Cosmetic and Body Products

no-more-muffins · Post by **no-more-muffins** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 3:24 pm

It is killing me trying to find lotions and lip balms/lipsticks that are both gluten and soy free. If anyone has any brands to recommend, please let me know. I'd prefer something that wasn't 50 bucks and ounce if that is possible. Mostly though I am just finding that pretty much everything has soy, or they can't verify it as being gf/sf. So frustrating.

mbeezie · Post by **mbeezie** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 8:51 pm

I use Andrea Rose moisturizer (order online - all products are GF - not sure about soy), Bare Minerals makeup and Burt's bees Lip gloss. My problem with soy is lecithin and that's a dose response food chemical, so I don't worry about the small amount in the lip gloss.

Mary Beth

MaggieRedwings · Post by **MaggieRedwings** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 5:07 am

I second the vote for Bare Minerals. Have been using it for years and no problems with it.

Love, Maggie

MBombardier · Post by **MBombardier** » Sat Nov 27, 2010 4:26 pm

I was looking around for a makeup thread, and found this one. I, too, use mineral makeup, only from Everyday Minerals. I have seen some discussion on a blog about women reacting to the Bare Minerals but not having trouble withe the Everyday Minerals. I also wanted to add these two links:

http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/201 ... stick.html
http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/200 ... erant.html

Lindsay, the author of this blog, is a young friend of mine. I use the Burt's Bees chapstick, which at $2.50 a pop is expensive. I was so delighted when she posted about making her own chapstick with bee's wax, coconut oil, and shea butter. And the tubes are only 28 cents!

I haven't tried making the deodorant yet. Up here, it is rare that we need to use deodorant at all. But I am going in with another friend who is sharing a bulk coconut oil buy, so I am going to try it. I asked Lindsay recently if she is still making deodorant for her husband and herself, and she assured me that she is and that it is incredibly easy. So we will see if we can teach this old dog a new trick...

Linda in BC · Post by **Linda in BC** » Sat Nov 27, 2010 4:56 pm

As I posted in another thread, my daughter has been making her own beauty products... well, since she was a 16 ( she's 26 now) and recently gave me a whole basket of her own products for my birthday, including deoderant, lip balm, body scrub, facial scrub, face cream and mineral makeup ( powder and eyshadow!) She was most chuffed about the deoderant though, saying, " Mom! It actually works! " For the mineral makeup, she buys the minerals bulk and then colurs it to match your skin with other kinds of mica. She said it is quite expensive to get started but once you have everything it lasts a long time and costs little to make a batch (compared to buying it.)

She even made mascara!!

Linda

mbeezie · Post by **mbeezie** » Sat Nov 27, 2010 6:00 pm

Marliss,

I don't know if you are soy sensitive or not, but I beleive I remember reading that the Burt's chapstick contains soy. Many lip products contain it.

Mary Beth

MBombardier · Post by **MBombardier** » Sat Nov 27, 2010 6:14 pm

You are right, Mary Beth. It's third from the bottom, but it's there. I had forgotten. I do react to lots of soy, like soy milk. Now that I am gluten-free, I guess I am reacting to it a little. I wondered why my lips often feel funny.

Linda, I saw that about your daughter in the other thread. You will have to let us know when she is ready to start selling it. Perhaps she's going to use Etsy? I would definitely be interested in a less expensive mineral product.

Zizzle · Post by **Zizzle** » Tue Oct 18, 2011 11:47 am

Hi ladies,
I'm bumping up this thread because I'm in need of a real anti-aging face cream. I don't know if it's all the weight loss or simply being in my late 30's, but my facial wrinkles seem to have appeared almost overnight. I always had oily skin, so I never used facial moisturizers until my 30's, and even then, it was always the oil-free types. I've been using Aubrey's Vegecol lotion for senstive skin for a year, and I like it just fine, but it's just a moisturizer. I think I need something with the potential to actually do something (turn back the clock, etc?

