Celiac Life: Favorite Beauty Shops of 2016

By Elissa Rosenthal

Ever since I was, well to be honest, born, I have had very sensitive skin. Not so sensitive to where it bursts out in hives to any sent, but sensitive enough to where the only detergent my body has ever agreed with has been the kind made for infants. 

Now, I do not know exactly if my sensitive skin has anything to do with my celiac. Quite a few say  the gluten molecule is too big to go through the skin barrier in articles like "A Glutton for Gluten: Should Skin Care Be Gluten-Free?" by Dr. Diana Howard , or in an answer by Dr. Michael Picco published by the Mayo Clinc answering "I have celiac disease. Do I need to be concerned about sunscreens, shampoos and cosmetics that contain gluten?" . Though their statements are very possibly true, in that unless you ingest the gluten nothing will happen, I encourage you as a fellow celiac to determine a few risks. 

Note: As someone with Celiac disease you should always look for lipstick, toothpaste, and any other beauty or body product which will go in your mouth as gluten free. 

Some Risks to Think Over Before Not Looking For Gluten Free Beauty Care As A Celiac

1) How likely are you to touch your face and then your mouth or around your mouth? 

2)Are you planning on having any part of your hands be part of your beauty routine and how often do you think your hands will go near your mouth?

3)Do you think you can wash your hair and body perfectly without any splash back going into your face and therefore, perhaps, into your mouth?

Now Do You Want Gluten Free Beauty Care?

I chose from day one of finding out I had celiac disease to go as gluten free as I possibly could with my beauty care. The only part I have become a little relaxed with is my sunscreen because it has no gluten containing ingredients, but has no testing for cross-contamination. Plus, I do not put any on my hands during the day to day and when I do I make sure not to touch my face. The brand I currently use is Hawaiian Tropic. Here is a link to buy it on Amazon, I am not sponsored. Please make sure to check their current formula before you buy, since beauty product producers change their ingredient lists all the time! The year I checked to see if the formula was gluten free was in 2015. I will also be checking their formula the next time I get some. 

My main tip: Check formulas and call customer service if you can for any beauty products you buy as a celiac!

The Brands/ Stores I Currently Trust 100% 

I am not sponsored for any promotion of these products. I am giving you advice from my experiences with these companies' products and staff!

- ELF  

A highly trusted brand in my 2016 book since all of their products are gluten free! I prefer their eye shadows in the pots, though their pallets are quite nice once you roughen them up a bit. Plus I am currently loving their matte lip color in Rich Red. 

- The Body Shop

This is where I go for most of my body care needs. Though as a celiac I would deter from buying on their online shop unless you recently bought the same product at their store recently, or have called customer service. Their customer service is great! As far as I have seen they always have an allergen list in the store and you can ask the sales person at the store if a product is gluten free. They as well have makeup available, though I do not know how much of it is gluten free. 

- Pharmaca 

This is where I have been currently getting my shampoo products. Their staff is very knowledgeable and on their website you can even filter out their gluten free products under the ingredient concerns tab.

I hope you found this information useful. 

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Celiac Life: The Store and Food Temptation

By Elissa Rosenthal

It has been over a year now since I was diagnosed with celiac disease. The disease where you cannot have gluten as much as you want to without horrible side effects, both long term and sort term. Until I write more, and even when I do, I encourage you to read about the disease if it interests you. I will never say I know everything, because I know I don't. Life is a continuous journey of lessons and experiences that mold your current knowledge base.

Today, while walking through the store, I had another sense of longing. Longing for the foods I once knew and had eaten with no, clear to me at the time, consequences before my diagnoses. The seeing of childhood treats like fig newtons and goldfish crackers had made me sigh a little. It is not easy being completely gluten free, and I have never quite understood why someone would willingly choose the diet, but then I smile at the thought when I look at the cereal on the shelf with clear labeling.

Each time my mind goes into one of those day dreams of remembering past tastes I remind myself how much better I feel when going for alternatives. Now I feel much more energetic. For one I am starting this blog, a feat I never even thought possible to accomplish before. I always wanted to start one, just didn't have the energy.

What helps in those times as well, is knowing I can try to make gluten free versions of treats I once enjoyed. So far some have come out alright, others, well, they need work. I do try though, which is what keeps me motivated to try again in the future, when I have time. If any of you would wish for me to post my food recipe trials, please let me know!

I know how the temptation of food memories can create this inner war within your brain. This happens with me particularly when it comes to foods I was accustomed to when I was a child, and continued to be a customer of the product later in life, until the diagnoses. This is why I hope this post helps you in any way possible with beating the inner dialogue, if nothing else because of reading being a distraction.

Visualization helps immensely, specifically certain images. Here is a list of them, should you wish to use them for your own fight against temptation.  

1) Envision how you feel when you are reacting to gluten. That will be your reality, as it was back then, should you have that food, sweet, or drink. 

2) If you are anything like me, think through how this one decision will make you feel horrible the next few days.

3) This is one I use that those of you who do not have physical symptoms of celiac disease can partake in. It is dark, but imagine how you want to die. Do you want to die from cancer? Of course you may die of cancer anyway, there are many factors which go into it, but do you want to increase your chances? 

I hope that these visualization ideas help, at the very least, some of you who are reading this blog of mine. I remember when I was first diagnosed, being happy because of knowing what was going on with me, but sad that my diet and social eating behaviors were going to change drastically. 

If any of you have questions for me and do not mind if I do a short article mentioning your question, please ask it in the comments. I only ask you please include in your comment how you prefer to be addressed, whether that is with a name or anonymous, and which pronouns you prefer. 

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