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HEALTH WISE of fruits and vegetables is the most important component to a healthy diet. WHAT ABOUT SKIN? Liliana Aranda, owner of Faces By Liliana Mobile Spa (styleseat.com/ facesbyliliana), serving Northern California and the greater Phoenix areas, has learned a lot about glu- ECHO2 Plus The Oxygen Treatment OXYCEUTICALS™ Oxygen Acne Treatment System Toll free (800) 592-3246 or visit us on the web at www.echo2plus.com Distributors worldwide dayspamagazine.com/freeinfo • Use FreeInfo #44 88 DAYSPA | DECEMBER 2013 ten from the skin's point of view. Aranda has worked with clients plagued with redness and thickening of the skin, large welts, speckled rashes and burning sensations that were ultimately linked to food allergies. Once the culprit foods were removed from the diet, the skin problems diminished. What about topical skincare products? Some people with celiac disease are so sensitive that products containing wheat can't be used on their lips or around their mouths, so Aranda is very watchful of her products. "You have to be really careful," she says. "I ask during intake, but a lot of times clients don't know they have the gluten allergy." It isn't always easy to know when a topical product contains gluten, because of the different ingredient names that may be used on labels. "Hydrolyzed wheat protein, barley protein and oat protein are just a few," says Aranda. "Occasionally gluten is used as an emulsifier. But mainly it's a thickening, texturizing agent that gives the product its sponge, stretch, volume and density. It's not there to provide nutrition to the skin. I have been able to find products that use rice or rice bran instead." Of course, you should refer any spa client with a severe skin condition to a medical professional. But given the frequent connection between skin problems and food allergies, spas that partner with a nutritionist or dietician (or have one on staff) are in an ideal position to help clients make needed changes —which, sometimes, includes a gluten-free life. Andrea Renskoff is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles. ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM in the body, balances insulin, increases blood flow to the brain and improves organ function." What's more, people who use a gluten-free diet strictly to lose weight often gain it back because the initial food plan was too restrictive and couldn't be maintained. Experts on both sides of the gluten philosophy agree that a high intake