GLUTEN IN HAIR CARE

A common reason people avoid gluten is to lose weight—an approach about 13 million people have taken, far overshadowing gluten avoidance for health issues. (The Food Environment Reporting Network)

The following ingredients may contain gluten and are in some of the products we manufacture.

1/ Hydrolysed Wheat Protein (Is derived from wheat). This wonder ingredient is in the 'Reconstructive Treatment and 'Deep Treatment Masque' we manufacture.

2/ Vitamin E (Often derived from wheat). This ingredient is in the ‘Leave-In Treatment’, 'Volumising Conditioner’ and ‘Curl Enhancing Creme' we manufacture.

MUST READ FACTS ABOUT THE GLUTON FREE CRAZE!   

Before you get concerned these two ingredients (Hydrolysed Wheat Protein and Vitamin E) are proven, totally safe wonder ingredients and for the 99.9% of people who do not have Celiac Disease (A disease in which the small intestine is hypersensitive to gluten, leading to difficulty in digesting food) are amasingly effective ingredients to revive and restore hair. 

For those who have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease, according to Michael F Picco (Mayo Clinic) “There is no scientific evidence to prove that gluten can negatively affect those who are gluten intolerant or sensitive (i.e. those with celiac disease) when applied topically. Unless there is a high likelihood that you will ingest it by accident like lipstick or hand soap, then you should be fine using beauty products formulated with ingredients that have gluten." 

Hair is made up of non-living, keratinized cells. While the hair follicle within the scalp is fed by the bloodstream, hair itself contains no blood vessels, and therefore cannot absorb gluten and pass it on to the rest of the body. The scalp is a different story. There is little doubt that the skin is capable of taking in a variety of substances, but the gluten molecule is generally considered too large to be absorbed in this way.

Some people develop a form of celiac disease called dermatitis herpetiformis (DH), which causes an itchy, blistering rash. This skin disorder is also linked to gluten intolerance. But although it involves the skin, DH is caused by ingesting gluten, not by skin contact with gluten. So, eliminating gluten from your diet will help clear up DH as well.

This is a personal decision that each of us can make, but science indicates that gluten in shampoo and cosmetics is not a threat to those with celiac disease – except for those that may be easily ingested, like lipstick. Researchers have found that unless you have a deep and open wound, gluten cannot absorbed through the skin making topical items acceptable for use. 

In many cases the 'anti-gluten' hype has little substance. That is, for the few that are actually allergic to gluten, this is serious, but most people ARE NOT. They just avoid it because they think it’s bad for them. With all the illnesses and ailments associated with grains and bread, it leads one to wonder: Could the human race have been so wrong about this staple food for so long? Or are the health concerns a figment of over-active imagination, propelled by the gluten-free trend? Consumer data are pretty clear: around 22 percent of adults are trying to avoid gluten, creating an estimated $8.8 billion market that grew 63 percent between 2012 and 2014, according to market research firm Mintel. As many as 20 million Americans think gluten-free diets are healthier and around 13 million are giving up gluten to lose weight.

Yet “the vast majority of individuals on gluten-free diets have no business being gluten-free, because, for them, there is no medical necessity,” says Alessio Fasano, M.D., director of the Center for Celiac Research and Treatment at the MassGeneral Hospital for Children and an authority on the subject. He adds, “it’s simply fashion.” Jimmy Kimmel even poked fun at this trend on late-night TV, asking people on the street who were going gluten-free if they actually knew what gluten was. None could answer the question. It’s a protein—actually composed of about 70 different glutenin and gliadin proteins which stretch and trap gas as dough rises, creating airy bread.

Compared with this lifestyle boom, the number of people who must avoid gluten for medical reasons is considerably smaller. An estimated 1 percent of all people have celiac disease, though only a small portion have actually been diagnosed and know they must steer clear of gluten. Another smaller group, about 0.4 percent of the population, suffer from sudden allergic reactions to ingesting wheat or breathing flour dust. Then there’s a third group of “gluten-sensitive” people, who appear to have symptoms when they consume gluten that can’t be explained by celiac disease or wheat allergy.