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Gluten In Beauty » Going Topically Gluten-Free

Going Topically Gluten-Free

Starting a gluten-free lifestyle can be both exciting and intimidating all once. The hope of identifying gluten as the culprit behind a host of health and skin problems is inspiring for many, but the reality of the extra effort required in living gluten-freely can be a bit off-putting.

So I understand why many people are hesitant to even try going topically gluten-free (using only gluten-free hair care, skin care and cosmetic products). When I decided to weed out all gluten-containing products from my routine several years ago, the connection between gluten ans skin problems was not one that was given much clout. Few companies even knew what gluten was, and the number of online resources was very limited. Today I am amazed by and proud of how many companies are formulating gluten out of their products and labeling them clearly for consumers.

But knowing how to find gluten-free skin, hair and cosmetic products is something new to most people, so where does one even begin?

  • For starters, find a list of gluten-containing cosmetic ingredients. This will come in handy especially when checking the labels of your existing products. It is also good to look online for each of your products’ manufacturer’s gluten-free product list. You can also look online for recommendations of favorite gluten-free products, like my site Naturally Dah’ling.
  • Which products to check for gluten? Start from the top-down. Hair care, face care, cosmetics, body care and even nail care. And think about this, hair products are meant to coat the hair, so unless you are washing your hair, then body, then face, you are essentially covering your body with every ingredient in your shampoos, conditioners, styling products, etc. Same goes for moisturizing body washes, many people who are suffering from irritation, dryness and sensitivity caused by gluten try to compensate with moisturizing body products, but be careful about what you are really putting all over your body.
  • Use natural products. If your body is already showing signs of inflammation and over-reaction from gluten proteins, I don’t think it is a good idea to expose it to anything that could cause further irritation. There are so many resources demonstrating the dangers of using products with ingredients like parabens, phthalates (found in artificial fragrance and perfumes), petrochemicals, FD&C colors and dyes. If you are still trying to get your skin back on the healthy track, why use ingredients that could be otherwise damaging your skin and body and hindering your progress.

Here are some of my favorite brands to help with the transition:

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