A Practical Guide of Products for Those Fighting Cancer
Cancer doesn’t come with a guidebook. How do you deal with potential side effects of cancer as they start to affect your daily life? What products can you use to relieve neuropathy, mouth sores, or chemo rash? What foods can you eat that won’t irritate your sensitive stomach?
We reached out to our community to ask them to share the products that helped them during and after cancer treatment. Initially, we hoped to do a short social media campaign with these products. As the responses flooded in, we wanted to go a step further and create a full guide of practical products that could help those going through cancer and the side effects of treatment. This guide covers products you can use before, during, and after cancer treatment. We hope this helps cancer thrivers at any stage of their journey.
If you are getting a gift for someone going through cancer treatment, a basket (or box) of these products would make a great practical gift that can be shipped anywhere.
Here are a few comments from a person recently diagnosed with cancer whose friends gave him a gift box created using this guide!
"I found the gift box very helpful and thoughtful. The lozenges and ginger tea were great and helped a lot. My favorite had to be the Fig Newtons though, I'd never had these before and who knew they were good for you? This was such a lovely gift to receive, very well put together and much appreciated."
Food | Beauty | Health | Home | Apparel
Food and cancer are not always friends with one another. Between metal mouth, mouth sores, nausea, and loss of taste, people going through cancer may find it difficult to find foods to eat. Here are a few community recommendations.
Metal Mouth
If you have a constant metallic taste in your mouth from chemo or port line flushes, here are some foods that can provide relief.
- YumEarth organic pops
- Watermelon
- Watermelon flavored breath mints
- Lemon sour candy
- Jolly Ranchers
- Lemonade
- Salt and vinegar pringles
- Pickles
- Hot tamale candies
- Cinnamon gum
- Haribo Tangtastics
Anti-Nausea
Nausea is one of the most common chemo side-effects. Here are a few products that will help combat nausea and allow you to eat other food.
- Ginger Gum
- Queasy Drops (Anti-Nausea)
- Raw almonds
- Lemon tea
- Ginger Tea
- Ginger candy
- Ginger ale
- Ginger beer
- Banana flavored milk
Food During Chemo
Look no further for soothing food to eat while in treatment or recovery. You should be able to find some of these at your local grocery store, but you can also buy them on online to have them delivered right to your door.
- Iced Tea
- Frozen Ice Pops
- Flan
- Fig bars
- Body Armour drinks
- Shortbread biscuits
- Applesauce
- Stroop wafel
- Oyster crackers
- Vanilla ice cream to crush medicine in
- Manuka honey
- Boost
- Rice pudding
- Starbucks coffee
- Smooth move tea
- Lucozade Energy
- Frozen Grapes
- Orange sherbet
- Premade mashed potatoes
- Rehidrate
- Kate farms
- Bone Broth
Beauty encompasses a wide variety of things. Whether it be skincare, hair, or makeup, there are different products for those who have experienced any type of cancer treatment. Treatment can leave skin painfully dry or scarred, so here are products to help relieve those issues.
Cancer Scars
Scarring is a long-term side effect of cancer. Many community members credit Aveeno Cream and Bio-Oil for helping them shrink and heal their scars over time.
Makeup
One of the most traumatic parts of the cancer experience can be losing your hair. Many in our community said that the time they felt the sickest was when they lost their eyebrows. Eyebrow stencils and pencils can make patchy or lost eyebrows look full, allowing a patient to regain their confidence as they continue on with treatment.
Hair Growth
Hair loss is also a traumatic part of the cancer experience. As hair starts to regrow after treatment, the use of Keratin Spray can promote strong hair growth.
Dry Scalp/Skin
Dry skin is another widely experienced cancer side effect. Most lotions don’t seem to do much to help those struggling with skin dryness, so here are a few creams and lotions that are sure to provide you with the moisture you need.
- Kiehl’s hand cream
- Amla oil
- Coconut oil
- Jergen’s lotion
- E45 cream/lotion
- Moo cream (Dry hands & feet)
- Body and face lotion from
- Aquaphor lotion
- Jojoba and Tamanu oil
- Burt’s bees lip balm
- Moogoo moisturizer
IHadCancer is not a medical professional and we are not providing medical advice. These products are home remedies and over-the-counter products that those who have experienced cancer recommend relieving some of the more severe cancer side effects.
Radiation Burn & Chemo Rash
Radiation burn from cancer treatment is painful and takes a while to heal, these creams and butter can soothe the irritation as the skin begins to heal.
- Calendula Cream (Radiation Burn)
- Body butters (Radiation burns & Dry skin)
- CremeDe LaMer (Facial radiation burn)
- Macadamia nut oil (Radiation burns)
- Monistat gel powder (Chemo Rash)
- Biafine cream (Radiation burn)
- Jeans cream for the radiation burn
Neuropathy
Neuropathy is the loss of feeling in the feet or hands that can lead to injuries. If you can’t feel your feet as you walk, it is more likely that you could trip or fall. Vitamin B1 is recommended for those struggling with neuropathy to start regaining feeling.
Mouth Sores
Mouth sores are painful and can make it difficult to eat or drink anything which could often lead to dehydration. The community recommends these things to quickly soothe and help heal cancer related sores due to treatment.
Anti-Nausea/Digestive Issues
Nausea and other digestive issues are related to just about every single type of cancer treatment. Between ginger capsules and sea bands, there are several ways to relieve this issue before it becomes a more oppressing problem.
Pain Relief
Muscle aches, pain, and bone pain are all side effects of chemo. These products can help provide ways to find relief from other types of chemo-related pain.
- Pain killer patches
- Motrin
- Turmeric Supreme
- Claritin (bone pain)
- Dr. Teals muscle relief/detox epsom salt baths
Supplements
Supplements are a great way to rebalance the body in a natural way and replenish vitamins and minerals lost during treatment. Certain homeopathic supplements are known to relieve some anxiety.
Dry Eyes/Mouth/Nose
Chemo can cause dry eyes, dry mouth, and dry nose. These can bring much discomfort to those dealing with cancer. Here are some products to help relieve those irritating side effects.
These are perfect gifts for the home that make life easier, more peaceful , and perhaps a little less stressful for someone dealing with cancer. From essential oils whose scents bring a sense of peace into an anxious space, to wedge pillows that provide comfort when sleeping in uncomfortable positions due to surgery scars and dressings, these products are sure to be appreciated.
- Wedge Pillow
- Hand-held fan
- Hand sanitizers
- Lavender scented heating pad
- Hand warmers
- One hand open and lock water bottle
- Heated blanket
- Journal (Cervical Cancer Companion)
- A recliner
- wooden cutlery and straws
- Face steamer
- Ice packs
- Essential oils (Mental Health & Scar Relief)
- Full spectrum hemp oil
Apparel for cancer patients must be soft in order to not damage sensitive skin, as well as accessible for ports and surgical dressing changes without needing to be in a hospital gown 24-7. These clothes are fashionable as well as hospital-friendly so that patients can feel themselves while sitting in a strange environment for several hours weekly.
- Jersey cotton head cover
- Loose & Comfortable shirts
- Thick socks
- Comfortable, soft pants
- Port Access shirt
- Crocs
- Knit Caps
- Sweater with big pockets for drain
Let us know if there's a product or item that has helped you or someone you know make this cancer journey a little bit easier.
Team I Had Cancer is the group of people behind the scenes, making sure IHadCancer.com is running, and that you're connecting to the people you need to know for the support and information you need while dealing with cancer.