Beauty products I used & loved during and after chemo
As we all know, chemo comes with tons of physical side effects. To name a few - loss of your hair (and not just on your head), changes to your hair texture and color, changes to how your skin reacts to certain things, increased skin sensitivity to the sun, intense constipation, weight gain and loss, the list goes on. Below are some of my favorite beauty products that helped me feel more confident during treatment, and some that I’ve discovered in the past year and a half as I’ve been healing from it!
Hair products - my hair has always grown pretty fast, but I do think some of the below helped it to grow even faster. Always check with your doctor before taking any supplements!! I started taking supplements after chemo ended as that is what my doctor recommended.
10,000mcg Biotin - Again, ask your doctor and do your own research, but Biotin definitely helped my hair grow very quickly! I took one a day for about a year.
CEL MD shampoo and conditioner. I honestly don’t know if this had an impact in my hair growing quickly, but I also used shampoo and conditioner this for about a year once my hair started growing back. It’s backed by science and made for thinning hair to boost follicle recovery.
Prose shampoo and conditioner. Okay, this stuff I LOVE! My hair texture and characteristics have completely changed since chemo. It’s much thicker, no longer stick straight, and has tons more volume. Prose is completely custom for your own hair based on texture, where you live, how you style it, and more. I’ve just recently started using Prose and it is the only shampoo and conditioner that has made my hair feel normal and easy to style again.
Makeup products - prior to chemo, I only knew how to the very basics of makeup. I didn’t even put on concealer, but I wanted to brighten up my face and still feel beautiful during chemo so these products definitely helped.
Thrive Causemetics mascara! I was lucky enough to not lose all my eyelashes, but they thinned out a ton and I probably had half of the amount during chemo. This mascara is magic, it really does make it look like you have more hair follicles than you really do. They also give back with every purchase and all of their products are incredible too! I also use their eyeliner and setting powder.
Benefit Cosmetics Hoola Bronzer. You never really think that you’ll be needing to bronze your bald head, but it helps to even out the color from your head to your face when you put makeup on. This bronzer is wonderful and blends perfectly. My head had of course never seen the light of day before I shaved it, so I would always put sunscreen and then this bronzer on so it would match my face color.
Becca cosmetics highlighter. Chemo or not - BUY THIS!! This highlighter is amazing, brightens up your skin so much and looks so natural. It also lasts forever so very worth the purchase. I use the shade Opal, but they have tons of options.
Skin products! Taking care of your skin is more important than ever. Not only can the drugs affect how your skin reacts, but stress causes breakouts too so we need to take care of ourselves even more now.
Vegan Milk cleanser - This face wash is wonderful - it feels so smooth and nourishing on your skin and it has really helped with my breakouts. It can be used for any skin type and uses really great ingredients, like oat milk, argan milk, and, aloe vera. (who knew you could make milk from so many things!)
Supergoop Glowscreen SPF 40 - Your skin is extra sensitive to the sun during chemo, so you need to wear sunscreen every single day. This tinted sunscreen and primer helps to brighten your face with shimmer undertones and protects your skin from the sun! So easy to apply and leaves you looking beautiful and glowy!
Fabulips lip scrub - My lips were so chapped during chemo treatment, I needed something to help smooth them out. This lip scrub is a random purchase, but it makes your lips feel so smooth and gets rid of all the dead dry skin.
I hope some of these make you feel as beautiful on the outside as you are on the inside! It’s time to take care of yourself as much as you can. Self-care is one of the most important things we can do, especially when you’re going through such a stressful time.
xo,
Maddy