Gluten Free Hair Products

Gluten free hair products are the next albeit strange progression of the gluten free lifestyle choices that have swept the United States and many other parts of the world as well. Initially a diet choice the fad has now transitioned into beauty care products including lotions, face wash, and various hair care products. Gluten free is this year's organic. The same health and beauty aisles in places like Whole Foods that were once reserved for organic compounds, candles, and organic soap are now stocked full of gluten free hair products including shampoos, conditioners, and various styling products including gels. Like many trends this one started on the coasts and has slowly worked its way into middle America. The latest trends in hair care products do usually start on the coasts, most specifically in Hollywood on the west coast and New York City (Manhattan) on the east coast. Miami in south Florida also has been known for setting trends that are primarily of the fashion or Latin flavor variety. With gluten free hair products the same adage should be considered before jumping on board that any consumer should think about before making any purchased based on celebrity hype. The questions every man and women should ask before purchasing a bottle of shampoo that is more expensive just because it says gluten free on it is: am I really getting what I'm paying for. The answer to that question is both it depends and usually not.

The question on everyone's minds is if paying extra for gluten free hair products will really make them healthier and better looking. While a lot of scientific studying hasn't yet been performed on the matter this hasn't stopped many companies from marketing their beauty products like shampoos and conditioners as if they really offer more than what they can likely deliver on. In order to properly understand how a gluten free diet relates to good hair products we first need to examine what benefits a gluten free diet promises. Before knowing if there's a correlation with hair products we should first discuss if the diet offers positive qualities that can have an effect on hair. So what is a gluten free diet? Well, the definition tells us it's one that's free of gluten but to most of us that doesn't really mean much because we only have a very vague and abstract idea of gluten having some sort of correlation to breads and carbohydrates without really understanding the medical aspects of what a gluten free diet even means, let alone gluten free hair products. So let's take a closer look at this issue to better understand it.

As previously stated a gluten free diet is one that doesn't incorporate things like cereals and wheat. Think about the bottom of the food pyramid. So why deprive yourself of the foundation of the food pyramid? A pyramid that was once thought to be perfect in terms of proper portions. The answer is simple. While the classic food pyramid was once thought to be ideal for growing children it's now better understood that different adults have varying dietary needs and in some instances that means less gluten for a variety of reasons. So we know gluten is in cereals and some other products (including alcohol) but what are the medical benefits and will they carry over into gluten free hair products to make our hair more healthy, youthful, and vibrant. As previously mentioned there have been very few if any truly credible large scale studies addressing the long term effects but there are of course still claims that many people swear by with regards to the positive nature of the diet. A gluten free diet is thought to reduce the incidence of childhood autism but this hasn't been widely accepted and really has nothing to do with making an adults hair better by using gluten free shampoo. Some people are believed to act poorly to gluten and this has raised some unique genetic questions. Limited studies have shown that benefits of a gluten free diet for adults can include reduced incidence of Parkinson's disease, seizures, diabetes, arthritis, and other medical conditions like multiple sclerosis. Even if we buy into the idea that changing our diet and lifestyle can improve our health do we really believe that if trace amounts of gluten show up in the shampoo bottle that we keep in our shower that somehow that gluten will soak into our bodies and make us more likely to get diabetes? The answer is that when hair care products are concerned the simple answer is that the gluten free choices are unnecessary in terms of scientifically proven ingredients. Maybe people feel better about themselves when they make what they consider to be superior choices that can allow them to flaunt their extra wealth or what they consider to be a heightened sense of social consciousness. This is no different. The same people who want to save the environment by ridiculing people for driving SUVs while they travel around in private jets also like to feel like they're better informed (educated) and socially aware than the masses. With no science to back up dramatic health claims there is a lot of accuracy (or lack there of) issues with gluten free labeling of all sorts of products. Various countries are dealing with this problem of proper labeling in different ways and until there is really a gold standard the companies pushing gluten free hair products will continue to push hard until proper regulations cause them to be honest about the realities of the benefits.