Could It Be Your Toothpaste, Medication, Lip Balm, or Play-Doh?

You’ve cleaned up your diet. 

You’re reading labels. 

You’re avoiding cross contamination. 

And yet… you still don’t feel quite right. 

So now you’re wondering… Could it be something that’s not even food? Your toothpaste? Lip balm? A medication? Your child’s Play-Doh? 

It sounds a little dramatic at first… but some of these are absolutely worth thinking about. 

So today we’re breaking down the hidden non-food sources of gluten that can trip people up… what actually matters… and what probably doesn’t. 

Because I do not want this episode to make you afraid of everything… I want it to make you smarter. 

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Transcript

Safety Disclaimer And Setup

Carrie Saunders 0:00

Quick reminder before we get started on this episode. This podcast is based on my personal experiences and isn't medical advice. You've cleaned up your diet, you're reading labels, you're avoiding cross-contamination, and yet you still don't feel quite right. So now you're wondering, could it be something that's not even in food? Your toothpaste, your chapstick, a medication, your child's play-doh? It sounds a little dramatic at first, but some of these are absolutely worth thinking about. So today we're breaking down the hidden non-food sources of gluten that can trip people up, what actually matters and what probably doesn't, because I do not want this episode to make you afraid of everything. I just want it to make you smarter. Let's dive in.

Hidden Gluten Beyond Food

Carrie Saunders 0:43

Welcome to the Gluten Free Engineer Podcast. I'm your host, Kiri Saunders. In 2011, I was diagnosed with celiac disease, a moment that changed everything. But I was determined not to let it hold me back. With my two engineering degrees, I set out to reverse engineer the gluten-free lifestyle, breaking down recipes, safety tips, travel hacks, and everything in between to rebuild a life I love. Whether you have celiac disease, gluten intolerance, or simply choose to live gluten-free, this podcast is for you. Join me each week as we simplify the gluten-free lifestyle, make it fun, and prove that you don't have to miss out on anything. Welcome back to the show. Today we're talking about hidden sources of gluten in our everyday lives. This is one of those topics where the internet can make people panic. And our goal here today is practical awareness, not fear. We just want to understand actual exposure pathways so we can make informed decisions. The question isn't does this contain gluten somewhere in the world? The question is could enough realistically get into my body to matter?

A Simple Exposure Framework

Carrie Saunders 1:51

So let's do a quick framework or rule of thumb here. So first ask yourself, does this go in my in or near my mouth? For example, toothpaste, mouthwash, lip balm or chapstick, lipstick, you know, does it go in or near my mouth? Could I accidentally get it in my mouth somehow? And then you can next ask, you know, could I accidentally ingest it? This could include kids' craft products like play-doh, which is made from wheat. Um, it could include shampoo, lotions, soap. Those are easy things to get in our mouth, especially when we've had them on our hands and we may use our hands to eat finger type foods. So could we get this in our mouth that way? Or is it something non-food related that could have gluten in it? For example, medications and supplements many times have gluten in it.

Toothpaste And Lip Products

Carrie Saunders 2:44

So then let's talk about toothpaste and mouthwash. Is this worth checking? And the answer is 110% yes. It goes directly in your mouth and tiny amounts can be swallowed, and it's really in your digestive system if it's in your mouth. So we want to make sure that your toothpaste and your mouthwash are gluten-free. There are, you know, great brands out there that are definitely gluten-free. We personally in our house use the Tom's uh toothpaste, and we want to look at the ones that have ingredient transparency. Many times the ingredient list isn't very um forthcoming on some of the mainstream products. So we want to make sure that whatever you're putting in your mouth has all the ingredients listed. So I recommend only choosing brands that clearly stay gluten-free when you're concerned. This is one of the easier swaps to make out for a peace of mind. And then another one that greatly matters is lipstick, chapstick, lip balm, however you want to use it or call it, or whichever flavor, you know, version of that you use. This one definitely matters. It is constantly transferred into your mouth. So when you put this on your lips, it you're, you know, we lick our lips when we eat, etc., that generally gets lipstick, chapstick, etc., into our mouth. So if you have a celiac, you definitely want to double check your chapstick, your lipstick, you know, lip balm, whatever you're putting on your lips.

