Skincare during and after radiation

Natural tips for skin-care during and after radiation treatment

This post is in addition to the youtube video:

Natural tips for skin-care during and after radiation treatment.

It shares the recipe's I used to take care of my dear friend Peter while he was undergoing radiation (neck and throat cancer) and the discoveries we made during that process. But this post may also contain valuable information if you are going trough (or are assisting someone yourself who is going trough) radiation for any other kind of cancer - or if they are recovering from radiation.

Background information:

Peter, at age 72, underwent a major change in lifestyle to support his healing from neck and throat cancer as well as the side effects of the radiation treatments. In this video we share what we learned about healing the mouth and throat using only natural solutions.

The information in the video is based on our personal experiences. Neither of us have any degrees in medicine and we recommend you always make your own decisions based on your own research, experiences, and common sense. We suggest you compare all options (both popular and alternative) and choose that which resonates most with you. 

I work as an artist/designer and life style coach (organic lifestyle and energy consciousness) and have had many personal experiences with natural healing in my own life, which eventually led me to the path of creative life-coaching - which is why I started this blog :)

With Peter I was helping out a dear friend who was committed to a more healthier way of living to combat his neck and throat cancer as well as the side effects of the radiation treatments he was about to begin. After I arrived from Amsterdam in the US where he lives, we experimented for 6 weeks with some incredible results, as you will see in the video. 

We decided to discuss our experiences in 3 videos in total (on mouth care / skin care and healthy nutrition) after many of the doctors and nurses at the Cancer Center in Sedona (AZ), where Peter had his 8-week daily treatments, strongly recommended that we share our remarkable results with the rest of the world.

Below here you will find the recipe's from the video on natural skin care during and after radiation.

In this blog I have put links, recipe's and further explanation on the following topics: 

(I will share here with you only the things that we thought/experienced worked the best)

- Aloe vera

- Calendula oil

- Castor oil
- Calendula/Castor-oil recipe we used for healing skin during and after radiation

* PLEASE NOTE : we were not paid to endorse any of the possible products mentioned in this blog, nor were they given to me or my friend for review. These are simply the products that worked for Peter to help him get through radiation - we are merely sharing the results HE personally had with these product in the video. This blog just gives you an overview and some background information on why we chose to use certain products and in some cases where you can find them yourself.

Aloe Vera

                                          




 As said in the video we used fresh (home grown) Aloe Vera on a daily base troughout the period of radiation; it always immediately soothed and calmed down the skin and proved to be the most effective first-aid moistener we could find. To treat your own/or anyone else's skin (burns or wounds) with Aloe Vera basically follow the steps that are explained in the video or check out this easy to follow step by step explanation on wiki-how :)
http://www.wikihow.com/Use-Aloe-Vera-to-Treat-Burns

Calendula

Calendula flower

Calendula-oil (not containing any alcohol and not an essence - but an oil/ pure or either on a wheatgerm or olive oil base) is what we used for 'after care' after the aloe vera had soaked in. We mixed it up with castor oil, and together they made a powerful healing duo, with incredible results!

I only met one person in my life allergic to this plant but if you are, obviously do not use this ;) People that are allergic to daisies are often also allergic to Calendula)

 Some background info on Calendula for those interested :)

Calendula oil is still used medicinally. The oil of C. officinalis is used as an anti-inflammatory, an antitumor agent, and a remedy for healing wounds.^[7]
Plant pharmacological studies have suggested that Calendula extracts have antiviral, antigenotoxic, and anti-inflammatory properties in vitro.^[8] In herbalism, Calendula in suspension or in tincture is used topically for treating acne, reducing inflammation, controlling bleeding, and soothing irritated tissue.^[9][10] Limited evidence indicates Calendula cream or ointment is effective in treating radiation dermatitis.^[11][12] Topical application of C. officinalis ointment has helped to prevent dermatitis, pain, and missed radiation treatments in randomized trials.^[10]Calendula has been used traditionally for abdominal cramps and constipation.^[13] In experiments with rabbit jejunum, the aqueous-ethanol extract of C. officinalis flowers was shown to have both spasmolytic and spasmogenic effects, thus providing a scientific rationale for this traditional use.^[13] An aqueous extract of C. officinalis obtained by a novel extraction method has demonstrated antitumor (cytotoxic) activity and immunomodulatory properties (lymphocyte activation) in vitro, as well as antitumor activity in mice.^[8] Calendula plants can cause allergic reactions,^[14][15] and should be avoided during pregnancy. (source/wikipedia)

                                               Castor


                                     

Castor oil is a natural emollient that penetrates the skin and helps stimulate the production of collagen which can soften and hydrate the skin. It is a wonderful natural treatment for wrinkles since it restores and rejuvenates skin’s natural youthful appearance by making skin smoother, softer and pliant. Dip a small cotton ball into the oil and apply it on wrinkled skin before going to bed. Use only a small amount of oil when applying it to the skin near the eyes. - See more at: http://thetreatmentherbs.com/useful-seeds-of-the-castor-plant/#sthash.WzQWmGEg.dpCastor oil originates from the seed Ricinus communis, otherwise known as the Palma Christi or the castor oil plant.Some of the older generation were often forced to take a tablespoon by their mothers in an attempt to keep them healthy and by all accounts still remember the ghastly incidents to this day. Not only is castor oil incredibly cleansing but it seems to be able to heal the body in various ways, whether it be a cellular disfunction or an external skin condition.

