Gluten Free Your Year with Coral – May Challenge

Welcome to month FIVE of the Gluten Free Your Year challenge! I’m so glad you’re here! You can find an overview of the challenge HERE

This month’s theme is “Gluten Free Your Bathroom.” Did you know your makeup, shampoo, lotion, and cleaning products can all have gluten in them? It’s true!

This month’s challenge is all about identifying gluten in these types of products, learning how gluten in these products can impact, finding gluten free product swaps, and creating a gluten free space in your bathroom. Part spring cleaning, part gluten challenge, together we are going to overhaul those bathroom cupboards and drawers and make our space gluten free!

You can also listen to my Gluten Free You & Me Podcast on this topic here:

Episode 66: https://glutenfreewithcoral.com/episode-66-do-your-beauty-products-really-need-to-be-gluten-free/

Do all of my beauty products really need to be gluten free?

You have some that say an absolute yes– your skin is your largest organ and it absorbs everything you put on it and some say no– that it doesn’t matter as long as it is not ingested orally. Well what do we do with that split of opinions??? Well, just like with anything I speak about… you get to do YOU! There are three of us in our family who have Celiac disease and each of us react and respond different- we get to adapt just like you do! You get to decide how this answer looks to you.

Do you have a skin reaction allergy to gluten?

Well you may have to steer clear of all products with gluten. Others with an intolerance may be completely fine and some celiacs have been known to have skin reactions as well. So be smart and you do you!!! I want to address what some may say celiac disease of the skin or also known as Dermatitis herpetiformis, also known as DH and Duhring’s disease, its a chronic skin condition caused by a reaction to gluten ingestion. The vast majority of patients with DH also have an associated gluten sensitive enteropathy (celiac disease). Extremely itchy bumps or blisters appear on both sides of the body, most often on the forearms near the elbows, as well as on knees and buttocks, and along the hairline. This is also a hot topic because what they know about DH is that it is the reaction when something is ingested. But some say that they have the same reaction when using products on their body that have gluten in them. So again for the people in the back… be smart and you do you!!!

3 Tips

Let me give you 3 tips that have helped me to ensure that I am being safe and smart especially with my beauty products.

Determine what is working now for you and what is safe.
Find brands that you feel comfortable with.
Be loyal to those brands.

1. Determine what is working now for you and is safe

First thing ask yourself: Are you currently having a reaction? If no, then you may be great and don’t need to change much. Be sure to note that sometimes our body is reacting internally and you could be only having an internal reaction. But don’t let this scare you away. Baby steps… I recommend you look through all products that go around or on your mouth to start. Such as toothpaste, chapstick, lipstick, foundation or powder that you put near your mouth. As you run out of these items replace them with safer brands. Once you have mastered the products near your mouth- then you can slowly move on to other products.

2. Find brands that you feel comfortable with

Brands I trust are using real and simple ingredients. Do your research, google, follow me on Instagram as I share what products I use and love. For example I love Shine makeup- it is 100% gluten free– they have the most beautiful shades and their products really are incredible and lasts tall day! I generally like to team up with brands that I love to be able to offer you a coupon code to get a discount! If you are following me on IG or even head to my website under the ‘Favorite Things’ Tab you will see them. But that Shine make up is just one example of how to slowly change out products to just be proactive and Go through and see what products you use. Look at the label- are there so many ingredients that you can not pronounce? Look them up online- look on their websites. Search for other brands that have transparent ingredient labels and work hard to ensure safe products.

**I love to follow my good friend Karalynne on IG as she shares the better and best brands out there. She even has incredible products that I personally have all of them because I am obsessed. Her body scrub, deoderant, serum etc… You can find her on Instagram @just.ingredients or visit her website: https://justingredientswithkaralynne.com

We also have a page devoted to skin and makeup products on our Gluten Free Guide that you can buy here for $6.99

3. Be loyal to those brands.

I have now become a very loyal customer to several brands.why, because when I find some thing that is safe and it works- well heck yes I am going to be obsessed and loyal! This actually saves you money- hear me out… if you are not persuaded at every store to buy the latest trends of products you will save a lot of money. It will help with impulse shopping. It will help with using better cleaner products with ingredients that you feel good about and this is not just with gluten free but with living a healthier life.

I am so excited for you to go through your bathroom and see how you can improve the products that are underneath your cabinet. Our goal is to live the best gluten free life we can- and remember that is not all just about being and using 100% gluten free products- its about being aware of your overall health and mental health!

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