Health and Beauty for Post Treatment Skin

In my own quest to find help for my ever-changing skin, I happened upon some very helpful information. Britta Aragon had Hodgkin’s disease at 16 years old, and is the founder of Cinco Vidas, a web site she dedicated to her late father who also suffered from cancer. She gives an inspiring account of her young ordeal, but also tells the heartfelt story of her father’s five battles with cancer, and how it affected her as being the caretaker and not the patient.

Ms. Aragon, now in her 30’s, is dedicated to passing along the information she garnered while going through these battles. She is available for speaking engagements, and offers a treasure of helpful information on the site. Articles cover post-treatment skin conditions, mental health therapies, nutrition, and the ever-present topic of breast cancer, just to name a few.

One thing that I especially like about the site is that she talks about beauty and makeup. Most of us just go into survival mode (no pun intended) when we’re in the battle, but when it’s over and we sort of get on an even keel, we start thinking about how we look again. If you’re like me, a survivor and middle-aged, I’ll bet you’ve probably found yourself perplexed as to why certain moisturizers and cosmetics irritate your skin now. What do you do?

I found out through this site that there is a line called Miessence® that offers certified organic skin care products that won’t irritate the skin. They offer the usual three-step system – cleanse and tone, hydrate and moisturize. They also have foundation, powder, blush, and lip color. If you’re frustrated because your sensitive skin has you unwillingly abandoning your looks, give this a whirl! (They also offer hair, body and health products, too!)

I’ve been concentrating a lot on nutrition, helping the body from the inside. I have realized, however, that there are many products on the market that we put on our bodies that are harmful to us. Many of them range from sunscreens to makeup face powder, eye shadow, lipsticks, nail polish and nail polish remover. The toxic chemicals they contain can cause a host of illnesses. As a cancer patient, or survivor, you need to give your immune system all of the help it can get!

If you have an allergic reaction after applying make-up, check your applicators first. Remember to clean all make-up brushes regularly, and use throw-away sponges to apply make-up with. I am allergic to brushes, so I just use a large cotton (real cotton) ball to apply face powder.

By the way, while we are on the subject of looking better and feeling better, if you are battling depression, there was a very good article this past week on BellaOnline’s Depression site. The article has lots of great common-sense tips on ways to combat the symptoms. I really enjoyed it! I’ll add the link at the bottom of the page.

Have a blessed and healthy week!