Guide to Gluten-Free Sunscreen

Curious if there are any gluten-free sunscreen brands that are safe for those with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity? In this article, I’ll discuss what to look for, the science behind gluten and your skin, and how to find sunscreens that are safe for your family. Please see my disclosures.

With the sun shining brightly, wearing sunscreen is not only the right thing to do but also a necessary precaution everyone must take whenever they’re exposed to the sun’s harmful rays.

However, for those who have been diagnosed with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity and cannot eat gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and sometimes oats, they may feel they have to take a whole other level of precautions when choosing skin care products.

Before I get into which sunscreen brands are gluten-free and which contain gluten, it’s important to understand that sunscreen, like lotion, cannot be absorbed by the skin.

In fact, the only way to cause a reaction to gluten in people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity is by ingesting gluten. (Of course, if someone has a wheat allergy, any product that contains wheat, whether ingested or topical, can cause a reaction.)

Also, one of the leading celiac doctors in the U.S., Dr. Alessio Fasano, said, “There is currently no scientific evidence that gluten … that [is] not ingested is harmful to individuals with celiac disease, including those with dermatitis herpetiformis.”

Another article, “Gluten in Cosmetics: Is There a Reason for Concern?” published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, also sheds light on this topic.

The researchers tested four lip products and two lotions that contained gluten ingredients (wheat, barley, rye, and/or oats) and found “no quantifiable gluten” in any of the tested products.

Knowing that gluten cannot be absorbed by the skin and that there are “no quantifiable” levels of gluten in many cosmetics, it’s unlikely sunscreen would harm someone with a gluten allergy, intolerance, or celiac disease. But is it a risk worth taking?

While using gluten-free lotions and cosmetics is not necessary, many in the community choose to do so out of an abundance of caution.

In this article, I’ll share what the leading sunscreen brands say about gluten, as well as share which brands are gluten-free or certified gluten-free.

Remember, the latest and most accurate information about gluten (and other ingredients) will be printed on the product label itself. Any information in this article should be followed up with the reader’s personal research and due diligence, as labels and manufacturing processes can change.

Ingredients to Avoid

Before I get into what each sunscreen brand says about gluten, I want to first share some of the potential gluten-containing ingredients that may be found in sunscreens or cosmetic products:

• Avena Sativa (oats)
• Barley
• Beta Glucan
• Dextrin Palmitate (can be derived from wheat, check source)
• Hydrolyzed wheat gluten / wheat protein
• Oats
• Palmitoyl hydrolyzed wheat protein
• Potassium cocoyl hydrolyzed wheat protein
• Rye
• Tocopherol (can be derived from wheat, check source)
• Triticum Vulgare
• Wheat
• Wheat Germ
• Wheat Starch
• Vitamin E (can be derived from wheat, check source)

Products containing these ingredients should be avoided or further researched.

Sunscreen Brands (Alphabetical)

Below is a list of the leading sunscreen brands in the U.S. and what each says about gluten. This is list is alphabetical.

Is Alba Sunscreen Gluten-Free?

Yes. Many Alba sunscreens are certified gluten-free by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO), including Alba’s Hawaiian sunscreen, Sport sunscreen, Sensitive Mineral Sunscreen, and Soothing Sunscreen.

Be sure to look for gluten-free labeled sunscreens because Alba says on its website, “Our plant-based ingredients come from a variety of sources, which we don’t currently screen for traces of gluten. If a product is not specifically labeled gluten-free, it hasn’t been tested and cannot be guaranteed as such.”

Is Arbonne’s Sunscreen Gluten-Free?

Yes. Arbonne sunscreen is certified gluten-free by the GFCO, including the Arbonne Baby Care Sunscreen and FunSun Mineral Sunscreen. While you can’t find Arbonne’s products in stores, you can probably find a Facebook friend who sells them (and you can therefore support him/her), or you can order them online.

Is Aveeno Sunscreen Gluten-Free?

No. Aveeno comes from the scientific name for oat (Avena sativa). While oats are naturally gluten-free, they are notoriously cross-contaminated with wheat. Aveeno states that they use dedicated oat-milling equipment, but they “cannot say with absolute certainty that cross-contamination did not occur.” People with celiac disease should generally avoid oat-based lotions unless they’re certified gluten-free.

Aveeno’s official statement on gluten is, “Oats do not naturally contain gluten and are not related to gluten-containing grains such as wheat, barley and rye. Gluten is not added to the oats used to make Aveeno products and our oats are processed on equipment that is dedicated only to oat milling to mitigate the risk of cross-contamination with any other gluten-containing grains. However, although we do everything in our power to ensure the oats remain gluten-free, we cannot say with absolute certainty that cross-contamination did not occur during the manufacturing process. We recommend that consumers speak with their physician if they have specific sensitivity concerns.”

Is Babo Botanicals Gluten-Free?

Yes. Babo Botanicals is a highly allergy-conscious brand. Many of its mineral sunscreens (such as the Sheer Mineral Sunscreen Lotion) are explicitly labeled gluten-free and free of the top 9 allergens.

Here is Babo Botanicals official statement on gluten: “Yes, Babo Botanicals products are gluten-free, even the moisturizing baby Oatmilk Calendula line. The Colloidal Oatmeal is not contaminated with gluten. The only exceptions are the new Daily Sheer Fluid Sunscreen and the SPF 40 Daily Sheer Sunscreen, which contains Wheat Protein. Please note that Babo products are not yet GF certified because our manufacturing partners are not certified gluten-free.”

Is Badger Sunscreen Gluten-Free?

