These days, it’s not hard to find someone who adopts a gluten-free diet, or has some kind of food intolerance. There are more options than ever for those who wish to live a lifestyle free from gluten, but there hasn’t been the same interest in the beauty market – until now.
The general rule with food or skincare is that the more ingredients you recognise on the label, the better it will be for you. Even the most ‘natural’ skincare isn’t always as pure as advertised. I am not claiming to be the most ethical beauty buyer ever; I’m a sucker for pretty packaging and love my favourite brands. However, it has occurred to me that if I am generally healthy food-wise, I should pay a bit more attention to the beauty side of things.
Until recently, I was completely unaware that a lot of skincare products contain gluten or wheat. While I am lucky enough not to have any food allergies, it wouldn’t surprise me if coeliac sufferers were unaware of the amount of wheat-related products in their beauty cupboard. Ingredients such as wheat germ oil and wheat protein can cause allergic reactions, which may not be glaringly obvious, such as tiny irritation bumps on the skin. Avoiding products with ingredients like these could be extremely beneficial to those who can’t work out why their skin is breaking out. Personally, I know there are certain brands or products that don’t agree with my skin, and I’m sure if I spent some time looking into the ingredients, there would be a common factor among them.
So, is the future of skincare going green? I think it’s unlikely skincare companies will go fully natural because it would be too limiting in terms of formulations and shelf life. However, a gluten-free diet, or simply a more natural skincare regime, could be worth considering if you are experiencing any unwanted side effects. I think there is a big market for the more health conscious beauty buyer, who still wants effective skincare. Natural ingredients are good but we don’t want it to be so natural our skin ignores it!
Would you invest in a gluten-free skincare range?
By Ella Ryder