Gluten Free Cosmetic Counter

Gluten Free Shampoo

2009-05-15T08:45:00.004-05:00

I just got a great question on Twitter about gluten free shampoo. Since it seemed awkward to shove a lot of info into just 140 characters, I thought I'd write up a quick post to consolidate what I know so far.

Monave has some gluten free shampoo and hair care products
Desert Organics Don't know about the rest of the website, but the "organics" area is all gluten free
Suave Unilever products are well-labeled for any gluten sources, and Suave should be OK.
Gluten Free Savonnerie Obviously, the name says it all!

As always, any product can have a changed formulation without any notice. Before purchasing, you should ALWAYS read labels and contact the company to be doubly sure. Even what I'm writing here could be slightly different by the time you buy something. This is just a guide to get you in the right direction. If you should find that a recommendation I've made has turned up something with gluten in it, please accept my apology and let me know so I can correct the info I have. Use this gluten ingredient list as a guide for checking on glutenous ingredients

Good luck and happy hair washing!

What Gluten Free Cosmetics Can You Buy At Target?

2009-05-14T08:34:00.003-05:00

Hello! As part of my quest to find gluten free cosmetics and beauty products, I'm introducing a topic that I'll revisit from time to time. Every time I walk through my local Target (I'm afraid that's a lot!), I wonder what the chances are that some of these cosmetic and personal care products are gluten free?

I just wrote a letter to Neutrogena to figure out what the story is there. I've read some forum posts saying they just have a "wheat free" list, not a true GF list. Although what I read also seems to give the impression that if there is no wheat in it, there won't be gluten in it. What?? Does Neutrogena actually understand that there could still be gluten if there's no wheat? I did make a point to clarify that I wanted to know about a "gluten free" list, since any barley, rye, or oat-derived ingredient could still have gluten. We'll see what they provide. However, just know there is already a big question mark on Neutrogena anyway. I'm not expecting much different.

In the last year or two, Burt's Bees has been sold in Target stores. This is delightful for me since I can get a few of my basics on my regular errand route. I do know that some gluten free folks have expressed frustration because they haven't gotten a straight answer regarding their source of Vitamin E. So some may consider that Burts Bees gluten free cosmetic list doesn't really provide anything for them. I understand and include that disclaimer here for anyone with that level of concern. I also wish they had a more updated list - most recent one is from January of 2008. My secret wish is that they are working out their Vitamin E issue and will include that in any updated list. Don't know how likely that is, but I can hope!

At any rate, I do get Burts Bees Lip Shimmer quite frequently. I also use the Burts Bees Day Radiance cream every day. Some of their lotion products are scented too strongly for my preference, but that's just me I think. Some people love that, which is great. And it helps that it can be easy to pick up your beauty staples at the same store as your new laundry basket, tortilla chips, and shampoo.

Speaking of shampoo, Suave has been a good brand for gluten free shampoo. I will do more checking for any recent updates, but the Unilever company has been known for fully disclosing all sources of gluten. I've read other bloggers and forum posters using Suave as well. Again, I'll write another letter soon to confirm this, but it's what I use on my hair every day.

So there are a few gluten free cosmetic and shampoo choices you could pick up from Target on an everyday basis. Nice to know some things are just around the corner. :)

Gluten Free Cosmetic Companies Everywhere

2009-05-11T08:53:00.004-05:00

Hello folks. I'm telling you, I'm finding more and more gluten free cosmetic companies around the web, sometimes just by accident. This morning I was going along on Twitter, and somehow I ended up on an allergy blog that mentioned something about gluten free sunscreen. Lo and behold, there were about six companies listed that have gluten free cosmetic and gluten free personal care products. Had heard of two companies, but the others were new to me.

I checked out the new ones and found that they professed to be completely gluten free. Woot! That sure makes it easy when they say that right off the bat. The problem is that these companies don't often do a lot of advertising as a "gluten free cosmetics company" per se. Trust me, I've trolled the Google results for so many keywords, you'd think I'd have found these guys by now. But no, they remain nearly anonymous in the wilderness of the internet. If you don't already know about them, you probably won't find them (even if you are looking).

So that's my purpose, to bring gluten free cosmetics and gluten free skin care products out to the forefront to you. I'm just giddy finding all of these lush pictures of organic products like jojoba oil, tea tree oil, silky mineral cosmetics, and such. It's a feast for the eyes, and I think you'd agree.

Here's a list of the newest companies I've found. I hope to do a bit more in depth post on each after I have a chance to research them. If you have been a customer of any of these companies, please add your feedback. A report from the field is always valuable. On these links, I'm sending you right to the ingredients page. You can click along on the website to see different products.

California Baby
Affusion Skin Care
Desert Organics

The Desert Organics link is actually for a product line on Desert Essence. It says that product line is gluten free, but it might pay to ask about other products. It doesn't look like they use a lot of complicated ingredients. Many of them are pure oils. I'll look into it more, but if you've used these products please add your comments.

Well, those are my gluten free cosmetic finds for this morning. I'm really quite excited - the new website will have so much good information - I can hardly stand it! It really is a great time to be looking for gluten free cosmetics - companies are making them, they are available, and I'll help you find them!

Smashbox gluten free cosmetics

2009-05-04T15:56:00.003-05:00

Some of you may know about Smashbox gluten free cosmetic choices. Now everyone can know! I just got this letter today, confirming what I read earlier this year about having a great selection of gluten free cosmetics. Here is there exact letter:

Dear Erika,

Thank you for contacting us. Gluten can be found in products that contain wheat/rye/barley derivatives. Most Smashbox products do not contain gluten, however the following products do contain gluten in their formulations:

Bionic Mascara, Jet Black

Layer Lash Primer

Halo Hydrating Perfecting Powder, Fair, Light, Medium and Dark

Doubletake Lip Color, Praline, Gossamer, Sugar Spice, Cranberry

Lip Treatment

Lipstick Tinted Lip Treatment, Solar, Ray, Beam, and Shine

For your reference, here is a list of gluten ingredients you may want to avoid:

Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Flour

Cyclodextrin

Dextrin

Dextrin Palmitate

Hydrolyzed Malt Extract

Hydrolyzed Oat Flour

Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein

Hydrolyzed Wheat Flour

Hydrolyzed Wheat Gluten

Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein

Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein/PVP Crosspolymer

Hydrolyzed Wheat Starch

Maltodextrin

Secale Cereale (Rye) Seed Flour

Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Germ Extract

Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Germ Oil

Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Gluten

Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Starch

Wheat Amino Acids

Wheat Germ Glycerides

Wheat Germamidopropalkonium Chloride

Wheat Protein

Wheatgermamidopropyl Ethyldimonium Ethosulfate

Yeast Extract

Be sure to double check the complete ingredients on the unit carton of the Smashbox product or we can email them to you. Also, a full list of the ingredients for our products is listed each product page, see here: http://www.smashbox.com/Make-Up-Page. If you have any questions please contact us at customerservice@smashbox.com.

