Gluten-free cosmetics

[froggybean37]

An "expert answer" from the Mayo Clinic regarding whether those with Celiac disease need to use gluten free soaps, shampoos etc... Provides insight to the debate. See article below

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/celiac-disease/expert-answers/celiac-disease/faq-20057879

The short answer is "no" but to avoid using such products around mouth where they may be inadvertently swallowed.

I've received several questions recently on whether I carry gluten free soaps, and was unaware this was a common thing to do, so I found this to be helpful information and thought I'd share

 

[galaxyMLP]

I know someone with Celiac that avoids gluten in all of her cosmetics just in case she swallows them (for example, powders getting airborne). She is especially careful with lip balm.

One thing to note: Just because something does not contain gluten inherently, doesn't mean its always gluten free. I used to work at a lab that tested for gluten. To be considered gluten free, the gluten content needs to be 20 ppm (parts per million, thats 1 gram in 1 million grams!) or less. One time we got peas in that are normally gluten free but had been grown on soil that had wheat grown the year before. The peas were very high in gluten because of that and could not be labeled as gluten free.

Because of what I learned in that lab, I will never call any of my products gluten free because I don't know what conditions all of my ingredients were grown and harvested under. I can say that none of the ingredients inherently contain gluten but that they could be contaminated with gluten during the harvesting or other processes and have not been tested for gluten content.

 

[shunt2011]

I'm with galaxy. I tell customers that I can't guarantee anything is gluten free due to the same reason she listed. I don't want that responsibility and don't want my insurance to be tested.

 

[froggybean37]

I in no way meant I would claim them to be gf, quite the opposite! But it's good to know this type of information as there is so much debate around the subject

 

[dixiedragon]

Celiac's Disease and food allergies like that are so, so scary.

 

[TeresaT]

I haven't read the article yet, but I will. However, a dear friend of mine has Celiac's and because of that I will not make anything with wheat germ as an ingredient. Yes, I currently soap in my kitchen and yes I use whole wheat flour to make my pancakes; but I do clean as well as I possibly can. It's not that I think my soap will help her get better (or not get worse), but it's to say, "I love you. I hate that you have this awful thing happening to your body." So, although my soaps are not "gluten free" they are definitely made without wheat, barley or rye ingredients. Someday when I start selling, the closest I could come in labeling is: "contains no wheat, barley or rye."

 

[galaxyMLP]

Food allergies are definitely scary.

Froggy, I'm glad you didnt take my response harshly. I really did mean it to be as informative as possible!