Top Five Favorite Beauty Brands Created by Breast Cancer Survivors

As an infusion nurse, the two most common things I see my patients do after they are diagnosed with breast cancer is taking a deep dive into their nutrition and seeking out sustainable, clean beauty brands. Losing control in many aspects of your health can be frightening, however, one thing that I see patients taking control of is what they put INTO their bodies as well as ON their bodies.

Did you know that there is no regulation in the cosmetic industry in the United States? To date, the U.S. FDA has only banned 11 chemicals from cosmetics suspected to cause cancer, genetic mutation, reproductive harm, or birth defects.¹ Clean beauty is the topic of conversation when it comes to mainstream beauty, but don’t be fooled when reading labels because at the end of the day these companies can literally slap any kind of feel-good label, making YOU want to buy it!

This is why I want to share with you my favorite companies I recommend to my patients and it just so happens these founders are cancer survivors themselves!

Skincare

Violets are Blue is a skincare line created in New York City. Founder, Cynthia left real estate after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. With no family history and otherwise very healthy and active she had no idea why she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She questioned ingredients that were used in her everyday lotions and skincare products and decided it was time to create a line to help women feel good, but look their best as well!

Makeup

SaltyGirl Beauty was created by my sister, Sarah, and I after Sarah was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 36 when she was 32 weeks pregnant. As you read in the beginning, I’m also an oncology nurse so as you can imagine my sister’s diagnosis was devastating. As redheads when Sarah lost her hair, eyelashes, and eyebrows she had a hard time recognizing herself in the mirror (I think most women can relate to this after losing their hair). We wanted to create a brand creating makeup, body care, and hair products that were simple to use, easy to apply, made women feel beautiful but most importantly made with nourishing clean ingredients. After a year of researching and creating we created SaltyGirl Beauty, a wellness and beauty brand made for all women.

Intimate wear

Ana Ono is by far my favorite intimate wear company. They curate LOVELY bras without underwires which I love and find so comfortable! Created by a breast cancer survivor herself, Dana creates collections using such soft fabric for women who have had lumpectomy’s, mastectomy’s or women who still have both breasts post-treatment.

Hair wraps

StyleEsteem Wardrobe curates beautiful turban style wraps that can be worn with hair loss OR with hair. They are trendy, fashionable and leave women feeling beautiful, building their self-esteem when leaving the house. A breast cancer survivor herself, Sonya wants you to celebrate your hair journey and to be able to do it in style!

Sun care

Suntegrity is a lovely sunscreen brand! Protecting your skin, especially on chemotherapy is a MUST since your skin is extra sensitive to sun rays. Suntegrity was created when Suntegrity’s founder lost her mom to skin cancer which is why she wanted to create a holistic, mineral-based sun care line to help people avoid skin cancer.