Breast Cancer: Help your skin heal post surgery and therapy.
We love infusing our oils and are always delighted when customers report back telling us they make a difference.
One application that discovered us, rather than the other way round, was the use of our natural organic herbal infused oils to help support patients around cancer treatments involving surgical scarring, skin dryness and irritation following radiotherapy and chemotherapy. With no added preservatives, stabilisers, emulsifiers or synthetic chemicals they are a great natural, fresh and locally made product to explore further.
Many who undergo treatment suffer with tender, slow healing scars, dry, itching and sensitive skin for a variety of reasons. Some causes are simply explained below, but this is a very general account and many conditions are far more complex. (So, as always, we remind you this information is educational only and in no way used to recommend a diagnosis or treatment for cancer or thereafter and you should always consult your health practitioner).
- Surgery; Surgical scar healing Treating patients with cancer involves multiple modalities, all of which impact their ability to heal wounds. common side effects are slow wound healing.
- Chemotherapy uses drugs that target and kill rapidly dividing cells. Since skin cells also divide rapidly they can be affected too. Dry, rough, flaky skin is often a side effect of chemotherapy drugs for two main reasons: 1) the drugs destroy new skin cells; and 2) the drugs interfere with the normal function of your skin’s naturally moisturising and protective oil and sweat glands. Extreme dehydration may manifest in affected areas, resulting in a range of side effects, from painful cracks that may or may not bleed, to intense itching, redness.
- Radiation therapy can cause mild to severe skin reactions, including itchiness and redness, peeling and flaking, and even permanent scarring and pigmentation of the treated area
There are many ways to help alleviate the symptoms and here are some tried and tested options we suggest.
Pippettes Frankincense Infused Oil – Frankincense resin is infused in organic sweet almond oil and vitamin E for over 6 months to create this light, easily absorbed anti inflammatory and moisturising oil. It has a lovely, delicate fragrance of frankincense. Ideal for gentle, all over breast massage pre and post surgery to soften the skin and help acclimatise to massage techniques you could continue thereafter. It’s a wonderful body and face oil too, and an excellent anti-inflammatory oil for areas of dry skin, itching and redness.
When used together with our Pippettes Calendula Infused Oil (infused in organic sweet almond with vitamin E) the combination helps target a wider range of conditions, whereby the oils not only heal and nourish but the Calendula extracts have a lymph regulating function and can help reduce swelling and stagnation around the site.
Gotu Kola infused oil in coconut or sweet almond oil is one of the the ultimate scar healers in the herb world. We grow this herb on the farm and like Calendula, it’s always freshly infused herb, so at it’s most potent. Gently applying along the line of a closed and healed scar can produce an impressive improvement very quickly. Alternatively, or additionally, it can be applied on a warm cloth – as a warm compress to penetrate more quickly. Calendula infused oil can be mixed with the oil in equal parts. Applied with Calendula and Frankincense infused oils it’s the best combination for itchy, red and potentially thinning skin that needs to be soothed, heal, regenerate and strengthen.
Why not give them a try?
We offer these oils from 30ml of each oil. The oils can be combined, used separately or added to your favourite current lotions and balms.
All information is for educational purposes only and is not recommending any kind of treatment protocol or diagnosis. Always consult your health practitioner prior to taking herbs. Cease use if irritation occurs. Always patch test. For more information please contact our Medical Herbalist, Elaine Everitt.