Skin care during Chemotherapy and other treatments

Sometimes cancer and its treatment can cause skin issues. While many changes are cosmetic, others may require attention, such as rashes, dry or itchy skin, color changes, or extreme sensitivity to light. Some skin problems improve after treatment ends, while others may persist. Practicing proper skin care during chemotherapy and using the right chemotherapy skin care productscan help soothe irritation, protect sensitive skin, and support faster recovery.

What types of treatments cause skin issues?

Many types of chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and stem cell transplant may cause side effects that lead to skin issues.

What are common skin changes during treatment?

Dry Skin

During treatment skin can become flaky, red, and sometimes painful. It’s often caused by not having enough oil and water in the layers of the skin. Common causes of dry skin include dehydration, heat, cold, poor nutrition, and side effects of treatment.

How to treat dry skin from chemo

Extremely dry skin sometimes looks like normal skin, but it may also be red, rough and flaky.

To soothe severely dry skin, you’d take the same steps you want to relieve itch and prevent chemo rash.

When bathing:
• Use warm water, not hot.
• Don’t scrub or rub too hard.· Avoid abrasive products, clothes, and sponges.
• Add mineral or baby oil to your bath water or put it on after showering when your skin is still damp.
• Pat yourself dry; don’t rub.

  After you bathe:
• Use a natural botanical moisturizer twice a day, especially after a bath or shower, when your skin is still damp. Look for ingredients like Aloe Vera, Shea Butter, Botanica Hyaluronic acid, and sunflower oil
• For extremely dry and cracked skin, use moisturizers with ingredients that help your skin retain moisture like shea butter, aloe, oat, and sunflower seed oil.
• Shave with an electric razor rather than a blade. In your day-to-day routine:
• Ask your cancer care team how much water or other liquid beverage is safe to drink. If it’s safe to do so, drink two to three quarts each day.· Avoid heat, especially dry heat.
• Protect your skin from cold and wind.

Itchy Skin

Some treatments can cause Itching. Common causes of itching in people with cancer include dry skin, allergies, side effects of medicines, and cancer treatment. Other illnesses and certain kinds of cancer can also cause itching. Some patients experience a persistent itch in response to treatment, including chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. Severely itchy skin may make you restless and anxious. By continually scratching, you may also cause sores that make you vulnerable to infections. Using soothing products like a radiation burn cream can help calm irritation, protect sensitive skin, and support healing during and after treatment. Sometimes, the chemotherapies might result in painful conditions like hand-foot syndrome cream associated with chemotherapies, characterized by reddening and soreness of the palm and soles. Selecting the best lotion for chemo skin can also help restore your skin's moisture and provide gentle daily hydration to sensitive skin.

Nursing tips for itchy skin

Here are some tips to help manage itchy skin during treatment

When bathing:
Use warm water rather than hot.Add baking soda, bath oil or oatmeal in a cloth or mesh bag to your bath.Bathe gently with mild, fragrance-free products and a soft cloth.Gently pat yourself dry; don’t rub.

After you bathe:
Use only fragrance alcohol-free products on your skin. Skin lotions and creams with natural essential oils may be helpful.

Shave with an electric razor rather than a blade.

Apply fragrance, alcohol-free skin lotion or cream two to three times a day, especially when your skin is still damp.

Dermavitality natural organic paraben free skin lotions and creams have natural essential oils and botanicals added for the therapeutic benefits. Many of these items can also be part of a thoughtful Chemo care package, providing essential support and comfort during treatment.

Shop Hand-Foot Syndrome Cream for Chemo-Related Skin Problems

Formulated with bergamot essential oil and soothing botanicals like calendula and oat oil, this ultra-moisturizing formula helps calm irritated, itchy skin.It deeply hydrates dry, red, peeling, and cracked skin on the hands and feet, supporting skin comfort when it’s needed most.Many people use it as part of their daily skincare routine to help manage dryness and sensitivity associated with hand-foot syndrome, a common side effect of certain chemotherapy treatments.

Shop Best Lotion for Chemo Skin

Formulated with organic aloe vera, calendula, shea butter, oat oil, and botanical hyaluronic acid, this deeply nourishing body lotion helps hydrate and comfort stressed, sensitive skin during radiation or chemotherapy. The gentle, plant-based formula supports skin prone to dryness and sensitivity, helping soothe itching, flaking, irritation, and visible redness while promoting overall skin comfort as part of a daily care routine.

Shop Radiation Burn Cream

Dermavitality Radiation Burn Cream is trusted by oncology nurses and radiation therapy patients to soothe, hydrate, and protect sensitive skin. This gentle plant-based formula helps relieve painful radiation burns while supporting skin healing during treatment.

