safe radiation cream question

Squishon
Squishon Member Posts: 13
edited April 2017 in Radiation Therapy - Before, During, and After

I'm currently using California Baby Calendula Cream and then Aquaphor.  I found most lotions have parabens in them or a concerning ingredient.  For those who are using calendula, what brand did you use?  I'm starting to get pretty red and I'm only a week out--looks like I have a sunburn.  (I was stage 3 and am high risk, so they are giving me a pretty big dose, but I'm surprised I'm so red already.)  I saw some good things on the boards about Miaderm, but when I looked Hyaluronate up, a wiki entry came up that said it is also linked to cancer metastases.  Wasn't sure if this chemical is different on the skin vs. inside the body.  (I am putting the stuff over a mastectomy scar.)

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  • jdootoo
    jdootoo Member Posts: 253
    edited September 2010

    My sister brought me to her friends' yarn store while I was visiting. The woman who owns the store lives on a sheep farm and her and her daughter make lanolin based, all natural skin care products. I have been using the Lanolin rich moisturizer and sunburn soother since I started rads 3 weeks ago and have had NO skin issues. The products are not expensive and they are really amazing!

    Shepherd's Choice

    www.shepherdschoice.com 

    Best of luck and let me know what you think!

    One love, Jackie 

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  • dlb823
    dlb823 Member Posts: 9,430
    edited September 2010

    Although not a calendula cream, I used and would highly recommend Emu Oil, which I learned about from another RT patient with extremely fair skin who had been put on it by our rad onc.  I used it for the last two weeks of my RT, and did great, as did the woman with the extremely fair skin.  And I would think carcinogens wouldn't be an issue if it's 100% pure.  Just another possible choice...  Deanna

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  • KittyDog
    KittyDog Member Posts: 1,079
    edited September 2010

    Ask your Rads Onc. what he recommends.  Every Dr. has their favorite product.  Mine used Remedy Skin Repair Cream at first and then when my skin started breaking down he switched me to Aquaphor.  Lanolin is a know allergin so be careful with it.  I ended up having an allergic reaction to the Aquaphor which also has lanolin in it.

    Remedy Cream

     http://www.walgreens.com/store/store/product/product_details.jsp?id=prod1525929

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  • CELinVA
    CELinVA Member Posts: 25
    edited September 2010

    They think I am having a reaction to lanolin as well, so I've been using Miaderm which you can order online.  It's not cheap; about $30 per tube and they think you'll need about 3 tubes for all of treatment.  The lanolin doesn't seem to bother any other part of my body, and I do wonder if it's more of a heat rash from wearing sports bra once a day.  I can see a definite line where pink has started; it's very light,but very defined.

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  • ruthbru
    ruthbru Member Posts: 57,235
    edited October 2010

    Don't put on any lotion in the morning before your treatment. It can intensify the the burn. I always brought my little tube of Aquafor into the dressing room with me and smeared it on immediately afterwards, and then again before I went to bed. Aquafor was what the rad nurses recommended & it was all I used because I didn't want to worry about possible reactions between lotions. Best of Luck! Ruth

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  • thistooshallpass2010
    thistooshallpass2010 Member Posts: 8
    edited March 2017

    Clicked on the link. You created this cream? Do you troll these sites hawking your product for profit. Disappointed.

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  • Ruby3813
    Ruby3813 Member Posts: 96
    edited March 2017

    Calendula Gel by Boiron can be found on Amazon.com. That's what I bought per some recommendations on this site. My RO also has me spraying with green tea 4 X a day. Only started rads yesterday, so I can't give an honest opinion yet as to the efficacy of either product yet.

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  • Nip_Van_Wrinkle
    Nip_Van_Wrinkle Member Posts: 17
    edited April 2017

    My radiology oncologist told me to go to the hospital gift shop and buy a bottle of Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera. It's a 100% gel with no alcohol, no color added, and is fragrance-free.

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  • Tom1981
    Tom1981 Member Posts: 52
    edited April 2017

    My wife bought and will be using Miaderm. It's specifically made for this purpose. It seems to be the best. Yes expensive but in the long run $100 for the whole treatment process isn't the worst in the world if it works.

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