Gluten-Free Gab : Is it time to ditch your make-up?
So I have talked several times about the challenges (and benefits) of eating gluten free foods, but this time I wanted to address something that, perhaps, many may not think of when it comes to being gluten free… what about the things that we touch, and that is applied to our skin?! No, we don’t physically ingest many of those things that we touch, however, what many don’t realize is that much of what we expose our skin to gets absorbed and makes it into the bloodstream! This can cause a reaction in those with a gluten intolerance to have a reaction like if they had ingested bread!
So, for those of you ladies out there, if you’re anything like me, you wear at least some kind of make up on a regular basis. So I thought, for this week’s column, I would concentrate on that stuff we slather on our faces every morning, and may not even give a second thought to… being our make ups, lotions, face washes, etc…
It is said that up to 60% of topical skin care products have gluten in them, which, to someone with, say, Celiac Disease, can cause a rash at the application site, or can cause the same reaction you get when ingesting gluten, so it may be best to avoid these products altogether. What you really do want to avoid though, if nothing else, is the glutinous lipsticks and lip glosses. These are physically on you mouth, and at some point or another, it will be ingested. You will lick your lips, you food touches your mouth… it’s pretty much inevitable.
When it comes to eye make up and foundation, it is, in my opinion, just best to not chance it. I’m not 100% sure how much of this gets absorbed by your skin, but I feel like it’s just best to be safe than sorry.
Which brings me to lotions… I have actually seen hand lotion bottles with a picture of wheat on the front. Lotion, as you can visibly notice when applying it to your skin, absorbs quite rapidly into your skin. I, personally, only use lotion once a day in my morning routine before I apply my make up. But, if you’re like some of my friends and family members, you may apply lotions several times a day. This may cause problems for you either now, and you’re just not realizing it, or, if your intolerance is still mild, you may not feel like you are physically being affected by it, but it may worsen later on.
So how can you avoid these products? Some of the beauty products that do not have gluten will often be labelled as such. However, make sure you do not mistake a lotion describing itself as “all natural” to mean that it does not contain gluten! The label “all natural” is actually a very vague term. It leads us to believe that a product has been minimally processed and does not use manufactured ingredients (and wheat actually can fall under this anyways…). However, there is a huge lack of standards in most countries, and the term “all natural” actually assures nothing. The term “organic” does have a legal definition and set-in-stone international standards.
In Canada, the term “all natural” is defined by process only. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency restricts the use of “natural” to foods that have not been significantly altered by processing. So bottom line, even “all-natural” and organic beauty products, still may contain gluten (wheat, rye and barley being natural products).
Now, when I say in the title to “ditch” your make up… I am just referring to the glutinous kind. There are cosmetic products out there that are gluten free, and, therefore, safe for those with intolerance to use. But where to find them? Living along the North Shore, it can be tricky to get your hands on certain products without going to a bigger city in order to obtain them. And, once you find these products, they can be quite pricey.
Most of us probably know of somebody who sells Avon. Representatives seem to be readily available absolutely everywhere, which makes it easily accessible for those of us who would prefer not to drive hours away to get our beauty products. Best part is, they have a quite extensive line of hypoallergenic products, that means gluten free! I did a quick search for “gluten free” on the website while writing this column… and it returned 646 results! Best part is, they are not expensive, and they are always having sales!
The two other brands that I have found, that are generally available in most small towns, are Burt’s Bees brand, and Bare Minerals cosmetics. They are slightly more pricey, but, nonetheless, are gluten free!
Well, that about wraps up this edition of Gluten-Free Gab. As always, feel free to leave any questions (incl. advice on how to get started living gluten-free), comments or topic suggestions below in the comments! Be sure to visit my website of Facebook page via the links below.
Danielle Paananen, Owner/Baker, Gluten-Free Manitouwadge
About the Author
Danielle Paananen is a homemaker; wife and Mom of 2 energetic boys ,and entrepreneur from Manitouwadge, Ontario. When she realized her eldest son would benefit from a gluten-free diet but couldn’t find the foods he needed in Manitouwadge, or surrounding communities. she rolled up her sleeves and got to work creating new recipes and converting old favourites; it wasn’t long before she realized there were many other people who would appreciate having gluten-free options to purchase in the Manitouwadge area. She currently works from home though she hopes to someday relocate to Manitouwadge’s downtown core. Paananen’s new column “Details by Danielle” will be published every other week on OntarioNewsNorth.com, don’t hesitate to leave your questions, comments or topic requests for Danielle below, she looks forward to hearing from readers!
RELATED LINKS
- ORDER some delicious Gluten-free foods from Danielle directly on her website atwww.GlutenFreeWadge.ca
- Gluten-Free Manitouwadge on Facebook
- Gluten-Free Gab Column Archives
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