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.
The skin on our bodies is often neglected as we tend to focus on our face and figure our bodies will just look after themselves. Big mistake!
Because our skin is our largest organ and most of what we put on it gets absorbed, choosing high-quality products for the body is so very important. They need to be 100% natural and as organic as possible, to avoid causing skin reactions, disrupting our hormones, and not adding to the toxin burden on our liver.
There are also some simple things you can do to look after your body that will reduce dryness, stop eczema from flaring up and keep it glowing.
The summer holidays are almost here and for many of us it's time to think about packing our bags for a little time away, if not a little time out. When I'm packing for our 2 week annual beach holiday it has to be simple and light-weight. I don’t have the space nor the time to spend hours on my skin and so I make sure to only include products which will keep my skin in top shape, quick smart.