Medications And Supplements Risks

Carrie Saunders 4:12

And then medications and supplements. I have so struggled over this over the past, you know, all kinds of years of being celiac, of knowing that I'm celiac, not really being celiac, been that probably my entire life. Um, but this is really huge. You definitely want to make sure you have a pharmacy that is willing to look up and research what of the other ingredients are in medication because it is not required, especially in the United States, to be forthcoming with this. I have had a pharmacy been really great. They will look at the pamphlet that comes with the medicine, and if that's not clear, they will call the company to see if it's gluten-free. That last step is very important because it is really easy for them to hide gluten in our medicines. Dairy is also hidden in our medicines as well. So if you're sensitive to dairy, please note that dairy is also hidden in our medicines. We want to be looking at those inactive ingredients, is where they usually are. They're usually the starch fillers, the binders that are in it. This is why there's gluten in our medicine because the pharmaceutical companies are being uh cheap and using cheap binders in our medicines, and many times that is a gluten type of grain that's in there to help bind it. So make sure that you have a pharmacist who will be on your side and will who will help you. I've gotten so sick over the years from not checking. And, you know, the medicine was supposed to make me feel better, made me feel worse than I did before because it had gluten

Play Dough And Kid Cross Contact

Carrie Saunders 5:42

in it. And then we touched on this in the beginning a little bit, play-doh and kids' craft products. A lot of people don't realize that play-doh is wheat. There is the off-brands of play-doh, many times do you not have wheat in it. So if you have children in your house, then I would recommend the off-brand, especially if they are celiac. Um, and you could get cross-contaminated from your little kid. You know, their fingers go everywhere, including into their parents' mouths half the time, especially when they're little toddlers. So make sure you're checking the kids' craft products too. And we talked about shampoo, lotion, and soap. This is worth checking. Some people say it's not really a major concern for celiac disease people, because you don't directly ingest it. But I would love to challenge that because for me, when I wash my hands, I need to put lotion on right after my hands dry out so much, and then I have this lotion on my hands. And then what if I go eat chips or some cookies or something like that? I don't want to risk getting that gluten in me because it's on my hands. The residual of the lotion or the soap is in my hands. Now you're obviously not directly ingesting these things, but if you're really sensitive celiac, it to me it's just not worth it. And I'd rather use higher quality products on my skin anyway. It's our largest organ of our body, and I want to take care of it as well, and only put natural things on my skin. So this one is really kind of you know up to you and your doctor, but I personally recommend double checking your shampoo, lotion, and soap because why not? You might as well eliminate any possible chances of getting sick. That's the way I like to play it because I just it's not worth getting sick

Soap Lotion And Hair Products

Carrie Saunders 7:26

to me. And then our last thing is other sneaky ways we can get gluten. And some people don't even think about this, but you know, if you go to church, communion wafers almost always have gluten in it, unless your church is very conscious of this. Um, envelope glue. If you still use envelopes and lick that glue, that can actually have gluten in it. Wallpaper glue has gluten in it, pet food can have gluten in it, chewing gum and um mints can have the powder, it can be wheat or uh barley starch that can have gluten in it. Flavored dental products can also have gluten in it. So these are some things that we may not think about. In our house, our pets are gluten-free. It's just easier. I don't have to worry about the crumbs of their food getting anywhere and making us sick. And honestly, when I switched them, whenever we all realized we were celiac, their health improved, their skin improved, their hair improved, they have were happier, we're alert, especially the cats, because cats cats aren't supposed to have greens anyway. Um, so definitely check your pet food.

Communion Pet Food And Other Surprises

Carrie Saunders 8:32

So to recap, some things we want to make sure that we are checking is our toothpaste, our lip balm, lipstick, any medications, supplements, kid crafts. Um, we also want to check our shampoo, our lotion, and our soap. You know, those are things we don't ingest, but it's definitely worth checking. So at the end of the day, you don't need to fear everything or every product in your home. But if something repeatedly ends up in the mouth or could accidentally be ingested, it is definitely worth paying attention to.

Recap Share Subscribe Disclaimer

Carrie Saunders 9:05

Thank you for listening to this episode of the Gluten Free Engineer. If you found value in this story, please share it with someone who might need encouragement on their own gluten-free journey. For more tips, recipes, resources, and even links to my YouTube channel, head on over to theglutenfreeengineer.com. It's your one-stop hub to make gluten-free living simple, fun, and full of flavor. And don't forget to subscribe so you never miss out on an episode. And we will see you next week. The Gluten Free Engineer Podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. I share my personal experiences and stories about living with celiac disease and navigating a gluten free lifestyle. This podcast does not provide medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional for medical questions, concerns, or advice specific to your health.