Beauty and the gf-gf

I have really been missing Italy lately. Or maybe I just miss that “on vacation” feeling.

I say this as a lead in for two reasons – first, I’ve finally finished uploading pictures from my trip. You can find them all here, organized by day and place. I was a little slow getting up the pictures from Florence, but that was where I took some of my favorite photos so I hope you’ll check them out. And if you’re feeling a little disappointed that I’ve shared only about 100 of the 800 or so pictures from my trip, I have created a Shutterfly album with the long version of my slideshow (550 photos). Feel free to contact me and I’ll send you the link. And for my beloved family members, you can look forward to sitting through the slideshow while I tell you the stories about each and every picture. Yay!

There is one thing that I do not miss about Italy, and that is hanging out with the glamorous Italian women. I think many of them were more stylish in their yoga clothes than I am in my everyday life. Since my return, I’ve made it my goal to snooze a little less and spend a little more time putting myself together in the mornings – I know it sounds petty, but those few minutes make me feel so much more confident, so I consider it time well spent.

ANYways, it was good timing, then, that my first Birchbox showed up the day before I arrived home from Italy. And when my October box arrived this week, I tore that sucker open and unpacked my goodies right away – I stashed the Luna protein bar (they’re gluten free!) in the kitchen, sprayed the fragrance sample around the living room, and smeared the Jouer lip enhancer on without thinking.

And then I thought. Perhaps that was not my most best idea, and I should totally know better, considering my experiences with hidden gluten in non-food items.

A quick google search revealed that the lip enhancer is gluten-free (and, for the record, I love it) and I’ll be sure to be more cautious in future months. Back when I was first diagnosed with Celiac, I was dubious that I needed to make any changes to my beauty routine, but I’m reading more and more that Celiacs – even those of us who don’t experience the skin condition Dermatitis Herpetiformis – should watch out for gluten in our hair/skin/beauty products.

Now, please keep in mind this is only my opinion, but here’s what I look out for, and a few recommendations (and side note – I took an environmental science class in college that scared me into using natural/organic products as much as possible, as they end up going down the drain and in our water supply. I’ve found those products are more likely to contain things like wheat germ oil, barley protein, colloidal oats than the regular stuff.)

The obvious:

Toothpaste – All Crest products are gluten-free.
Lipstick and lip balm – Um … I don’t wear lipstick, so I’m not a great resource, but I do like Burt’s Bee’s, C.O. Bigelow lip balm, and (now) Jouer lip enhancer

The less-obvious

Shampoo/conditioner and other hair products – I’ve discussed this before, but to recap, I fiddle with and try to smooth down my hair a lot. And I eat with my hands a lot. So I want to make sure that what’s on my hands is gluten-free. I really like the Desert Essences shampoo and conditioners because they are clearly labeled GF.
Face cleanser – Sounds silly, but I’ve accidentally inhaled my face soap more times than I care to admit. Not cool. But I do like this Boscia cleanser, and it is gluten-free (just in case).
Lotion – This, again, is an issue of what’s on my hands when I’m eating (or cooking). I like the Jason cocoa butter lotion because it smells like chocolate, and my new favorite, Badger cuticle care. (For the record, most massage therapists will use hypoallergenic lotions or oils, but if you’re worried, you can always take your own and ask your therapist to use it. Just be sure it’s massage lotion! The lotion I use for massage is jojoba oil based.)

The I-could-care-less:

Eye makeup / eye makeup remover
Deodorant
Shaving cream
Nail polish

Because, really, if I’m getting those anywhere near my mouth, I’m probably doing something wrong.

So, other gluten free folks – how cautious are you about gluten in your beauty products? Any favorite products that I’ve missed?