Getting out of the kitchen for a moment. . .

If you are new to gluten free living you are probably much more concerned about eating safely than your current beauty and hygiene products.   And while it is very important to quickly and fully educate yourself about food, I think your personal products are key to successful gluten free living. I also strongly believe that everything that goes in your mouth or on your skin should be additive free and as pure as possible.  It’s taken me a while and I’ve made some mistakes along the way.  Hopefully I can help you avoid doing that.

Remember to always do your own homework to make sure everything you buy is safe.  Recommendations from others are great – you need them – but formulas for can change at any time so read the ingredients every time you purchase a product whether for your kitchen or for personal use.  Many companies now list their ingredients on their websites and you can always call or email to be certain.

Listed below are some of the things I use. I have no ties with any company listed and no doubt there are many other appropriate products available. 

The Basics:  Soap – I use bottles of Dr. Bonner’s Peppermint.  The label is wild but the ingredients are very simple and very pure. 

For skin care beyond soap the easiest gluten free skin care regime may be right in your kitchen.  Baking soda makes a skin softening scrub when mixed with just enough water in the palm of your hand to make a paste.  Massage gently into your skin and rinse well with warm water. Apple cider vinegar diluted with water (50/50 is what I do) is an excellent toner.  Coconut oil makes a great moisturizer.  Just the tiniest bit will do the trick – it works great for my combination skin, too.  It may not be a glamorous spa line but it works well for me.

A dab of olive oil is thicker than coconut oil and relieves chapped hands.  Both coconut and olive oils are great for dry hair as well.  Just a few drops rubbed into the palms of your hands and smoothed through your hair will do the trick.

Toothpaste/Mouthwash – Tom’s of Maine is our favorite brand.  The Tom’s website states that their mouth care items are gluten free.  (Their hand soap and body wash DO contain gluten).  Tom's deodorant is also gf.

Edited 2/21/12 - Because I avoid gluten as well as artificial colors and flavors and lanolin I am especially careful with lip products. I have removed the two products I recommended after reading a listing by the FDA of lipsticks and glosses that contain lead and I can no longer feel confident using them.

When I contacted Honeybee Gardens I found out their entire line of cosmetics with the exception of their hairspray is gluten free.  I recently tried their mascara and love it.

Mineral Fusion is currently my favorite pressed powder – mineral make up has natural sun protection and this brand provides a bit more coverage than most.  I like that I can skip sunscreen when using it as I haven’t found an all natural one I really love yet. According to an email from their customer service department today all their products are gluten free.

So that’s a short list of the few things I use.  If you have any you love please leave a comment.