Best Wishes,

Customer Service

SMASHBOX COSMETICS

1.888.763.1361

customerservice@smashbox.com

Arbonne Gluten Free Cosmetic List

2009-05-01T10:21:00.002-05:00

Good day to you! I just received a response to a letter I wrote yesterday. I had written a post a few years ago about Arbonne's gluten free list. It seemed they were a little more gray in their answer than I had preferred back then.

Today's letter looks more clear, and they did answer my specific question about the equipment they manufacture their products on. I was pleased to see something beyond just a form letter (though it looked like it at first). I have to say I'm more encouraged to say that Arbonne would be a good gluten free cosmetic choice. As always, it is up to you whether you choose to purchase cosmetics from a company that does not have a completely gluten free cosmetic facility.

Here is the reprint directly to you.

Arbonne's Gluten Free Cosmetics Product List

Dear Erika,

Gluten-FREE Products:
About Face Blusher
About Face Brow Wax
About Face Cream Concealer
About Face Eye Pencil
About Face Eye Shadow
About Face Line Defiance Liquid Foundation SPF 15
About Face Lip Pencil
About Face Mineral Powder Foundation SPF 15
About Face Sheer Shine
About Face Translucent Pressed Powder
About Face Wipe Out Eye Makeup Remover
ABC Arbonne Baby Care Body Oil
ABC Arbonne Baby Care Herbal Diaper Rash Cream
Arbonne Clear Advantage Acne Lotion
Arbonne Clear Advantage Acne Wash
Arbonne Clear Advantage Refining Toner
Arbonne Clear Advantage Spot Treatment
Arbonne Clear Advantage Skin Support Supplement
Arbonne Smart Nutritional Hybrids Daily Nutritional Chews for Teens
Arbonne Smart Nutritional Hybrids Daily Power Punch for Kids
Arbonne Aromassentials Awaken Sea Salt Scrub, 16 oz.
Arbonne Bio-Nutria® Herbal Colon Cleanse
Arbonne Bio-Nutria Herbal Muscle Massage Gel
Arbonne Bio-Nutria Joint Formula
f.y.i. Arbonne? BodyBetter Body Cream
f.y.i. Arbonne EyeQ Cream Eye Shadow
Figure 8 Vanish Pre-Shower Cellulite Scrub
Figure 8 Vanish Water Relief Treatment Serum
Figure 8 Daily Detox Tea
Arbonne Bio-Nutria Get Well Soon Dietary Supplement
f.y.i. Arbonne GetEven Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15
Figure 8 Go Easy! Protein Shake with INNER G-PLEX® ? Chocolate
Figure 8 Go Easy! Protein Shake with INNER G-PLEX ? Vanilla
Figure 8 Go Easy! Protein Shake with INNER G-PLEX ? Chai Latte
Figure 8 Going, Going, Gone! Dietary Supplement
Arbonne Bio-Nutria Heart Formula
Arbonne Bio-Nutria Herbal Lip Ointment
Arbonne Bio-Nutria Herbal Vapor Rub
Arbonne Bio-Nutria Herbal Vapor Soak
f.y.i. Arbonne ItShines Lip Gloss
Arbonne Bio-Nutria Leg Vein Formula
BefoRE Sun Lip Saver SPF 30
Arbonne Bio-Nutria Lip Service Dietary Supplement
BefoRE Sun No Sun Intended Bronzing Powder
Figure 8 NRGGO3! Fizzing Beverage Tablet
NutriMenC RE9 REsurface Shave Gel
NutriMinC RE9 REgain Illuminating Enzyme Peel
NutriMinC RE9 REtaliate Wrinkle Filler
Figure 8 On the Go! Weight Loss Chews, Peanut Butter
Figure 8 On the Go! Weight Loss Chews, Berry Burst
Figure 8 On the Go! Weight Loss Chews, Chocolate
Figure 8 On the Go! Weight Loss Chews, Creamy Caramel
f.y.i. Arbonne PersonalSpace Spray Fragrance
Revelâge Intensive Pro-Brightening Night Serum
Revelâge Age Spot Brightening Day Cream with SPF 30
Revelâge Concentrated Age Spot Minimizer
Revelâge Age Spot Brightening Hand Therapy with SPF 30
SeaSource Detox Spa 5-in-1 Essential Massage Oil
SeaSource Detox Spa Foaming Sea Salt Scrub
SeaSource Detox Spa Detoxifying Rescue Wash
SeaSource Detox Spa Purifying Sea Soak
SeaSource Detox Spa Renewing Body Gelée
SeaSource Detox Spa Re-Mineralizing Body Lotion 24H
SeaSource Detox Spa Sea Mud Face and Body Mask
SeaSource Detox Spa Fortifying Hair Mask
f.y.i. Arbonne SugarSlush Body Scrub
About Face Translucent Loose Powder
Arbonne Aromassentials Unwind Bath Salts
Arbonne Aromassentials Unwind Massage Oil
Virtual Illusion Lash Enhancer
Virtual Illusion Makeup Primer
FC5 Exfoliating New Cell Scrub
FC5 Hydrating Eye Crème
FC5 Moisturizing Night Crème
FC5 Nourishing Daily Shampoo
FC5 Nurturing Day Lotion with SPF 20
FC5 Oil-Absorbing Day Lotion with SPF 20
FC5 Purifying Cleanser + Toner
FC5 Skin Conditioning Oil
FC5 Ultra-Hydrating Hand Crème

It is very possible that products are manufactured on the same equipment that other products that contain milk and wheat are; however, our manufacturers follow very strict standard operating procedures in regarding to the cleansing and sanitation of the equipment in between batches of product. We are not aware of any occurrences where someone had sensitivity as a result of the contamination of manufacturing equipment.

