Breast Cancer & All Cancer treatment effects on the skin...

Posted by Judy! on 3rd Oct 2014

I have to say this month can be a hard one, but I have learned to celebrate and cherish lives regained and the memory of those who fought the good fight. With much gratitude, we have lost very few!!!

We have had 3 women go through breast cancer treatment in our organization and countless friends, family and customers as well. We pray for a cure, but in the meantime, we have learned ways to help the skin during treatment and reconstruction...and to help ease the skin discomfort that can occur during this time.

My very dear friend Chris Anderson, (who fought the good fight and at the same time touched thousands of lives), helped me to get things going with Merino Skin Care products from the beginning. After moving to Arizona, Chris was diagnosed with breast cancer. We were determined to fight this thing head on and that, she courageously did. She also was the one who tried all of our products for different issues during the time she went through chemotherapy, radiation and reconstruction...and many surgical procedures. This is how we know what we know today to help others through these challenging times...

1) Because the skin can become very dry from the drugs used during Chemotherapy you should give extra attention to your skin by slathering the Merino Lanolin Skin Cream all over your body with special attention to the extremities.

2) The lips may become cracked at the edges and generally very dry. Use our Lanolin Lip balm for healing and keeping your lips maintained. There is no taste, it lasts and has a waterproof effect. This will help immensely when sleeping when drooling may occur. Often individual will keep a lip balm by their bedside to coat the lips, cuticles and any rough areas on the fingers, cuts or sores. There are wonderful ingredient that help to heal...Vitamin E, Aloe Vera, Jojoba...along with Lanolin and Beeswax.

3) Using our Lanolin Soap with Vitamin E and Aloe Vera, is not only a wonderful soap to clean with, it is ultra moisturizing and gentle. No smell and will not dry your skin out. This is very important as most soaps will leave your skin dry and this only exacerbates dry skin.

4) During radiation treatment we found the Lanolin Delicate Skin Oil with Vitamin E to be extremely soothing and healing right after the radiation has been done. Also, our Aloe Vera Gel is very soothing along with the maintenance of the Lanolin Skin Cream. The oil is used on very harsh burns and can be used on an open wound...it does not burn. The oil is not greasy because the particles are very small and because it is lanolin with vit. e...it penetrates deep and is pleasant to use. No smell with this one either.

5) If you are undergoing reconstruction and/or have had surgeries performed, the Delicate Skin Oil with Vit. e is wonderful to use on incisions/scars. It helps to soften the skin and to help the wound in the healing process. Chris used to rub it on her scar tissue and around the port she had at one time. Each time she had the radiation done (34 in all) she would rub her chest with the Delicate Skin Oil...her skin always looked good a felt good.

6) When going through reconstruction surgery for her breasts...we had a girls weekend. Chris was sharing my bed and while we were talking she started scratching her breasts like crazy. I asked her what was wrong. She said that she had just got her "pump up" that day and that every time she did that they would itch like crazy. Well, I told her to get up and go slather the Merino Lanolin Skin Cream all over her boobs (of course that is how I would have said it to her). She did it, slipped back into bed and voula no more itching. We were amazed...but it made complete sense. The skin wanted to stretch...it had just been pumped up...the lanolin penetrated the skin, added the right moisture and no more itching! Wow...we were on to another something and it just goes on and on.

Now many of our plastic surgeons use our lanolin cream for
pre-breast augmentation, reconstruction surgeries and post. Their beautiful breast jobs no longer develop stretch marks...makes sense...also those pregnant girlies...no stretch marks...plus they all feel so much better sans the itching!!

So many more discoveries along the way, but this really isn't rocket science...we just add good moisturizers that actually work. Lanolin goes in deeper because it's the closest oil to human oil, stays in longer and provides a good barrier effect in the skin without clogging it. They call it the "Barrier" cream in New Zealand and Downunder. Then we add some healers like Vit. E, Aloe Vera and Jojoba...and a good humectant like purified mineral oil and vegetable glycerin! It just works!

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to give us a call. We love to help.

Again, Take good care, Judy!