<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
Here are the comments made by responders to the survey.
Thank you again for taking the time to respond.
Barbara
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"I ran this past my celiac doctor, Dr. Peter Green, in NYC and he agreed with the above years ago. No skin reactions so no allergies/sensitivities and no need to omit products with oats, Vit. E, etc. It is not believed
these pass through the skin and get to the gut and I have no reason to think this is happening. I am very reactive to dietary gluten so I feel confident this is not a concern for me. I have 2 grown daughters and one teenage grandchild--all diagnosed celiacs. None of them avoid using general products (except for lipstick or lip balm) and none are suspicious of these products causing a problem."
"There are so many other products on the market that I do not use those containing oats altho I have without any reaction to them. They never reach my mouth."
"I can't answer all of your questions, but I can tell you that on my celiac son we used Aveno Bath and Aveeno skin cream (both contain oats) for years, because it was the only product we found which eased his severe eczema. A lot of people on this list sent me vicious criticism of this, but our gi doc assured me it was safe to use as long as he didn't ingest it. So we avoided putting the cream on his fingers (he was still a little guy).
My teenage celiac daughter does not have DH, but does have celiac-related hair loss. For this reason we do not use any hair care products with wheat additives.
I encourage my daughters to avoid gluten in their lip glosses because I'm concerned about accidental ingestion."
"I am not concerned with topical products. There is no scientific basis for avoiding wheat in these products even if someone has DH. People may choose to avoid them but it is not related to CD."
"I have celiac disease, no DH. Other than lipstick, I use any product I used to use and do not check for gluten containing ingredients. I have had no problems in 7 years of diagnosis."
"-I read all the ingredients on the labels and do not use any products that contain wheat, barely, rye, or oats. I feel lucky that I am an organic chemist and can understand the chemical names on labels.
-I do not usually contact the companies involved, but just rely on the labels.
-I have never, to my knowledge, had a gluten reaction from one of these products. "
"My 8 year old son is the celiac in our family. He does not use any special shampoos, soaps etc. The only thing I make sure of (other than foods & medicines of course) is that his toothpaste and mouthwash is GF. I
basically make sure that anything he puts in his mouth is GF."
"I am a celiac (I do not have DH) and my husband is not. I do not worry about shampoo, makeup or anything. I continue to use the products I have been using (I use Aveeda shampoo and conditioner, Estee Lauder, Clinique and Lancome make up) and I don't believe I have any trouble. I wear listick and I probably should be more careful, but I wear the department store brands and colors that I like and I don't ask if they are gluten free or not. I feel that shampoo/conditioner cannot get into my bloodstream, nor can make up, except for lipstick, which you tend to taste. I also use lotion/body cream every day and I usually use Bath and Body products. I have read that these products cannot be absorbed into the skin or the bloodstream to cause celiacs to get sick.
Like I said, I should probably be more cautious about lipstick and lip balm."
"We have a gluten-free household. It's not hard, really, There are all kinds of GF products out there, and many GF products were our family favorites before we went GF intentionally [Tom's toothpaste, Neutrogena and Pantene shampoos & conditioners, Banana Boat lotions, Soft Soap, etc...) For us, it's no big deal to keep GF. There's still plenty of choice."
"I am the one in my family that has Celiac Disease. I use any and everything as far as shampoo, conditioner, skin care products and makeup are concerned and have never had a problem. I don't even bother to read the
labels except where lip balms are concerned. I know that I do lick my lips and so it would only make sense that I would be ingesting the ingredients ---"
" I am male so the last question is a bit out of my level of experience. For the other two, however, I have no problem using products on both my scalp and skin that may or may not contain gluten. When I ingest gluten through the mouth and into the digestive system I will always get an outbreak of DH. Double underline the word always. I am fully in agreement with the thesis that for gluten to do any damage it must get into the digestive system and that DH is a follow on reaction that body has in its effort to get rid of gluten that enters the body through the digestive system. So I pay no particular attention to shampoo and skin care product list of ingredients and that includes oats. Actually I do eat oats when I am reasonably sure that there has been no cross contamination with gluten source grains. "
"Answer to all of your questions. No, I don't use only gf products. Don't even worry about it. Dr. Zone, a leading dermatologist on DH, says that you must ingest the gluten into your digestive system to have it affect you, whether you have DH or not. Topical application has no effect, even on those with DH (although I think it can cause more irritation if you happen to have an open sore with DH?) I've never worried about what was in my soap, shampoo, face cleanser, perfume, etc. and have never had a problem with any of it. I'm biopsy diagnosed for 5 years."
"I have diagnosed Celiac. I am not DH. I use all kinds of products. I never check the status of whether they contain wheat or oats. I have never had any kind of reaction. At one of our state meetings, we had a very
highly regarded Doctor tell us that if you don't have the DH form, you do not need to worry about products put on the skin (other than lipstick). He said it was impossible for a molecule on the skin to get into the digestive
tract and cause any damage. "
"I have GI. I haven't been paying attention to ingredients of cosmetics, lotions, and soaps, but I'm thinking that I might have to. I've been GF for about a year, and I notice that my face gets red after showers and removing
make-up. I'm glad you'll be summarizing because I'm getting a reaction to something I'm using. I'd be interested in what other people have to say. "
"We don't worry about topical products - I would tend to avoid something obvious like an oat scrub - but I wouldn't be concerned if starch was in something, for instance. But actually, I think most of our products are
gluten free, anyway.
We have three celiacs in our immediate family; we are very strict with food - and my two kids react strongly to oats as a food. We have been gluten free for over three years. So - I probably wouldn't use an oat scrub - just
because of the idea of it - but in reality I don't think we'd react. Just a guess. "
"We do not use any products on our external selves that contain wheat, rye, barley or oats. We have noticed that if we do, our daughter's skin turns red and she says it gets itchy. I even used a bathtub cleaner once that
contained wheat germ and it made her get an itchy rash. So, even though our daughter is the only one with celiac disease, we as an entire family sharing a bathroom, avoid all shower products and skin care products containing any of the four grains."
"Answering your questions: Only I am gf in my family. I use only gf products (and oat free) except for one 10 min. hair color on a monthly or less basis. I once reacted (discomfort for eyes and lids) from a mascara that contaimned wheat germ oil. I use Līreal skin care products and have researched their products (no interest in the company) and the line I use is gf. As for make up, blush, eye shadows, etc. I read labels and phone the company when in doubt, to stay gf."
"I don't pay much attention to the old gluten free stuff when it comes to shampoo, make up, cleansers, lotions and that stuff except for lipstick, of course, and toothpaste. Although I haven't really checked out the toothpaste and use whatever is in the bathroom. I haven't experienced any adverse effects in the year or so that I've been gluten free. Whenever I have had a reaction I have been able to pinpoint the food that I've ingested and has
caused the problem."
"Gluten does not get absorbed through the skin the scientists tells us. So if its not likely to find it's way into my mouth (like lipstick) I don't worry if it's GF"
"We do not use topical products that contain gluten because the celiac in our house has a lot of skin issues and we have chosen to remove anything that might be a skin irritant. We use gluten free, dye free, fragrance free topical products, as well as laundry products and no dryer sheets or fabric softener and then don't bathe with really hot wateCr at the instruction of our dermatologist."
Disclaimer --- I am a volunteer and not a medical expert, but I can share with you information that I have found helpful. Please contact your medical professional for medical advice regarding your situation. Please verify the gluten free status of products often for your own protection.
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