). Are there any good face lotions (potions

) or eye creams that make a noticeable difference and are made without wheat, milk or soy ingredients? I'm not looking for a certified GF product, just something for sensitive skin.

Here's the ingredients of my current lotion:

Coconut Fatty Acid Cream Base, Organic Aloe Vera, Witch Hazel (natural herbal extract) Horsetail Extract, Calendula Oil, St. John's Wort Oil, Coltsfoot Extract, Coneflower Extract, Panthenol (Vitamin B-5), Linoleic Acid (Vitamin F), Carrot Oil, Organic Lemon Peel Oil, Aubrey¹s Preservative (Citrus Seed Extract, Vitamins A, C and E).

Is it good enough?

http://www.aubrey-organics.com/ProductInfo/019A.aspx

I'm also interested in blush and mascara recommendations. I've worn Maybelline Great Lash for years, but lately it's making my eyes burn. I only wear it for special occasions. Maybe the tube is old, but I suspect sensitivity issues too.

Zizzle · Post by **Zizzle** » Tue Oct 18, 2011 12:19 pm

I may have answered my own question. I found a highly rated cream on Aubrey's website that didn't have soy oil. It's called Collagen TCM. They also have a couple high-rated luxury wrinkle creams, but they contain varying amounts of soy oil.

Here'e the Collagen TCM: http://www.aubrey-organics.com/ProductInfo/021.aspx

Then my sister mentioned she loves Derma-E products, and lo and behold, they have a bunch of award winning options:

http://www.dermae.com/info/223?mid=276

Their anti-aging products appear to be safe, but they don't have as harmless a list of ingredients as Aubrey's. Anyone ever try them?

http://www.dermae.com/info/133?mid=320

Kari · Post by **Kari** » Tue Oct 18, 2011 12:22 pm

Hi Zizzle,

Until recently, I never used any body or face moisturizer. Never thought I needed it because, like you, I have naturally oily skin. However, the air in Colorado is very dry, so I finally caved and decided that it was necessary to get started. It was after I went gluten free, and I tried a mosturizer on my friend's recommendation. Boy was I sorry, I got terribly nauseous and unwell shortly after applying it. When I read the ingredients, it listed wheat germ, so I learned quickly to avoid anything with wheat.

After some experimenting with gluten free products, I decided to try pure coconut oil, as it has so many listed benefits for various uses. Well, it has worked miracles for my skin (both body and face). Just yesterday I was noticing that I seem to have less wrinkles everywhere. After losing a lot of weight in a relatively short period of time, it felt and looked like my skin was to "big" for my body, but the coconut oil has already made a big difference. I have discovered that sometimes simple is best :).

I don't use face makeup, as I usually have a light tan from sun exposure (for vitamin D), and the coconut oil gives it a glow. Like you, I need to figure out a good mascara and eye liner. I'm able to get gluten free lipsticks at my Natural Grocers. The brand I use is Ecco Bella.

Love,
Kari

sarkin · Post by **sarkin** » Tue Oct 18, 2011 12:36 pm

I just re-discovered mascara (now I need to rediscover eye-makeup remover). I bought the black-brown color from Honeybee Gardens, and it has tocopherol, which to me indicates potential risk of soy or wheat-germ involvement. But it's not irritating to me. I like it - but I haven't worn mascara for so long, I'm not sure I'm a good test case. iHerb.com sells their line. Plus, I'm oldish enough to be your mother, so... feel free to discount my opinion! I got a plum-ish eyeliner pencil, too.

I should probably be asking the same question you are about skin care. My skin took a major hit when MC first roared back into my life - I have deep lines that I didn't have before (and that no one but me thinks are very dramatic). Maybe from the dehydration and rapid weight loss? They have improved, but I think will not disappear no matter what I purchase. (At least I'm not gray-green any more!)

