What’s the Deal with Gluten-Free Beauty Products?

For those who don’t know, gluten is a protein found in wheat. It’s used as an additive in foods for flavor, stabilization, or thickening and is what anyone with celiac disease is allergic to. One in 105 people have this disease, and most that do, don’t know it. “Many people have sensitivities to gluten, and they don’t even know what gluten is, let alone that they have a sensitivity to it,” explains Shel Pink, founder of SpaRitual and the Slow Beauty™ movement. “I’ve heard so many stories about people who have removed gluten from their diet and they feel better—healthier, more energy, less bloated.”

Due to so many having a wheat sensitivity, gluten-free diets have gone from a medical necessity to a mainstream way of eating. And, while we’ve all heard of a gluten-free diet, gluten-free beauty seems to be the next big thing.

Gluten-Free Beauty

As requests for gluten-free foods have risen, so has a market for gluten-free beauty products. You’re probably thinking: Where does gluten fit into beauty? Well, just as it’s used in food, gluten is used as a thickening agent in many beauty products to keep the product intact. Up to 60 percent of what we put onto our skin is absorbed into our bloodstream. So if you have a severe sensitivity to gluten, applying it topically could in fact deliver a similar response as if you had ingested it. “What we put on our body is just as important as what we put in our body,” says Pink, whose company SpaRitual makes, with the exception of one nail-care treatment, only gluten-free beauty products. “I believe that gluten-free is yet another aspect of raising awareness on how to best take care of our bodies in the most natural, holistic way. We will continue to formulate our products in the healthiest manner possible and that includes being free of gluten.”

Looking to make the switch to gluten-free? Check out our list of gluten-free beauty products we love.

SpaRitual Gluten-Free Lip Gloss

After years of creating amazing nail polish and body care products, Shel Pink and the SpaRitual team were inspired to create a lip gloss line. “We felt that it was a natural evolution to delve into the lip care category with a range of lip glosses that are beautiful, natural, and healthy,” says Pink. These amazing vegan lip glosses are made with certified organic ingredients like cocoa seed butter, coconut oil, and shea butter to naturally infuse lips with serious hydration and a light color. The four iridescent shades are flavored with fruit oils, giving them the antioxidant power to fight free radicals. Best of all, they aren’t sticky and immediately moisturize your lips, making them the perfect cold-weather accessory.

$19 each; find a retailer near you

Pangea Organics

Pangea Organics are formulated with organic ingredients to amplify hydration and support cellular regeneration by feeding the skin with antioxidant nutrients, EFA-rich oils, and nourishing plant botanicals. The “always beneficial, never artificial” Pangea is always handcrafted, organic, fair trade, and cruelty free. The brand has an entire collection of gluten-free products within its certified organic skincare line. From lip balm to scrubs to facial cleansers—the entire collection is well worth it for anyone looking to switch over to gluten-free skincare.

prices vary; Pangea Organics Gluten-Free Products

Desert Essence

For anyone looking for gluten-free hair care, look no further than Desert Essence. The brand’s Fresh From Nature products are all wheat and gluten-free and seriously make a huge difference in the health of your hair. I have been using Desert Essence’s Coconut range religiously, including the Coconut Soft Curls Hair Cream and Shine & Refine Hair Lotion, both of which leave my hair smelling amazing and touchably soft. Both are, you guessed it, gluten-free—which I’ve found my strands love.

$9.99 each; Desert Essence Coconut Soft Curls Hair Cream and Shine & Refine Hair Lotion

Gluten Free Beauty

While I haven’t actually tested out this 100-percent gluten-free brand, I love the fact it was made by a woman who was battling the effects of gluten on her skin. Kristen Campbell’s gluten intolerance started as a digestive problem, but soon made its way to her skin in the form of severe acne on her back and chest, unbalanced oil production on her face, and patches of rosacea. Within a few weeks of removing gluten from her beauty regimen, her skin began to clear. The brand produces oil-balancing serums, cleansers, a castor-oil lip and cheek tint, body butter, and more—all natural, cruelty-free and gluten-free.

prices vary; Gluten Free Beauty

Have you gone gluten-free? Let us know what products you love in the comments section!

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