Thank you
Meredith
Customer Service

We look forward to hearing your feedback on the service we provide to you!

Burts Bees Gluten Free List

2009-04-30T14:36:00.003-05:00

I got a reply today from Burt's Bees about their gluten free cosmetics and personal products list. Actually, it is still the list from January of 2009 that is on their website. And that's fine, that must be their most updated info.

However, it is horribly difficult to find. I always have to do a search because it doesn't seem obvious from the choices at the top of their website. So here it is, to prevent you from having to navigate. And here's the link in case you'd like to find some of these products.

Happy shopping!

www.burtsbees.com

Appropriate List For Gluten Restricted Patients
Products NOT containing wheat, Oat, Rye & Barley derived ingredients
Updated: Jan 8, 2009

BABY BEE
BABY BEE DUSTING POWDER
BABY BEE CRÈME
BABY BEE LOTION – DAIRY
BABY BEE BUTTERMILK BATH – DAIRY
BABY BEE DIAPER OINTMENT – NUT
BABY BEE SHAMPOO & BODY WASH

HAND & FACE & BODY
GARDEN TOMATO TONER
WILD LETTUCE TONER
TOMATO COLOGNE
CARROT NUTRITIVE BODY LOTION
MILK & HONEY LOTION– DAIRY
CUCUMBER/CHAM COMPLEXION MIST
LAVENDER COMPLEXION MIST
GRAPEFRUIT COMPLEXION MIST
CARROT SEED COMPLEXION MIST
LEMON POPPY SEED
BEESWAX MOIST DAY CREME
BEESWAX MOIST NIGHT CRÈME – NUT
GINGER CITRUS BODY WASH
ALMOND MILK HAND CRÈME – NUT
BANANA HAND CRÈME – NUT
LEMON BUTTER CUTICLE CRÈME -NUT
HAND SALVE – NUT
DEEP CLEAN CLEANSER
DEEP PORE SCRUB
SOOTHINGLY SENSITIVE LOTION - MILK
THOROUGHLY THERAPEUTIC LOTION – MILK
THOROUGHLY THERAPEUTIC BODY BUTTER
HEALING BODY BUTTER
RADIANCE DAY CREAM
RADIANCE EYE CREAM
SPF-15 SUNSCREEN
AFTER SUN SOOTHER
RADIANCE BODY LOTION
THOROUGHLY THERAPEUTIC HAND CREAM
THOROUGHLY THERAPEUTIC FOOT CREAM
HAND SANITIZER
RADIANCE SPF 15 LOTION
PEPPERMINT & ROSEMARY BODY WASH

ORAL CARE
LAVENDER TOOTHPASTE
CINNAMINT TOOTHPASTE
CHILDREN’S TOOTHPASTE
PEPPERMINT BREATH FRESHENER

SOAPS
PEPPERMINT SHOWER SOAP – NUT
LAVENDER SOAP
TOMATO SOAP
CARROT SOAP
CITRUS SPICE SOAP
WILD LETTUCE COMPLEXION SOAP
ALL IN ONE WASH
CITRUS & GINGER HAND SOAP
GREEN TEA & LEMONGRASS HAND SOAP

LIP & COSMETIC
LIP BALM TIN – NUT
LIP BALM TUBE
HONEY LIP BALM – NUT
LIPSHIMMER – ALL SHADES
LIPSTICKS – ALL SHADES
LIFEGUARDS CHOICE LIP BALM
LIP GLOSS – ALL SHADES
EYESHADOW- ALL SHADES
TINTED MOISTURIZER – ALL SHADES
BLUSHING CRÈME – ALL SHADES
CONCEALING CRÈME – ALL SHADES
POWDERED FACIAL TISSUES
EYE & BROW LINERS
VANISHING POWDER
POMEGRANATE LIP BALM
MEDICATED LIP BALM
PASSION FRUIT SPF 8 LIP BALM

HEALTHY TREATMENT
HT EVENING PRIMROSE CRÈME – NUT
HT MARSHMALLOW CRÈME
HT PORE REFINING MASK
HT TONER
HT SHEA BUTTER HAND REPAIR – NUT
HT ROYAL JELLY EYE CRÈME
HT PARSLEY BLEMISH STICK

HAIR CARE
HERBAL TREATMENT SHAMPOO
SUPER SHINY GRAPEFRUIT SHAMPOO
SUPER SHINY GRAPEFRUIT CONDITIONER
COLOR KEEPER CONDITIONER
COLOR KEEPER SHAMPOO
VOLUMIZING SHAMPOO
VOLUMIZING CONDITIONER
DEEP REPAIR CONDITIONER

MISC
HERBAL BLEMISH STICK
HERBAL DEODORANT
INSECT REPELLENT
THEARPEUTIC BATH CRYSTALS
HERBAL DEFENSE OINTMENT – NUT
HERBAL MILK BATH – NUT, DAIRY
BUG BITE RELIEF

MEN’S
NATURAL AFTERSHAVE
NATURAL BAR SOAP
NATURAL BODY WASH
NATURAL COLOGNE
NATURAL SHAVE CREAM
NATURAL DEODORANT
NATURAL HAIR GEL

Please check the right side - post titles for gluten free cosmetic info

2009-04-30T08:58:00.003-05:00

Good morning - wanted to give you a quick housekeeping note for the blog. Please look to the right side and you will see a list of each post title. This isn't quite how I hoped to organize my posts, but it seems better than just the date archive way down at the bottom.

I have checked my stats and realized that many people are checking out the front page but not much else. That tells me I need to make this more user friendly! So the post title list at the right is my attempt to do so.

I had hoped to have titles like Companies With Gluten Free Cosmetics, various individual companies like Afterglow Cosmetics and Monave, and also good info on cosmetic ingredients that make or break the gluten free status of cosmetics or personal care items. However, as I build my website on the side, I will consider whatever ways will make this resource easier to get around. For now, I hope this will be helpful.

Thanks, and I'm glad to see people are stopping by. If you have a specific question on a cosmetic company you'd like to know more about, know of a company that offers gluten free cosmetics that you don't see here, or you have concerns, please contact me or add your comment. I'm just one person out here trying to find information, so any help you have to offer is very welcome.

