Gift ideas for someone who has just been diagnosed with cancer

When someone has been diagnosed with cancer, the natural inclination of loved ones is to want to show care. One of the ways we do that is through gifts. There can be a real sense of helplessness when someone you care about is told that they are ill, and the challenge when it comes to presents is finding something that’s meaningful, suitable, and genuinely helpful.

For the person on the receiving end of such overwhelming news, this period following diagnosis is about coming to terms with the journey ahead and preparing yourself physically and mentally for any treatment you may be having. Gifts can make a real difference to that process.

Gifts to support sleep support

It’s not a surprise to know that the anxiety, stress, and sometimes physical discomfort of cancer can make it difficult for individuals to sleep. While there’s no magic cure, spa treatments have been known to make a difference, and there are rituals that we can do at home that also help.

Gifts that aid sleep rituals such as body oils, bedtime drinks and carefully chosen aromatherapy products can help someone to prepare for more meaningful rest. For example, our Wellbeing Beauty Indulgent Sleep Care Collection includes hot chocolate drinking flakes, a lavender bath bomb, a self-heating eye mask and our Well Being Beauty Sleep Ritual Body Oil. The oil contains sandalwood, lavender, bergamot, and ylang-ylang, all of which help to improve sleep and reduce stress levels and anxiety. 

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Gifts for feeling special

One thing that almost everyone says following a cancer diagnosis, is that they don’t want to be treated differently, and they don’t want their identity to be about cancer. While we want to make sure we’re giving loved ones presents that are gentle and won’t cause harm, we also want to make sure that they feel really spoiled and as much like themselves as possible.

This is where all the beautiful things that we associate with a spa day come into play. Nice smells, oils, and creams – the things that make us feel pampered and cared for both during and after a spa experience. For example, our Cosy Night In collection includes a Well Being Beauty Sleep Ritual Body Oil, a Well Being Beauty Sleep Ritual Diffuser and a Well Being Beauty Calming Foot Soak.

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Gifts for mental wellbeing

While everyone responds to a cancer diagnosis differently, the mental challenge of coming to terms with it, going through the rollercoaster of emotions and preparing for treatment is perhaps one of the hardest. In this period before treatment begins, we can use aromatherapy to help cancer patients in that process.

Aromatherapy can have a powerful impact on the way we feel; sending odour molecules to the limbic system and hypothalamus - the control centre between the endocrine and nervous system, which impacts hormonal responses and mood. This is something that therapists can incorporate in spa treatments at this stage (pending appropriate risk assessments), but it can be brought into the home.

For example, we can use diffuser oils formulated for specific purposes. Our Wellbeing Beauty Solar Plexus Chakra Diffuser contains calming digestives such as ginger, cardamom, lemon, and lime to help individuals to rebalance. Other blends help with mental clarity, relaxation, and energy levels.

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Oncology touch treatments

We know that touch treatments, like massages, can have a powerful impact on how we feel both mentally and physically, in any circumstance. For someone with cancer, it’s important to find a therapist who is trained to be mindful that some areas of the body may be more sensitive than others, or that cancer treatments can cause contraindications.

However, proven benefits of oncology massage and other tailored touch treatments include (but are not limited to) reduced anxiety, stress, depression, general fatigue, reduced motivation fatigue, and emotional fatigue. They can also lead to improved sleep, reduced heart rate and lower blood pressure, as well as a decrease in physical discomfort and mood disturbance.

Booking a massage or giving a voucher towards touch treatments that support cancer patients can provide enormous relief.

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