Gluten Free Bride | Wedding

Wedding season is just around the corner.  As a gluten-free-bride-to-be, there's a lot to think about to ensure you stay gluten-free for your wedding day.  I'm here to help!  Here are some tips for my gluten-free-brides-to-be or bridesmaids to ensure the bride stays gluten-free for her big day:

Planning your Menu:

• Make sure your Chef/Caterer knows of your Allergy/Celiacs Disease.  Let them know all that you can't eat (wheat, barely, rye, oats) and anything made from them (vinegar, etc.)
• Make an all Gluten-Free Menu
• I'm doing this and this way, I know the whole kitchen will be gluten-free to avoid cross-contamination
• Talk to your Spouse to be
• Every wedding I've been to there's always the *ding*ding*ding clinging of the glasses together to have the newly married couple kiss.  Make sure your spouse knows no gluten while getting ready in the morning and they are to eat gluten-free with you that day as well.  This way you won't have any worries and can enjoy your day.  Also see the alcohol section below...
• Have them eat gluten-free during your rehearsal dinner with you and refrain from that tempting IPA that's full of gluten.  They're marrying you, I'm sure they'll understand!
• Find a Baker who can make you a Gluten-Free Cake
• Try different bakeries out months before you have to decide on a cake... see how you feel (bloated, hurt...) to ensure no cross-contamination
• See if the chef/caterer you are using can make a gluten-free cake as well and add it to your tasting 
• Get a little cake for you and your spouse to be and get cupcakes for the rest or even do something different for your guests like an ice cream bar.  **Just make sure your cake is far from any cross-contamination and your wedding planner doesn't touch the glutened cupcakes then touch your cake.  
• If you get a gluten-free cake, don't have the gluten-filled cake be under your gluten-free top - this is cross-contamination 
• The Cookie Table
• Keep this far from your food and your cake.  You can still have one but ensure noone set up the cookies then set up your wedding cake.  Precautions are a must on your wedding day!
• The Alcohol
• Make sure you have some gluten-free alcohol choices for you to have on your big day.  Wine is always a good choice.  For a gluten-free alcohol list, visit my post: Gluten-Free Alcohol
• Your spouse will have to refrain from drinking beer with his buddies that day (unless it's gluten-free beer).  This is the time to break out the scotch or whisky to celebrate his big day too!  
• If your spouse went out the night before, make sure they have thoroughly brushed their teeth (okay mom...) to be sure nothing is lingering from the night before.  Crest and Colgate toothpastes are both gluten-free ;) 

For your Bridal Shower:

• Make sure your bridal party knows you can't have gluten so they choose options for you to eat at your shower - this includes main dish and the desserts as well
• Your fiance will most likely come visit you at the end of your shower.  Write him a little note in the morning and ask him to eat gluten-free for you that morning so you don't get any cross-contamination from your welcome kiss

Months Leading Up to your Big Day: 

• I highly recommend switching to all gluten-free products.  This includes makeup, hair products, lotions, everything.  This will help you with your inflammation leading up to your wedding day.  For more about gluten-free makeup, here's my post: Gluten-Free Makeup 
• Drink plenty of water and exercise - do yoga to relieve stress, take walks, or anything that you enjoy to take away stresses before your big day
• Try not to eat out.  Eating out can cause cross-contamination and possible gluten-attacks.  That even means sticking to plain coffee at Starbucks unless you're sure it's gluten-free.  

Rehearsal Dinner:

• Make sure the place where you are holding your rehearsal dinner is very aware that you can't have gluten what-so-ever.  No cross-contamination at all!  You don't want to be hurting the night before your wedding and look like you are so bloated the next day and feel the pain as you walk down the isle (Okay I'm not trying to scare you but!) so it is VERY important who ever is planning this dinner talks with the chef so they know to be extra careful.  

Your Wedding Day:

• Have a fun morning with your girls getting ready, but hold the gluten!  Have mimosas, relax, have some fruit or your favorite gluten-free breakfast.  Drink water but not too much!
• Relax, have fun!  You've already gotten everything taken care of, now it's time to celebrate!

