Cancer is such a sensitive subject and I don’t know anyone who hasn’t been affected by it. For me it’s something that I talk about on an almost daily basis. Why? Because it’s part of my story and part of why I do what I do. Here’s a little bit more about my background and the natural product I found to be helpful in cancer treatment.
As you may already know my Dad was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2008. I was in the last year of my Naturopathy degree and so felt in a good position to support him with complementary therapies. I prescribed herbal tinctures, nutritional supplements and made him a balm to ease any potential radiation-induced dermatitis (otherwise known as radiation burn). I felt very fortunate that I had knowledge and some experience to help him.
It was the balm that I made for his radiation burn that helped shape what I do today. Unlike the invisible effect that the tinctures and supplements I was prescribing were having, the difference between his radiation burn and other patients on the same oncology ward was so evident. But it wasn’t just a visual reduction, it was a pain reduction. And when you’re dealing with cancer which can cause pain in so many ways, any kind of reduction is a good thing.
The balm that I made was based primarily on one ingredient, calendula. I chose calendula because in my studies I had known it to be a highly effective anti-inflammatory herb and also extremely gentle. The research that I undertook to establish its use in radiation-induced dermatitis also showed that it had been proven to be effective.
After completing my degree and going into private practice, I started to play around with the calendula balm and see what else I could add to improve it. I formulated in other anti-inflammatory herbs including chamomile, lavender and rosehip. I also wanted to make it even more nourishing and so added jojoba oil, shea butter and cocoa butter. And I wanted to increase the skin-healing benefits and so included evening primrose oil and vitamin e. This balm was eventually named Ultimate SOS Balm, so-called for its ability to calm, soothe and nourish pretty much any skin upset.
Since perfecting this product, it’s gone on to win awards and many 5 star reviews. But it wasn’t until the weekend just gone that I saw physical evidence of how it is able to help radiation burn for the first time in a long time. This was provided by a very brave woman named Lily who had been gifted the Ultimate SOS Balm by her Aunt to use whilst she undertook radiation for post-operative breast cancer. I openly wept at the memories raised and then with pride. It reminded me that this is why I do what I do. I love not only that it helped reduce the pain and redness for Lily (in fact there was no redness at all – see images below), but that there were no chemicals, preservatives or unnatural ingredients entering Lily’s body that could potentially further compromise her health.
Cancer is complicated but if you can make just a few small changes, choosing natural and organic wherever possible, you might help to ease the burden, and maybe even shorten the cancer journey.
We are all told that we need to wash our face regularly to keep it healthy. But how do we know if we’re doing it right? Cleansing too frequently, with too harsh a cleanser and using the wrong methods, could be making skin issues worse.
We step you through the reasoning behind cleansing, which cleanser and exfoliant to choose for your skin, and how to use them to the best effect.
I am often being asked for my naturopathic advice when it comes to supplements: what should I take to help my skin? Will supplements make any difference to my particular issue?
Supplements can definitely be helpful when you are not getting sufficient nutrients in your diet but I always recommend looking to food first as its often better absorbed and comes with many more beneficial nutrients.
Having said this I do take a handful of supplements to help with my skin and immune system on a daily basis and so I thought I’d share with you what I take and why.
We get so many great questions about how best to use our products and one of the most recent ones is whether or not I should be using the Lime Caviar Eye Crème or the Brightening Eye + Skin Serum for around my eyes.
