Does anyone have any advice on beauty and health products to use going through chemo? Particularly mouthwash and face creams. There’s so many nasty additives and chemicals in everything which I’m sure must irritate sensitive mouths and skin? I normally use Liz Earle products but their face creams don’t have SP factors although I guess I could use a sun screen cream over the top. I’m very aware now of all the advice re sensitivity when having chemo and trying to prepare myself before I start first treatment next week 😳 Going to collect my hairpiece today too xx
Love and Best wishes to everyone on this site my thoughts are with you all
Claire xxx
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Hi, I’ve had a ulcers at times during chemo treatment and still occasionally get sore mouth now I’m on Avastin. I use Difflam mouthwash twice a day as recommended by my hospital and can get it on prescription and find it really helps x
I was recommended this by my dentist.It is very good.I didn't realise that you could get it on prescription.I know it was quite expensive for a mouthwash.
I use Tropic and Green People for all my beauty care products now. They score really well on the “Think Dirty” app for not containing any nasties. I think you’d need to use separate sunscreen with both brands, but both offer suncreams which are also free from the bad stuff.
Hi Claire. I'd generally look for 'sensitive' , baby and/or organic stuff. Maybe the 'simple' brand too although have not used that one myself. Unfortunately I can't provide too many useful specifics, since I suspect the brands differ between Germany and the UK.
Good starting points:
- the Oncovia website, for inspiration
- the free 'Look good, feel better' workshop (free bag full of suitable cosmetics)
Here's what I stocked my cupboards with, in relevance to your question:
- factor 50 sunscreen for sensitive skin and lip balm, from the pharmacy
- sensitive / free from... deodorant (forget the brand)
Many thanks. I’ve signed up for the Look Good Feel Better day but it’s not till May 7th. My daughter bought me some Seabands in a special care package she gave me for Mother’s Day. I’ts all so complicated isn’t it when you first start investigating everything?!
The Look Good Feel Better Day is brilliant and excellent top quality beauty products. The first time I started taking time with my appearance again after gruelling chemo, hair loss and sepsis. Came out feeling and I thought looking a million dollars but my husband didn't even notice! Nothing could deflate me though. Do hope you make it.
Lol Typical man?! That’s great to have a workshop that seems to help so much. I’m naturally blonde ( although interspersed with grey nowadays) and very fair skinned and the one bit of makeup I rely on is dark mascara so I’m dreading losing eyelashes and hoping they can give me some help on applying some false ones?! Glad you enjoyed yours so much
Hi Claire, I too use Liz Earle products but unfortunately they don’t include a sun screen product in the range, at least not one that I can find. I use a high factor screen on all exposed areas in summer, factor 30 elsewhere and factor 30 the rest of the year. I find children’s sunscreens really suit me as they are very gentle. I also used and still use baby products for showering, again they’re gentle. You may find you need to moisturise more than before, chemo can be very drying. I had no issues with ulcers or soreness in my mouth, your oncologist should be able to advise on the best mouthwash should you need one. I hope your treatment goes well and is successful, happy hair shopping ❤️Xx Jane
Am I being dense but are you saying you use sunscreen under clothes too? I must admit I was sitting out in the sun when we had a couple of nice days last week and could feel it burning on my scar so I got a towel and covered my stomach area so I guess we do need to be so careful?!
I bought my new hair! I’ve resigned myself to the fact that I’ve just got to suck it up?!!
Need to get a couple of caps/ scarves now. I so didn’t want to face any of it that I’ve put everything off till the last minute but at least that gave me a couple of weeks of pretending!
I wear sunscreen under light tops in warm weather, in winter not so much. I have always had really dry skin and am really freckley so have always had to be more aware of sun protection. We just need to be more aware. My scar seems more sensitive to heat than the rest of me even nearly 5 years on. good luck lovely, you can do this and we’re all here to help and support you ❤️Xx Jane
I’m very fair skinned but I’ve akways been a sun worshipper
and of course now I’m reprimanding myself whether that’s the cause of my OC although I know there’s absolutely no known link?!
So from now on I shall be staying firmly under an umbrella but I’m an outdoor girl, love walking my dog, have a horse too so sometimes it will be impossible to stay in the shade but I will need to be a lot more careful about covering up and using high factor sunscreen. It’s a whole new way of life but also a wake up call I guess?! Many thanks for your advice
I don't think there's any known link to the sun and if it's any consolation I never sunbathe or spend much time in the sun and yet here we are. During last summer on chemo I went and actually sat in it for a few short periods by way of a change , cos i figured staying out of it hadn't helped. And then you need Vit D so...
I should add that I only had carboplatin and I didn't go and lie in the sun, but we had a long hot summer and spells outside were nice when I felt tired and 'chemo odd'. I have no melanin so have to be a bit careful.
Oh and I just remembered my volcanic tomato face reaction on days 2-3. Someone gave me something called 'moo goo' for my face which seemed nice and mild. Expensive but lasted forever. I used Aveeno body lotion or Nivea.
