Finally, research from a credible institution of mainstream academia – George Washington University – has come out in support of what we, and our green scientists, have been saying all along: gluten-contain products really DO exacerbate the symptoms of Celiac Disease and the big cosmetic companies have so far done little or nothing to inform customers as to whether or not they use gluten in the manufacture of their products.
An extract from the article, as feature on Medical News Today:
‘The lack of readily available information about cosmetic ingredients may cause patients with celiac disease who use lip, facial or body products to unknowingly expose themselves to gluten — an ingredient they need to avoid, according to the results of a new study unveiled at the American College of Gastroenterology’s (ACG) 76th Annual Scientific meeting in Washington, DC.
The study, “Information About Cosmetic Ingredients is Difficult to Obtain: A Potential Hazard for Celiac Patients,” focused on the top 10 cosmetic companies in the United States in order to evaluate the availability of information about cosmetic ingredients and the accessibility of gluten-free products.
“While information on the ingredients of food products has become increasingly available, recent reports have revealed that the use of some cosmetics, including products used on the lips and face, can result in unexpected exposure to gluten,” said researchers Marie L. Borum, MD, EdD, MPH and Pia Prakash, MD, of George Washington University.
Dr. Borum said this study was prompted in part by one of her patient cases, “Body Lotion Causing A Celiac Exacerbation and Dermatitis Herpetiformis: Natural is Not Always Healthy,” where a 28-year old woman experienced exacerbation of her celiac symptoms, including gastrointestinal complications and a recurring skin rash after using a body lotion advertised as “natural.”
“It was difficult to determine whether gluten was contained in the product she was using,” said Dr. Prakash. “But once she stopped using the body lotion her symptoms resolved. This case highlights the fact that celiac patients face a huge challenge in trying to determine whether cosmetic products contain gluten — and a risk of unknowingly exposing themselves to gluten.”
The lack of readily available information about cosmetic ingredients that Dr. Borum experienced first-hand with her patient led researchers to identify the top cosmetic companies in the United States and subsequently visit the official website for each company and search for “gluten” and “gluten free” to determine products specifically manufactured without gluten. Additionally, the ingredients for each cosmetic were also researched using an independent website.
Only two of the top ten cosmetic companies in the United States offered detailed ingredient information, however no gluten sources were identified, according to the study. The independent websites offered ingredients from five companies — but no gluten sources were identified. Ingredient information was unavailable for four companies and none of the cosmetic companies specifically offered gluten-free cosmetic options, according to the study findings.’
Read the full article here.
This is a huge step for Celiacs and one that is particularly close to our hearts as our bio-esthetician Ishtar knows only too well the struggles to find gluten-free products, being a Celiac sufferer herself. “Sometimes I feel that Celiac’s Disease is the new diabetes and the main problem is that due to lack of full ingredient disclosure and certifications it is becoming increasingly difficult for all of us who are gluten intolerant to remain gluten-free,” she says.
Hopefully, Ishtar and her fellow Celiacs won’t have to wait too long for such “full disclosure” and in the meantime we will continue on in our fight to make people aware of the need for Celiacs to stay gluten-free in all areas of their lives – and how Sophyto being 100% CERTIFIED GLUTEN-FREE with its gluten free skincare can really help with that!
Please help us spread the good gluten-free gospel people!
