the shower, you could be admitting a little more gluten into your system. If your hand cream contains gluten, you might be compromising the benefits of your gluten-free diet every time you wipe your mouth, or touch food shortly after.
And on and on it goes—even the products our loved ones use can introduce gluten into our bodies. Think about it: If your daughter has slathered a vitamin E–enriched moisturizer on her face right before you kiss her good-bye in the morning, you could be ingesting gluten from her skin as well. Or if your child is G-free, and your lipstick or lotion contains gluten, when you hug or kiss her, you could be unknowingly, over time, contaminating her.
Because, as you can imagine, these constant, tiny exposures to gluten can really add up (especially if you suffer from dermatitis herpetiformis or any other skin sensitivities), you need to pay close attention to the personal care products you choose. But there’s no cause to panic: Being G-free does not mean living without lip gloss. All you need to do is follow the same steps you would typically take before sampling a new food. Surely by now you are a world-class expert at label reading!
Calling companies directly is also typically a good idea, but do know that, unlike food manufacturers, personal care companies are not required to indicate if their product contains a common allergen. Still, even if getting answers requires a little more persistence than usual, your efforts will be rewarded when you learn for certain that your favorite lip gloss or toothpaste is G-free!
Before bringing home any new product, check out the complete list of ingredients, either online or on the packaging. You will recognize many of the off-limits ingredients (triticum, hydrolyzed ingredients, oats, barley) from your perusal of food labels. If you see vitamin E on the list, you need to find out where it came from, since most (but not all) vitamin E extracts in beauty products are derived from wheat.
Be on the lookout for the following terms in particular—they could all indicate the presence of gluten in a product:
It is also important to check manufacturers’ Web sites frequently, just as you do with your favorite food products. Many companies are making progress and listing gluten-free products in their brand. You also need to be on the lookout for changes in product formulations—ingredients often change, while the labels remain exactly the same.
In addition to calling up and writing companies for information, I am constantly going on web discussion sites like www.glutenfreeforum.com to get the latest updates on my favorite products. Delphi Forums (www.delphiforums.com) has some useful archives with specific ingredient lists and correspondences between companies and gluten-sensitive consumers. CeliacNet (http://celiacnet.com/hygiene.html) also has a list of G-free personal care products. Whichever online resource you use as a backup, please be aware that product formulations are constantly changing, so settle for nothing less than accurate, up-to-the-minute information, preferably direct from the company.
The brilliant Emmy Award–winning hair and makeup team on The View has been amazingly understanding about my allergy, and I completely rely on their creativity, open-mindedness, and generosity. They use only gluten-free products on me, and never share my brushes. They always warn me before using any wheat-containing hairspray, or simply use alternative products that they know are 100 percent safe. Whenever they come to me with new products, their first question is always, “Will you check out the ingredients, so I know whether to try it on you?” I love them for it!
While I know that having this kind of relationship with your stylist is rare, I also know that there’s no reason for you to risk your health every time you get your hair or makeup done. The key here?
Until your hairstylist knows all about your allergy, my advice is to bring your own beauty products from home, especially on your first several trips. Until your salon stocks products that you can safely use, you are better off sticking with items that you know will not cause irritation. When you first sit down, before even getting shampooed, explain your allergy in detail. Ask to see the labels of every shampoo, conditioner, gel, spray, and assorted goop that might be used on you.
In my experience, it is best to do your own research. You are the one most familiar with the ingredients, and you are the one who may feel their effects.
When getting your hair colored: Before getting your hair colored, you must go to the salon for a “color consultation,” where your stylist will do a patch test on you forty-eight hours before your coloring appointment. Have your stylist apply a small patch of color on a strand of hair right behind your ear. Leave the dye on the strand for what would be the normal processing time of ten to forty-five minutes. If after forty-eight hours you have suffered no adverse reaction to the dye, you can proceed as planned with the coloring!
When getting your nails done: I take the same precautions at the nail salon. On the rare occasions that I get the chance to sneak out for what I call a “Mommy Mani-Pedi” (Translation: While the kids are napping, I race into the nail salon and ask for hands and feet to be done at the same time, one coat, with a quick-dry coat on top), I ask the women not to use any lotions on me, unless I am already familiar with the brands. I feel much more comfortable bringing my own lotion in, or just skipping that step altogether.
When having a massage: Ditto for your trips to your favorite masseuse. Massage therapists often use lotions on their clients—it’s your job to make sure the lotion used on you contains no allergens. I would definitely bring in my own G-free lotion until I felt confident that my therapist understood what was at stake.
When staying in a hotel: I have already mentioned this, but it bears repeating: Whenever you travel, you should take your own food and beauty products with you. Never rely on hotel soaps, lotions, or shampoos—they can all be potentially glutenous. Play it safe and travel with your own arsenal of supplies!
If you are unable to find the full list of ingredients, err on the side of caution, and stick with the products you brought with you. If you go back to the same salon fairly regularly, you could ask to leave your bottles there, or you could tote them along each time.
You will actually be pleasantly surprised by how many products you can use. The following suggestions are not meant to make up an exclusive list. They are just a few examples of the many gluten-free personal care products available at the time of this writing. If you don’t see your favorite sunscreen or shampoo on the list, don’t despair: It might still be perfectly safe. If you are initially making the switch to G-free living, keep a notepad by the bathroom sink, or in your makeup kit, and jot down the names of products that you use on a daily basis. Take that list over to the computer, and get down to investigating!
