I look back on my almost 31 years and wonder when it was that I stopped being so trusting, and learned to approach life with a greater sense of skepticism.  I can remember back when I moved to Manhattan in my early twenties, there were so many people around me who were thriving, so many people making their dreams come true there.  But my story there was not such a successful one.

For me life felt too hard.  I was still young, and silly, and Southern.  I had starry eyes and trusted first, thought later.  Of course this led to some heartbreak, some disappointment and a lot of learning lessons the hard way.

I changed a lot during my time there.  I forgot who I was and what I stood for.  But when I left the Big Apple for California, I had plenty of time to reflect, rethink, and recharge my spiritual self.  I surrounded myself with a few of the greatest people I will ever know, but still years later, I am trying to relearn how to trust first and risk the consequences.

What is a shame, however, is that as a consumer there is still a need for, if not skepticism, then extreme caution.  In a day and age of greenwashing (using words like natural, eco-friendly and green to imply a product is better for the planet than it actually is) and inaccurate allergen statements (like calling something gluten-free when measures have not been taken to avoid contamination during processing).

Perhaps that’s the core reason why I created Gluten Free Beauty.  I was tired of even some of the most well-reputed natural makeup and skin care companies including ingredients that are not very healthy.  After all, isn’t half the purpose of saving up for high quality makeup that it is good for your skin, so that you don’t always have to wear makeup?

It has been of vital importance to me that I only use safe, natural beauty products for all of my adult life, but after being diagnosed as severely intolerant to gluten and dairy, I also had to eliminate gluten and dairy from my beauty routine.

Since wheat is largely just a cheap filler, leaving out the gluten means more room for helpful, healing ingredients in our products.  But as an animal-lover, I also decided to make a Cruelty-Free commitment to use only Peta approved ingredients.  That’s why you won’t find ingredients like honey, beeswax, and silk in Gluten Free Beauty.

I used your loose powder and your Fire Engine lip stain on a shoot today. The model had some allergy issues and I didn’t want to take a chance with her breaking out. Your products were great! Thanks, so much.
-Todra Payne, Celebrity Makeup Artist and Founder of The Healthy Beauty Project

After being diagnosed as severely gluten intolerant, I was so relieved to have an answer for all of the digestive troubles, bloating and migraines–all troublesome and sometimes painful issues I had been secretly facing. But perhaps more obvious to the rest of the world was the change in my skin.

My formerly flawless skin began breaking out in my mid-twenties. I went to dermatologists, acupuncturists, no one seemed to have the right answer, much less a cure. But after my diagnosis, I didn’t just cut gluten from my diet, I also got rid of all beauty products that contained gluten–and finally, my skin cleared!

So while some doctors swear the gluten molecule is too big to penetrate the skin topically, I can honestly say that going topically gluten-free made a world of difference for me.

Dr. Vikki Petersen, author of The Gluten Effect, offers her expert opinion in the video above.

Today, finding gluten-free, natural beauty products is becoming easier and easier.  Companies are responding to all of our cries for help, and leaving out the wheat, barely, rye and oat based ingredients.  But I finally created my own line, Gluten Free Beauty, so that I could ensure that not only are the beauty products I use gluten-free, but also natural, gentle and effective.

Gluten Free Beauty is still a rather small, but growing company today, so while I don’t currently have the resources or capital to send samples out across the nation, I also don’t want you to have to wait to try it!  So I have decided to provide free lip glosses for one city’s gluten intolerance or celiac group (1 per person, for up to 30 people).

So from now until August 31st, pass the message along, and whichever group’s city brings the most visitors to GlutenFreeBeauty.com better pucker up for some gluten-free glosses!

Here what to do:

• Fill out the Tell-A-Friend form to send this page to all of your gluten-free friends asking them to visit the site
• E-mail your friends and ask them to stop by GlutenFreeBeauty.com and take a look around
• Mention it on your favorite social media sites, and get them to visit GlutenFreeBeauty.com
• And be sure to e-mail me the name of your group, which city you’re from, and a headcount to kristen [at] glutenfreebeauty.com so I can match the city to the organization.

While you’re here, you may want to:

• Check out my latest Gluten Free Beauty blog posts
• Print out the list of gluten-containing beauty ingredients
• Or read a few of the rave reviews we’ve been receiving about our Facial Moisture Serum

On August 31, 2010, I’ll take a look at the site’s statistics and see which lucky city has sent the most visitors and decide who will be receiving a lip gloss!  And again, don’t forget to e-mail me at kristen [at] glutenfreebeauty.com with the name, city and headcount of your group so I know which lucky group will receive the glosses.

I was so grateful to be contacted by the team representing Mutual of Omaha’s My Aha Moment campaign.  On their 39 city tour, they recently stopped through Asheville and I was invited to sit down with their very cool interview and film crew to share a bit about the moment when everything “came together” for me, if you will.  For me, that was the moment that led to putting my years of product research into developing my own products for Gluten Free Beauty.

Here’s a link to the video of My Aha Moment.

