Gluten free beauty products?

Based on my digestive issues, symptoms, I am 99.9 % sure that I am sensitive to gluten. I first discovered when I was on a zero carb diet that my digestive system was working the best it had in my entire life! I talked to a gastro Dr. about it and he agreed that it was likely based on my symptoms. My test for Celiac disease came back normal, but he said that it doesn't mean that I don't have gluten sensitivity, just that I don't have that particular variation of it.

So for the past 6 months or so I have been on a gluten free diet. It is really difficult, but I have tried my best. Amy's organic foods have really yummy gluten free enchiladas and other frozen meals, so that has been a staple for me at lunch. For dinner I substitute xantham gum for flour and eliminate any bread.

The strange thing is that since my digestion has gotten better, my skin has gotten worse! I have sometimes itchy rashes on my back, torso, chest, scalp, and face. Ever since I was a pre-teen, I had small, red bumps on my face that never seemed to go away despite medicine and visits to the dermatologist. The dermatologist always referred to it as mild acne. More recently, a dermatologist diagnosed me with rosacea.

I tried a new shampoo and conditioner recently (Aveeno) because I had heard great reviews of it. I used it a couple of times and my scalp and neck broke out in an intensely itchy rash. I took Benadryl and just assumed that my skin is sensitive.

I was researching makeup that is best for sensitive skin on the internet and I came to a FAQ section on a makeup brand's website that asked "are your products gluten free?" First I had no idea that gluten was even used in makeup, and second, I wondered how that would affect digestive symptoms if used topically. It didn't make sense to me. So I started researching gluten sensitivity and beauty products and found NUMEROUS people who had a sensitivity to gluten and broke out in skin rash when using beauty products that contained wheat, rye, barley, or anything derived from these things! I went and looked at the ingredients on the label of the Aveeno shampoo that broke me out so bad and it listed 2 different kinds of gluten as making up a large percentage of the formula! Most Dr.s apparently, will tell you that gluten can only be absorbed by the digestive tract, but there is no conclusive study that this is based on.

I change beauty products about as often as I change my clothes, so when I think back to times when my skin was at its best, I was using a makeup that WAS gluten free! I am going to buy new makeup, soap, shampoo, face wash, and lotion that is gluten free. THANK GOODNESS for Burt's Bees which ALL of it's products are gluten free and much more reasonably priced than any other brand that is. I am excited to see whether this helps!

Another random thing I learned was that Gluten can cause Migraines in people who are sensitive to it! Also, my reflux has gotten better since being on a gluten-free diet. This makes me think that most Dr.s do not do enough to look for the CAUSE of symptoms. Instead, they just treat them.

November is a busy month!

In my Mouse Ears on Halloween looking at the Sunset off of our balcony!

This month has barely started, and I already know that it is going to fly by! There is SO MUCH going on this month for me!

This week- on top of reading 2 NOVELS for one class discussion this week for my Thurs night class, I have a 7 page proposal/summative bibliography/midterm due. I also have a critique for my other class (painting) this Tuesday.

Next Week- I am excited for TAEA (art teacher) conference in Dallas! I already have a sub lined up for Friday, and I will be in Dallas for the weekend.

Nov 19- We have a conveyance walk with our builder, which basically is the step before closing.

Nov 20- I have my jury trial stemming from that ticket that I got in October of 2008!

Nov 23- Appliances go in our house!

Nov 24- We close on our house!

Our lights are on! And our fence posts are up! Now all we need is carpet, grass, landscaping, and door knobs lol!

Then- I am off for Thanksgiving Holiday! My holiday, however, will not only be filled with fun house /moving/painting rooms, etc, but with doing work on my grad school work. I have (at least) 2 more paintings to do this semester PLUS another to go with my creative paper=3 large paintings left to complete. My final paper is due Dec 3rd and my final (blue book) exam for that class is a couple of days later.

whew! I'm not sure how I will get everything done, but I am sure that November is going to fly by whether I like it or not! I can't wait til Christmas Break when I can actually rest!