Thanks,
Erika

Gluten Free Cosmetic Counter Going To Grow

2009-04-27T21:23:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone,

Thanks for continuing to visit my humble blog about gluten free cosmetics. I'm thrilled to find out that anyone even knows I'm here, especially since I've gone on....um...sabbatical for a while. I've been cranking up my freelance writing career in the meantime and decided it's time to give this blog some more attention now.

Here's the exciting part. Glutenfreecosmeticscounter is going to grow into a site sometime this year. I say "this year" as a loose goal because I'm very new to the whole site building concept. I'm working on a lot of behind-the-scenes setup so that it comes together in smooth stages, although I'm getting impatient already.

I have seen that this is an important resource for people, so I'm taking it to the next level. Let me tell you that the world of gluten free cosmetics has been changing even since I put up this blog almost two years ago. When I put out google alerts for gluten free cosmetics and gluten free makeup, all I got back were my own posts for a while! LOL! That's when you KNOW you are obscure. But since then, I've seen a few new companies come on board and more resources putting out good information. My hope is to help spread the knowledge as a trusted source of someone who needs to know gluten free cosmetic updates as much as you do.

I have several ideas of how this can work. I love the blog idea where readers can contribute their own updates and ask questions, much like this blog has allowed. So I'd like to do a blog with the site to allow this kind of interaction. Also, I'll have solid web pages with updated information with a DATE on it - you can know when that info was verified if you are making new purchases or have a specific product to call a company about.

This is ambitious, but I know it will work out. I could probably use the "word on the street" updates to give me a hand. As many of you know, calling and emailing companies can be a chore. I'm pleased to let you in on at least this much of the plan. There's nothing to see right now, but I'll give you updates as I keep things rolling along.

I'll also try to post more regularly on here with some kind of info. As of right now, I noticed that the Burt's Bees Gluten Free List from the company was from January of 2008. I wrote to them over the weekend about a more updated list, got a generated response that it might take 2-4 business days to get a real response. I'll give you any word on that, possibly repost the list so you don't have to go dig around on their site. It is actually not that easy to find, even for me who has searched for it about 3-4 times in the same day. THAT could certainly be easier to find.

Anyway, thanks for sticking with me and I'll let you know when it's time to jump to the site. That should be a while from now. Until then, come back and visit here when you can. Tell a friend with GF issues about this blog! :)

New Place to shop for gluten free cosmetics!

2008-08-04T11:37:00.005-05:00

Hi all,

I've been absent as far as new posts for quite a while. Amazing what a freelance writing career can do for your free time :)

Anyway, I have come across a new site that looks kind of like an organic cosmetics "mall". I was looking for body polish and lotions and found it rather quickly. Makes me wonder if they didn't just recently go live in 2008? Surely I would have seen them back in 2007 with the ease that I found them.

It's called http://www.bewellstaywell.com/ but the website is called Natural Solutions Holistic Beauty, Body and Bath. A little confusing, but the URL will get you there. Just go to the Shop Online link underneath the sunflower on the top left of the main page. Underneath each product description, it will list everything it is "free" of. One thing that particularly helps me search is the highlight button on my browser toolbar. If you have some way of getting one of those, you can put "gluten" or "gluten free" up in your Google search box on your browser (don't click Search or you'll go off the site into Googleland!), click your highlight button, and it will show you every place on the page that has "gluten" or "gluten free" on it. You could search through the list of ingredients for each one if you want to be sure, but I like this trick. Slick, huh?

I can't say I've heard of these brands before, and honestly I don't know all the standards they have for calling something gluten free. As with nearly anything, you ought to check with the manufacturer about their production process, GF facility, etc. I"m guessing it just shows it by ingredient. I only found this today, so I would let you know as I purchased things what each manufacturer said. Even still, the fall-back policy ought to be "call the company yourself" if you ever have questions. Formulas and practices can change without you knowing about it. But still - I really dig the labeling. Makes it a whole lot faster to find something suitable.

Good luck! I'm liking their selection of body polish, so when I make my purchase, I'll let you know the info I get.

Erika

2009-04-20T07:46:00.001-05:00

Hi,

It has really been a while since I've posted, and I apologize for that. Some things have changed in the world of gluten free cosmetics, and that's a good thing. Going to work on posting more regularly to give you updates on what's new. The gluten free cosmetic industry seems to be coming into the light - good news for all of us who need them!

Questions About Monave Answered By Company President

2008-08-18T15:04:00.002-05:00

Hello all -

For any of you who have seen a recent comment about some confusing info on the Monave website, I heard a direct response from the president of the company (who is herself a celiac). Apparently, they are in the midst of an inventory switch. They are beginning to use rice-based Vitamin E, but still have stock that includes wheat-based vit E. Some info on emails had said there were only 2 products that had the wheat based Vit E, later on the website it listed more like 4-5 products.

That lead to concern from one woman in particular (and myself) who wrote in saying she'd bought some of the products that were included in the website list, not thinking they had been a problem.

Apparently, you can request the rice-based version of the products in question and they can guarantee that is gluten free. But as of yet, this particular recommendation is not up on the website.

The tone of the president's letter was very apologetic and she made offers to replace my questionable products and a refund. She seems to realize this could lose some trust, but it seems she's willing to do whatever she and the company can to rectify the problem and any lost trust as a result.

I'd say this is still a terrific cosmetics option for anyone concerned about gluten. Certainly, a direct response from the president is better than you would receive from many of the larger name companies I've written about on this blog before. If you have any concerns about Monave products you have purchased, do contact the company and ask your questions. Of all thigns, their customer service response is one of the best.

I'll let you know about any further communication with them.

Erika

More praise for Monave

2007-12-06T08:57:00.000-06:00

Hello - sorry I've been gone for a bit. Had some busy Christmas preparations to take care of the last couple of days. Also, I must add that a special teacher from my high school years died Tuesday morning, found out yesterday, and have done much correspondence notifying others. I apologize for the absence. This will be a quick post.

Just wanted to give a few more praises to Monave. I've recently received a few more samples from them. They have some wonderful luminescent eye shadow and lipstick. A great variety, and they all go on in a very silky smooth way. I've noticed that it is quite important to have the proper tools for mineral makeup. Since the texture is so fine, you may put too much on with a dense brush or not enough on with a more "fluffy" brush. Just depends on what you want to do. Also, Monave has this cream-to-powder product that I've found to be a challenge, but worth sticking with. Despite it's name, it is not very creamy. It is rather firm, but with a dense stiff brush you can get a nice amount on and it has good staying (and blending) power.

