Beauty Despite Cancer is a source of information, support and honesty for those affected by cancer. My specialist skincare collections, dedicated to supporting cancer patients, can also be found on www.BeautyDespiteCancer.com. The products are 100% natural and are created with three goals in mind:
1) To be safe for cancer patients to use during (and beyond) treatment, without incurring negative reactions (cancer treatments – especially chemotherapy – often result in extremely sensitive skin).
2) To address the side effects of cancer treatments gently but effectively, ranging from extremely dry skin to brittle nails or nausea.
3) To be enjoyable to use.
Tell us the background of how you came up with the business, why and what makes it unique?
I have a first degree in Biology, postgraduate degrees in occupational health and law and numerous therapy qualifications.
13 years ago my local hospital asked me to work with them to create a skincare line for their cancer patients that was both suitable during cancer treatment and efficacious in soothing the skin side effects of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery. That’s what led to the creation of Defiant Beauty, and, later, the creation of accredited qualifications for therapists.
Through the training school, Jennifer Young Training, I have created qualifications in oncology touch therapies such as massage and facials, so that therapists can treat cancer patients at all stages of their cancer journey. The qualifications are fully accredited and in line with insurance requirements. Without specialist training, spas end up turning cancer patients away, even after they have finished treatment, which is dreadful on lots of levels, but especially as touch therapies are proven to have lots of benefits for cancer patients.
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How has the business evolved over the past couple of years?
In the last couple of years, like all businesses, we have been on a journey. The pandemic raised a lot of questions and worries in the spa industry, especially for anyone treating vulnerable clients. We saw our goal as supporting spas and therapists getting back to work safely, so we created a free online infection cross control course for anyone who wanted to take it.
This year we launched a new spa treatment qualification – our Therapeutic Oncology Massage Qualification is designed to really target specific side effects of chemotherapy with an emphasis on acupressure and our Well Being Beauty Body Oils from the Beauty Despite Cancer collection.
More recently, we have launched another brand, MPlus (The Menopause Plus), which is a two-pronged initiative providing women in menopause with holistic solutions to address the unwanted consequences of hormonal change. It’s based on ground-breaking scientific research, which we commissioned over the past three years, as well as our own experience working with women in menopause – often brought on by cancer treatment.
MPlus features a skincare collection which is 100% natural and uses phytohormones and essential oils to address menopause ‘symptoms’. We have also created therapist training at the training school for hormonal wellness. It is a really exciting area using acupressure and our plant-based skincare in touch therapies that address the cause of unwanted menopausal consequences ranging from hot flushes to anxiety.
We are also about to launch the largest global study into menopause, collecting the big data needed to improve healthcare outcomes for women experiencing hormonal change.
What can we expect to see from Jennifer Young & Beauty Despite Cancer in the future?
Our goal with Beauty Despite Cancer specifically remains the same as always – to support cancer patients from the moment of diagnosis onwards. Doctors are there to treat the disease, but we are here to support quality of life, which often gets overlooked or can’t be supported by medical interventions.
So many people feel that they shouldn’t worry about solutions for painful skin or other aspects of their appearance or emotional wellbeing when they’re facing cancer treatment, but comfort, joy in daily experiences, and nurturing mind and body are an important part of navigating treatment and helping the body to heal afterwards. We’re here to provide that support.
End Credit: Jennifer Young is a world renowned skincare and wellbeing specialist. For further information please visit: www.JenniferYoungWellness.com
