It seems that every time I visit a salon it’s not actually as pleasant an experience as I hoped. My scalp winds up breaking out in a rash–which stylists usually freak out about and do not want to tell me, so I wind up wondering why they’re acting that way.  Or my scalp becomes super sensitive and I’m left wondering why the stylist is brushing so hard.

Turns out, it’s all about the gluten.  Since I am topically sensitive to gluten, salon shampoos containing high levels of this protein from wheat, barley or rye tend to cause negative reactions for me.

This week I also getting a bit bored with my blond highlights, so on a whim, I bought a box of L’Oreal’s Natural Match Hair Color.  It is ammonia free and a bit less chemical-laden than some alternatives, but still, I hesitated to even read the ingredients, which range from ethanolamine to toluene-2–even to check for gluten.

It did take two different shades and a call to their support line for color-correcting advice, but the results are in: I LOVE MY NEW COLOR, and NO BAD GLUTEN REACTIONS!

I called back to ask L’Oreal, and guess what, this product is even confirmed gluten-free!

After some confusion over whether or now wheat germ oil is gluten-free, I held off on using or posting about Sircuit Skin’s Crystal Creme Conditioner.

Months later, several sources (such as Weleda’s Pharmacists) attest to the fact that wheat germ oil is in fact gluten-free.  Always the gluten-free cynic, I’ve also personally tested the Crystal Creme Conditioner with ELISA’s EZ Gluten Test Kit and can also confirm that this product is really gluten-free.

So it’s back, with a vengence.

Okay, no vengance really, but this is an incredible conditioner, which paired with the Sircuit Shampoo produces hair prefection!

(Click the image if you’d like to purchase some today!)

Or, click here to read my review on Naturally Dah’ling.

Today I received just a little reminder of why I use the products that I do.  After having run out of my Hamadi Leave-In Conditioner a week or so ago, I grabbed for an “organic, gluten-free, paraben-free, sulfate-free, glycol-free” conditioner that I have had stored in the back of bathroom cabinet for longer than I care to admit.

After several uses though, my scalp seems in quite a bit of disharmony, it is as if my scalp is protesting–I won’t grow beautiful healthy hair as long as you use this junk on me!  Seriously.  So I have stopped using it, but since it is labeled as “gluten-free” I am not sure why my head hates it so.

And then I did a bit of research into the ingredients.  And found one in particular that I was unfamiliar with, and do not want to be:

• Stearalkonium Chloride — A chemical used in hair conditioners and creams. Causes allergic reactions. Stearalkonium chloride was developed by the fabric industry as a fabric softener, and is a lot cheaper and easier to use in hair conditioning formulas than proteins or herbals, which do help hair health. Toxic.

Nice.  You know, when I bought this (relatively cheap) product in a drug store, I did think it was too good to be true, and it was.  Needless to say, I have just ordered more Hamadi.

Alas, my search for naturally fabulous, organic hair care produces great results!



By the time I had dried my hair, I realized that Hamadi’s Shea Leave In had left my hair looking utterly fabulous: no frizzies, no noticeable split ends and full of volume!  And though I’ve yet to verify, this product appears to be gluten free.

It’s sister product, the Shea Hair Cream is a great addition to styled hair, helping maitain smoothness or curl.  And it also nourishes and protects the hair from sun damage.