Random Thoughts

Hi Sherry-

Try Burt's Bees Products. They are easy to find and are gluten free. I printed a list a while ago. Just type in burtsbees.com the products are a little more money but guess what-it beats racking your brains on all that guess work!

I wasn't aware that using a gluten containing shampoo on your head could cause these problems. Since the small intestine provides the allergic reaction to gluten, wouldn't you have to actually eat the gluten in order to have gluten sensitivity problems? Or can other systems (the skin in this case) in your body develop an allergic reaction to it, as well, once the intestine is overwhelmed with dealing with a gluten problem?

In the cases above where hair returned upon quitting the gluten shampoo, it does indicate that it was external application of gluten that caused the hair loss. But for some of the other cases, who are in the process of experimenting, I would caution not to overlook a thyroid problem, as hair loss is quite common with it. Alopecia may be another avenue to explore.

Just a note that most of the Aveeno products are gluten free. Hope this helps. And for makeup a lot of MAC makeup is gluten free.

Aveeno is NOT gluten free! It's made of oats. It may not contain any wheat, but oats contain gluten! I would think that was common knowledge for celiacs, but I guess not. Be careful, please.

I need to buy gluten free shampoo and shower gel, no dyes. Please help me.

Some things do not say wheat specifically. Like mono sodium glutamate can also be called hydrolyzed soy protein. I would check with someone about the ingredients before passing it off that it does not have wheat.

Note: Oats do not contain gluten. However, almost all oats are cross-contaminated in the fields or in the processing plants. The only oats which are safe are those grown in exclusive fields and processed in clean facilities. If an oat-containing product cannot guarantee its oat sourcing, then it will cause a wheat reaction from cross-contamination.

I have been using Aveeno Lavender Body wash for years, and I read "wheat" in the ingredients today. I don't have rashes or anything like that. I also don't have celiac but my neurologist wants me to try gluten free to see if it relieves me of some funky symptoms. This is all so new and overwhelming to me. UGH.

Well since its not creating a reaction I would say use it, but at the same time, I'm no Doctor. I would mainly be worried about ingesting it, which means, no licking envelopes, watching out for toothpaste, and of course the major issue of food. Talk to your neurologist about it and see if he would like you to give up the body wash/lotions/shampoos/make up...the list goes on.

I have been using a very expensive line all this time, and could not figure out why my hair was getting thinner and thinner, until I read the label, and it contained hydrolyzed wheat protein. Also was having break outs on my face and in my scalp. What a nightmare, but at least I have found a list on the celiac website of ingredients to avoid.

I was just recently told by a naturopath that we shouldn't be eating or using ANYTHING with oats or corn! It's not good for our digestive systems!

Have you been tested for Hashimoto's? A thyroid condition? That's what I have & I am on nature-throid. Made a huge difference to my hair. I was losing so much hair it was scary.

I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease six years ago. I never had the associated skin rash dermatitis herpetiformis. I am very strict with what I eat including not eating out. Over a year ago I noticed that I got pimples on my head after coloring my hair and then two weeks later my chest and back would break out with an annoying rash. I tried different hair coloring brands and it was always the same - pimples right away and breaking out 2 weeks later. The rash was so miserable that I quit using hair coloring. But then I noticed that hair gels were giving me pimples too (no rash) but I gave them up also. Then I noticed that some shampoos were giving me pimples on my head so I compared ingredients and I thought the common ingredient is propylene glycol. I went to a dermatologist who patch tested me for 29 chemicals (But not propylene glycol) and I was not allergic to any of them. He told me I might have eczema- No way- How come I only get the rash two weeks after coloring my hair? He also told me that it was weird that I put the product on my head and got the rash on my body. It brought back bad memories of trying to get diagnosed for celiac before they knew what I had. Anyway, after reading these comments I noted that my hair coloring did have wheat, but the gel and shampoo don't as far as I could tell unless it is in propylene glycol which would be a huge answer to what is causing these pimples. Plus I think I lose more hair than normal too. Any advice or comments would be appreciated. Thanks!

Check the ingredients of the Burt's Bees products! Some of their products do contain wheat!!!

Read the article that Grace wrote, I do not know what experts you have talked to that says your skin and hair cannot absorb anything because that is what skin does. Why do people use patches? Because it absorbs the medicine from the patches. Our skin is our largest organ and Does absorb a lot of things, gluten would be one of those things.

I´m a celiac and I have also skin allergies since I was 4 years old. I cannot eat a single piece of bread without getting a very itchy skin rash. I recently started the celiac free diet, but since I don´t live in the USA is very hard to find gluten-free products. I had to ban all kinds of bread, cookies, sauces from my diet, so I mostly eat fruit and home cooked meals. It would be nice if my country had a celiac association or something, but food companies around here are not interested in producing gluten-free products and there´s no government regulation on food ingredients. There´s even a growing tendency to add wheat, soy, oatmeal even to milk, yogurt or cooking oil with the excuse of "adding fiber to your diet" so I think in the future we will have a great deal of celiacs around. (I live in Colombia)

LOLA~ I am very sorry to hear that...I wonder if there is a way for you to order products online? and have them shipped? Hopefully they will figure it out in Colombia, and start regulating the foods more thoroughly.

I also am suffering from extreme hair loss over the past 4 years and I'm in my 20's. I am floored upon stumbling into this post because I also use Tresseme and perhaps it is causing this problem! But, I'm wondering, if I can't use the shampoo because the gluten effects me then does this also mean I should be on a gluten-free diet? I know there is a difference between intolerant and allergic but you would think if you were allergic and could not touch something then you also should not ingest it. Not sure how that works.

I found that Moroccan Oil Shampoo and Conditioners are gluten-free as well as sulfate and paraben free too!

Is there any gluten free shampoo, soaps, deodorants, or personal body products at Walmart, Kmart, Walgreens (stores like that)?

ShiKai daily shampoo and conditioner are gluten free and work well for me. My skin on my scalp breaks out with certain shampoos, and only after I went gluten free did I realize it was the wheat in them. Tried Kiss My Face, but there is wheat in them, and the scalp got worse again. Going back to ShiKai products!

Hi Karen, what kind of shampoo and conditioner do you use now? Thanks

I have a problem with acne like spots on my scalp. The conditioner which I am currently using contains oats - could this be the problem? I have recently been diagnosed as having an intolerance towards gluten and yeast.

Neutrogena, Surface, Head Organics, Rene Ferterer

Most Garnier Fructis

Most Goldwell

Many Davines

As a stylist, I read labels constantly. As the wife of a celiac, I have become obsessed with finding new products for him and some of my clients. If you can't find them in the store, search the internet. Sephora will even give you some samples of the expensive stuff to try before you buy.

Angie, I have been recently diagnosed too. Can you tell me what products you use??

- Erica