I am looking forward to ordering more samples, and eventually the full sized products. So far, I have not been disappointed with their color variety and color quality. Gave me just what I was looking for, even if there was a "learning curve" attached.

I will be posting at least one more time in the next few days, though I have a funeral (see above) out of town to attend and a wedding this weekend. And then there's the Christmas tree to decorate......sigh....'tis the season!

Erika

Arbonne Cosmetics Gluten Free? Unanswered Questions So Far

2007-11-30T08:12:00.000-06:00

I have done my fair share of searching for gluten free cosmetics in the last few months. And I know that many of you have spent many more months, even years doing searches. One thing that I see a lot is publicity for Arbonne being a great gluten free cosmetic choice. I have seen the lists, the personal Arbonne representative website articles, and so on. From what they say, there are many "gluten free" products to pick from. However, there is a disclaimer (I think I read this in bold print somewhere) that it is not made in a gluten free facility.

As you have read in my column before, there are occassionally some companies that produce things in facilities that are not gluten free, but appear to not be a problem. Those companies have been more of the home-grown type, who started small and still "act small" once they've grown up some. By and large, the bigger companies have not been able to give answers that are as clear or comforting about cross contamination. Only one, maybe two, companies have stated that they are completely gluten free with a gluten free facility (Afterglow and another I haven't posted on yet). Both of these are the smaller types where the owner might answer the phone or do some of the customer service.

I wrote to Arbonne a few weeks ago asking a handful of very specific questions (beyond just "do you have any gluten free products?"). The information I received from Arbonne appeared to be a "form letter" type that looked similar to other emails I have seen from Arbonne posted on message boards before. To be fair, I have not called them yet. I wanted to see what they did or didn't answer in my email request. Well, I got a letter that listed all the products without gluten in them, as well as a list of products with nut-derived ingredients and peanut oil. No answers about my specific questions and I didn't ask about nuts!!

I will be calling them to see what else they say. To Revlon's credit, they (Revlon) indicated that because of the way the products are made and transported (read: Gluten Cross Contamination Risk), they can't guarantee anything truly being gluten free. I will ask Arbonne something directly like that to see what they can say about the making and transporting part.

I am not looking to bad mouth or put down any cosmetic company. There is no need for cheap shots here, just honesty and thoroughness. However, if I get wishy washy answers about the non-gluten free facility issue (and making and transporting), that certainly casts a big shadow of doubt over the statements of the company and their representatives. Again, this may highlight the classic difference between the two basic definitions of "gluten free". One being simply without glutenous ingredients, the other including no glutenous ingredients and virtually zero cross contamination risk.

The proof will be in the customer service call.

I'll get back to you when I take care of this. Take care.

Erika

Revlon Confirmed - No Guarantee on Gluten Free Cosmetics

2007-11-27T12:41:00.000-06:00

Just a quick post here from one of the "big" cosmetics companies. I wrote to Revlon last week to ask about gluten free products. I had seen a post from someone a while ago (on a message board) saying that none of their products can be guaranteed to be gluten free, but I wanted to get the most updated message from the company myself. Here is an excerpt from their letter:

"Unfortunately, because of the way cosmetic ingredients are made and transported, we cannot guarantee that a product is gluten-free."

Well, that about sums it up. To read between the lines, it seems that they recognize the effort it takes to make sure products are gluten free not only by ingredient, but by processing environment. They are being brutally honest here. Not great news if you've loved their products and have gluten sensitivities, but they aren't putting any grey areas out there. I respect them for that.

Perhaps other large companies should take a look at their example and rethink the messages they give their customers. At the very least, they could do what Arbonne has done and state clearly that although this-and-that-product doesn't have gluten, it is not made in a gluten free facility.

I'll update you on more companies, one by one.

Take care,
Erika

Afterglow - A Great Gluten Free Cosmetic Choice

2007-11-26T15:54:00.001-06:00

Afterglow is a company a stumbled upon a few months ago. The founder of the company created Afterglow Cosmetics because all of the women in her family have sensitivities to perfume, food, and cosmetics.

I wrote my usual inquiries to the customer service email, and after a few question/reply vollies, I got a response directly from the president. She thanked me for my thoroughness with the gluten questions and said she would put up a page on their website addressing the specific questions I had. I am not sure when this will be in place, but I didn't see it when I checked just now.

Here's something you aren't going to find many places - every product in their line is gluten free. Their faiclity is not gluten free (so they must be sharing with another company), but each piece of equipment is thoroughly cleaned and sanitized between uses. All of their products are hand-filled, so there are no production lines and no contamination of any kind. They have several customers who have celiac disease, so they do know what they are talking about.

They have a nice website, fairly easy to navigate. The customer service was great - quick reponses and the email from the president. Obviously a smaller company who is more "hands-on" than the big national chains. They have very large images to show the colors. Of course, that won't reflect exactly what it would look like on a person, but they have been enlarged since I was last on the site. Nice selection of colors, though I have seen a few companies that have larger selection. Probably depends on your preferences. Currently, it sounds like they are looking into a few new products (I had inquired a few things).

Overall, it appears like a tremendous option for anyone wanting gluten free cosmetics. They have some information pages about other things they don't have in their products. Seems like they are very much into avoiding toxics and irritants of various kinds. Interesting to read all they have available. So besides being safe from gluten, you may be safe from many other things you didn't know you needed to avoid!

Check them out - I strongly recommend a "look-see". http://www.afterglowcosmetics.com/

And don't be afraid to drop a question or comment their way. Easy and friendly.
http://store.afterglowcosmetics.com/

Enjoy looking around and try a sample or two.

Erika

Gluten Cross Contamination Does Matter for Cosmetics and Skin Care

2007-11-25T09:38:00.000-06:00

OK, I think I've mentioned this in almost all of my posts thus far, but I just want to make a completely separate post on this one issue just to emphasize its importance. For anyone with gluten sensitivities, cross contamination does matter! If avoiding gluten were like avoiding excess sugar (for a diabetic), you check your labels and avoid whatever ingredients are sugar-likeand ask about sugar residue. If avoiding gluten were like avoiding excess salt, you'd check your labels, avoid sodium in any form, and ask for salt/sodium residue.

