Does your skin need to go gluten free?
Yes, complexion intolerances are a thing. And an innovative new brand is tackling them head on
Paging anyone with sensitive skin. Also paging anyone who suffers from unexplained skin reactions or flare-ups and just can’t figure out what on earth is triggering them. This was the situation that Karen Harwood found herself in. She suffered what she calls ‘sporadic incidences’, including rashes, flaky patches and red sore skin around her eyes but didn’t know why.
With a background in skincare, five years ago she and her business partner Victoria Tydeman (the duo had already worked together on handmade natural Japanese skincare Steamcream) decided to find their own solution. The result has now launched and is called Oodee. After much deliberation and research, the pair decided to mirror in skincare the same approach Karen had taken to try to fix the problem through her diet. In other words, to eliminate the same food-derived ingredients known to often trigger allergic reactions such as wheat, dairy and gluten.
The links between skincare and food allergens is a pretty new area of research, but there is evidence to suggest that repeated use of topical products containing food allergens could cause sensitisation and trigger a reaction in someone who doesn’t currently experience them. So Oodee is on to something.
It’s also worth noting that there are probably more ingredients
irritants are a welcome addition to any skincare conversation. As Oodee has not only excluded 14 major food allergens but also 24 fragrance allergens and other known skin irritants, this really is a great option for those looking for something gentle but still effective. It’s a level of formulating that the brands calls ‘allergen neutral’.
But it isn’t all about offsetting negatives and what they’ve left out. Oodee has great benefits too: the formulas for the range – a cleanser, €33, serum, €89, and moisturiser, €75, victoriahealth.com – are excellent and include the DermaRDE (Recommended Daily Everything) multivitamin which contains hydrating hyaluronic acid, niacinamide to aid ceramide and collagen production, and brightening vitamin C. Plus the range’s non-allergic fragrance combined with appealing product textures makes it feel luxurious rather than practical. And it’s vegan.
It’s effective yet still feels luxurious rather than practical
@edwinaingschambers