Finding Green Gluten and Corn-free Cosmetics and Personal Products
If you have issues with sensitive skin, and especially if you have recently been diagnosed with allergies or intolerances, you may want to take a long look at your soaps, deodorants, perfumes, and cosmetics bag and perhaps do a little purging this weekend. Many favorite name brand cosmetics and personal products are full of common allergens and known cancer causing toxins. After having had a few strange reactions after using popular drugstore brands over the years I finally switched to high end cosmetics only to find that even those irritated my skin. I soon became an occasional makeup wearer, but now there are better options available for women with sensitive skin and known allergies. Not only will your complexion improve, and your confidence, but you may actually feel healthier too.
According to the American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, “Various studies reveal that up to 10% of dermatologic patients who are patch tested are allergic to cosmetic products or their constituent ingredients. Causative products include deodorants and perfumes, skin care products, hair care products, and nail cosmetics” [1].
I have always had sensitive skin. As a teen I was wrought with blemishes that came and went in seemingly cyclical fashion. I would still get minor appearances of the odd pimple well into my thirties. During this time, I spent quite a bit of money on foundations and concealers. I never really considered that what I was feeding my body could possibly contribute to my complexion, nor did I ever consider exactly what ingredients the cosmetics contained. It wasn’t until just before I went gluten free that I noticed my face reacting quite strongly against certain brands of makeup and certain moisturizers as well. Some actually caused my skin to get blotchy and itchy, others made my face puffy. Certain brands even caused my eyes to get extremely watery and irritated.
I found a few companies that offer organic or all natural cosmetics and personal care products. Gluten free folks, especially, should check out AfterGlow Mineral Cosmetics. All their products are gluten free. A company spokesperson informed me that the Pure Soul Mascara and natural color lock (used to make powder liners liquid prior to application) are the only two products made from corn. The ‘vanilla-flavored’ lip gloss is made with oil, so there is no hidden corn. This is a great place to start for those with food intolerances and chemical sensitivities, and you can feel good knowing that it is a green company. Not many stores currently carry these products but they do have an extensive sample supply and will work with customers to find the perfect shade via the internet. I recently purchased a variety of samples from them and promptly received my order by mail within a week. The makeup is very light, easy to apply, and covers well. I was very surprised at how light it feels on my face. If you are considering making a switch to mineral makeup, be sure to check this company out.
Aubrey Organics also has a line of cosmetics and personal care products. Gluten and Corn allergies sufferers will find a long list of safe products. I have compiled my own safe list, based on information I received from the company spokesperson. Do double check with Aubrey for accuracy before you order any product.
Gabriel and Zuzu Luxe also has a line of health care products, some of which are also gluten and corn-free. They can be found at Whole Foods as well as specific health food stores in your area, just visit their store locator page. Not all of their products are gluten and corn free, so you must view their complete ingredient page prior to ordering any product.
Natural Family Botanicals is another green beauty care company that offers some products that are both gluten and corn-free. All their facial and body oils, massage oil (although it contains soy), salt scrubs, lip and body balms are safe for GFMF folks. Their creams and lotions contain citric acid, and are not corn-free, but they are gluten-free.
Savonnerie Gluten Free Soaps offer a toiletry collection of gluten, casein, soy and corn-free products. It is also fragrance, and dye free. Unlike some of the other companies mentioned, this company does use chemicals in their products that may cause irritations in some people. Dakota Free, their sister company, also has gluten free products, but not all products are corn free, so do read the labels and inquire before you buy.
Often times you may get lucky searching for allergy friendly green products by just simply thinking outside the box. Visit ethnic stores for rare import products. For example, you may find a store that sells Agno Bar Soaps, made from 100% olive oil. If you are daring and have the time to experiment, make your own make-up or body care products at home. It could be quite fun, especially for teens.
If you are looking for a safe toothpaste, Tom’s of Maine has two varieties that are free from gluten and corn, according to a company spokesperson: their Silly Strawberry or their Children’s Orange Mango Toothpaste are both made without xylitol, a corn-derived sweetener.
If you find that the many chemicals or ingredients in your hygiene products are causing you discomfort but you don’t really know where to start, here is a list of helpful articles, databases, and organizations that may make your decision process a little less time consuming for you:
- The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is a coalition of women’s, public health, labor, environmental health and consumer-rights groups. Their goal is to protect consumer and employee health by requiring the health and beauty industry to phase out the use of chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects and other health problems, and replace them with safer alternatives.
- Skin Deep offers you information on select brands of cosmetics. They rate products according to chemical safety and publish known toxic hazards (ie: cancer risks) according to scientific studies and analysis. cosmeticsdatabase.com
- Most Celiacs are aware of Clan Thompson’s Celiac Site. They have provided a short list of gluten free soaps, shampoos, and personal products. Do double check, though, as manufacturers are always changing formulations.
- Use Natural Energies Chemical Ingredient Glossary for Personal Care Products as a tool while you are cleaning out your vanity and reading the ingredient listings of your toiletries.
- Orton, David I.; Wilkinson, John D.: American Journal of Clinical Dermatology. 5(5):327-337, 2004.
Caryn
I thought your article was excellent people really do not know ow body care products can effect there health just as much as food can, I would also like to let you know about a small mail order co. called Pure and Simple they carry alot of body care products designed with alot of types of allergys in mind and they are almost all natural and organic let me know if you would like there e-mail or phone #
Christine Marie Cosmetics is amazing. Not only is it gluten free, it’s free of most allergens. For someone with many allergies and eczema it has been the safest and most effective product, my skin has never been better.
