Celiac Disease Awareness Month - Skin Contact

Let's talk about one of the odder topics, shall we?

I avoid touching any food containing gluten as much as I can, and if I do touch it, I make sure to wash my hands well as soon I can. I have a few reasons for this, I promise.

1. The first reason is that it's really easy for me to touch my mouth or face and contaminate myself. I have become sick in the past from touching a donut box and then chewing on my fingernails. If I make sure not to touch my face until I wash my hands, this chance of contamination is reduced.
2. The second reason is that I have developed a rash on my hand from handling dough. The last time I made regular gluten bread, I suddenly had a red rash on the backs of my hands, which I can only presume came from handling gluten. Since Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disorder, it's not unreasonable that my immune system may react in unexpected ways.
3. I'm also careful not to touch any of my own food or dishes with contaminted hands, because that's another easy way to make myself sick.
4. On top of all of that, I also exclusively buy gluten-free body products. All of my shampoo, body wash, body lotion, lip gloss, and anything else that goes on my skin says gluten-free right on the label. My reason for this is two-fold. First of all, I have reducted the dandruff, eczema and dry skin since I switched to gluten-free body products. The second reason is that these products aren't hard to find, and I would rather be safe than sorry.

So that was a little long-winded, but I hope now you understand why I avoid touching any source of gluten if I can.