Any other tips you have from your wedding?!  Feel free to write below!

With love,

Mel

Gluten Free Makeup - A MUST for Celiacs

Happy Monday!  So I've been doing some research lately and couldn't wait to share my findings with you!  I'm a HUGE product lover. HUGE.  Ever since I was young I loved having different shampoos, lotions, then different blushes, eyeshadows, and my collection of perfume could probably put Macy's to shame.  So a product girl gets Celiac... what's she to do?  Well... I thought it was okay to keep using my makeup.  I mean, who really knows what half the stuff is in their makeup right? For an organic girl I can't believe I didn't pay more attention to it...  So here's what started it all...

I recently got engaged! (yay!) and my fiance got me a beautiful ring.  I wear it all the time and from time to time I started to realize... it gets stuck on my finger after being "glutened".  I even spent one night searching online about inflammation with gluten and other Celiacs having the same problem.  So okay, I decided to not eat out for a while so no cross-contamination could happen.. done.  But it still isn't going down... So my friend at work told me she got all gluten-free shampoo.  I thought that's actually a really good idea.  So I researched my shampoo, gluten-free.. good.  But then it hit me.  Makeup.  We wear it all day long, wash our face, even get it in our eyes sometimes or find those black boogers left over from our mascara.  If my makeup isn't gluten free... then I'm still getting glutened.

Let's back it up a bit... When I first became gluten free every site told me - you're not ingesting makeup so it's "safe" to use any shampoo, conditioner, lotion, makeup, the works.  Ok people on the internet, let's think about this shall we?  What happens when you put on say wrinkle cream.  Isn't that supposed to be absorbed into your skin to prevent wrinkles... better yet - go wash your hands.  Now put lotion on them.  Is the lotion still there?  N.O. It absorbed into the skin.  Okay now go put on your makeup for the day, touch your toothbrush, go downstairs, make coffee... (WAIT).. if your makeup has gluten in it - you just touched all those things and now you're about to eat your delicious gluten free bagel.. okay I'll continue.  As your sitting at work you touch your hand to your face, touch your keyboard, oh it's lunch time! Let's go eat (with your glutened hands).  Time to go home!  Gluten on your steering wheel... you get home, give your significant other a kiss on the lips (make sure they didn't eat gluten today!) or the cheek (kissing now their shaving cream or lotion).  Then you eat dinner... then go to bed, take off your makeup.. and the process starts all over again.  Even putting on lotion then eating or touching your face, nose, mouth... if it has gluten on it - it's getting in you somehow.  So let's honestly take a look at what you've been told on the internet before from all the Celiac sites - as long as you don't ingest it you're fine.  Well I don't see anyone but 2 year olds trying to eat makeup but honestly, think about it... it's hiding everywhere.

Okay back to the ring... (I swear there's a point! :))

So I decided to see what's all in my make up.  I wrote down all my makeup and started to email companies to see if what I had actually contained gluten.  What I found out, surprised me and I think it'll surprise you too.  Most companies couldn't guarantee that the item didn't contain gluten because of their suppliers, the fragrance, cross-contamination, or whatever excuse their automated message about gluten had back to me.  [I just have to laugh because some responses said that "they talked with their doctors and as long as it isn't ingested.." I'll stop there.]

NOT GLUTEN-FREE LIST:

[I don't recommend you using any of these if you are a Celiac or have an allergy to Gluten]:

• Smashbox Makeup
• Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream [I owned this one and their reply was: Please know that the Camera Ready BB Cream SPF 35 contain  Wheat, Barley, Soy and Corn] [AHHH!!]
• John Frieda 
• Ban 
• Goldwell Products
• Biore 
• Curel 
• Jergens 
• KMS California
• Urban Decay Eyeliner
• Bareminerals [yes.. Bareminerals - however, they claim many products to be made without gluten yet on their website says that: While the list below shows the Wheat, Oat, Rye and Barely free products please keep in mind that these products may be made in an environment that handles Wheat, Oat, Rye and Barley derivatives.] next...
• Covergirl Makeup [they had said it could be in products containing fragrances]
• Noir Cosmetics
• NYX Cosmetics
• Clinique 
• Bath and Body Works Products
• Skintimate Shave Gel [response is here and honestly, this is the same company that makes Gillette soo.. next time you kiss your boyfriend/fiance/hubby: With regard to our line of Shave Gels products, although we do not use wheat protein or wheat derived oils in our product formulations, we cannot certify that our facilities are gluten free. In addition, the plant origin of some ingredients may vary, making Gluten Free Certification difficult. 
  
  We regret we are not able to suggest a product that meets your needs at this time.]  Well... on the hunt now for new shave gel...
• Maybelline Makeup

and.. prepare for this.

• PURELL [response: In order to provide sustainable solutions, we do source ethyl alcohol from natural sources including cereal grains.   The manufacturer of the alcohol uses a process to provide a highly purified material that contains no proteins or high molecular weight material.  None of the other ingredients in the product are from potential gluten sources.]  This product is mostly ethyl alcohol.  Germ-a-phobe me.. I use this about 7 times a day.  So, need to find a replacement... sigh.

Needless to say, most of my stuff contained gluten or got cross-contaminated with my brushes, eyeshadow, etc.  So, I decided to start fresh.

Thank God Urban Decay's Naked 2 Eye Shadow Pallet is gluten-free.  So is their eye shadow primer [all are GF except anti-aging because it contains Cermide 2] so I purchased new of both of those.  I also purchased Tarte makeup.  As of today, their line is all gluten-free and doesn't contain any gluten.  I picked up their Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Foundation, Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blush in Dazzled, their Park Avenue Princess Amazonian Clay Matte Bronzer, and their Lip Surgence in many wonderful colors.  I also use their eyeliner and brow filler.  Here's the link to their website where you can find these products and more! Tarte or you can get their products from Ulta as well here: Ulta

I recommend using Ebates to get cash back from purchasing online (I'm sure you've seen the commercials) but you get 4% cash back at Tarte online and 6% at Ulta online... here's the link to sign up! Ebates

GLUTEN-FREE LIST: [what I use :)]

• Tarte Makeup
• Urban Decay: Naked 2 Pallet & Eyeshadow Primer (all but anti-aging)
• Ambre Blends Products - amazing smelling fragrance, all natural deodorant, lotion, the works!
• EO Everyone Products - I like their lotion and shower gel 
• It's a 10 Shampoo & Conditioner - highly recommend

Long story short, for the past 2 weeks I've been using all new makeup from Tarte and Urban Decay exclusively, bought all new brushes, and a new makeup bag.  

THE RESULT:

My ring is actually loose on my finger.  I'd have to take it off before bed before I changed out my makeup because it would swell during the night and I couldn't put it on until about 10am the next morning [keep in mind my kitchen is 99.9% GF minus my fiance's Halloween Candy] so being glutened didn't cause the swelling all the time beforehand].  For having to deal with a swollen finger for the past 2 months was terrible, as soon as I changed my products out for all gluten-free (including makeup, hair, lotion, etc.) no. more. swollen finger.  It's been amazing to have my ring now very lose on my finger as my body de-flates after being glutened by products.  I would've never known the damage still being done to my body without this "test" of switching everything out.  Not only that, but when I smile I noticed more lines on my face as if it was still inflammed... now, I actually don't have as many smile lines - my face is smaller and "tighter" - if only I would've done this all before engagement photos.. 

I now use all gluten free shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, hair products, everything.  I'll be posting soon about those and about household products that are safe to use! :) 

In conclusion, I definitely recommend switching to using all gluten-free products in your home and on your body (and your family's bodies).  Let me know how it works for you.  If you have any questions about the products listed above and my emails to them feel free to message me I'll get you what they said to me!  Also, if you write to companies for your products to wonder if they're gluten free - let me know what they say and we can add to the list.   

With Love,

Mel