Brit
joelle cosmetics/mineralglitters has about everything you could possibly need gluten free. they are dedicated to making every product on the website free of gluten. their lippy pots are to die for! they have an array of colors and taste great too with a hint of orange. i had been on the search myself for gluten free beauty products when i came across their website. they have everything from cosmetics to skin care. they even take suggestions on products you may be looking for.
I second Jacklyn’s recommendation of Joelle Cosmetics at mymineralglitters.com. The founder is gluten and corn intolerant, so everything is not only gluten-free but corn-free as well. They offer lots of samples, and a liquid mineral foundation. It was so nice to find such an array of eyeshadows–having a huge selection of anything to pick from is now a bit of a shock.
A moisturizer that’s saved my uneven skin and really fixed my rosacea is the serum from naturallydahling.com. The founder is gluten intolerant, and she developed the serum to help her skin recover from gluten’s ravages. The serum is pricey, but definitely worth it. This is the best my skin’s ever looked.
Herbaliz.com has a great corn-free lotion. The proprietor was very helpful and knowledgeable about the sources of her ingredients, plus willing to do custom batches of other products to omit offending ingredients.
You mention AfterGlow as a “safe” company for those with gluten and corn intolerance/allergy, but AfterGlow uses xanthan gum in several of its products. Xanthan gum is derived from corn and may cause a corn reaction in very allergic or sensitive people. Xanthan gum can be derived from other sources besides corn, but when I contacted the company, they could not be specific about the source of their xanthan gum. Corn allergy sufferers beware.
I’m allergic to both corn and wheat which has been causing me much disappointment and hassle when I try to find foods, skin/haircare, and cosmetics. I’m going to try the afterglow cosmetics since it seems to work for people who are very allergic to both corn and wheat, and since it worked so well you Caryn. I’m crossing my fingers and hoping that these products will not cause a reaction and instead make my skin healthier. The mascara however does contain corn in it and has been one of the cosmetics that has been impossible to find without corn and wheat. Do you or anyone else know of any mascara that is free of both these allergens?
Lauren,
I’m actually in the process of testing the product line of Mineral Hygenics. I need to do a bit of research on their mascara. I don’t know if it is corn free or not just yet. They also have a line of powder bases like Afterglow does.
Were you able to determine if the mascara was corn free?
Thank you for creating this site and taking the time to find products that are safe for those with wheat and corn allergies. I have been stressed out trying to find makeup, lotion, and other beauty products that don’t contain these allergens and wont irritate my skin. Your site has been very helpful. I’ll keep checking back for updates on products. Thank you again
P.S. I tried afterglow makeup and it was absolutely amazing. I contacted someone as well for my concerns on whether or not any products contain corn and the two that you listed were the only ones.The makeup is absolutely flawless and makes my skin as well as my overall look look glowy and natural.
I’m glad the Afterglow worked out for you. BTW, I never got a response from Mineral Hygenics. Maybe they don’t know the source of some of their ingredients and whether they contain certain allergens.
Just found a new line of Gluten Free Personal Care Products while visiting the Natural Products Expo this past weekend – Green Beaver – their entire line is certified organic, vegan and gluten free! Love, love their lips shimmers…but the Gluten Free Shampoo, Conditioner, and Lotion had a wonderful smell as well. Can’t wait to try out their Jr. line for my kids!
I started noticing that my daughter was getting dizzy everytime she brushed her teeth and then she would get a migraine. So I emailed Tom’s of Maine regarding the Silly Strawberry Toothpaste or the Mango Toothpaste and the reps reply was that unfortunatly…the toothpaste contains glycerine that is derived from Corn and is not considered a corn free product. They may have changed their formula. But I did see a reaction.
I can’t begin to thank you enough for this information, I almost want to cry! I have been struggling with acne as an adult for years (Im 36) and neither my dermatologist nor my allergist ever suggested that it could be food allergies and I have been seeing them for 7 years. I decided after talking to my sister about it to have myself tested for food allergies and low and behold I’m allergic to corn and soy. It turns out the Bare Minerals make up has corn starch in the mineral veil product and this had been recommended by my dermatologist who just wanted to put me on accutane and call it good.
I think there is a huge problem in the dermatology industry where they are quick to give people medicine or serious treatments like accutane before looking at the root of the problem. But I suppose that philosophy makes more money for them and the pharmaceutical industries.
Thank you!!
Has anyone else tried Bum Boosa Bamboo Baby Wipes? They are totally corn free and 90% natural. They are USDA bio-preferred certified, too. They are awesome!
Thanks for sharing SJ.
Here’s the link for anyone interested in checking them out. http://www.bumboosa.com/
Hey I was just looking at aubrey organics line of body products and I found that a few of them including some on your list have corn and wheat in them. All there shampoos contain corn oil. You might want to find out if aubrey changed their ingredients. Also I have found a mascara that is fabulous and corn/wheat free. I love it. Most of Gabriel organics and zu zu lux products are wheat and corn free. There’s a link on their site called allergens I believe – it shows what major allergens are in or not in their products. Their mascara products are corn and wheat free and look great when you put them on!
Thanks Lauren!
We are in the process of doing major upgrades and updates on the site. I will add this article to the list that need to be revamped. I originally called all the manufacturers to verify ingredients when it was written a few years ago. I will take your info and update this article with it. Thanks again! And the mascara info is HUGE. That is the hardest product to find corn free!
I am looking for a casein free mascara. Do you know of any? Thanks.