When it comes to finding gluten-free products, chapsticks are the last place you’d expect to find gluten. Unfortunately, not even chapstick is safe from gluten, and you’ll want to do your research before putting any on your lips.
Most brands of chapstick are gluten-free, but you should be wary of cosmetic products that are stickier and shinier. Common concerning ingredients include oatmeal, barley, rye seed, and avena.
When in doubt, contact the company that produces the chapstick for their full ingredients list and whether or not their facilities are gluten-free. The rest of this article will discuss gluten in chapsticks and what to be on the lookout for.
Why Is Gluten in Chapstick Dangerous?
Gluten in chapstick isn’t a problem for most people, and even people with mild gluten allergies or intolerance shouldn’t have a problem using chapstick with gluten; however, people who experience severe anaphylactic reactions to gluten should be extremely wary.
Putting gluten on your lips almost guarantees that some of it will be ingested, making it a hazard to your health.
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How to Find the Right Gluten-Free Chapstick
Finding the right chapstick can be a challenge, but thankfully, there are some telltale ingredients that will tell you exactly which chapsticks do and do not have gluten. First, be aware of any chapsticks (or cosmetic product in general) that are thicker, stickier, or have a defined shine to them. These usually utilize gluten as a thickening agent and aren’t suitable for people with severe gluten allergies.
The following ingredients signify either that gluten is in your chapstick or that the ingredients used to make your chapstick have been exposed to gluten.
- Avena
- Sativa
- Vulgar
- Barley
- Oatmeal
- Oat bran
- Cereal
- Rye seed
- Triticum
- Vitamin E
- Vulgare
- Wheat bran
- Oats
- Secale
- Hordeum
- Tocopherols
- Tocotrienols
All of these are common in brighter, glossier chapsticks. Always check the label before you buy and avoid any chapsticks with the above ingredients. Some of these ingredients, like oats, don’t directly contain gluten. Instead, the manufacturer that produces and processes the oats may also use equipment from barley or wheat that can contaminate the oats, and thus your chapstick.
Cross-Contamination
Unfortunately, cross-contamination is a serious risk if you have severe gluten allergies. Most chapstick companies also produce other cosmetic products. While chapsticks don’t usually have gluten, makeups, lipsticks, and other makeup products often do, greatly increasing your risk of cross-contamination, even if none of the ingredients appear to contain gluten.
Once again, the amount of gluten is negligible for those with mild allergies or intolerance, but still poses a serious risk in the case of celiac disease. As such, you’ll want to source a brand of chapstick that’s gluten-free certified.
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Gluten-Free Chapsticks
Most chapsticks are naturally gluten-free, but if you’re after a brand that’s chapstick certified, then you’ll want to do some shopping around.
Beauty by Earth
Another great option for lip balm is Beauty by Earth. Their corn-free, soy-free types of balms that come in several flavors. Peppermint and superfruit are some of their most popular, and with gluten-free ingredients, there’s nothing to worry about.
BeeNakedBalm
Offering organic and GMO-free balms in a range of nice flavors, BeeNakedBalm is as simple as it gets. They use aromatherapy based essential oils to flavor their balms and contains honest ingredients like sunflower oil, coconut oil, and beeswax. If you’re on the lookout for this product, you can locate it on Amazon.
Dr. Bronner’s
Environmentally conscious soap company Dr. Bronner’s also has some great balms for your lips in several styles. Lemon lime, peppermint, and orange ginger are available, and none of them contain gluten, corn, nuts, soy, or any typical allergen. Better still, each one of Dr Bronner’s products is made using honest organic ingredients.
Earth’s Daughter
Offering six flavors of certified organic balms, Earth’s Daughter uses sunflower oil, beeswax, coconut oil, and natural flavor agents. Their flavors include creamy coconut, eucalyptus mint, bing cherry, strawberry breeze, citrus blast, and vanilla bean.
Hurraw!
Hurraw! is vegan, organic, and gluten-free, making it perfect to keep your lips chap-free, too. With over 20 flavors to choose from, Hurraw! only sources from raw, vegan, and organic ingredients. If the use of beeswax in chapstick bothers you, then you’ll be happy to know that Hurraw’s products use cadelilla wax, which is a replacement for beeswax and castor seed oil.
La Lune Naturals
A small company specializing in organic and gluten-free lip balms, La Lune Naturals produces four great flavors: Peppermint, Raspberry, Vanilla Bean, and Asian Pear. All of their products are non-GMO and available for purchase online.
Blistex
Blistex offers a range of lip products for various purposes, many of which are gluten-free. Whether you need medicated lip balm, lip ointment, protectant, or moisturizing, Blistex has got you covered across the board. Best yet, you can find Blistex in many beauty and convenience stores.
eos
eos produces a variety of chapsticks that come in an iconic round container. Flavors range widely, and some of which also offer SPF 30 protection. Better yet, some of eos’ products are certified organic and available at many supermarkets and grocery stores.
Sky Organics
Sky organics makes lip balms and tinted lip balms in lots of different flavors, all of which are GMO-free and gluten-free. Everything you buy from Sky Organic’s website is safe to use, and you can also order this product on Amazon. Enjoy one of their 10 different varieties of flavors, ranging from tropical coconut to pink champagne, to strawberry bliss.
Final Thoughts
Most chapsticks are naturally gluten-free, but it always helps to do your research on the brand you’re looking into to see what their practices are. Some companies that don’t use gluten in their products may share equipment with products that do, increasing the risk depending on how severe your allergy is.
Always check the label for any problematic ingredients and visit the company’s website to see what their standard is for being gluten-free to determine if the product is right for you.