Gluten Free Shampoo

Wow this is a sensitive topic, and a deep one when it comes to researching. I totally understand why people get frustrated finding gluten free products; It's a lot of work! Plus when you get down to the skinny of things, it's not clear cut. Gluten isn't just names Wheat, Rye or Barley on beauty products, it's an ingredient to an ingredient on most things. 

Now when going gluten free, there are different reasons, mine is for Celiac disease, though some people it's a gluten allergy, gluten sensitivity, or gluten intolerance. They say if you have Cealic disease you don't need to worry about gluten in products that you are not eating. Personally about 4 months after being completely gluten free I started to notice my skin was reacting to products I'd used for years that never caused me reactions in the past. I started to dig and found out my face wash, had gluten in it, my shampoo had gluten in it, my lotions did not, and they weren't causing any sort of reaction for me. But the first two I had weird pimple blisters that showed up when I'd wash my face, my scalp would itch like it was on fire when I'd wash my hair, it was very odd to me. 

I decided I had to make a switch. I printed off a list of gluten free face wash brands, read reviews, and headed off to my local Sephora, and looked at prices! At that time the gal behind the counter pushing products was so clueless on what gluten was, and if products contained it, so I wandered around with my list until I found ones that sounded good 2 1/2 years later I haven't changed anything at all, but got curious what other options I do have out there if I want to try a different shampoo. 

The big thing becomes the fragrances used in the shampoo my contain gluten... It's hard for the manufacturer to determine if there is gluten in them, so there is a chance it's there, there's a chance it's not. There is probably a better chance it's NOT there, and that it'd be a small small amount, similar to the less than 20ppm that could be an issue for very sensitive people.

Gluten Free - 

Kirkland Brand - Go Costco! I love that they nicely point it out on their website. Plus Costco carries a nice variety of gluten free items so you can stock your pantry while stocking your shower at the same time!

Desert Essence -The large banner on their website is great; you can't miss that they are gluten free! They have a bunch of beauty products to boot. 

Garnier - Their FAQ's on the website nicely give you all the information you need.

• Most ingredients derived from grain sources are highly refined and retain no traces of gluten proteins. For less refined ingredients from natural sources, Garnier has established strict limits on the level of potentially allergenic proteins. We believe that this policy minimizes the likelihood of reactions to these proteins in the majority of sensitive individuals. However, since individuals exhibit a wide range of sensitivities to these proteins, if you have any questions or concerns you should discuss with your medical care provider.
  All the ingredients we use in a product are listed on the package or the label of the product itself. For products too small to accommodate the list, a separate ingredient list is available on the display unit in the store for your convenience. Since some ingredients are known by more than one name, we use the standard industry FDA-recognized names. A review of the ingredients that are listed on all of our products or packages will alert you to the presence of this type of ingredient.

Organix - This is right on their FAQ page! I love when companies make it easy! This is the brand that I've gone to using, and love it.

• The majority of Organix products are gluten free with the exception of Biotin & Collagen and Citrus Mint ranges, which contain hydrolyzed wheat protein. 

Lush - For us, Lush stores are located in most Macy's department stores. Though every so often I've seen a stand alone store. If you ask any sales associate they can help pick out other gluten free items they make. I love their solid perfume, great for keeping in the purse for those fresher upper moments.

• Blousey, the new shampoo, is gluten-free.
  Happy Happy Joy Joy, the new conditioner is also gluten free.
  Roots (the hair mask), Superbalm (the scalp treatment), Sea Spray (the hair mist) and Shine So Bright (the split end treatment) are also gluten free!

Wen - Wen has a online chat option where you can speak online with their customer service team. According to them, their Pomegranate formula is gluten free. 

Dove / Suave / Tresemme - Are all owned by Unilever - They all have a contact us section that allows you to search common questions. All 3 came back with the same information containing gluten - You have to read the labels to be certain!

• Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, barley and processed oats. For ingredient labeling, our company follows the guidelines of the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and uses the International Nomenclature for Cosmetics Ingredients (INCI). 
  If any wheat, rye, barley or oat-derived raw materials are in our products, they would be listed on the labels. This includes any hydrolyzed protein from wheat, rye, barley or oats which may contain gluten.

Basically Gluten Free - 

Herbal Essences -  

• Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley.  Although it is typically not added directly to our products, it may be present in fragrances.  Due to the difficulty of tracing the source ingredients for the variety of fragrances used in manufacturing our products, we cannot provide specific levels of gluten content for any of our fragrance blends.

Aussie – 

• Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley.  Although it is typically not added directly to our products, it may be present in fragrances.  I apologize, but due to the difficulty of tracing the source ingredients for the variety of fragrances used in manufacturing our products, we can not provide specific levels of gluten content for any of our fragrance blends.  Be aware that even products labeled "unscented" will still contain a masking scent, therefore they may potentially contain gluten.

Burts Bees - 

• While we can identify products in which we do not use raw materials containing gluten, we cannot certify that our vendors did not process these ingredients on equipment where contamination could occur. For the most accurate source of information, please refer to the list of ingredients on our website or on the product.

Head & Shoulders / Pantene - I got the Exact same canned answer from both of these, so I figured I'd put them together. In my inquiry I never said I had Celiac disease, I stated I reacted to a product with gluten, so I wanted to know how safe their products were.

• We know Celiac is a serious disease, so we want to give you clear information regarding the use of our beauty care products.  If wheat and/or gluten aren't directly added to a product by us, these ingredients won't be listed on our packages.  Like many companies, we often purchase the scents for fragranced products from outside suppliers, and the components of these substances are proprietary information belonging to those companies. Therefore it's possible that a very small amount (generally parts per million) of gluten may be present. 
• Since gluten sensitivity can vary among people, it would be best if you consulted with your physician about the use of all types of consumable goods, if you haven't already.  You might even consider using one of our fragrance free products that doesn't list gluten or wheat extracts on the label.

NOT Gluten Free -

Kiehl's - I giggled that this came up when I typed in Gluten Free shampoo, now if all brands were labeled this clearly life would be easy!!!