Searching For a Truly Gluten Free Bar of Soap

Cold process soap making involves the blending of three ingredients: fat, lye and water.  But there is also a fourth ingredient called additives. Additives can provide color, scent, longer shelf life and skin-loving attributes to the finished product. If we examine these four elements for gluten cross contamination possibilities, we find that it is indeed possible to handcraft a bar of cold process soap that is unsafe for gluten sensitive people.

To produce an honestly gluten clean product, each oil used and every additive incorporated into a gluten free bar of soap would have to be individually examined, along with the facility in which the soap was made. Since this is difficult to do with most commercial soaps, many gluten sensitive people have turned to making their own cold process soaps or buying from small, like-minded gluten free soap makers they trust.

Almost any fats can be blended together and made into cold process soap.  But specific fats are chosen for their unique strengths in the finished product such as lather, conditioning, mildness and hardness.  Gluten cross contamination could be present in most any oil and therefore must be considered when producing a gluten free soap.  We have chosen to exclusively use unrefined Estate Grown Extra Virgin Olive and Certified Organic Virgin Coconut Oils from companies known for their extremely high standards and reliable gluten free status. 

Because of the refined and chemical nature of pure sodium hydroxide, gluten contamination would be unlikely.  But as a further precaution, all of our gluten free soaps are made with a pure kosher, food-grade lye. 

Purchased distilled water is also not a likely candidate for gluten contamination.  Our hypoallergenic gluten free soaps are made with distilled water. 

But additives is the category that gives the most opportunity for gluten cross contamination in a cold process soap product. Oatmeal and wheat germ oil, for instance, are frequently added to many fine cold process soaps for their exfoliating and nutritive qualities. Artificial fragrances, texturing elements, protein enrichments and coloring agents also leave much room for hidden gluten contamination in an otherwise potentially gluten free bar of soap.

People with additional sensitivities also have to be on the lookout for soy oil, dairy products, ground nuts and corn meal, just to name a few. The more creative, artistic and innovative the product, the more potential for problems if the sensitive consumer is not careful.  Simplicity is frequently the safest route to go.  We avoid most additives in all of our gluten free soaps, preferring to concentrate on quality and functionality for our sensitive friends instead.  And for the most purity minded individuals among us, we offer two pristine unscented and uncolored particularly hypoallergenic soap varieties, Just Plain and Just Plain Olive.