Posted by Tina - Kettle Care Botanicals Staff Member on Sep 6th 2024
Taking Care of Your Skin During Cancer
How to Care for Your Skin During Cancer Treatment (Tina’s recent experiences)
Cancer treatment takes a toll on your whole body—including your skin, as I learned during my recent journey. Chemotherapy often causes rashes, itching, and dryness. Thankfully, the right skin care regimen can help ease these side effects, so you can feel a bit more like yourself again.
At Kettle Care, we believe skin care should be self-care. Nourishing your skin is crucial to your overall wellness—especially when you’re facing health challenges. This is our/my guide to caring for your skin, nails, and lips while undergoing cancer treatment.
Skin Care
Chemotherapy can make your skin more vulnerable to infections, especially if it breaks from wounds, surgical incisions, or rashes. These breaks in the skin are at a higher risk of infection during chemo because your immune system is already compromised. Rashes can occur randomly—just as they do in people without cancer—but cancer treatments increase the risk. You are more likely to experience allergic reactions to the various medications, surgical tapes, and other materials used during your care as I have experienced recently.
To help soothe and protect your skin, consider using products specifically designed to address these issues. Kettle Care’s all-natural Itch Ease Creme and Renaissance Creme are handcrafted with soothing botanicals—like organic Aloe Vera, Jojoba, and Evening Primrose—to help relieve itchy and rash-prone skin.
Hand and Nail Care
During cancer treatment, it is extremely important to wash your hands and use hand sanitizers frequently to prevent infections—especially after spending time in medical facilities where germs are more prevalent. However this routine can leave your hands dry, cracked, and irritated and can even cause dermatitis.
Products like Kettle Care’s Firefighter’s Hand Creme or Worker’s Hand Creme offer deep hydration and intense protection, helping to restore your skin’s natural barrier.
Chemotherapy can also damage your nails and cuticles, leaving them brittle or deformed—sometimes even causing them to lift from the nail bed. Apply Renaissance Creme to soften your cuticles and keep your nails hydrated, reducing the risk of painful injuries.
Lip Care
Some chemotherapy drugs cause severe dry mouth, which can lead to painfully chapped lips. Products like Kettle Care’s fan-favorite Environmental Barrier Lip Balm can be a lifesaver, keeping your lips hydrated throughout treatment.
Choosing the Right Products
When selecting skin care products during cancer treatment, look for natural, healthy ingredients that will nourish, heal, and support your skin—like Calendula, Witch Hazel, Lavender, and…pretty much all of the ingredients listed on Kettle Care products.
Remember, caring for your skin is an important part of supporting your overall health during cancer treatment. By choosing the right products and being proactive about your skin care, you can help manage the side effects of treatment.
But the best part of skin care is the time it requires—time dedicated to caring for yourself. Loving yourself. Nourishing yourself. At a time when you feel at war with your own body, these moments make all the difference. This has helped my skin to endure chemotherapy and made me feel self confident with smooth and healthy skin.
Yours truly, Tina