Makeup and skin

Let's talk about what we put on our skin, the largest organ and most likely to be ignored as being impacted by food allergies.

I know that a lot of people roll their eyes or make fun of all the gluten free products out there but there are SO many products to shift through and oftentimes, the ingredient list is, at best--tiny and hard to read, and at worst--indecipherable and written in quasi-English.

Zoolander via Pinterest

A friend who has Celiac disease gets terrible dermatitis when she uses products with gluten. Meeting her was when I got really serious about my products but it had been a struggle.

Even within brands, some gluten free products may or may not contain soy or dairy. Certified gluten free brands are (of course, why not) more expensive, so I end up spending the first hour of my grocery shopping reading labels and searching online for information for less expensive brands.

I am still figuring this stuff out but I'll share where I'm at so far.

I used to be an Oil of Olay girl. LOVED it. Used it every day. I had beautiful skin. Mostly I still do but to be honest, I'm not really moisturizing on a regular basis anymore. I just haven't found anything I love and is all so much pricier for less product.

Yes, I would like some cheese with my whine. But I can't have dairy!

The best I've found is the container of Yes! Moisturizer. In the little white container like a small Noxema container. NOT the ones on the dispensers--those are thick and hard to rub in. Blech.

My latest find is Everyday Coconut face lotion and eye cream I found at Sprouts. The face/body lotion is in a larger pump dispenser bottle. It's not bad; I still have to check that I don't have lotion residue after application. Still searching and taking suggestions.

I was also a Clinique girl for many years with a little MAC thrown in for makeup. Currently I am using a mix of Mineral Fusion and Arbonne but I'm planning to order some Apple Lipstick products soon. Here's an excerpt from the email response I got when I registered on their website. (because it is funny!)

Please Note: I'm not always able to check my email each day.  If you need ultra quick customer service / order support / order info / additions / subtractions / or if you simply want to pet our pet aardvark, please email my amazing customer support staff at...

Anyway.

For hair--shampoo, conditioner, styling gels--I've mostly used Hugo, Desert Essence, and Yes! Hugo also has good hand lotion and shower gel. The best shave gel so far is Kiss My Face.

We can't talk about deodorant yet. I'm about 15 products in and the best (but not effective) that I've found has been a Primal deodorant. I guess I'm just too stinky to be contained by deodorants and similar products.

So that wraps up our current beauty regime products. I'll try to remember to give y'all more updates as I find and try things!