Gluten-Free Skin Care

By Anne C. Willis

The 21st century lifestyle has impacted us all on many levels. Several health concerns are plaguing us, and deciphering the root cause can be overwhelming. Celiac disease and gluten-sensitive enteropathy is certainly one of the most widespread conditions that according to the Celiac Disease Foundation, afflicts one out of 133 people in the United States. The exact cause of celiac disease is currently under examination with studies demonstrating that when people with celiac disease eat foods or use products that contain gluten, their immune system reacts by damaging tissue.

The disease can develop at any point in life, from infancy to late adulthood. People who have a family member with celiac disease are at greater risk for developing the disease. The disorder is most common in Caucasians and persons of European ancestry. Women are affected more often than men. Exploring metabolic typing, burden of hazardous chemicals, and stress are essential during the evaluation and assessment of this disease. 

Effects of Gluten on the Body

There are four different classes of proteins in wheat that can cause allergies: albumin, globulin, gliadin and gluten. Any of them can cause an allergic reaction. Celiac disease and gluten-sensitive enteropathy are terms that have been used to refer to a disease process affecting the small bowel. However, evidence has been accumulating in the literature demonstrating that gluten sensitivity can exist even in the absence of intestinal damage, but affecting many organs. Based on overwhelming evidence, antibodies to gluten have been demonstrated to react with the joints, the heart, thyroid, muscle, bone, and skin.

So how does gluten cause so much havoc? When the wheat protein (gluten) is digested, some of the gliadin becomes water-soluble, and is able to come in contact with human tissue. If the gluten was subject to processing, such as flour grinding, cooking, bleaching, fermentation, or hydrolysis (acid treatment), much more gliadin becomes water-soluble. Because gliadin stays fairly intact in the tissue, it is easy for it to get through tissue mucosa in one piece.  Once gliadin comes in contact with tissue mucosa it easily crosses into the blood stream and can stick to many places through out the body. This attachment happens whether or not a person's body can make anti-gliadin antibodies. If a person's body can make anti-gliadin antibodies, then the body will mistake healthy tissue for a virus.  In this case, the immune system will kill the cells that have the gliadin attached as well as some neighboring cells. This causes inflammation in the areas where the gliadin was attached.

Antibodies may also attach to gliadin molecules flowing in the blood. The resulting antibody-gliadin “clumps” can collect in capillaries. This effect is recognized in the skin condition, Dermatitis Herpetiformis and may be involved in many other conditions. In addition, malabsorbtion caused by the injured tissue is no longer able to absorb enough nutrients, produce enough digestive enzymes, cause ulcerations or microscopic perforation, and can weaken mucus defenses, which permits more direct exposure to other toxins as well as infections.

Tests and the Interpretation of Celiac Disease

and Gluten-Sensitive Enteropathy

IgM and IgA are the names for the types of antibodies tested for. If IgM is positive, the person will usually react quickly to the food. If IgA is positive, the reaction is much slower and more difficult to detect.

The normal level is 0 to 20. Any reading over 20 indicates an allergic condition, and the patient should be off that food. If the patient says that they know they are allergic to many foods, chances are that those are acquired food sensitivities and that the usual culprit is gliadin.

Note: It's also possible for someone to be sensitive to a food and not test positive. If the food is not in their diet, they will not build antibodies to it. In the case of gliadin, the immune system can be so overwhelmed by this molecule that it's literally giving up and not producing much in the way of antibodies. So if a patient who is of Northern European in decent (light-skinned Caucasian) and their test are 20, which is the high range of sensitivity (but still "normal"), they are taken off gliadin for 4 months and then are given gliadin rich foods to see if they react. If they then react (gas, bloating and number of symptoms) it is because their gut has sufficiently healed and the immune system of the gut is now able to fight and respond. This confirms that they are gliadin intolerant and need to be off those foods for life.

Gluten in Personal Care Products

Can ingredients in skin care products affect Celiac disease and gluten-sensitive enteropathy? According to The Good Housekeeping Institute, Sidney Draggan's, an Ecologist and Science Policy Analyst, and the CCOHS – Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, ingredients applied to the skin can be absorbed into the bloodstream. Some Doctors may not necessarily agree that gluten, or harmful fractions of gluten like gliadin, could pass into the patient's body and cause harm. However, doctors who are more forward thinking in his or her treatment methods are more aware of the latest research on gluten sensitivity. One example of such a doctor is Dr. Kenneth Fine, M.D. of EnteroLab.com, who understands that: "Gluten sensitivity is a systemic immune reaction to gluten anywhere in the body, not just that entering the body via the gut. Therefore, topically applied lotions, creams, shampoos, etc. containing gluten would indeed provide a source of gluten to the body, and we therefore recommend all such products be discontinued for optimal health".

So what ingredients should be avoided? Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein is an effective substitute for hydrolyzed animal protein derived by acid, enzyme or other method of hydrolyses. It offers conditioning, moisturizing and film forming properties and is widely used in skin care products to help skin retain its moisture and improve its overall appearance. As we discussed earlier, processed wheat protein means gliadin becomes more water-soluble, thus allowing for this molecule to stick to tissue causing damage and an unfavorable immune response.

One of the conditions we see as a result of gluten intolerance is Dermatitis Herpetiformis. Skin symptoms will be discrete papules, small blister, waxy lesions and smooth itchy lesions that resemble hives. If untreated, Dermatitis Herpetiformis on the face usually wax and wane, although symptoms persist with constant diet or application of gluten. Encouraging your clients to seek medical help is the first step to relieving this condition. Avoid trying to treat it topically unless you are working with a therapeutic grade skin care system. Reduce the risk of clients developing these allergies by avoiding products that contain the gluten-derived ingredients.

As practitioners, avoiding these ingredients is also imperative as your exposure to these allergens is higher. Our ultimate goal should be to become more aware of the risk factors associated with gluten so we can all live healthy, productive lives.

Below is a list of gluten-derived ingredients, which may be found in personal care products: 



Ingredients Derived from Wheat: 

·      Tocopherols

·      Mixed Tocopherols

·      Fermented Grain Extract

·      Amp-Isostearoyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein

·      Hydrolyzed Wheat Gluten

·      Starch, PG-Propyl Silanetriol

·      Amino Acids Hydroxypropyltrimonium

·      Steardimonium Hydroxypropyl Protein/PVP Crosspolymer

·      Triticum Vulgare Bran Extract

·      PG-Propyl Silanetriol

·      Triticum Lipids

·      Germamidopropyldimonium Hydroxypropyl

·      Cyclodextrin

·      Dextrin Palmitate

·      Stearyldimoniumhydroxypropyl

Ingredients derived from Wheat Germ Oil: 

·      Wheat Germ Glycerides

·      Disodium Wheat Germamido PEG-2 Sulfosuccinat Vitamin E Germ Oil

·      Triticum Vulgare

·      Triticum Vulgare Germ Extract

·      Wheat Germ Glycerides

·      Wheat Germ Extract

Ingredients derived from Barley: 

·      Barley Extract

·      Samino Peptide Complex

·      Hordeum Vulgare Phytosphingosine extract