As someone who constantly has to scour labels and nutrition facts for allergens, I'm now a watchdog for gluten-free labeling. I may have bad eyesight, but I can spot those 10 letters from across the room.
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that affects your intestinal tract when ingesting gluten, we know this, but does the same go for external products?
When you're new to a gluten-free lifestyle, you find yourself searching through sites to find answers to some totally random questions. (And the fun part is that sometimes those "random" questions will lead to an unexpected answer, like Play Dough having gluten).
Now for the fun part - Is makeup gluten-free or does it have to be?
Cosmetic brands labelling their products as gluten-free has become a normalized addition to products, but is it necessary?
BeyondCeliac suggests that simply touching a gluten containing product will not cause a flare-up unless accidentally ingested. This in separation from lipstick and chapstick which, of course, is applied to the lip area and can cause damage due to this.
With celiac disease affecting the GI tract, there is little to no reason for concern when applying skincare or makeup that may have gluten-containing ingredients.
It's likely to come across a lotion or skin care product that will include wheat, such as Aveno Daily Moisturizing Lotion or Mario Badescu's Wheat Germ Body Lotion - but these are still safe to use, according to The Celiac Foundation, because gluten cannot penetrate the skin.
While we're on this topic, one product to be wary of is gluten-containing toothpaste, because it is more common than you'd like to think. Brands have begun labeling these products as gluten-free, although this has not always been the case.
To make a long story short - cosmetic products that come in contact with the mouth pose a concern for gluten-free folk, but it is not necessary to shun gluten-containing makeup or skincare products, The Mayoclinic defines.
Take a trip to Sephora for me after this one!
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