I think the best advice is to stay out of the sun as much as possible. Lip salve with a SPF irritates my lips. I stick to Nivea with the dark blue top, not pink or white or any other colours.
Hi Claire, I was given a prescription by my Oncologist for a strong mouthwash which is not available over the counter & I found it very good. Unfortunately I cannot remember the name of it but it was red in colour. The makeup I use is Bare Minerals as this I was advised has no nasties in,but it is expensive. I get it from Debenhams. The girl on the counter did my face when I went to enquire about the products which was great.
Anyway I hope that you get something that is satisfactory to you. Take care.xx
The best tip I have had re make up is to use pink colours (blush and lipstick if you wear it) as it immediately helps with looking better as the chemo gives your skin a slightly yellow look.
I have also used the cold cap and have kept my hair so far (3rd chemo yesterday) though it’s not very pleasant to use.
There are quite a few sites that advise on good products to use during chemo.
I’ve looked into using the cold cap but I suffer with migraine and apparently the cap does bring on headaches? So myself and my oncologist came to the same conclusion that it could cause more problems that it’s solving
When I went in for my op I got an horrendous migraine and they were wheeling me to theatre whilst I was vomiting and in such agony that all I wanted was the anaesthetic to put me to sleep to release me from it!! At least it kept my mind off the actual op?!!
So glad the cold cap is working for you though and best wishes for the rest of your treatments
Sorry to hear that Claire yes sounds sensible to avoid anything that could bring on a migraine. I know hormone changes can be a contributing factor in migraines for some people too (professor Anne Macgregor is an expert on that if you need one).
I have continued to use the creams I used previously which is Olay, for the rest of my body I use E45 extra dry and I find it fantastic keeping my whole body soft with no dry patches.
Orally I use the same mouth wash except when I get sores mid chemo cycle and my consultant gives me Diflam which is brilliant at numbing them. Hope that helps.
Sending lots of love 💕 hugs 🤗 and positive thoughts your way xxxxx
You will get a lot from the look good feel better day it’s brilliant and the goody bag you get had brilliant products! My eyebrows and lashes loss probably upset me more than my hair to be honest as you can’t cover up they’re missing! However they really helped me to learn to draw my brows on and to disguise the lashes by using eye liner and it works! I don’t thing false lashes are great as there are no lashes to stick them too and I’d be afraid of irritating such delicate skin with glue to be honest.
The difflam mouthwash the chemo unit gives me is brilliant so I’d stick with that as anything with alcohol in will dry your mouth out and cause more problems x
Good luck with your treatment sweetie and remember be kind to yourself x
I never thought I’d look forward to anything that’s connected with this nasty OC but can’t wait for my LGFB day now?!! I just had a link come up for false lashes that you can apply without glue just has a small mesh to stick on but I’d be scared the whole time that one would come off and I wouldn’t know?! And as you say glue sounds too severe.
I lost my hair 1st lot of chemo, when it grew back I used Biofresh tea tree oil shampoo (no chemicals, from EBAY)) and my hair was OK. Maybe a coincidence but worth a try. Luckily I'm now on tablets so shouldn't have a problem. All the best
Hiya Thanks for your reply. That must be such a shock to lose your hair straight away, although I guess we are all used to shocks by this stage?! I didn’t realise that I’d lose it quite so quickly, I thought it would be a gradual process over maybe 2/3 treatments but it seems quite common after one. I have my hair piece ready, need to get some caps now. Shopping is not what it used to be?! Thanks for the tea tree tip.
Hi Claire, I got a prescription from the dentist for my mouth and rinsed with salted water. For my face, I use Liz Earle but after cleanse and polish and moisturiser I use Body Shop Skin Defence. It's SPF 50 PA. I never go outside without it on.
Actually my daughter just gave me exactly that, Bodyshop skin defence SPF 50 so I’m already using it. It seems absolutely fine for for my skin atm nice and light too so I’ll carry on with it.
So, there is a thing called oil pulling. I found out about it after my first go around with Avastin and awful mouth sores. It pretty much saved me and my mouth. Here's what I do:
The first day of treatment and then next 3-4, I take about a level teaspoon of coconut oil with a dab of minty toothpaste and swish it around in my mouth for about 20 minutes to a have an hour. You will build up saliva, so you may have to spit a little out as you go. Then brush your teeth gently when you are finished.
For some reason, the oil coats and protects your tongue and mouth (and bonus, it whitens your teeth a bit too!) It can make your teeth sensitive, so I don't recommend it for more than 3-5 days at a time. And once I get through my first couple rounds I just do it for a day or two.
It may sound a little crazy, but when your mouth hurts or bleeds or blisters, you'll try anything and I did. I am back on Avastin and started this right away and I haven't had any sores (just minor irritation - and I can live with that.)
As for my face, I use a product called "All about eyes" from Clinique. I use it for my whole face, have been for years and it's very hydrating. During chemo, I wash my face and chest with "Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Foaming Scrub by Neutrogena" to keep breakouts at bay. I started to get little bumps on my neck and chest a couple treatments ago. This wash is exfoliating but not too harsh and clears up my skin within a few days.
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