Dove: Most Dove (www.dove.us) products—from deodorants to shower gels—are G-free. Dove has a policy of disclosing comprehensive information on any allergens in their products.
Herbology Beauty: Herbology Beauty (www.herbologybeauty.com) has a whole line of gluten-free lotions and creams that I absolutely love.
Keys Soap: Keys Soap (www.keys-soap.com) makes wonderful gluten-free and nontoxic sunscreens, soaps, facial washes, and moisturizers.
Gluten-Free Savonnerie: Gluten-Free Savonnerie (www.gfsoap.com) specializes in hypoallergenic gluten- and casein-free soaps and shampoos. The products are also free of fragrances, dyes, corn, and soy.
Pangea Organics: Everything in the Pangea Organics (www.pangeaorganics.com) line is gluten-free except the oatmeal soap.
Burt’s Bees: The Burt’s Bees Web site (www.burtsbees.com) has detailed information on this ecofriendly company’s natural, gluten-free formulations, including a line of tinted lip shimmers. Some Burt’s Bees products do contain gluten, so check before buying.
Dr. Bronner’s: All Dr. Bronner’s (www.drbronner.com) soaps are gluten-free. The vitamin E in Dr. Bronner’s products is derived from soybean oil.
Neutrogena: If you contact Neutrogena (www.neutrogena.com), customer service representatives will send you a complete list of the company’s gluten-free products.
Kiss My Face: Kiss My Face (www.kissmyface.com), which you can find at most health food stores, has a wide range of gluten-free products.
Whole Foods 365 Everyday Value: Whole Foods brand glycerin soaps are gluten-free, and many store employees can help you make educated decisions about other safe products as well.
Tom’s of Maine: All Tom’s (www.tomsofmaine.com) products are G-free except Natural Moisturizing Hand Soap Liquids and Moisturizing Body Wash, which both contain wheat protein. There is also a gluten fact sheet on their Web site (www.tomsofmaine.com/toms/ifs/gluten.asp).
Shampoo and conditioner: Most Dove, Garnier Fructis (www.garnierusa.com), and Suave (www.suave.com) shampoos and conditioners are G-free. All Giovanni Organic (www.giovannicosmetics.com) shampoos and conditioners (even the Golden Wheat line!) are gluten-free. Burt’s Bees Grapefruit and Sugar Beet shampoos and conditioners are also gluten-free.
Styling products: Garnier Fructis and Pantene (www.pantene.com/en_US) hairsprays are safe and G-free, as are Dove Shape and Definition Mousse.
Department store brands: Smashbox (www.smashbox.com; everything is gluten-free), NARS (www.narscosmetics.com; everything is gluten-free), T. LeClerc makeup (www.t-leclerc.co.uk; everything is gluten-free), and M.A.C. (www.maccosmetics.com; ask for a list) are all good choices.
Drugstore brands: Brands worth trying include Lavera (www.lavera.com; everything is gluten-free), Lumene (www.lumene.com; everything except Lumene Hydra Drops skin care products and Hydra Drops foundation is G-free), Neutrogena (ask for a list; most lipsticks are G-free), Cover Girl (www.covergirl.com; contact company; many lipsticks, foundations, and mascaras are safe).
Mineral makeup and natural lines: Mineral makeup—Everyday Minerals (www.everydayminerals.com), Bare Escentuals (www.bareescentuals.com), Monave Mineral Makeup (www.monave.com), among many other brands—is almost always gluten-free. Its gentle, nonchemical formulations are recommended for sensitive skin in general. Ecco Bella lipsticks (www.eccobella.com) are usually G-free. All Trucco cosmetics (www.trucco.com) are free of gluten and gluten derivatives.
While wheat germ is a less common ingredient in products made for children, kids are more likely to swallow shampoos, soaps, and bubble baths. If your child has celiac disease, you need to take extra precautions against exposure.
General: The entire range of California Baby (www.californiababy.com) products is both all natural and 100 percent gluten-free. California Baby has a wonderful line including bubble bath, sunscreen, lotion, soap, and diaper rash cream. Always a good bet. Burt’s Bees also has many gluten-free products in its Baby Bee line. Check the Web site for details.
Shampoo: Suave Kids Shampoo (www.Suave.com) is gluten-free. The Gluten-Free Savonnerie also has a number of shampoos that are great for kids.
Toothpaste and mouthwash: This is another area where you have to be careful, since we often inadvertently swallow dental hygiene products. Luckily, most big-name toothpaste brands—including Aquafresh, Crest, and Colgate—are gluten-free. Tom’s of Maine toothpastes and mouthwashes (including the kids’ flavors, like Silly Strawberry) are as well.
Sunscreen: Coppertone and Badger sunscreens are gluten-free.
Shaving cream: Tom’s of Maine Natural Shaving Cream, Gluten-Free Savonnerie, and Colgate White Non-Mentholated Shaving Cream are all gluten-free shaving options.
Deodorant: Most Dove and Lady Speed Stick/Mennen Speed Stick deodorants and antiperspirants are gluten-free. Tom’s of Maine calendula deodorant (in both roll-on and stick form) is G-free.
Lip balms: Burt’s Bees; Badger Balm; Blistex (most varieties; check); most Neutrogena lip products; classic Vaseline; and most (but not all) types of ChapStick. Kiehl’s lip gloss is gluten-free, but its lip balm contains gluten—see how careful you have to be?
Again, the above list is far from exhaustive. Think of it as a snapshot of all the beautiful possibilities out there—a springboard for your own investigations. I promise that before you know it, you will be gorgeously G-free!