For years I’ve used products that contain these ingredients and I’ve had no bad reactions, but with opinions on the safety of them beginning to vary, I chose not to take any chances.

Mica

According to Dr. Oz: Though there are no studies showing damage from makeup use to date, experts say the long-term use and inhalation of minerals in makeup can lead to inflammation, irritation and lung disease in women and girls.

Titanium Dioxide

According to the EWG’s SkinDeep Database: “Limited evidence of carcinogenicity . . . One or more animal studies show skin irritation at moderate doses.”  Though the ingredient is generally considered safe and has an overall safety rating of 1-3 (on a scale of 0-10).

Zinc Oxide

Also generally recognized as safe, but according to the EWG’s SkinDeep Database: “Human immune and respiratory toxicant – strong evidence . . . One or more animal studies show skin irritation at moderate doses.”

So will I be avoiding these ingredients completely in the products that I use, no, but I do plan to ensure that none of the products that I formulate and sell contain any of them.  Thus far, mineral makeups tend to use safer ingredients than their less-natural alternatives, but the bottom line is that even those are not perfect.

Some ways to try to choose safer makeup include the following:

• Using natural, cream-based formulas–since the most likely threat is some respiratory damage, using a creme foundation instead of a loose, powder based formula (that contains micas, titanium dioxide or zinc oxide) would reduce the chances of inhalation. Gluten Free Beauty’s foundation is a two-part process, a creme for coverage, and then a rice-based loose powder for setting.  The powder has a slight grit, it is not as silky as alternatives, but it does not come with the respiratory risks, and it’s EWG Safety Score is a 0 (ideal).
• Makeup that expires may be safer to use today. While you want to be more careful in the handling and storage of natural, paraben-free, synthetic-free makeup by using clean hands, clean brushes or clean sponges every time, and you don’t want to mix water into the equation (water breeds bacteria).  Products that have a shelf-life don’t usually have parabens or harsh preservatives.  So while we suggest that you use up your Gluten Free Beauty products within a few months, we also promise not to employ the use of any irritating preservatives.
• If your skin is sensitive, look for natural products that don’t contain irritating natural ingredients like grapefruit seed extract, bismuth oxychloride or carmine.  Grapefruit seed extract is often used for its antimicrobial properties, but its safety is widely debated.  It’s EWG Safety Score is a 4.  Carmine is considered the best “true-red” found in nature.  But it’s made by grinding up beetle abdomens, and for many it can cause irritation.  Unfortunately, even the most reputable natural makeup companies use it in lipsticks, foundations and powders.  Bismuth oxychloride is often used in mineral makeup for it’s shimmer producing properties, but it can contain irritating heavy metals.

Whether they’ve turned to it in dry-skin desperation, got a bit curious after shaving or were begged to try it by their wives and girlfriends, we’ve been receiving tons of feedback from men who are loving our moisturizing, anti-aging, calming facial serum.

Now we really may have to think about helping the men out with a boy-version of our pretty little bottle!

But for those of you who are gluten-sensitive like me, here’s a little guide I created to help you shop for personal care products that are gluten-free:

Natural With New Foundation Kit

GlutenFreeBeauty.com has just introduced their Natural Foundation, a safer, more natural alternative to regular mineral makeup foundations. After founder and natural beauty expert Kristen Campbell realized that topical gluten was contributing to her sensitive skin, she began putting her research to work for her, developing mineral makeup that uses safer ingredients and leaves out many common mineral makeup ingredients that people with sensitive skin are beginning to shy away from.  While the gluten-free beauty line caters to the needs of the gluten-free community, it’s also paving the way for safer cosmetic and skin care choices for all women—gluten-free or not.

Asheville, NC  June 22, 2010 – The availability of gluten-free foods continues to rise as more and more Americans find benefits to the wheat, barley and rye-free diet.  But food manufacturers are not the only ones catering to this rising trend.  Many natural skin, hair and beauty care manufacturers are taking care to avoid gluten-containing ingredients, which can cause topical irritation for some.

Gluten Free Beauty’s new two-part Natural Foundation Set caters to the needs of all women who are looking for safer beauty products that never contain parabens, phthalates or synthetics.  But also addresses the needs of those who are looking for mica, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide free mineral makeup. These staples of the mineral makeup community can be hard to avoid for those who are looking for natural beauty care products.  And with research studies demonstrating the questionable safety of long-term use of these ingredients on the rise, Gluten Free Beauty’s Natural Foundation Kit offers users a safer alternative.

The two-part foundation kit includes a hydrating crème foundation that can be blended to smooth and even out the complexion, and a rice based loose powder to set the look for lasting coverage.

Key ingredients include:

* A base of Jojoba Oil intended to mimic the skin’s natural sebum to create harmony.

* Antioxidant rich Grape Seed Oil to help restructure and regenerate.

* Soothing Rosehip Seed Oil, rich with anti-aging Vitamin C.

* Rice powder for pH balance and oil absorption.

Gluten Free Beauty’s Natural Foundation is available exclusively at http://www.GlutenFreeBeauty.com.