The reason we use organic body care is to take care of the skin, so it’s a good assumption made by many that “what goes on goes in.” Naturally, any substance place on the skin is absorbed by the body into its bloodstream. Hence, using products that contain gluten is a risk to those with Celiac Disease and Intolerance. If the body does not tolerate gluten on the inside, most likely, there’s a good chance that gluten won’t do much good for the body on the outside either. Studies have shown that gluten has been the culprit in causing acne, rosacea, eczema, hives dermatitis herpetiformis, and psoriasis for many with intolerance to this protein. If someone who suffers from any of these and gluten sensitivity, there’s a very good chance the cosmetics, body and hair care products could be the source of the problem.
Personal
care products can be challenging when going gluten free. The existence
of gluten in cosmetics and organic body care (as well as none organic)
products, including lotions and shampoos is backed up by the University
of Chicago Celiac Disease Center. And, According to a study by George
Washington University, gluten is pervasive in cosmetics, and it is
rarely labeled which may cause a threat to those of us with Celiac
Disease and gluten sensitivities. The George Washington University study
found that people sensitive to gluten could react negatively to things
like wheat germ oil, which is often used to produce naturally-derived
Vitamin E, which is commonly found in commercial brand cosmetics and
body care. In the United States, the labeling of Cosmetics and Personal
Care Products is the responsibility of the FDA. Unfortunately, these
products do not have to adhere to the same labeling standards as the
foods we eat; even though we are applying them to the largest organ of
our body....our skin. Often,
those of us with gluten intolerance are accustom to looking for gluten
in food, but one should also be aware of the gluten lurking in their
cosmetics and toiletries, researchers stated during a national meeting
of gastroenterologist in Washington, D.C.
Food
labels almost always say whether or not a product contains gluten, a
type of protein found in wheat, barley, and other grains. But the
packaging of body lotions and other beauty products rarely provides that
information, even though many such products contain substances derived
from grain, says Pia Prakash, M.D., a resident in internal medicine at
George Washington University. The Doctor, who helped conduct the
research, also stated that lipsticks, powders and foundations are
probably the ones they worry about most and one never see ingredient
lists on those products. She and her colleagues surveyed the websites of
10 leading makeup companies, Prakash says, and found that "none
actually provided any information on products that contained gluten.”
At
the annual meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology, Prakash
and her colleagues presented a case report on a 28-year-old woman with
celiac disease who had successfully controlled her symptoms for several
years by restricting the amount of gluten in her diet. After starting to
use a new body lotion, however, the woman developed an itchy,
blistering rash on her arms, as well as abdominal bloating and
diarrhea—all of which disappeared once she stopped using the lotion.Pretty
much anyone who's sensitive to gluten could experience a similar
reaction, says Marie Borum, M.D., the lead author of the study and a
professor of medicine at George Washington University. Gluten can't be
absorbed through the skin, but people may accidentally ingest small
quantities of lotion, lipstick, or other products if they have the
product on their hands or use it around their mouth.
There
are many doctors and scientist in the US and Internationally would
argue against the statement that the skin doesn’t absorb gluten. Dr.
Vikki Petersen, a Chiropractor and Certified Clinical Nutritionist is
co-founder and co-director, of the renowned HealthNow Medical Center in
Sunnyvale California (who’s gluten intolerant), has often chatted about
the argument in this arena. From a scientific viewpoint, we are told
that the gluten molecule is too big to permeate in our skin, so unless
we’re swallowing it, there shouldn't be a problem. Dr. Petersen, states
that there are those individuals who have NIGE response to gluten,
meaning evening a topical application is going to bother them. These are
some individuals who have an immediate reaction to gluten; similar to
someone who might eat strawberries and breaks out in hives almost
immediately, so it is that kind of immune immediate response, which is
quite quick. There are others who don’t have that kind of topically
problem, but may use a lotion and get their common gluten response as if
they ate gluten. So they didn’t eat it, but they placed it one their
skin and had the same reaction. So science is telling us that the gluten
molecule is too big, yet people are having reactions and so it might be
akin to those of us who are gluten sensitive are told because we don’t
have a positive biopsy of our small intestine that shows eradication of
our villi, then we’re fine to eat gluten and those experience this all
know that’s not the case.
Below is a video of the doctor chatting about this issue:
Health
care providers and consumers’ alike need to be aware of the potential
for this type of inadvertent gluten exposure, Borum says. "If you're
just focusing on food intake, you may be missing something that's very
important and could make a difference in someone's life." So how can celiac patients avoid hidden gluten in organic
body care and cosmetics? More companies are starting to make gluten
free body care products (stating that they are gluten-free is different
from testing to ensure they are by a third-party organization). However,
it’s a good idea for consumers to contact manufacturers directly to
find out which of their products contain gluten. An informal survey of
online forums for celiac patients shows that many companies are
forthcoming with this information.
When
products do list their ingredients, careful label reading is a must,
but simply looking for the word "gluten" isn't sufficient, the
researchers say. For instance, the vitamin E found in beauty products
may be derived from wheat and contain gluten, even though the label just
lists "vitamin E," Borum says. Another
way to avoid hidden gluten in body care and cosmetics, is to learn
about the many hidden gluten, products that are derived from wheat and
contain gluten, similar to what Dr. Borum states about vitamin E.
Symptoms for the gluten intolerant varies and it’s important to know and
understand you body and what triggers create a problem for you. We
believe, it’s significant to ensure that there is no exposure to gluten
in any shape or form. For that reason, it’s also important to know which
ingredients could indicate that gluten is present in said products. Please
that we have created a list outlining the hidden glutens that are
commonly found in organic body care (as well as non organic) and
cosmetic formulations (we will also give you a list of hidden glutens
commonly found in food too) so, how do we move forward to ensure a
healthy lifestyle living with gluten
intolerance? Educate yourself because knowledge is power. So do your
research by starting at the store level, ready your labels. If you are
confused by something you read on the label, contact the manufacturer
for the details. Be diligent and thorough with your product selections
(and dinning out). Investigating for your health! If it looks and sounds
suspect, well....... When in doubt, best to use caution when it comes
to your wellbeing (make sure that your gluten free body care products
are actually gluten free). Lovely Is As Lovely Does.