I rotate through a variety of products, including something from Dr. Hauschka (some of those do contain wheat-germ, but mine doesn't); plain coconut oil (which I also use in my hair); a tea-tree product from these people http://www.australianscent.com/ (they sell locally, at an outdoor market, so he was kind enough to give me a huge sample of the 'intensive wrinkle therapy' - he was very responsive to my concerns about wheat-germ oil, and the web site lists all their ingredients). I liked it enough to buy it. It's price-y, but I use a teensy amount.

I recently found a bottle of Na-PCA spray from Twinlab that I had bought, pre-MC, in a similar mood to what you're having now. I have *no* idea whether it works, but I'm using it, and it's kind of pleasant. People seem surprised to learn how old I am, but I think that's mostly because I'm kind of perky and animated. When it runs out, I'm going to see if I suddenly look worse before restocking.

I mostly wash my face with soap (usually from that tea-tree line, it's dreamy), but occasionally I wash with baking soda, which feels great. I'm sure that's wrong, according to the skin-care rules.

I named some products, but my approach is very DIY (I'm sure you're surprised to hear that, huh?). I am pondering cooking up some crazy potion in my kitchen lab. Kari, I just saw your response - my kitchen experiments will most definitely be centered around coconut-oil. It's the only thing I use on my body, other than the topical magnesium.

patc73 · Post by **patc73** » Tue Oct 18, 2011 1:20 pm

Even before my CC diagnosis, since way back when, I've always just used petroleum jelly as lip balm. It has never caused any problems, even though it may not be PC to use. As a lotion, someone on this site recommended California baby (Target carries it), and that has been very good so far. My daughter recently gave me a lotion she really likes called Seven Wonders Miracle Lotion, and I tried it and got my DH rash...turns out it contains wheat. So don't try that one!

I tried California Baby shampoo, but it wouldn't suds up and left my hair totally stripped and impossible to comb. So I've switched to Dove shampoo, and so far, so good.

Gayle · Post by **Gayle** » Tue Oct 18, 2011 1:41 pm

Zizzle,

Take a look at:
MERINO collagen crème.

http://www.merinousa.com/index.php?main ... oducts_new

Not particularly expensive at $25.00 for 3.5oz jar.
Nice light crème, doesn’t require heavy application.
No scent.

Mfg. in New Zealand, sold on the net, and in many locations around the country.

If you don’t like for face, also good for elbows, knees and your little girl.

My facial skin reacts to a lot of the commercial products out there, but I get along with this product just fine.

Keep your chin up --- at 39 a few wrinkles, at 40 the eyes start to show age.

Cheers,
Gayle

Martha · Post by **Martha** » Tue Oct 18, 2011 5:27 pm

I've done like Kari, and switched to coconut oil as body and facial lotion. At first it seemed odd to use the same oil I use for cooking on my body, but now I like it a lot.

For my lips, I use petroleum jelly. I've been doing that most of my adult life. I carry Cocoa Butter chapstick in my purse to use away from home, but prefer the petroleum jelly.

And if you happen to have thick calluses on your feet from going barefoot, Bag Balm, available at your friendly neighborhood feed store, does wonders! It also makes your hands nice and smooth.

Love,
Martha

KYKatie · Post by **KYKatie** » Tue Oct 18, 2011 6:20 pm

I use Aveeno Ultra Calming moisturizer, but the ingredient list says it contains soy and oatmeal; that doesn't bother me, but that would make it off limits for lots of folks. I also use mineral makeup; a brand called Larenim (mineral backwards) that I buy online. I have found I don't tolerate petroleum jelly well; it sometimes makes my dry skin worse. I do like pure cocoa butter. It does wonders for extra dry patches. And here's a little off topic tip for those between the eyes lines: Frownies. I wear them every night and a friend thought I'd had my eyes done! I call them my eye lift in a box. Here's a link:

http://www.frownies.com/proddetail.php?prod=13241

Katie