When I was dealing with breast cancer, I found SebaMed medicinal skincare products invaluable. They kept my skin in better condition than it had been before I was going through chemo. Ordinary soap is alkaline which can dry out the skin. SebaMed has a pH that is slightly acid, 5.5, which matches the natural pH of the skin. According to Joshua Zeichner, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City who is quoted on RealSimple.com, the skin’s pH of 5.5 “is necessary for proper skin cell turnover and functioning of enzymes needed to maintain skin hydration, antimicrobial defenses, and barrier function.” People with skin problems like eczema are more likely to experience disruptions in skin pH.  The pH of the skin becomes more alkaline as people age, which apparently interferes with proper skin function. Is that why we older folks become wrinkly and liver-spotted, I wonder?

I’d never heard of Sebamed until I saw it at a Special Event sale at Costco. It is made in Germany, so when I went to do some alternative treatments in Germany after finishing chemo and radiation, I found it there at a fraction of the cost of the stuff in the USA.

Cleanser

I originally used the Olive Face and Body Wash I bought from Costco which worked very well for me, but to avoid sulphates and other less healthy ingredients I switched to SebaMed’s more expensive fragrance-free Gentle Hydrating Cleanser.

Lotion

I originally used the Moisturizing Body Lotion I bought from Costco which worked very well for me, but to avoid sulphates and other less healthy ingredients I switched to SebaMed’s more expensive fragrance-free Gentle Hydrating Lotion.

A Low-Tech Way to Put Lotion on Your Back

It can be very uncomfortable trying to reach all the areas of your back to apply moisturizers. I’ve thought it might be good to have a studly guy around to do it for you rather than almost dislocating your shoulders attempting to do it yourself. However, I have not always had such a gentleman available for the task. Instead, I have developed a low-tech solution to do this myself. I use a long-handled wooden spoon with paper towel taped over the bowl end of it. I take care not to have any tape on the convex side, as that’s the side onto which I apply the lotion and the tape feels too scratchy on my back. I replace the paper towel frequently to prevent it becoming too sticky and grubby.

Face Cream

There are a few different types of SebaMed Face Cream, but my favorite is the Age Defense Q10 Protection Cream. Not just because I’m a wrinkled old fart (well actually I’m not that wrinkly), but also because it seems to feel the best on my skin and have the best results.

 

Eye Cream

At first I just the used SebaMed Face Cream I bought from Costco on my eyes, and it worked pretty well. Then I discovered the Sebamed Eye Cream, or to use the full name for it, Sebamed Anti Aging Q10 Lifting Age Defense Eye Cream, which is quite a mouthful. It worked even better.

 

 

Hair Products

SebaMed also make an Everyday Shampoo and a Repair Conditioner. I had no need of them while I was going through chemo as I was a hairless ghoul at the time. I used the shampoo and conditioner later and they seemed fine, but I didn’t notice as dramatic an effect as I had done from SebaMed’s skincare products. I prefer to use organic products made by other manufacturers on my hair.

Radiation Skin Care: Biafine

Both my radiologist and my dermatologist recommended Biafine ointment to deal with the side-effects of radiotherapy on my skin. For some absurd reason, this cream needs a prescription in the USA but is available over the counter in France. Who knows—perhaps American teenagers are trying to get high sniffing the stuff? However, you can buy it online without a prescription from www.avibon.com and have it sent to you from France. I paid $35 for a 186-gram (6.56 oz.) tube, with free shipping.  The active ingredient is a water-based emulsion called trolamine. I found Biafine more effective at dealing with redness and soreness than the Miaderm cream I was using initially, although it could be that using Miaderm got my radiated skin to a place where it healed increasingly quickly once I started using Biafine. This French cream was also more economical to use as it was a little stickier and less creamy than Miaderm, so it stayed on longer and you didn’t need to use as much. However, Miaderm feels cooler on the skin than Biafine, which can be very helpful if your skin is hot and burning from radiation treatment. The French consider Biafine to be an essential item in their medicine cabinet for burns and sunburn, rather than just as skin-care for radiotherapy patients.

Radiation Skin Care: Miaderm

My radiologist preferred ointment—in particular lanolin—rather than cream as a moisturizer, as it stays on the skin longer and does not continually have to be re-applied. However, I found lanolin uncomfortable and messy to use. Ointments, particularly petroleum-based ones, can seriously stain your clothes. I bought the Miaderm brand aloe and calendula cream online instead, which I had been told was used with good results at Stanford. I slathered it on several times a day. First thing in the morning, immediately after the radiation treatment and last thing at night. Miaderm-L is now available with 4% lidocaine added, which I didn’t find when I was using it while going through radiation treatment for breast cancer in 2015. Lidocaine is a local anesthetic, so this new version provides more pain relief. It’s quite expensive, $42 for a 4 oz. tube on Amazon, or $36 for the same size tube without the lidocaine. I would have preferred the version with lidocaine had it been available when I was going through radiation. If it works, I suppose it’s worth the price tag.

Radiation Deodorant: Crystal

When I was undergoing radiation, I was told to avoid any underarm deodorant containing aluminum, which covers most of what is available everywhere except health food stores. Apparently, aluminum can scatter the radiation beyond where it is supposed to go and exacerbate skin damage. In addition, other ingredients in most deodorants and antiperspirants can cause irritation on skin that is already overly sensitive as a result of the radiotherapy. Some people told me that the Crystal deodorant spray that I normally use would be OK to continue throughout radiation, as it contains only natural mineral salts and no aluminum chlorohydrate. My radiation technicians had seen a lot more underarm skin irritation in women who were using regular aluminum-based deodorants, but no effect from Crystal. The spray is better than the roll-on version as a roll-on can be irritating if the skin is already sore from radiation. Crystal is available unscented or in a variety of fragrances. My favorite is the Lavender and White Tea version.

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