2018 0321 Treat Yo'self: Skincare Woes and How to Fix Them

It's been a busy time over here at DrJ Central. I have so much to tell you that I'm going to write two posts today! This one is about skincare while in treatment. See, I started my new chemo regimen, which is a combination of Irinotecan and Vectibix. I think I explained this last time but just in case you're tuning in only today, here's the down-low: Irinotecan gives you all the "typical" chemo side effects - hair loss, nausea, tummy troubles, fatigue. It's an oft used first (in Europe) or second (in the US) line therapy for colorectal cancer patients. I used it very briefly four years ago, and it was a successful cycle for me. At the time,  I only had a couple of tiny lung nodules after treatment and so we just watched for several months. At that time, I also took Erbitux, a biological agent rather than a chemical (chemo) therapy. It's very similar to the panitumumab (Vectibix) that I'm taking now. The side effects for this one are really fun: an acne-like rash that spreads over your face, neck, chest, scalp, and upper back. Oh, and you can't use any of your regular skincare, because you're not allowed to have any salicylic acid or similar AND if there's alcohol in your lotions, creams, serums or whatever, it will burn you like FIRE ON A REALLY HOT DAY (spoiler alert: almost every skincare product has alcohol in it, including stuff for eczema). And your skin is really dry and scaly and itchy and fragile. I didn't have acne troubles or skin problems as a teen and all I have to say to all the millions of people who have dealt with stuff: I'M SO SORRY! I didn't know how terrible it is! I didn't make fun of anyone or anything like that but I didn't really feel badly for anyone, either. Mostly - I've told you worse - I just wanted the chance to pop their zits. So, sorry about that, everyone and I totally get it now! Here is a recent picture of my face, so you can see for yourself what this drug does.  So far, I have been able to keep the rash from completely overtaking my face, but it's just a matter of time. My scalp is really awful - itchy and scabbed (thank goodness that my hair covers it up!) and check out my neck (I'm gonna go ahead and blame the treatments for my old lady neck in general - that's okay, right?)! It's now oozing blood in a couple of places and looks like I've been cut by little razors. I'm going to have to invest in some tear away collars or something if I don't get that to stop! (Someone file this under my list of million dollar ideas?) 

I know that some of my readers are fellow patients and also take panitumumab. If you do, I have good news for you! Because I am a beauty product junkie, I HAVE found some items that actually help a lot with the dry, flaky skin without burning! For reals! Behold, the items I have discovered for us all (I feel like a pioneer, or an astronaut. Or a wanna-be teenybopper who never gave up her love of makeup and fun stuff that promises to make you glow, sparkle, and so on): 

 

Okay, here's what we have, and before I begin, please know that I only buy vegetarian (I prefer vegan but sometimes I use products with honey) products that don't test on animals. I think I've used up my animal testing chip on all of my cancer treatments, so I try not to do additional harm. Anyhoo.  On the left is SW Basics Original Cream. All that it has in it is (all organic) olive oil, coconut oil, and shea butter. THAT'S IT! It does NOT burn and it DOES make a huge difference for the dry skin. Best of all? It's at Target and cost about $8. 

In the middle is Bliss Fabulips Sugar Lip Scrub. I don't use it on my lips. I decided to try it as a gentle exfoliant for my face, and guess what? It works! Because it's a lip product, it's much more gentle than body exfoliators and it doesn't have a bunch of weird ingredients. I don't have the list with me (I'm at the airport in DC), but you can check out the details of the product by clicking on the picture above. It's basically some sugar and powdered walnut shells in shea butter. And it smells like cookies! I just take a tiny finger full and apply it to my face where everything is super flaky: for me, that's my forehead, my neck and chest, and (the one that drives me craziest) my eyelids. Then, I gently rinse. It's okay if you don't get it all off because it's nice and buttery, and even though does have the exfoliants in them, they're superfine. Best of all? It doesn't hurt, even a little. Give it a try! It is around $15 and you can buy it online but I found it at Target (#TargetForTheWin!) I follow up with the SW Basics cream. 