I'm no dietician, but from my general knowledge about other food related health issues, peanut allergies and gluten problems are the only two sensitivities I know of where you have to check beyond just ingredients. (If you know of other sensitivities, please correct me!) 20 parts per million is a current general standard that you hear about. Only Oats, an oat company in Canada, rejects anything that is 5 parts per million and over. 5 ppm in something as small as a speck of gluten is tiny tiny stuff!! If it didn't matter, why would people be checking? And if a cosmetic or skin care company says it doesn't use a gluten free facility and they don't check for it and they can't answer for the cross contamination risk, could 20 ppm or more sneak into a product undetected? You bet. It's not like stray gluten molecules have neon green beacons on them.

Now I am not saying that every cosmetic company who uses a non-gluten free facility has problems and gluten running around all over the place. But if they don't have a very good handle on that "next level" of information, trust me - there are plenty of other places to spend your money and get good products. I'm sure it hasn' always been that way. But thanks to the internet and greater awareness, much more info is available at the push of a button and click of a mouse. And some companies are really responding to this. Hopefully, even a few of the smaller companies that hadn't realized they were a good "gluten free cosmetic" candidate will learn a few more ways to promote themselves to people who need them.

Well, those are my thoughts after a nice Thanksgiving break. I'll get some more info requests rolling and share some info I've had waiting.

Erika

First post gluten free cosmetics!

2007-10-30T14:40:00.000-05:00

Hi! This is the inaugural post for a blog that I hope will help many people make very educated choices about gluten in cosmetics. My husband was diagnosed with celiac disease last summer (2006) and we are dedicated to a 100% gluten free home. I have been doing quite a bit of research to make sure the beauty products I buy will be of the least possible risk to him.

I have not found one total resource that has helped me make my choices. I've had to pose some very detailed questions and made (sometimes) more than one contact to try to clarify the information I am seeking. And let me tell you, not all of the companies I have contacted have given me really great answers.

I plan to post more about the strict standards I have for cosmetic "gluten free" status. For any of you who have looked into gluten free cosmetics for any reason, you may be interested to read more here. I am learning right along with you. Since my husband's condition will be with us the rest of his life, it is important for me to know what is in my beauty products at all times!

I hope that anyone reading here will find some really useful information. If you have any feedback or questions for me, please feel free to put up a post.

Thanks a lot and enjoy,
Erika

What does "gluten free" really mean?

2007-10-31T09:16:00.000-05:00

What does gluten free really mean? Is it the same everywhere you go? Probably not, I'm sorry to say. I've done lots of checking with manufacturers the last year. I have called about everything from toothpicks to eye shadow to ground beef.

When I hear an manufacturer tout something as "gluten free", I always have a few other questions rattling in my mind. If the answer is "no", then the search comes to an end quickly! However, if a company says something is gluten free they could mean one of three things:

1. There are no wheat-based ingredients.

2. There are no gluten containing ingredients.

3. There are no gluten containing ingredients AND we know there is no cross contamination (we thoroughly clean production lines or hand pack, verified ingredients as gluten free from suppliers, test for gluten, no gluten reaction complaints from anyone, gluten free facility, etc)

Well, those are three very different answers. #1 is enough for some with a wheat allergy, but clearly not enough info for celiacs. Knowing an item doesn't intentionally contain gluten is good, but it's really still not enough.

Cross contamination risk is real. A company from Canada makes gluten free oats products (which is hard to do), I think it is Only Oats. They reject anything about 5 parts per million, and the generally agreed standard has been 20 parts per million. 5 parts per million! These people are serious about no cross contamination in their products.

If you ask just one question to a company, you may not be getting the whole story. I have had some companies say that things are gluten free, but when I dug further I found that they either didn't have a clear answer about cross contamination risk, or the customer rep had no idea about their manufacturing process, said it was not in a gluten free facility, sometimes didn't seem to even know why I would care about the manufacturing process, or gave me some kind of circular answer about "checking the label" and that they "have no list" that I can check.

There are a few companies who really seem to "get it" because they have answers to those deeper questions and they give them with confidence. They don't make it hard to understand what the real scoop is. They don't just say "look on the label" when there are many long ingredient names, and who knows what they really are.

If you have beauty products that are supposedly gluten free, ask yourself - are they really?? How much do I really know about them? Did I ask more than one question? If they are not manufactured in a gluten free facility or the company doesn't seem to make painstaking efforts to ensure that there is no cross contamination, you may be purchasing at your own risk.

Erika

Smaller cosmetic company is probably better for gluten free products

2007-11-12T16:35:00.000-06:00

I sopke to a very nice customer service lady at Monave' last week. Their products are all gluten free except for the concealer. She said something that I immediately knew that I already understood but had not put into direct words. She said that generally, I would do better sticking with small cosmetic companies to be the safest. They are more likely to pack by hand, actually be closer to the products to know what is going on, and can more easily answer questions about ingredients.

I had already begun to figure out this truth on my own. However, to hear it from someone was really affirming. She is right. I have found that many larger companies seem to have less control or idea of what is going on regarding gluten. Or they may be able to tell you that a certain product has no glutenous ingredients, but they cannot speak so well for the cross contamination risks.

So now I am pursuing information from smaller "off the beaten path" cosmetic companies to expose the best choices for gluten sensitive people who want very trustworthy cosmetic companies to purchase from. Keep looking for more info as I explore!

Erika

News on Gluten Free Cosmetics

2007-11-14T13:09:00.000-06:00

I have recently subscribed to a cosmetic industry newsletter. I am hoping to pass on any sort of news I find on the subject. I did recently come across something called Wheat Herbaprotein. It is from a company in Switzerland, and I submitted contact info to find out more about it. It sounds like it wouldn't belong in a "gluten free cosmetics" blog, but the claim is that it is actually gluten free. There wasn't much about it in the news release - October 2007. However, I'm hopeful that the company will contact me soon and let me know more about it.

