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Fri, 25 Nov 2005 13:04:21 EST
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<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

 
I would like to thank  the dozens of people who responded to my question. I 
never expected that  something that I considered an incidental personal issue 
was one that is so  universal. I will try to keep the summary simple. Opinions 
were as wide as the  ocean. I found several words and phrases common to all of 
the responses.  “Ingest, sticky, sensitivity, Dermatitis Herpetiformis, 
irritant, topical”, to  state a few. It appears that gluten peptides are, indeed, 
too large to be  absorbed through the skin. However, once the offending 
substance is on the hands  there is the possibility that gluten can be ingested. In 
this case, lipstick  would definitely be a culprit. Shampoos, conditioners and 
soaps containing  gluten may cause reactions. Application of makeup or lotion 
with the hands,  rather than using a sponge, could trigger a response. Those 
of us who suffer  with Dermatitis Herpetiformis must be more careful for the 
most obvious reasons.   
Another theory is that  many of us may have allergic responses to these 
glutens. As we know having a  skin or food allergy to gluten is different than 
being  Celiac. 
I received several  medical opinions. One was a quote during speech at a 
conference from Dr. Peter  Green. He does not believe that there is any credence 
to gluten free skin  products being an irritant. Dr. John Zone is a 
Dermatologist specializing in  Dermatitis Herpetiformis.  He was asked this question and 
his answer was  that topical products containing gluten are not harmful to a 
Celiac. Dr. Megan  Tishy sent a personal response. “We have years of research 
ahead of us regarding  Celiac Disease, Dermatitis Herpetiformis and gluten 
intolerance in general. I  think we will have the answer to your question in the 
next 5-10 years I hope!!).  But for now there is just a huge gap between what 
we know for sure about celiac  disease, and what we experience (symptom-wise) 
as Celiacs.”  Finally, Jax Lowell Powell devoted an  entire chapter in the 
Gluten Free Bible to make up and skin care  products. 
The bottom line is  this. All decisions we make must be personal and based on 
our own experience.  Some of us are more sensitive than others. I’ve decided 
that I will continue a  vigilant quest to find gluten free make up and skin 
care products as a  precautionary measure. I will be cautious but will not allow 
myself to become  paranoid. As in all things we do in life common sense must 
prevail and our  choices are based on our own needs. I I will save all 
responses for several  weeks. If anyone would like to read them, please send me an 
e-mail and I will  forward them to you. 
Most  sincerely, 
Andrea New  York

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