Beauty Clinic: Skin-kind choices for a friend having chemo
Q Can you suggest moderately-priced skincare to help my friend who is going through chemo- and radiotherapy and experiencing dry touchy skin? A. We suggest you look at the specialist website beautydespitecancer.co.uk, which offers specially formulated products of all kinds and lots of information plus personal stories. Essentially it’s a beauty shop online with its own magazine, both aimed at people going through cancer. (NB We advise sitting down with a cup of something nice when you first visit the site: it’s not one to hurry.)
Beauty Despite Cancer was created by Jennifer Young, now in her mid-forties, married with three children, who turned her back on a successful corporate career to retrain in skincare. Her interest in the therapeutic value of essential oils, triggered when she was given eucalyptus oil during a chest infection, led to her creating a bespoke range. Then her local hospital asked if she had anything for cancer patients whose skin invariably becomes much more sensitive and reactive.
So Jennifer set about creating a range of natural products to help the millions of women going through treatment, and afterwards. The products are mid-priced e.g. Defiant Beauty Cleanse and Moisturise/£15 for 50 g, Cool and Refresh Spritz for Face and Body/£20 for 100 g, and Beauty Serum/£22.50 for 12 g.
Because facial skin gets so dry, we think facial oils are a great option and you can make your own very easily (and inexpensively), as we describe in our latest book The Ultimate Natural Beauty Bible.
We suggest the oil for Dry or Mature Skin. Simply pop the ingredients in a small screw-top jar or bottle and shake vigorously to blend. Shake again before using. NB you only need a few drops of this so it goes a long way.
Facial oil for dry skin: 1 tbs each sweet almond oil and argan oil; the contents of 2 capsules wheat germ oil; 10 drops each frankincense, sandalwood and patchouli essential oils; 15 drops neroli (orange blossom) essential oil; 5 drops clary sage essential oil.
And do send your friend our best wishes...