I am also continuing the search for gluten free cosmetics. Trying to figure out the very best way to present it all. Believe me, there is a lot of info even at the beginning of this search. Sephora (an online beauty consumer portal website) has around 200 brands alone!! Plus there are many others that are common in stores, some home business type cosmetic brands, small family owned companies with limited online presence. When I look at it this way, the task seems daunting! However, I will continue to do my best to put accurate info out there. Most likely, I am considering creating a guide that will be easy to search, sorted by cosmetic item category (like lipsticks, skin care, foundation, etc), and also by company. I may do some on the blog, too. But I'm imagining that might be difficult to search. Just starting out, so we'll see!

Thanks for checking in, and I'd love to help with any inquiries on specific brands. Maybe your favorite is something I've never heard of. Let me know.

Monave - A company I'm very impressed with

2007-11-15T07:50:00.000-06:00

Here is a quick bit of info on a company I've become very excited about and impressed with. It is called Monave' (MO-na-VAY) http://www.monave.com/ , and they are a smallish mineral cosmetics company in Baltimore. When you think of mineral cosmetics, many people just think of the loose powdery form. However, they also have a nice selection of mousse, liquid, and cream foundations for those who prefer that type. They also have some cream-to-powder color cosmetics for the eyes. I have used this type in the past and it is great for keeping your morning routine moving quickly!

Really like the variety of products and forms of cosmetics (powder, liquid, cream to powder, etc). Even skin care, which I haven't looked into as much. And their website seems pretty user friendly, too. I have just ordered some samples earlier this week. There's going to be a delay because of the holiday on Monday, but I'm looking forward to it immensely! Got some cream to powder eye shadow and a cream to powder eye brow color.

The best part, the part that really sold me, is the customer service person I spoke to. Her name is Sharen, and I wrote to her on email and spoke to her on the phone. I had a question she couldn 't answer on the phone, so she asked me to email her back so she'd be able to reply quickly. Just a day or two later, I got the answer. Very kind on the phone, clear answers. She is the one who told me I will probably fare better with smaller companies because they are closer to their product. They hand pack everything, so cross contamination just doesn't happen. No shared production lines or anything like that. The concealer is the only product that has anything gluten-related (wheat germ oil). But because the cross contamination is nil, the rest of the product line is very safe.

Anyway, the link again is http://www.monave.com/. There are a few physical locations they sell out of, but most people will likely use the website. Check out their "locations" link on the bottom of any page, just in case you live close to one.

Give them a look, try some of their samples. And if you can, drop them a note on their contact page to thank Sharen for being so helpful with questions about gluten. She is instrumental in me being able to share this information to you right now.
http://www.monave.com/index.php?p=page&page_id=page_contact

Enjoy, and as always, let me know what you think.

Erika

Burt's Bees Convenient Choice for Gluten Free Skin Care and Tinted Lip Balm

2007-11-16T09:42:00.000-06:00

I love Burt's Bees! They have some nice products that are available at Target. Not many truly safe no cross-contamination kinds of skin care products are so easy to get to. But since Target stores are kind of everywhere, this can be found easily. Most importantly - they do have gluten containing and GF products, but clean their production lines and have had no complaints from anyone with gluten sensitivity using products said to be gluten free. The customer service person said this without hesitation. So they are aware and they have a good reputation.

They had sadly made a recent change to their product line. Apparently, they offered many color cosmetics. For some reason, they decided to discontinue all color cosmetics but the lip balm products. These were all shown on their most updated GF list, but they had recently stopped offering them. I never got to try them, and wouldn't that have been nice to have color cosmetics in Target, too. Hopefully, they will be able to try something like that again.

At any rate, they have some very nice tinted lip balms. Of course, this isn't lipstick so you do have to reapply. But it isn't slippery and sticky like a typical lip gloss. It does have some ability to stay on for a while. Some really nice natural looking tints - like my lip color but better. Most of the shades are in the pinkish range, nothing in a more coral or warm kind of shade. But, probably well suited for many people. There is also a colorless kind, all have some shimmer in them. The shimmer isn't out of control, but adds something nice. The plain balm is non-shimmer and not tinted (like for bedtime or reapplying without looking!).

They have other products for skin care, such as hand lotion, body lotion, foot lotion, some soaps, a few moisturizers, etc. I will post a full list, but I need to remove the color cosmetics and other discontinued products so you aren't confused like I was at first. At the very least, you can check out their website in the meantime http://www.burtsbees.com/ . Also, keep in mind that not every single Target store may carry the same stuff. And my Target store doesn't carry the full line.

Here is their "contact us" page - https://www.burtsbees.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/UtilityView?contentPageId=331&catalogId=10051&storeId=10001&langId=-1

They are friendly and know what they are talking about. So if you have a question, don't hesitate to drop them an email or make a quick call.

Erika

Jane Cosmetics - a gluten disappointment

2007-11-17T09:42:00.000-06:00

Here's why it matters that you check and get the most updated info from a company! Early in this "search for gluten free makeup" game, I was just relying on what I found on message boards. I had seen a letter from the company stating that all of their products were gluten free. Victory!!

Like many of us who purchase makeup, I was eager to just get out there and buy something so I could play with it at home. Also, I was really needing to expand my cosmetics since I'd ditched most everything else. So I went to Walgreens and was even more delighted to find there was a sale for Jane. Wow, could the day get better than this?

I decided to just "double check" by writing to the company, saying I had heard everything was gluten free and I was just making sure. I had also asked about facilities being gluten free or being shared to find out about cross contamination. I was deeply disappointed when I received this email (mind you, I'd just spent money on a bunch of new stuff). While this may not have technically been misinformation, it was definitely *outdated* information.

**Note that they don't address the facility question, I actually wrote about "gluten sources" (not just wheat sources), and I know I'd seen the "We're always psyched to hear from people" line at the top of the other letter I'd seen on the message board.

Here is the main section from that email:

Thank you so much for emailing us at Jane & Company! We’re always psyched to hear from the people that use our products.

You wrote to us because you want to know what Jane products contain wheat sources.

We hope the following information is helpful.

