If you are transitioning to a gluten free lifestyle, you may be feeling overwhelmed with everything that gluten sneaks its way into. Not only are you giving up your favorite breads, pastas, and baked goods, but you’re also wading through a minefield of sauces, condiments, packaged products, and canned goods. The journey can be rough, and you can read about mine here.

The reality is that if you have celiac disease or are very sensitive to gluten, you need to sort through your personal products as well. Even if you don’t plan to drink from your shampoo bottle, transitioning to gluten free personal products is the safest way to ensure you are eliminating any cross-contamination that may sneak its way into you.

Still not convinced?  Let me ask you –

• Have you ever accidentally opened your mouth when rinsing the shampoo out of your hair?
• Have you ever kissed the top of your child’s head after they used hair products containing gluten?
• Have you ever touched your hair or face and then eaten something with your hands, forgetting to wash them first?

It may seem overwhelming, but once you make the change, you’ll be able to have peace of mind and know that if you get sick, it’s not from your personal products. 

Below are the gluten free personal products I have been using for a couple of years. Keep in mind that you should ALWAYS double-check and verify that the ingredients haven’t changed and the product is indeed still gluten free.

In addition, if you are very sensitive and you need products that are manufactured in a dedicated gluten free facility, some of these products may not be safe for you. You should always do your own research, but this list should give you a good starting place.

Shampoo & Conditioner

• Tea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Shampoo – the lemon scent is amazing on this one! I love the shampoo, but find the conditioner isn’t a great detangler, so I’ve tried the ones below.
• Macadamia Weightless Moisture Shampoo – this one smells good as well and feels a bit more nourishing than the Tea Tree.
• John Frieda Frizz Ease Beyond Smooth Frizz-Immunity Conditioner – my favorite conditioner by far. It works through my tangles with ease and it does help with keeping my hair smooth.
• Paul Mitchell – The Detangler – it’s just that, a detangler. It’s not meant for deep conditioning by any means.
• L’Oreal Ever Creme Deep Nourish Conditioner – I use this one on my ends about once a week.

Hair Products

• John Frieda Frizz Ease Extra Strength Serum – I put this on my damp hair before blowing it dry, and it really helps keep it smooth and glossy. I get a lot of compliments about how shiny my hair is, and it’s all thanks to this product!
• Calista Marine Salt Mist – When I let my semi-curly hair dry naturally, I use this spray to give it a little extra definition.  It kind of reminds me of how my hair looks when I let it dry after swimming!

Skincare & Makeup

• Gabriel Cosmetics – I absolutely love this line.  I use the Zuzu Luxe Dual Powder Foundation as well as the blush.
• Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Foundation – this is amazing stuff both in terms of coverage and how long it lasts. I also like that it has sunscreen in it. When I use it in the summer, I don’t have to worry about getting burnt, and it doesn’t slide off of my face when I get sweaty!
• I use Rodan & Fields for all of my facial skincare products. I don’t sell the products but can attest to the wonders they’ve done for my skin! There are a couple of products in their lineup that are not gluten free, but they aren’t ones that I would typically use anyway.

Lip Products

• Beesential Buzz Balm – this is my go-to!  It has completely natural ingredients. No chemicals whatsoever!
• Blistex – great alternative for when I just need to grab something off the shelf at the grocery store.
• Carmex – yep, good ole Carmex. I use the sticks instead of the little tubs – just to eliminate one more potential point of contamination.
• Zuzu Luxe – I am not a lipstick kind of gal, so I have several shades of this lip gloss.  I really like the texture of it. It’s sticky, but not too sticky, so it stays put without it being too annoying!

Lotions & Soaps

• Everyone branded products are fantastic – I use their 3 in 1 Body Lotion and foaming hand soap.
• J.R. Watkins Hand Cream – the Lemon Cream is amazing!  It’s more like a balm, very creamy without being sticky, and the lemon scent is unbelievably refreshing.
• Sunscreen – Sun Bum! It smells good, it absorbs easily, and comes in a very wide variety of types and strengths. They have hair and lip products as well!

Favorite Natural Products

• Deodorant – Native in Coconut & Vanilla
• Toothpaste – Native’s charcoal toothpaste – it really has helped keep my pearly whites white!
• Feminine Care – While most pads and tampons are gluten free, I do believe they have chemicals we really just don’t need in us every month.  So, I recently switched to a menstrual cup and couldn’t be happier with it. I use the Pixie Cup.

There you have it! If you are just starting out, I hope this will save you the hours upon hours of research I had to do. I know it’s devastating to move away from the brands we know and love, but once you make the switch, it’ll be one less thing to worry about from a contamination perspective. You can do it!