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.

So my challenge was to create a foundation that is not drying (like some mineral makeups), offers good coverage and is safer than any other makeup I’ve tried.  I had my work cut out for me.

The result:

A two-part process that starts with a nourishing, spreadable, moisturizing creme foundation that can be applied with a latex-free makeup sponge, brush or even your fingers.  This does what a foundation should and helps you even out your skin tone, while hydrating and evening out the skin’s surface like a primer does. It also helps to restore and nurture the skin with rosehip seed and grapeseed oils.

Step two is to brush on the rice powder based loose powder.  For centuries rice powder has been renowned for it’s hypo-allergenic, oil-absorbing, pH balancing properties.  But it is not typically as fine as other powders, making it less optimal for coverage.  However, when the creme foundation base is applied and blended, then set by an application of a rice based loose powder, the result is smoothe, flawless looking skin.

The two-part process may be a bit unconventional, and the rice powder is not as fine as alternatives.  But for long term use, your health will be better off by avoiding the ingredients that aren’t included in our mineral foundation kit.

And while we wound up cooking most nights, we did have a couple of incredible dinners out, and with so many great options in the area, we even found a couple more restaurants that were ready and willing to accommodate us with some very tasty gluten-free meals.

My favorite was downtown Wilmington’s Mixto, where chef Eric Gephart (voted Wilmington’s #2 Top Chef) came out to assure us he could prepare anything one the menu to accommodate my gluten and dairy intolerances–even offering to make up a special batch of chips fried in dedicated gluten-free oil for us!  The meal was amazing, everyone was really nice and based on my lack of reactions, I can say there were no gluten-slips here!  If you’re visiting the area, Gephart’s fare is definitely worth a try!!

Our final night in town we went to the Mayfaire Town Center for drinks at Fox and Hound and dinner at The Melting Pot who even has a gluten-free version of their menu available upon request.  Because we were eating fondue, it was important that no one in our party ordered gluten-containing dishes, as we would be sharing a fondue pot.  But really, the only sacrifice was leaving off  the optional breadings to dip things in before cooking.  It was a really fun experience, and a really enjoyable gluten-free meal!

Thanks to these restaurants and many trips to the Harris Teeter, we were able to enjoy a much needed gluten-free vacation!

Safer than regular mineral makeup, our two part process helps create a flawless, airbrush finish with no parabens, synthetics, micas, zinc oxide or titanium dioxide.

Brush or sponge on foundation to prime, cover and add moisture.  Then brush or sweep on powder for a smoothe lasting finish.

You’ll also receive one of our latex-free flocked sponges for blending.

The most important product in your daily routine?   Your moisturizer.  Using a natural, pH balanced, oil-based product can help re-train your skin to stop over or under producing oil, restore natural elasticity and reduce breakout frequency.

Simply apply just 3-4 drops to freshly cleansed skin in the morning and evening.  The serum is formulated to help moisturize, combat the signs of aging and reduce inflammation.