Beauty Column Charlotte Vivien
How to look after your skin during chemotherapy
How to look after your skin during Chemotherapy credit photo Shutterstock
1 in 3 men and 1 in 4 women will have cancer before their 75th birthday, but not all will require chemotherapy. These figures give you an idea of the prevalence of cancer. After years of research, treatments are becoming more effective and mortality rates are decreasing by the year. One of the most common treatment for cancer is chemotherapy.
What exactly is chemotherapy?
credit photo Shutterstock
Chemotherapy (also called chemo) is a cancer treatment, that relies on the use of drugs. Its aim is to eliminate cancer cells wherever they are in the body, including those that have not been identified by imaging examinations (MRI or PET scan). Chemotherapy works either by destroying them directly or by preventing them from multiplying.
Chemotherapy varies depending on the type of cancer and is often a mixture of several medications that are given intravenously and sometimes orally.
How is the treatment of chemotherapy administered?
It comes in the form of cycles. For example, 3 days of chemo, 20 days without. This resumes for 4 cycles. Depending on the type of medication prescribed there are different side effects. This treatment is occasionally associated with surgery, radiotherapy and/or immunotherapy.
One of the side effects is hair loss, but this is not always the case. Another side effect I wanted to talk about is the impact of chemotherapy on the skin and how to treat it.
Skin and chemotherapy
In Switzerland when you start your chemotherapy you sometimes receive a prescription with a list of products that you can purchase in a pharmacy for mouth care, nausea and for dry or irritated skin. The treatments frequently recommended by doctors for the skin are often paraffin (mineral oil) based but you can opt for a natural solution.
Why these skin problems?
Chemotherapy can alter and cause your skin to become dry because the chemicals significantly reduces the sebum secretion of your sebaceous glands.
The role of chemotherapy is to stop rapid cell replication. This applies to both cancer cells and unfortunately healthy cells as well. These healthy cells no longer regenerate as normal, which also has an impact on skin cells. The skin barrier is weakened and its role as a barrier is compromised this associated with the lack of sebum causes extreme dryness .
During cancer treatments, many side effects can appear: dry, sensitive skin that peels, itching, redness, small pimples or inflamed hair follicles (folliculitis)
Dry skin
Dry skin – credit photo Shutterstock
How to take care of your skin?
The focus is to be very gentle. To remove dead skin cells you can choose Konjac sponges (Sponges Made from Konjac root powder that gently exfoliate) for the face and a salt scrub (recipe below) for the body.
If you have lost hair you may also have dry scalp for which you can also use a Konjac sponge if your skin is sensitive. Otherwise you can also use a salt scrub ( but please be kind to the skin and do not rub hard).
The advice I give is of course to avoid use of conventional cosmetics that contain perfumes, alcohol and other synthetic ingredients (eg. phenoxyethanol, dimethicone..) that are neither good for your skin nor for your health in general.
You need to strengthen your lipid barrier and make up for the lack of sebum. Choose organic butters and carrier oils (see below) that can maintain hydration and strengthen this barrier.
The facial skincare routine is important because you will accumulate dead skin and it must be thoroughly cleansed to avoid clogged pores.
Facial Skincare routine
oil serum – credit photo Shutterstock
Oil cleanse using jojoba oil or castor oil, then wipe off excess and apply some orange blossom hydrosol to finish off cleansing. It is excellent for dry skin and for the emotional side it also helps to combat anxiety and boost morale. A 2-in-1 treatment that will be welcome during treatment.
To keep your skin moisturised I highly recommend oil-based serums, a blend of these 4 oils in equal quantities would be perfectly suited for dry skin:
- Macadamia
- Rosehip Seed Oil
- Apricot
- Avocado
Bodycare
A blend of Shea Butter and Coconut oil together is wonderful on your body and scalp if your skin has become scaly.
When you wash your body opt for a cold pressed soap and if you like baths add a tablespoon of coconut oil (be careful as it can make the bath slippery!).
This simple scrub formula has regenerative and protective properties.
For 100g:
Scrub – credit photo Shutterstock
65g Epsom salt (or other fine salt like Himalaya)
29g Organic Carrier Oil
6g Deodorized Shea Butter
If you know someone being treated for cancer consider offering them this scrub!
Cautions:
- I advise not to use essential oils at any time except under the guidance of an aromatherapist.
- This scrub does not contain preservatives, do not put your wet hands in the pot or bacteria will proliferate
If you are looking for carrier oils, serums and any other skincare product please check our website.
About the author:
Charlotte is a specialist in organic dermo-cosmetics and Co-Founder of M&O Naturel. Formally she was a midwife. She is a bi national Swiss/ British citizen and lives in the French speaking part of Switzerland with her husband of Caribbean origins. Her skin-care creation was inspired by her son who suffered from eczema. After failing to find a suitable and natural product Charlotte decided to test various formulations using oils and butters. The eczema fully healed within 3 months. After this success she decided to retrain in organic cosmetic formulations. In 2014 she launched her own skincare range with co-founder and husband Dennis. The goal of M&O Naturel is to create products to help people achieve healthier skins using the best natural organic ingredients. www.monaturel.ch , www.moncosmetics.net (blog) www.instagram.com/monaturel
