If you’ve been through chemo and/or radiation treatment, you’ve probably noticed that your skin has suffered badly. You start to look older: there are new wrinkles, there’s more sagging and you might have noticed changes in skin texture and discolouration. It can also result in dryness and increased sensitivity. It’s pretty demoralising and that can have an effect on your mood. So why does it happen?

It all comes down to oxidative stress. And what’s that? Well, oxidative stress begins with free radicals, which are created during normal cell metabolism or by exposure to external factors, including cancer treatments. Free radicals are molecules that have an odd number of electrons, which is a problem because electrons like to go around in pairs. So they steal electrons from the surrounding healthy molecules. That means those healthy molecules now become free radicals themselves, so it starts a chain reaction.

Free radicals aren’t bad in themselves. We need low to medium levels of them. For example, some of our white blood cells make and store free radicals, which they unleash to kill any microbes that invade the body. But too many will damage cell structures and if the number of free radicals outpaces the body’s ability to control them we end up with oxidative stress.

Luckily, there are ways to combat oxidative stress and I’m going to cover them here.

Topically

Firstly, you can use topical antioxidants. These days, there are plenty of skin products around that contain these. The most useful ones are vitamins A, C and E, glutathione, niacinamide and Co-enzyme Q10 (often referred to as CoQ10). Of these, vitamin C is particularly useful because it supports collagen synthesis and stabilises the collagen you have. I’ve recently started using an antioxidant oil before my moisturiser and I’m really noticing the difference after just a few weeks. The one I use is from Adorn Cosmetics, which I talk about in the Resources section of my website. Their products are all organic, vegan, cruelty-free, and free from toxins and allergens.

Diet

You also need to make sure that you’re getting antioxidants inside your body too, so eat an antioxidant-rich diet. That means boosting your intake of vegetables, fruit, herbs and nuts. Aim for a wide variety of these foods because they all contain different antioxidants and they’re all important in different ways. You can also supplement with antioxidants like CoQ10, which the body produces naturally but which declines as you age. That won’t just benefit your skin but also improve your energy levels because CoQ10 feeds into the body’s energy-making process.

Sun protection

If you’re a sun worshipper or you spend a lot of time in the sun, use a good sunscreen because UV radiation promotes oxidative ageing. I discuss sunscreens in the book. Many are fairly toxic. The best ones are based on zinc oxide. Just make sure that you do get some sun, preferably outside the time of peak UV, which means before 10 am and after 2 pm, as this helps you to produce vitamin D, which is very important for immunity.

Sleep

Make sure that you get enough sleep. This is covered extensively in my book. Sleep enables your body to repair itself. You may have noticed that you look more drawn and wrinkled when you’ve slept badly. They don’t call it ‘beauty sleep’ for nothing! In my book, I talk about lots of different ways to improve your sleep if you’re not getting a good night’s rest.

Relax

Do everything that you can to avoid stress. I know that’s easier said than done on the cancer journey. Again, I have a whole chapter in my book on how to reduce stress. One way I discuss is using clinical hypnosis. On the Resources page of my website, I recommend hypnosis recordings from Uncommon Knowledge. They have five different recordings for improving your sleep, which you can buy individually or as a pack. I can recommend them, as they’re put together by psychologists who specialise in hypnosis. They’re all backed with a guarantee too, as some people are less susceptible to hypnotic suggestion.

Colloidal silica

Lastly, I have found that supplementing with colloidal silica has been wonderful not just for my skin but also for my hair and nails. I recommend that you look out for it. It is available either as a powder, which you add to water and drink, or in capsule form.

I can’t guarantee that these methods will turn back the clock completely. But they will make a significant difference to the way that you look. That in turn will boost your self-confidence and your mood. I wish you a beautiful future!