This month’s Featured Archive Article:

So, your client has cancer, and she is experiencing changes on her skin and face as she undergoes treatment and has turned to you—the professional makeup artist—for help. This one’s for you.
As a professional it is important to be sympathetic and somewhat understanding of what a cancer patient is going through during treatment or the recovery period. There are some factors over which they have no control, but as an informed artist you can teach them how to take charge of their beauty regimen. Given that cancer is such a serious affliction, some may wonder what would compel a patient to focus on beauty at a time like this. Here is my take on the issue.
The way we look affects the way we feel about ourselves. Therefore, the way a patient feels about herself can have a dramatic effect on how she feels physically. There is a significant relationship between self-esteem and physical wellbeing, which is important to recovering cancer patients. If treatment has changed their looks, you as a professional must take a proactive approach to help them change their outlook. Helping them take charge of their appearance can harvest extraordinary benefits such as renewed self-esteem, relief from depression and a sense of empowerment.

For foundation and powder select from light liquid and creamy stick varieties, which blend more easily over delicate skin than quick-setting or matte versions.

Chemotherapy and radiation treatments can wreak havoc on a patient’s skin. Just like the rest of their body, their skin needs to be treated kindly during this time. I have compiled a list of great tips to teach you—the artist—how to help your clients through the thorny process. Although I have tried these tips on actual patients, make sure to have your clients consult with their physician before putting this or any other skin care or makeup plan into action.
One common side effect of chemotherapy and radiation treatments is sensitive skin. If your client’s skin becomes dry, itchy or flares up, sticking with products labeled “gentle” or “sensitive” is key. The following are some guidelines your clients should practice.

Skin

• Obtain their physician’s approval for all topical applications including creams, makeup, sunscreens, etc.
• Adjust their skin care regime if their skin type has changed.
• Avoid hot water and opt for warm instead. Hot water can dry skin out and make their current skin condition worse. Warm water is gentler and more soothing on sensitive skin.
• Never scrub affected areas. It can cause
breakage in the skin and create infection.
• Resist the temptation to scratch the itch! Cornstarch can help control itching. Make a paste with water and cornstarch and apply to the itchy areas.
• Following any eruptions, wait until skin heals completely before shaving or putting anything on it. Also, consult with a physician before applying any products on broken skin.
• Cancer treatment can increase vulnerability to infection, so hygiene should be a top priority. Patients should always wash their hands before using products and close lids tightly. Use clean cotton balls, swabs or disposable sponge-tip applicators for dispensing to keep fingers out of containers. Finally, never share products and always replace them according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Makeup

Makeup artists know that applying “heavier” makeup will not make skin look better. In fact, we know that the actual result is very unnatural. Instead, recommend that your clients opt for a natural, fresh and healthy look by using a light hand application. Here are some tips for you, the makeup artist, when working on the skin of recovering or in-treatment cancer patients:
• Concealer. Use concealer to hide any spots or discolorations on the skin. Cream or stick formulas work best, as they tend to be thicker.
Pro Tip: “stipple” it on and blend well, using your fingers or a disposable sponge. Selecting the right color is as important as choosing the best consistency of the product. Generally, the color should match your client’s skin tone. However, a slightly lighter color is often suggested to cover dark patches, such as under-eye circles. There are also color-correcting concealers in green (to offset redness) or yellow (to downplay bluish discolorations). Do not be afraid to try different techniques and products until you find what works best for your client.
• Foundation and powder. We know that these are at the base of any great makeup application. Select from light liquid and creamy stick varieties, which blend more easily over delicate skin than quick-setting or matte versions. Moisturizing formulas offer extra help for dry skin. When choosing a hydrating formula look for those that contain sodium hyaluronate, urea, allantoin, serine, glycerin, tocopherol and tocopheryl acetate, as these ingredients are highly emollient. The foundation’s tint should match the client’s natural skin tone.

Wash brushes regularly in baby shampoo (not antibacterial soap or alcohol, which can damage the brush) and air-dry them overnight to prevent bacteria build-up.