Yes. Most Badger products are either labeled gluten-free or certified gluten-free. Look for the claims directly on a specific Badger product.

Here is the company’s official statement on gluten: “All Badger products are made without gluten-containing ingredients. Only the products with a gluten-free logo are routinely tested for the absence of gluten through our in-house testing program.

“For those products that are tested, we ensure they contain less than 10 ppm (parts per million) gluten, the same standard used by GFCO (Gluten-Free Certification Organization) , and half of what is recommended by the FDA for gluten-free claims on food products.”

All of Badger’s gluten-free options are listed on their website.

Is Banana Boat Sunscreen Gluten-Free?

Maybe. Banana Boat isn’t forthright about whether its products contain gluten, but it does say on its website, “We do not add to our products common food allergens such as tree nuts, peanuts, eggs, soy, wheat, fish, dairy or gluten.”

When a company says its products do not contain gluten ingredients, I generally feel comfortable with them because it means they haven’t independently tested the products to ensure they contain less than 20 ppm per the FDA gluten-free labeling guidelines.

Is Blue Lizard Sunscreen Gluten-Free?

Maybe. Blue Lizard removed its FAQ about gluten in its sunscreens, and it appears that the company recently reformulated. Be sure to double-check the packaging of a specific product before purchasing.

Is California Baby Sunscreen Gluten-Free?

Yes. According to California Baby, “All California Baby products are hypoallergenic and free of gluten, soy, sesame, dairy, and nuts (except coconut). Because we only manufacture our own products, there is no risk of cross-contamination!

Is Coppertone Sunscreen Gluten-Free?

Maybe. There is no information about gluten in Coppertone sunscreen products on the Coppertone website. It does not appear that some products may contain Vitamin E, which may contain gluten at very low levels, if at all.

Is DERMA-E Gluten-Free?

Yes. DERMA-E Sunscreen products are labeled gluten-free on the packaging. The company shares that all its products are gluten-free in this article.

Is Kiss My Face Sunscreen Gluten-Free?

Maybe. According to Kiss My Face, “most” of its products are gluten-free. The information about individual products will be directly on the label. You can find Kiss My Face products on Amazon.

Is Hawaiian Tropic Gluten-Free?

Maybe. Hawaiian Tropic does not label its products as gluten-free, but they also don’t contain any gluten ingredients.

I emailed the company and received the following response: “With regard to our line of sun care products, although we do not use wheat protein or wheat-derived oils in our product formulations, we cannot certify that our facilities are gluten-free. In addition, the plant origin of some ingredients may vary, making gluten-free certification difficult. We regret we are not able to suggest a product that meets your needs at this time.”

Is Neutrogena Sunscreen Gluten-Free?

Maybe. There is no information on the Neutrogena website about whether its sunscreens are gluten-free, nor are any of the brand’s sunscreens labeled gluten-free.

I emailed the company to determine if their products are safe. A company spokesperson responded as follows:

“Wheat gluten is only used in a few hair and skincare products from the Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies. Cosmetics are required to use standardized labeling to list the ingredients. If a product contains wheat or wheat gluten as an ingredient, you will find one of the following names in the label list:

• hydrolyzed wheat gluten
• triticum vulgare (wheat) gluten
• triticum vulgare (wheat) gluten extract
• hydrolyzed wheat protein
• triticum vulgare (wheat) germ protein
• potassium cocoyl hydrolyzed wheat protein
• palmitoyl hydrolyzed wheat protein

“Response to wheat and wheat gluten can vary greatly from person to person.”

Also note that, according to SkinSAFE, a website that helps people with sensitive skin find products they can safely use, Neutrogena sunscreens do not contain gluten ingredients.

Is Coral Isles (formerly Rocky Mountain Sunscreen) Gluten-Free?

Yes. According to the Rocky Mountain Sunscreen website, all of its sunscreens and lip balms are gluten-free.

Is Seaweed Bath Co Sunscreen Gluten-Free?

Yes. Seaweed Bath Co Sunscreen is labeled gluten-free on the back of each tube. You can find them on Amazon.

Is Thinksport Bath Co Sunscreen Gluten-Free?

Yes. Thinksport and Thinkbaby say their sunscreens are made without gluten ingredients. The company specifically says on its website, “No PABA, parabens, phthalates, BPA, oxybenzone, avobenzone, petroleum, gluten, dairy, or toxic chemicals.” You can find thinksport sunscreen on Amazon.

Is Sun Bum Sunscreen Gluten-Free?

Yes. All Sun Bum products, including its sunscreens, are gluten-free, according to the company website. You can find Sun Bum sunscreen on Amazon.

Certified Gluten-Free Sunscreen Brands

As you can see, only a few brands offer certified gluten-free sunscreen options (read labels, as some may change), and they include:

• Alba – find on Amazon
• Arbonne’s – find at Arbonne’s
• Badger – find on Amazon
• Kiss My Face – find on Amazon

These brands should be at the top of your list because it’s always fun to support brands that support our community the most!

Am I missing any gluten-free sunscreen brands, or is there a brand you’re curious about? Leave a comment to share information and/or questions.

Additional Reading

You might enjoy these articles too:

• Is Your Lip Balm Gluten Free? The Scoop on Which Lip Balms are (and are NOT) Gluten Free
• Best Certified Gluten-Free Makeup Brands
• The “Bottom” Line on Gluten in Toilet Paper and Personal Care Products
• Gluten-Free Toothpaste Guide
• Setting Up a Gluten-Free Kitchen
• A Complete List of Gluten-Free Spices