Last Updated on July 3, 2022
Today, we’re going to be taking a look at gluten free face lotion. I know what you may be thinking: how can face lotion contain gluten? Surely it can’t cause a reaction? Unfortunately, face lotions can contain gluten, and they are able to cause a reaction in some cases. But don’t worry! There are plenty of well-known brands available that offer gluten-free face lotion. We’ll be taking a look at them, and also recognizing which ingredients to avoid when shopping for lotion.
What Is Face Lotion?
A lotion for your face is a type of moisturizer. You can also find moisturizers for your face as cream emulsions, balms, or ointments. These are specifically made to keep your skin looking fresh and hydrated. They also create a barrier over your skin. Not only does this keep all the goodness and moisture inside, but it also stops anything that could irritate your skin from getting in. You can find face lotions for any skin type.
Ingredients In Face Lotion
There is no one rule for ingredients when it comes to face lotions. Every brand will use different ingredients, so it all comes down to which face lotion you choose. However, these are some popular ingredients you may see and their properties:
- sunscreen – I would highly recommend buying a face lotion with SPF of at least 30. This is the best way to protect your skin
- antioxidants – help to keep your skin looking fresh: green tea, chamomile, liquorice root, and pomegranate
- alpha-hydroxy acids – not only anti-aging but also great for oily skin, as well as acne-prone
- hyaluronic acid and dimethicone – both help skin to feel hydrated
- glycerine and proteins – help moisture attract to you
- lanolin and petrolatum – help lock in moisture
This list is by no means extensive, but just some of the most popular ingredients you’ll likely see on those ingredient labels.
Can Face Lotion Contain Gluten?
Yes. While it may seem surprising, face lotion can absolutely contain gluten. It isn’t as common as it used to be, with brands becoming more adaptive to the gluten-free diet. However, they do still exist.
It’s worth noting that unless you have dermatitis herpetiformis (a skin condition you may have from celiac disease), this doesn’t apply to you. Gluten can only enter your skin if you have lesions from this particular skin condition. But watch out for touching your mouth after applying face lotion if you haven’t washed your hands – as you absolutely can ingest gluten that way!
What Ingredients Do I Look Out For?
All products will have an ingredients label that indicates everything you’ll find in the bottle. The two main ingredients to watch out for are:
- wheat germ oil
- hydrolyzed wheat protein
- anything containing the ingredients: wheat, barley, rye, spelt, oats, etc.
Gluten Free Face Lotion Brands
There are many brands that carry a gluten-free label. This means that their products are tested for gluten and are 100% safe. If you have dermatitis herpetiformis or just want to take extra precautions, check out our round-up of the best gluten-free brands below.
Dakota Free
If you’re looking for allergen-specific skincare, Dakota Free is the brand to choose. Their products are made in a gluten-free facility and aren’t just tailored to those with gluten intolerances, but to a whole range of lifestyles. Their website states that they want their products to “offer comfort to people with allergies, autism, celiac…or skin problems”.
Their Dakota Free “Baby Your Skin” Balm is all-natural, fragrance-free, and gluten-free. You can find out more about their products here.

Keys Care
For sunscreen lotions and face lotions, Key Care is also another great option. All of their products are completely free from gluten, and here are some of the best ones that we recommend:
- Tinted Moisturizer (with/without sunscreen options available)
- Anti-Aging Serum
- Luminos Facial Moisturizer
- Eye Butter Eye Cream
Evolution Of Smooth (EOS)
All of the EOS products are completely gluten-free. While they don’t offer face lotions, they do have five different varieties of hand lotion, including lavender, pomegranate raspberry, vanilla cashmere, coconut, and pink citrus.

Other Brands
Other gluten-free brands you may want to consider are:
- Vanicream
- OM Botanical
- Green Leaf Naturals
- Gluten-Free Savonnerie
- Ecco Bella
Brands To Avoid
The following brands do not offer a gluten-free list or make gluten-free claims. For this reason, it may be best to avoid them:
- Olay
- Vaseline
- Neutrogena
- Burt’s Bees
- Aveeno
Read more about: Rashes For Auto-Immune Disease
Conclusion
I hope this post has given you an idea of which gluten-free face lotion is best for those following a gluten-free diet. It’s relatively easy to buy products that are gluten-free. However, if you’re careful with applying gluten-containing lotions, they should be okay too.
What’s your go-to gluten-free lotion? Did your favorite make the list? If so, please feel free to let me know in the comments below. Sharing is caring!
FAQs
Is Dove Gluten Free?
Dove state on their website that if any of their products contain hydrolysed protein (which comes from wheat, barley, rye or oats), it will be stated on the ingredients. For this reason, Dove products are not gluten free.
Is Clinique Moisturizer Gluten Free?
Clinique moisturizer lists barley as one of the ingredients. For this reason, Clinique moisturizer is not considered gluten free and does not make any gluten free claims.
Is NARS Gluten Free?
Unfortunately, Nars is yet another popular brand that is not gluten free. On their website, they state that, "we cannot confirm that our products are free from any traces of gluten". For this reason, it may be best to avoid this brand.
Is Bare Minerals Gluten Free?
Bare Minerals actually have a gluten free filter as standard on their website. The following moisturizing products are gluten free: Smoothness Bare Haven Soft Moisturizer, Skinlongevity Long Life Night Treatment, Pureness Soothing Light Moisturizer, Poreless Oil-Free Face Moisturizer and Complexion Rescue Tinted Moisturizer Hydrating Gel Cream SPF 30.

Hi, my name’s Zoë. I’m 28 years old and live in London, UK. I work full time as a freelance writer and critic for West End theatre. Writing has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. I spend most of my free time at the theatre, or at conventions. I’m married to the love of my life, and live in a small apartment with my fur baby, Lillie. I run two of my own blogs: No Safer Place and Stage to Page: both of which have won awards. I also have a YouTube channel where I talk about all things stagey.