Toiletries and cosmetics - what to avoid?

[sukiem]

Thanks Linda-we probably both feel quite strongly about the issue and I take your points. No apologies needed and I wish you well too

[cornishgirl]

Your very welcome mandyj , hope you are doing ok .xx

[cornishgirl]

Am Sorry sukie i didnt mean to upset you, ,but in "my view" as suppliements are not reccommended for a cancer patient (unless the patient is unable to eat a healthy balanced diet because of treatments or some other reason), i think it is wrong to actively sell them on any cancer related website. Your own personal medical team should be the only people (who know your medical history/treatments ect as some suppliements can interact with certain cancer treatments )should be the ones to advise you in any suppliment useage if actualy needed.
A quick look at Penny Brohns shop and some of the suppliements seem very extortionate in price to me , for instance the suppliement pack of fish oils is £88, this can be very costly to a cancer patient who is proberly already financialy streched due to the cost of a cancer DX. It is a fact that a reptuable cancer organisation will NEVER try to sell you anything includeing books, Therfore i would question any cancer related website that does. Sorry thats just my view ,certainly do not want to get into an arguement about it.
Good luck to you, Linda

[Lola65]

Thank goodness I am oestrogen negative and don't need to worry about the arguement.

[mandyj]

Thanks Linda/Cornishgirl for the links.xx

[sukiem]

I've just been on a 2 day course with the Penny Brohn Centre and supplements weren't even mentioned once never mind encouraged.

Yes they do sell supplements in their shop along with cards, jewellery, toiletries, candles, books and food products etc. I find your absolute assertion that a 'reputable' cancer organisation won't sell you anything a bit over the top.
They have a shop where anyone can either choose to buy something or alternatively choose not to-I think they are a non profit making charity so assume that the shop is for raising funds. There is no hard sell and it strikes me as no different from a shop in a hospital which are presumably in the main reputable places.

Each to their own I think-there is no right or wrong answer to this one and I don't intend to get into a circular argument about it.

Sorry didn't mean to hijack the thread sandytoes

[cornishgirl]

I think the problem with a lot of the stuff cancer patients find online re diet and breast cancer ,which usealy isnt from any reptuable cancer organisation has to be viewed very cautiously, often people promoteing the dairy/meat free diets can provide no scientific evidence to support their view and unfortuneately only antecodote, which of course is no substitute for proven clinical evidence. A good clue to look for online when researching any issues relateing to breast cancer is "Is the website/person trying to sell you something" ie Suppliements,Books, ect this is usealy the case with people such as jane plant/cancer active website ect who include a "shop" on their website.
Penny Brohn has "Modified" its approach greatly as some of its therapies and advice previously were viewed as pretty questionable in the past, nowadays they are not so staunch with their reccommendations as they once were. Penny Brohns still encourages the use of many suppliements unfortuneatly though and i believe still actively sells them on their website, Its proberly worth noteing that a reptuable cancer organisation will never try to sell you "anything" and also will never have a shop on their website ,other than for raiseing donations for cancer research. Any cancer related website with a "Shop" rings alarm bells with me, though i know some still people enjoy the retreats at places such as penny brohn.
Everyone has to do whatever feels right for them at the end of the day, but as the evidence stands at the moment (and diet and BC has been studied endlessly over many many yrs) there is just no evidence to suggest that either Dairy or even Meat has any affect on breast cancer.
Linda

[sukiem]

P.S Sandytoes. Jurlique, Korres and Trilogy are all parabens free and good products. However Ren Rose Bath oil is beautiful and a total treat

[sukiem]

Hi littlescoot

The dairy issue is controversial and provokes a lot of heated debate (there are historic threads on this site if you are interested).

I decided to reduce dairy drastically. I read Jane Plants book but wasn't totally convinced as her arguments seem a bit simplistic to me. I also read Suzannah Olivers Breast cancer diet book and follow the Bristol Approach diet advocated by the Penny Brohn Cancer Centre (an amazing place in my view)-both of which suggest keeping dairy to a minimum.

My view is that studies are not conclusive either way as there are many variables impacting on each other. In the end its an individual choice.

[cornishgirl]

Hi mandyj, You can find a lot of the links into the studies conducted into dairy and breast cancer at the bottom of this page, you can also find many more references on Pubmed. Interestinly, Mongolia's low breast cancer incidence is of particular interest because of their unusual diet (primarily red meat and dairy)
http://www.dairynutrition.ca/scientific-evidence/cancer/milk-products-and-breast-cancer
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22543542
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/90/3/602.full
Hope this helps, Linda x

[mandyj]

Hi Cornishgirl
I don't suppose you have the references or links to the resarch studies that you mention as I would be interested in reading them. Many thanks.x

[cornishgirl]

Hi Littlescoot, There is absolutely no reason why a BC patient should cut out dairy , there is a lot of info online mostly from unscrupulus websites that will tell you that dairy is bad for BC, however there is no evidence to support this. Infact in a meta-analysis of 12 of the best and most reliable studies to date into dairy and breast cancer ,6 concluded there was No link with BC, and 6 concluded that dairy infact reduced the risk of recurrence in BC. Here is a link from Macmillan regarding alternative diets which you might find helpfull
http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Cancerinformation/Livingwithandaftercancer/Eatingwell/Alternativediets/Alternativediets.aspx
Also, A BCC publication on Diet and Breast Cancer that also includes a section on dairy.
http://www2.breastcancercare.org.uk/sites/default/files/diet_cropped.pdf[/size]
Linda x

[mandyj]

Hi Littlescoot
I had ER positive cancer so it feeds on oestrogen. There is alot of it in cows milk apparently so I have decided not to add any extra oestrogen into my body. There has to be something in it as they are pumping me full of oestrogen blocking Tamoxifen for 5 years! I read a book by Jane Plant, as advised by a friend who had BC treatment 10 years ago and has been dairy free ever since. I also look at Chris Woollams website, Canceractiv, for info.
It's a personal choice, alot of people believe cutting out dairy makes no difference. Have a read of the things I have mentioned and decide for yourself.xx

[lucinda]

hi Sandytoes
Since being dx in 2009 I have not used any parabens,not so good on the diet though.The best luxury products I have found,and always put on my birthday/christmas wish list,are Neals Yard.they are expensive but well worth it as they last ages.Amazon often have special offers or you can get direct from neals yard,they have a store where I live so I tend to go in and try the testers first.
If your friend is interested in diet i have just reviewed a really good book for Macmillan by Jane Freeman it is called How to eat well when you have cancer....really informative without being too preachy.

Lxx

[Littlescoot]

Hi can anyone tell me why I should be cutting out dairy products please?

ls

[mandyj]

Just thought, your friend may not be needing hair products for a while! Sorry, did not think. I have only just starting shampooing again after my months of baldness!

[Sandytoes]

Just bumping as not showing in threads.

[mandyj]

I may not be much help as I have not looked into it all in any detail yet, as I too have quit the dairy, but not yet managed the sugar!! I do buy Timotei Pure shampoo and conditioner. It is Paraben free, amongst other things, and you can get it from Sainsburys. It's about £2 a bottle for each.

[Sandytoes]

I've been recommended Ren, Burt's Bees and Neal's Yard.

[Sandytoes]

Hello,
Since finishing treatment I've relaxed with the toiletries I use, but i wanted to get some presents for a friend who's just been diagnosed. She's stopped eating dairy and sugar etc and has gone parabens free. Are there any luxury lines of parabens free toiletries - and are there aby other ingredients I should avoid when selecting gifts?
Thanks!