Q.  I'm doing a good job eating gluten-free (I have celiac disease), but I'm confused about lipsticks—do I need to look for gluten-free lipsticks and cosmetics?

A.  As you know celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder, which is treated by eating a gluten-free diet.   The core issue is ingestion—making sure that no gluten enters your body via your mouth (and GI tract).  Eating tiny amounts of gluten are significant (such as accidental gluten ingestion from a shared peanut butter jar or licking stamps).  In short, anything that touches your lips needs to be gluten-free.

So in the realm of cosmetics, the answer lies in knowing which of your cosmetics you might ingest.  (Think incidental ingestion here, such as lipstick or lip gloss rubbing against your teeth).  As for which lip products are gluten, it varies from brand to brand.  Here's a list of gluten-free cosmetics that are updated routinely at the Gluten Free Hub, in particular, check out the gluten-free lipsticks and lip balms:

• http://www.glutenfreehub.com/resources/gluten-free-cosmetics/
• http://www.glutenfreehub.com/reviews/cliniques-gluten-free-lipstick-and-lip-gloss/