In your day-to-day routine:

• Keep your home well ventilated and the temperature set to a cool 60° to 70° F to avoid sweating.
• Wear loose-fitting soft clothes that won’t irritate your skin. Consider not only their softness but also their breathability, moisture-wicking properties, and how they feel against sensitive skin. Wear clothes with natural fabrics like 100% cotton underwearor bamboo tops which helps to minimize irritation and discomfort during chemotherapy. Drink plenty of water and other fluids.
• Get enough sleep. If the itch keeps you up at night, ask your care team or your pharmacist about whether you should take antihistamines.

Tips to help you avoid scratching your skin

• Apply cool, wet packs to the itchy areas.
• Keep your nails clean and short to reduce damage to your skin when you can’t help but scratch.
• If you find yourself scratching without noticing, consider wearing soft gloves.
• Instead of scratching the itch, try rubbing, vibration or pressure to avoid breaking the skin.
• Get your mind off the itch by reading, watching TV, listening to music, or engaging in social activities.
• Take anti-itch medications as directed.
• Ask your care team for more tips and advice. Your doctor may also be able to prescribe medications and recommend over-the-counter remedies.
• If you experience these other signs and symptoms that may come with treatment-related itch, contact your care team.

Skin Rash

A skin rash is a common side effect of certain types of cancer treatments. Rashes usually develop within a few weeks of receiving the treatment but can develop at any time during your treatment. “Chemo rash” simply refers to the various types of rashes that may develop in response to cancer treatment. In fact, not only chemotherapy, but also targeted therapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy and bone marrow transplant may cause a rash. It tends to look like acne, and in some cases, it’s a sign that your treatment is working.

NURSING TIPS TO MANAGE CHEMO RASH

Though a rash is a common side effect of cancer treatment, making some changes to your routine, while you’re in treatment, may help you avoid these side effects.

• Bathe with a mild, low-pH cleanser.
• Wash your skin gently, don’t scrub. Avoid abrasive cloths, sponges, and products.
• Avoid fragrances in products that touch your skin, including dishwashing liquid and laundry detergent. Choose gentle, unscented, mild formulations.
• Avoid the sun as much as possible.· When you must spend time in the sun, wear at least SPF 30 sunscreen, sunglasses, a wide-brimmed hat and loose clothes that cover your skin.

Use a gentle, fragrance free moisturizer with skin calming botanicals and essential oils. Demavitality chemo support formulas are made with botanicals that help calm and ease skin rash. Here is a short list of herbs in our formulas

WHAT HERBS ARE BEST FOR SOOTHING IRRITATED SKIN?

CALENDULA

Calendula also has astringent, anti-inflammatory properties that make it excellent for soothing skin irritations and burns. It’s also full of antioxidants which help protect the skin from oxidative damage.

OATS OIL (AVENA SATIVA)

Oat oil has powerful benefits for irritated skin. They’re probably most known for their ability to calm itchy skin, but they’re also great for dry, sensitive skin. Oats are also full of protein, vitamin E, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties.

CHAMOMILE

Chamomile is soothing to the skin when applied topically. Rich in anti-inflammatory plant compounds, this herb can help with many common skin conditions like eczema and rosacea. It’s also high in antioxidants and is great for repairing and restoring skin barrier function to help skin retain moisture.

MARSHMALLOW ROOT

Marshmallow root contains compounds that have “mucilage,” which is a slippery substance that helps soothe skin and seal the skin barrier. Studies show that marshmallow root can be an effective treatment for eczema and dermatitis.

ALOE VERA

Aloe vera is a top choice to cool and calm dry, irritated skin. The jelly-like insides of this desert plant have amazing anti-inflammatory and healing properties and also act as a humectant and emollient to hydrate your skin.

Chemotherapy and Hair Loss

Hair Loss during chemotherapy

Some patients do not experience any of these symptoms but many experience things such as:

• Itchy scalp
• Tenderness, pain, or soreness on the scalp
• Cradle cap (crusty or oily scaly patches) or dry, flaky scalp
• Redness
• The scalp feeling warm to the touch
• Rashes in small clusters
• Sore bumps known as folliculitis (inflammation of the hair follicles)

Dermavitality formulated a natural and organic formulas to help with dry itchy scalp.

Dermavitality formulated a natural and organic formulas to help with dry itchy scalp.

Photosensitivity related to cancer treatments

Several treatments, including some types of chemotherapy, radiation therapy and stem cell transplant, may make your skin more sensitive to light. You will need additional protection from the sun to prevent sunburn when you are outdoors.

• Wear long sleeves, long pants and a wide-brimmed hat to protect your skin from the sun, especially from 10 am to 4 pm.
• Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen (to protect against both UVA and UVB rays) of at least SPF 15 generously and reapply at least every two hours.