Guest blog: Nicki Hawkins discusses opting for organic after her experience with cancer

Breast Cancer Awareness Month may always be an opportunity to reflect on what I have learned from my Cancer experience as two years ago I was recovering from Mastectomy surgery, still wearing the ‘highly fashionable’ support stockings and wondering if I would ever look or feel like a ‘Real Woman’ again. Oddly I have to say it has been an empowering time, not one I would recommend of course, but still a time to look at what I may have done differently and what decisions I would make in the future.

Surgery was followed swiftly by the ‘joys’ of chemotherapy and I was advised by my first lovely chemo nurse to use oils on my skin as chemo is tough on it and most moisturisers, although they claim to be for really dry skin, actually contain mostly water which just evaporates. I was lucky that I had been doing the accounts for Inlight, who make the highest quality 100% Organic oil based skin care products, so I didn’t need to spend hours searching the internet, as I did with many things at that time – from diet, how to combat Chemo sickness and Radiotherapy burning, and for a new wonder cure. I didn’t realise that not all patients are given that crucial advice and I have seen those effects during my various hospital visits, and on skin much younger than mine. People kept commenting that I looked far too well for someone going through Cancer treatment and that’s possibly due to the lovely healthy glow you get from using our Organic Oils. It feels like wrapping your skin in a beautiful protective veil when you apply it. It goes against all your instincts not to try and protect yourself with vitamins and supplements when your body is at its most vulnerable – with angry scars to heal, poisoned veins, and unable to recognise the hairless person looking back from the mirror, but this must be avoided with Chemo. However, with confidence in your skincare choices you can still boost your body well through our biggest organ, with pure Organic revitalising and regenerating herbal oils to help the scars fade away, grow healthy new hair and nails, skin elasticity and glowing vitality again. And, by looking for the Soil Association Cosmos logo you know where to start, with the peace of mind that 100% Organic means you can trust its contents to be kind to your skin and tread lightly on our planet too.

Nicki Hawkins, General Manager at Inlight Beauty. inlightbeauty.co.uk