The last picture has a couple of things to help your poor face. The little brown container is a mix of calendula oil, olive oil, and one other oil, plus a tiny drop of lavender in it. We have a little shop here in Denver called Zero - it's a zero waste product store in the new Stanley Marketplace and has all sorts of great containers, plus detergents, soaps, and so on to fill those little containers up, plus things like reusable lunch bags, bamboo toothbrushes, and (I am NOT suggesting you try this) reusable toilet paper?! Anyway, I went in and told the owner, Lindsey, that I needed something to help moisturize my face without any weird ingredients, and this is what she mixed up for me (this is my travel size - I keep it in my purse - but I have a bigger one, too), and it's great! It smells nice, it doesn't hurt, and it has helped keep my neck from becoming a total catastrophe. So, trot over to Zero and tell Lindsey or Maggie that I sent you. They will help you out. The lotion is an organic night cream I found at a random grocery store, and honestly, I was excited about it at first but now that I've found the SW Basics cream, I'm not as into this cream because it does sting a little bit. But it's a good backup and I'm a big advocate of rotating what you use on your face so that your skin doesn't get tired of it and stop responding. The little bottle is Biossance's squalene oil (used to be called The Revitalizer). It's made from sugar cane and that's basically all that's in it. It's lighter than the creams and even the oil mix, and it has a tiny sweet scent. It works well, and I especially like to use it on my most delicate skin - my eyelids - because it feels great and it doesn't hurt if it gets in your eye. I've used this product for several years and it's an anti-aging product as well, so that makes me happy because, ya know, I might have colon cancer and thus am an old lady in many ways but I don't want to look 89! They have a bunch of products now but this is the pure stuff. The little one is a sample that they sent me for free, but I have a bigger one, too. It runs around $50, which I know isn't in everyone's budget, but if it's in yours and you're missing your anti-aging skin regimen, give this a try! The final product is Koh Gen Do's Spa Water Cleansing Wipes. They use miscellular water to clean your face. I don't really know what that is, but I do like it. This is the best product I've found for make-up removal. You can also buy just the water, which I have as well, but the wipes are good for traveling and for when you need to reapply your makeup in the middle of the day because you started crying (Yeah, I cry a lot - you have a problem with that? Let's just all take a minute and be thankful that I also take Effexor and thus my crying incidents are greatly reduced) or because your various skin issues erupted unexpectedly. The wipes are thick and soft and it really only takes one, no matter how much makeup you have on, including mascara. So, all in all, a pretty terrific product. Don't buy these on Amazon - Sephora has the lowest prices and the best service! One time on Amazon, it took weeks because they sent it from South Korea...and then when it arrived, it was missing a packet of wipes! Boo, Amazon. 

***WAIT WAIT WAIT ***


Skincare fixes, Part Two! 
After I wrote this initial post, I realized that I forgot several of my most favorite things because they were at home and I was traveling and also because chemo brain. So here is a short but important addendum! 

The red container is the soap I use in the shower - Weleda Pomegranate Creamy Body Wash. I think there are different flavors or whatever (lavender or tea tree maybe, in a lavender and then a green or yellow tube?) but I the pomegranate b/c it barely smells at all - chemo makes me really, really sensitive to smells - and what it smells like is not at all floral or perfume-y. Also, this line is made for babies with sensitive skin and it really is creamy and not hard on your skin even a little bit. Buy it at some Targets, Whole Foods, and Amazon (that’s where I get mine). 

Next: the tan and blue packet is Aveeno Colloidal Oatmeal Bath Soak. My medical team told me not to take hot baths but, um, I love hot baths and also this new regimen is fucking with my body temperature so that when I get cold, I can't get warm again and a hot very warm bath is the only thing that really works. So this gives me a good reason to take that bath for BONA FIDE REASONS, not just to be a delinquent, because it's made for babies and regular people with eczema and other skin problems. It helps your skin rehydrate! The Aveeno is at Target, most well stocked drug stores, and on Amazon. Look in the baby section if you are looking and can’t find it at Target. It comes in a brown box of five or six.

Finally and most importantly, the Makeup Eraser! This little baby is a miracle (small m) towel and I'm not kidding. All you do is add water and rub it very, very gently over your face. It will feel like you are rubbing the tiniest, most tender baby bunnies over yourself but fear not, it is a vegan product. Yes, just gently pat or rub and voilà! your face will be clean, somewhat exfoliated, and it even might feel happy. To keep it clean, all you do is add a dab of soap or makeup remover to the towel if there is mascara or bb cream (see below) and give a quick rinse in cold water. Hang to dry and do it all again that night, and then the next morning and so on. If you live somewhere humid, you might be bold and throw it in the dryer for just a few minutes to make sure that it doesn’t smell like mildew. (I hate that.) If you want to use the dryer but are also maybe a little lazy and do not like to do Laundry Type Things unless you really have to, you can buy a mini-three pack of these towels. They are smaller but there are three and they come in happy colors and besides, I only use a corner of my big original towel anyway. Since there are three in the pack, you can even look like you are being very generous and gifting your tween or teen child (boy or girl - they both need one because oil and hormones and acne and whatnot) a lovely and unexpected gift and still have two more all to yourself! Once again, Amazon to the rescue (note: the three-pack one on Amazon says that it's a two pack in the title but the picture shows and the actual package includes three towels)! Are you sensing a trend? I don’t like going to stores. I have been trying to go to stores more often though when my agoraphobia is being agreeable because I know that shopping local is important and also fun.

So, that's my whirlwind tour of skincare during crappy cancer treatments. Oh, I should also throw in that I use Tarte BB cream to cover everything up, and it works like a dream. It is moisturizing but it's not oily (so it doesn't slick you up after all those creams), and if you apply it right after you slather all the oils on your face, it blends really nicely and you barely need to use any. Also, it's vegan! Since I am 90% vegan (the other 10% is eggs and marine life), I prefer to purchase vegan products and I think I wrote somewhere around here that I've used up all of my animal testing chips on cancer treatments. Anyway, I love Tarte makeup generally - great lip stuff, blush, and even mascara. It's on Sephora. My other favorite make-up is Origins - their mascara is really nice and easy to remove, which is key when your eyelashes are falling out! Plus they are very environmentally friendly, don't test on animals, and use most (all? can't remember) plant-based ingredients. Phew. 

Stay tuned - I'll have another post later tonight. For now, everyone hope that my flight leaves on time! Catch you on the flip side - 

xoxo