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Long story, but I did find out that Finacea (for rosacea) is gluten-free.

The main ingredient, azelaic acid, is found in wheat, barley and rye...and other plants and animals, including us...we make it naturally. But the company in Italy makes it synthetically. The inert ingredients are gluten-free. The lecithin is from soy. (Since the acid can be made from wheat, barley or rye, if you are using another brand of azelaic acid, find out what the source is.)

When I filled the script at CVS, the pharmacist could not tell if it was gf. She got on the phone to find out, and was disconnected, forwarded to non-functioning voicemails, and put on hold...over and over, for nearly a half hour. Finally, someone from the company said she'd forward the question and would call me back in a day or so. Didn't sound convincing.
So when I got home, I went online and to my own resources and did my own calling.

1. The number on the Finacea website ( 866-463-3634) will get you to the person who did the disconnecting, forwarding, holding, etc. to both my pharmacist and me. She represents Intendis, the manufacturer. Bad attitude.

2. I then called a series of Bayer numbers and got through to the receptionist at the CEO's office. It's really a Bayer product. Bayer imports it from Italy. She tried the Intendis number and got nowhere too!!!! So she gave me the phone number of the doctor (dermatologist) who heads up dermatology for Intendis, who went over the ingredients and instructions with me, and was extremely helpful. 

Please don't beat me up for going to all this trouble over a topical cream. I truly subscribe to the information that the gluten molecule is too small to pass through the skin, but if it's on my hands and I happen not to get it all off before doing lunch......better safe than sorry. Plus, since there are people who feel they react to topical gluten, we're helping them out by requesting that companies go gf....or at least have people answering the phones who can say yay or nay.

Thanks, Lin





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