Castor oil is quite amazing and has been used as medicine for many causes throughout history - the list seems endless! :)

In mainstream medicine castor oil is used (amongst others) in as a way to deliver chemotherapy drugs to cancerous tumors. The reason why it does this so well (bringing medicines to tumors) is that it deeply penetrates skin and so, if mixed up with anything else, it 'carries ' this other element with itself as well :) This is also why I wouldn't recommend using anything chemical like non-organic make-up or commercial creams on top or together with castor oil..;)

Also, just like with Calendula, some people may be sensitive to Castor oil, so before rubbing it everywhere right away, just try a little bit on your skin and see how this spot reacts, if it starts itching, castor oil is not for you. I also personally do not recommend using it pure as it is very think and greasy, but slightly diluted mixed with another healing (and thinner) oil or natural ingredient this oil is really amazing!

So to mention a few things castor has been helping people with troughout the past:
(either taken orally / used as a pack / or as a direct skin-care oil)
there are rapports out there saying castor has been used to

• Increases eliminations
• Stimulates the liver
• Dissolves and removes adhesions
• Dissolves and removes lesions
• Relieves pain
• Releases colon impaction
• Reduces nervous system
• Stimulates the gall bladder
• Incoordinations reducing toxemia
• Reduces flatulence
• Increases lymphatic circulation
• Improves intestinal assimilation
• Balances eliminations
• Reduces inflammation
• Increases relaxation
• Dissolves lacteal duct circulation
• Reduces swelling
• Stimulates the caecum (yup, had to google that!)
• Reduces nausea
• Coordinates liver function
• Stimulates organs and glands

 Castor oil can help heal sunburn immediately by rubbing the oil directly on the burn.
It has the same cooling sensation as aloe, and its ricinoleic acid will protect any burn-induced blisters that come from infection-causing bacteria and conquer inflammation.

It is also been used effectively by many to treat smaller scars or blemishes. To do so use a piece of cloth (something soft and absorbing like cotton flannel), and dab the oil modestly directly onto the intended spot - leave the oil on for as long as possible — like overnight, if possible. Be sure to wear your old pyjamas though since castor can leave annoying stains on your favourite clothes.

You can also soak an entire piece of cloth in castor oil and use it as a very healing oil-pack exactly where you need it, you can re-use a castor pack over 30 times! This also works well on muscle-ache and deep blockages like a painful stiff neck.

Castor oil pack

You need:

* Castor oil
* Plastic wrap cut 1-2″ larger than the flannel (can be cut from a plastic bag)
* Hot water bottle* Three layers of undyed wool or cotton flannel large enough to cover the affected area
* Container with lid
* Old clothes and sheets. Castor oil stains clothing and bedding.
Place the cloth in the container. Soak it in castor oil until saturated, but not dripping. Place the pack over the affected body part. Cover with plastic. Place the hot water bottle over the pack. Leave it on for 45-60 minutes. Rest while the pack is in place. After removing the pack, cleanse the area with a dilute solution of water and baking soda. Store the pack in the covered container in the refrigerator. Each pack may be reused up to 25-30 times. It is generally recommended that a castor oil pack be used for 3 to 7 days in a week to treat a health condition or for detoxification.”
(recipe from modernalterenativehealth.com)

I personally use it to heal scars and successfully treated eczema with it (mixed 2/1 with calendula oil) and it is my fav make-up remover (1 part castor/ 2 parts apricot seed oil) and after that wash my face with oat-water or cammomile-water hmmmm :)

Calendula/Castor-oil recipe we used for healing skin
during and after radiation

So really it is very simple - like said in the video I would just mix 2 parts of castor oil and one part of Calendula oil together in a little glass bowl and then apply it directly to the skin (in our case we would always use the aloe vera first and the oil mix after the also had fully been absorbed by the skin).

I once more do recommend to test these oils first separately on a little part of your skin (and wait 12 hours) to make sure you are not allergic to either one of them. It really doesn't happen often that anyone is - but just imagine going trough radiation, or being badly sunburned, and having a rash on top of that :S - so please avoid hasty actions ;)

If you do not feel any itching or burning after your test - you are good to go and enjoy the super-healing effects of this delicious mix :)Happy healing!


:)