Brick and stone finished, ready for sidewalk!

Brick & Stone & Sheetrock OH MY!

The builders are almost finished putting the stone on the front of our house, despite the rainy weather! The house is sheet-rocked on inside and has the first coat of paint on the walls even! The next step is stamped concrete, lights, cabinets & flooring, & plumbing to go in and fence to go up! It is looking more like a real house both on the inside and outside!

Top 10 Reasons I can't wait to move into our house!

1. Art Studio!
Needless to say, I am more than a little bit excited for this feature! It was one of the main selling points for us. We couldn't find any other houses that had anything remotely like this. Today I went to Jerry's Artarama and bought some fixtures that they were getting rid of for really cheap! I got a huge brush display, a huge rack that will hold my acrylic paints, and also rack that will hold my watercolors! (all for under $30) I got a nice adjustable easel for my birthday. Now all I need is a flat storage system for paper and such, drafting table, bookshelf, and cabinets to store supplies. I'm thinking of going to Ikea to look for the shelves and cabinets. CAN'T WAIT!

2. Having a yard
The worst part of living on the 3rd floor for me is having to take Molly & Minnie down 3 flights of stairs to go outside. It will be nice to be able to open the door and let them out in a fenced area.

3. Being closer to work
It will be a much shorter drive for me, but longer for Glenn. It won't matter too much for him though b/c he gets to work by 6 am when there is no traffic.

4. More space (duh)
I will have a HUGE closet :-) as well as more space in pretty much every other room, since we live in a 1 bedroom apt right now. It will be especially nice to have more cabinet space for pots and pans and a big pantry. As I've mentioned before we do not have room for a kitchen table where we live now. In fact, we have never had a kitchen table since we've been married. I will be so happy to finally be able to eat somewhere besides our sofa!

5. Driveway and Garage
I hate not having a garage to park in. Especially when weather gets cool and the cars fog up in the morning.

6. U-Verse Cable, etc
In the community where we are moving, we have no choice but to get U-Verse cable. Sounds weird, until you look at the heavily discounted price and then there is no other word for it than amazing! We will be paying almost half of what we have been paying for internet & basic cable in our apt, but will get internet, better cable (with DVR I think), phone, and security system!

7. EnergyStar home!
Our electric bills have been ridiculous in our apartment. We are hot all the time trying to save $ but our electric bill is expensive nonetheless. I think our apt is terribly inefficient. I am happy that our new home will be more energy efficient.

8. LIGHT!
There is lots of natural light in our new place, which I love.

9. Being able to grill!
It is illegal to grill on the balcony of an apartment, therefore we have not been able to grill. I loved grilled meat and it is easy!

10. Decorating!
We have already gotten to start shaping the style of our house through our choices at the design center, but I also look forward to painting walls, picking curtains, and getting some new furniture (eventually)!

I'm sure I'm forgetting some, but you get the idea! I'll leave you with some updated pics of our house.

House Update

I drove by 'our house' after work one day this week. I snapped this pic with my phone! We now have a frame! Yay! Also, I finally get my first paycheck next week and I am excited about that as well!

Busy Week

I survived the first week of classes!

I have met half of the 1000+ students that I will be teaching! Next week I meet the other half! I also went to Clear Lake for my first week of the fall semester of Grad School 2 nights this week. I am really tired already, and feeling a bit sicky.

Today, Glenn and I had a meeting with the house builder and our slab was being poured while we were there!

It was really neat to see- I have never witnessed a house being built before! They say that next week the frame of the house will go up! Our salesman, Jarrell said that we should be in the house by THANKSGIVING! Whoo hoo! Another interesting tidbit is that my next door neighbor is a teacher, and another teacher is going to live a couple of houses down the street! I'm sure we will have a lot to talk about! This is the beginning of my Art Studio! They are going to smooth out the concrete, since I'm going to leave the floor concrete and stain it! YAY!!!

On another note, we took the girls to a dog park and here are some cute pics. They get SO excited!

on the way there:
lots of sniffing going on!