If you have a sensitivity to gluten, or even full-blown celiac disease, you may wonder if you also need to stay away from makeup and skin care products that contain the allergen. Well, it looks like you don’t need to dump your trusted cosmetics just yet.
Houston dermatologist, Jennifer Segal, MD, says that there is no real risk in using makeup that contains gluten when you have an allergy. Your skin is a barrier and unless the products contain an extremely large amount of gluten, you shouldn’t see an allergic reaction. Also, she says that makeup does not penetrate the skin deep enough to cause a real issue.
But, a new study is under way at the Laboratory of Inflammatory Skin Diseases in the department of dermatology at Mount Sinai in New York City, so that doctors can learn more about contact dermatitis caused by food allergens. Essentially, they want to know what happens when you slather something on your face that contains an ingredient that you happen to be allergic to when you eat it.
So far, they have looked at different types of food allergies such as soy, peanuts, milk and gluten. And while they have seen several patients who had skin rashes after they applied a product with gluten in it, it’s still too early to make any definite conclusions. The researchers believe it probably depends on the severity of your allergy. If you have celiac disease, you could be more likely to show an allergic reaction on the skin than if you have a mild intolerance.
Segal believes that more clinical tests need to be done on the effects of gluten, and other allergens in makeup and skincare products. For now, she recommends that you talk to your dermatologist to get their opinion, especially if you have any concerns.
Related:
Gluten-Free Diets: What You Need to Know
Gluten-Free Skin Care