The only products containing hydrolyzed wheat protein are the Fan Club Mascaras. There are a number of products containing the natural antioxidant Tocopherol, (Vitamin E), which comes from wheat germ oil. Although there is a very small percentage within the formulae, it is best if you inspect the Ingredient Disclosure that comes with each product. The following products contain Tocopherol:

Attitudes
Barely Lips
Blushing Cheeks
Eyeing Eye shadows
Eyeing Linking Duos
Going Steady Lip Definer
Light Weight Cream to Powder Make-up
Lip huggers Lipstick
Lip Polish
Lucky Star Lipstick
Megabits Lipstick
Meg Megabits Lipstick
No Show Concealed
Oil-Free Face Make-up
Oil-Free Finishing Powder
One Liners for Lips
Radiation All Over Glimmer Loose Powder
Staying Powder Loose Powder
True To You Loose Powder

Now, certainly it is good that they even have some information on this. However, gluten cross contamination is a big deal, and for a 100% GF home, it is usually a deal breaker. Any real uncertainty there usually ends up being a "no" for anyone serious about "containing the molecule." Another point of confusion is that I'm not sure all of the product titles listed quite match some of the products that are out there. I bought an Eye Zing eye shadow, and they have "Eyeing". There was something else I had noticed earlier, but I can't remember right now. Anyway, I had trouble discerning whether this was some standard copy/paste email they've had in the archives for a while, or if a real person sat down and wrote to me. And there was no phone number available, only an email address.

All in all, I decided this was not ultimately a safe choice for our 100% gluten free home. It is very inexpensive, easy to pick up on an impulse, but still leaves a few big questions in my mind. For me, it is not worth it. And from what I have begun to find on the internet, there are tons of choices that are far more reliable than this, something I could safely and easily recommend as covering the biggest concerns. See a few earlier posts on a few choices. Basically, you tend to get what you pay for. I would rather pay a bit for shipping and quality than waste money and take a chance.

Here's the website if you want to check it out for yourself. http://www.janecosmetics.com/ Remember, only an email address down on the bottom of the page.

Erika

Watch for Vitamin E as a hidden gluten source in cosmetics, skin care, body care products

2007-11-19T15:27:00.000-06:00

If there is one thing I've learned, you really have to know what to look for when asking questions about gluten free cosmetics. Vitamin E is a common ingredient in cosmetics, skin care, and body care products. I learned, only after seeing some posts on celiac and gluten free message boards, that Vitamin E can be derived from wheat germ.

I realized that this had been something I'd missed in a few of the companies I'd contacting - the first one is Afterglow (a totally gluten free cosmetic company I'll tell you about in a later post), and the other was Burt's Bees. A visitor to this blog had contacted me and said that she hadn't gotten good information from Burt's Bees several years ago about Vitamin E. I told her that I would contact Burt's Bees to get an update on that. I just got an email today saying that they do not use wheat germ oil, but rather vegetable oils, mostly soybean. This is good to do, even with companies that say they have gluten free products.

Customer service folks may or may not already know what constitutes a glutenous ingredient. This is not to insult them, it just may or may not be information they are given. And if they just have a general list they are refering to, they may or may not already know that vitamin E is something that could be derived from a glutenous source. This is yet another reason that it may be better to stick with a smaller company or a company that has had a good reputation among those purchasing gluten free products. A smaller company has fewer hoops to go through to find such information. A company who already has a reputation for GF products will likely have the answer quickly available, such as with Burt's Bees. I'm not sure I could count on a huge very mainstream cosmetic company to even know where to look for such an answer.

I know from contacting at least one larger cosmetic companies that their ingredient sources change and there is no guarantee where the ingredients are coming from. You know when you see on a food label "May contain ~~~~~~" ? I'm no mass-market consumer product expert, but here is my guess. It is probably because the product will turn out the same but some of the specific ingredients may not be from the exact same source due to economics, limited quantities available, etc. etc.

Anyway, there is more info on Vitamin E that I need to look into, but it is an easy thing to miss. I sure didn't know about it until about a month ago. Be on the lookout. Food companies are opening up more and more on their labeling and some companies have policies about not hiding glutenous ingredients under "natural flavorings" and so on. There is even some legislation or FDA policy or something about truthful labeling in the works now. There is no such thing I've heard of regarding cosmetics and personal products. If anyone knows more about the food labeling thing, feel free to comment. I'm just kind of writing about that on-the-fly here to make a point. There is no "rule" anyone has to follow about labeling Vitamin E or other hidden sources of gluten.

I'm looking more into where gluten can lurk in cosmetics and other personal products. Another post will come with some terminology to look for. I've also asked an "expert" on cosmetics to help out with some info on the topic. I'll pass that on as it comes.

Keep your eyes peeled and don't get complacent about gluten. It is your health!

Erika

Letter from the FDA on gluten in cosmetics

2007-11-20T09:50:00.000-06:00

I just contacted the Senior Public Affairs Specialist from the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition branch of the FDA. I asked her for any information the FDA had regarding gluten in cosmetics. She replied (quickly) with the following response.

Dear Ms. Krull: Cosmetics will not require the gluten free labeling and do not conform to the allergen labeling required for foods. As of January 1, 2008, gluten labeling will be on most foods. We do not keep a listing of cosmetic ingredients or manufacturers and their individual products or product lines

Great news for the food. Many of you with gluten sensitivities have probably been keeping track of this issue for some time now. January is right around the corner!! However, for cosmetics and personal care items, it is still up to the folks "in the trenches" to find their own way. In my search through the FDA, I did see several dockets listed (from consumers appealing to the FDA about labeling) that mentioned gluten concerns about personal care products. It seems that perhaps I need to add my own letter to their list. If you are wanting to write a letter to the FDA expressing your concerns about gluten labeling in cosmetics and personal care products, here is some contact info.

mailto:EWEB001@vm.cfsan.fda.gov
Jeannine Ertter, A.S.C.P.Senior Public Affairs Specialist
Outreach and Communication Branch
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition

FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
Outreach and Information Center
5100 Paint Branch Parkway HFS-555
College Park, MD 20740-3835

Toll-Free Information Line: As of February 13, 2005 the Information Line is
TEMPORARILY OUT OF SERVICE due to technical issues. We are sorry for
the inconvenience, and are working to restore service as soon as
possible. 1-888-SAFEFOOD(1-888-723-3366)

If you require the use of a Relay Service, please call the Federal Relay Services (1-800-877-8339). This is a toll free relay service to call Federal agencies from TTY devices.

I was hopeful for a bit more, but at least we know for sure where the FDA stands (and apparently, nothing is in the works). Hopefully, there will be something more standardized in the future.

Until then, I'll keep checking :)

Erika