Pro tip: To avoid the dreaded “mask” look, apply small stripes of two or three different colors next to each other on the client’s cheek. The color that blends seamlessly into their skin is the correct shade. Once you have identified their perfect hue, the next step is proper application. Add foundation only to areas that really need it, such as the forehead, sides of the nose and chin. The key here is to even out the skin tone. After completing this step, you can go back and add extra concealer to discolored areas if necessary.
Finally, a light application of translucent or lightly hued loose powder with a cotton ball or a powder brush sets the foundation and helps control shine. Pressed powder compacts work well for touch-ups. However, if the skin is very dry or flaky, you may want to skip powder altogether.
• Blush. Now that you have evened out the skin tone, it is time to bring back your client’s essence by adding some color. I find that powder blush works great. However, if the client’s skin is really dry, try a cream blush over the foundation (when using cream blush, remember to skip the translucent powder). Subtle pink, peach and bronze hues work best on most skin tones. For a natural hint of color, apply a light dusting of blush with a brush onto the apples of the cheeks. Since blush brushes are not disposable, be sure to explain to your client how to take care of their own brushes at home as you do in the makeup studio: wash brushes regularly in baby shampoo (not antibacterial soap or alcohol, which can damage the brush) and air-dry them overnight to prevent bacteria build-up. Make sure to try a few different blush shades before settling on one.
• Eyebrows. When eyebrows thin or fall out during anti-cancer treatment, it is easy to recreate them with an eyebrow pencil shade that matches the client’s current hair or wig color. I usually like to color brows one shade lighter than the client’s natural hair/wig color. That illuminates the complexion and does not look harsh or unnatural. Going too dark will result in a look that is severe and unflattering. Next, determine their natural brow shape. Hold the pencil straight up against the client’s nose, parallel to the inside corner of their eye and place a dot at the brow bone to mark where the eyebrow begins. Have them look straight ahead, place the pencil parallel to the outside edge of the iris and make a dot to mark the highest point in the arch. Finally, place the pencil diagonally along the bottom corner of their nose to the outside corner of their eye and put a dot where the eyebrow ends.
To recreate the brow, connect the three dots with the pencil using short, feathery, upward strokes to simulate the look of hair. After you achieve the desired shape, follow with a brow powder or matte eye shadow in the same color as the pencil to set the eyebrow. This is an important step because most eyebrow pencils are somewhat waxy, and if not properly set, the eyebrow can look oily and fade away during the day.
• Eyeliner and eyeshadow. Educated artists know that the purpose of eyeshadows and liners is to brighten, define and accentuate the eyes. Begin by applying the lightest shade of eye shadow from lid to brow bone as a base. Next, add the medium shade to the lid from lashes to crease. For extra definition, add the deepest shade along the crease of the eye. Blend well! Next, draw short, feathery strokes to line along the top of the upper lid at the lash line, then beneath the lower lash line (not inside the rim).
Pro tip: Smudge your lines with a cotton swab for a soft, sultry effect. A thinly smudged line of dark eyeshadow works, too. Inform your clients that as a precautionary note, permanent makeup is not advisable on their skin before or during cancer treatment. Since their immune system may be weaker now, it poses a greater risk of infection. When choosing shades of shadows and liners, feel free to experiment with color. After all, it is just makeup—it washes off!
• Mascara restores a full look to thinning lashes. Apply two to three coats of mascara to upper lashes—the top and then the underside. Next, brush the wand lightly over lower lashes to fill. While false eyelashes can look like your client’s real lashes, they require adhesives that may be too harsh for their sensitive skin. Make sure they consult their physician before application.
• Lipstick. Select a lipstick in a color that complements your chosen makeup palette. Cover the lips and blend into the liner for a natural look. Creamy, moisturizing lipsticks provide relief for dry lips. Make sure to top it all off with some lip gloss for a plump, sexy sheen!

Creamy, moisturizing lipsticks provide relief for dry lips.

Look good, feel better

Having a basic understanding of how to enhance your client’s looks during this difficult time is an opportunity for you to experiment and grow as an artist. Another part of our job is to inform clients of the many resources available for women and men undergoing cancer treatment issues. Advise them that they can have their hairstylist help them choose a wig style that is both flattering and comfortable.
Get involved as a volunteer in The Look Good… Feel Better (LGFB) program, which assists women with cancer in seeking instruction and information, and provides its participants with a free makeup kit filled with all kinds of goodies. The workshops are held at comprehensive care clinics, hospitals, American Cancer Society offices and community centers. Local group programs are organized by the American Cancer Society, facilitated by LGFB-certified cosmetologists, skin care and spa professionals and makeup artists like myself.
Finally, offer some support. I like to tell my clients that if they are going through a difficult time, put on some lip gloss and keep going! This is the time for you, the professional, to teach your clients to let their inner divas out and their essences shine through!

For more information on the Look Good…Feel Better program visit its website at www.lookgoodfeelbetter.org.

Chantal Savinon-Soto is a board certified esthetician, makeup artist, educator, speaker and contributing beauty expert with more than 13 years of experience. Savinon-Soto is the founder and owner of Changing Faces Makeup Studio, Inc., Miami, FL, and specializes in multimedia, production, fashion and print. Visit
www.changingfacesmakeup.com, e-mail her at chantal@changingfacesmakeup.com or call 786.877.2712.

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