Today is World Cancer Awareness Day and marks the second year of the “I Am and I Will” campaign. To celebrate and support the resilience of all those who have fought or are fighting cancer, this campaign is all about the small ways you can help by creating change and spreading awareness.
In my experience, when supporting someone fighting the disease, it really is the little actions that matter. With that in mind, here are six beauty tips for cancer patients you can follow to make yourself or someone you know who is fighting cancer feel more like themselves again.
1. Keep Up Your Skin Routine
As treatment can dry-out your skin, sticking to your cleansing and moisturising routine is a must. I’d recommend using a daily cleanser and moisturiser as religiously as possible (if anything, the routine of it will be familiar and comforting), while applying a thicker cream overnight.
Have you tried the Noabay Detox Illuminating Micellar Water or the BYBI Strawberry Booster from our January box? They'd work a treat!
2. Make Your Eyes Pop
Brightening your eyes is the easiest way of making yourself look and feel healthier. If your lashes have fallen out because of treatment, you can use eyeliner to create the illusion of lashes. Work an eyeliner pencil along your lash line, then gently smudge. The Eyeko Fat Eye Stick is easily to apply and blends effortlessly. Check out our tutorial here.
Insider Tip: If you still have lashes, they may be quite fragile. I’d recommend using a gentle remover to take off your makeup without pulling out any sensitive lashes. Apply the remover to cotton pads, leaving them over your eyes for a few minutes, before wiping with care.
3. Frame Your Face
If treatment has caused you to lose your eyebrows, I’d recommend drawing them on again with an eyebrow pencil. Choose a shade similar to your natural colour and try to follow your natural shape so that your new brows frame your face as they previously would have.
I’d recommend the award-winning Brow Power Universal Eyebrow Pencil from IT Cosmetics. Its universal tint allows you to recreate the natural colour of your brows. Simply apply more or less pressure to build a lighter or darker shade.
4. Create A Soft And Smooth Complexion
Cancer treatments can also cause red splotches to appear on your skin. If you want to hide any patchiness, it's best to use a green or yellow-tinted concealer and follow with foundation. Yellow and greens hues will counterbalance any redness, giving you a fresh-looking complexion.
I'd recommend the NYX Professional Makeup 3C Palette Color Correcting Concealer. It's got all the shades of concealer you need.
5. Make Yourself Smile
Treatment can dry out your lips, so I’d recommend applying a quick coat of moisturising lipstick. For a casual day look, opt for a neutral or light pink colour (the L.OV. Color & Care Lipstick Matte in Nude Devotion is a great choice!). If you need to boost your spirits, though, nothing helps like a flashy shade of pink, like the L.O.V The Fateful Lacquer Lip Stain in Dewy Infinity.
6. Colourful Nails Are Key
Here's one of my top beauty tips for cancer patients: painting your toe nails a vibrant colour can really improve your mood (at least, the bold hues always make me happy!). Besides, nails can become weaker and drier during treatment, so a coat of strengthening nail polish is the perfect way to give them a little spruce. If you're looking for a bright colour, I'm a big fan of the Nails Inc Bright Ambition Nail Polish!
And there you have it Glossies, all the beauty tips for cancer patients you can follow to make a fighter feel more like themselves again!
Quick warning, though. Check with your doctor or specialist nurse before using any skin care products if you are still having cancer treatment. Visit this page for further advice.
