Summer product guide: Glow and flow

Your glow is your radiance, your sense of self, and your comfort in your own body as you navigate scars, hair loss, fatigue, or uncertainty. Your flow is your ability to adapt and soften around the hard edges of the cancer journey in a way that feels right for you.

Read how these breast cancer thrivers prioritized feeling centered, cared for, and confident, even on the hottest or hardest days.

Kendra’s story: Body changes after surgery

Last summer, Kendra Ajuba, LBBC’s director of marketing, found herself in recovery from a double mastectomy for early-stage breast cancer. With her young son home for summer break, she faced each day as a mom navigating physical and emotional changes while adjusting to life with surgical drains, scars, and flatness at her chest.

“In summer, it’s hard to hide everything,” she said. Kendra’s glow came not from a return to her old self, but in embracing a new one. She found her flow in clothes that felt soft and expressive, managing her drains with a soft band around her midsection, and a new summer ritual: dipping her feet into the pool from the shade of an umbrella, watching her son splash and play.

Kendra’s tip: Recovering from surgery this summer? Kendra used RecoverEase, a soft compression band, to help support healing while fitting discreetly under sundresses or loose summer tops.

Slip into sleep

If hot flashes or body heat disrupt your sleep, Good Housekeeping recommends Slumber Cloud’s Performance Sheet Set as their top pick for cooling sheets. Or try a cooling mattress topper from Nest Bedding.

Read:  Seven benefits of sleep after a breast cancer diagnosis

DeDe’s story: Self-care and skin healing

For DeDe Delaney, a Hear My Voice Advocate, summer is a sacred time to protect her energy and nourish her skin. Diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in 2022, she starts each day with affirmations, castor oil compresses, and deep, intentional care. She says, “This experience has taught me to put my care first. No exceptions.”

DeDe’s glow begins in the mirror with mantras, face steaming, and non-toxic skincare. Her flow comes in soft rhythms: avoiding midday heat, embracing clean rituals, and saying no to pressure.

Dede’s tip: Summer sun and sensitive skin don’t always mix. A mineral sunscreen like Ava Isa Every Morning SPF 30 offers gentle protection. Plus, reviewers say that it becomes clear with minimal blending and leaves no white cast on a range of skin tones.

Nail the summer vibe

During treatment, nails may become brittle or sensitive. Keep them short and clean, avoid harsh polishes, and protect them from sun and chemicals. A balm designed specifically for treatment-related nail care, like PolyBalm, can help strengthen them.

Watch:  Skin care and scarring after breast cancer surgery and radiation therapy

Donna’s story: Let ease lead the way

In the high desert sun of Colorado, Hear My Voice Advocate Donna Charlevoix’s favorite activity is walking in the cool morning air. After her metastatic diagnosis in 2019, she embraced a mantra of beautiful simplicity: “Wear what fits — even if it’s not the size you want.”

She found her glow in having water bottles at the ready, SPF in her bag, and soft cotton clothes that let her body breathe. Her flow is about giving herself permission to let go of size tags, rigid routines, and expectations. Donna believes in living each day to the fullest and releasing what she can’t control.

Donna’s tip: Are you dealing with dry heat after treatment? Lightweight linen or cotton like Primark’s Chic Linen Essentials are easy on the body.

A supportive sole

Look for easy-on sandals like Archies’ Flip Flops or Slides. They have arch support and wide footbeds to ease summer foot pain or swelling.

Watch:  Coping with changes to body image

Stephani’s story: Choose joy in color and motion

Hear My Voice Advocate Stephani St. Cyr brings vibrance wherever she goes. Diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in her bones, brain, and liver, she protects her energy fiercely, but fills it with sun, music, and moments that spark delight. “Summer isn’t about time spent,” she says. “It’s about the moments that make you feel alive.”

Stephani’s glow lives in sensory joy, such as sunlight on her skin, bright colors and bold prints. Her flow shows up in choices that affirm life: exercising, wearing what feels good, reapplying sunscreen, laughing in the air-conditioning, and living without apology.

Stephani’s tip: Embrace your moment in the sun, but don’t forget your protection. Wear a cute wide-brim hat like Sungrubbies Outrigger Sun Hat. And try a hydration reminder like the WaterLlama app or a habit-tracking bracelet.

Swim with the current

During treatment, swimsuit choices can be tricky. Try this Lands’ End’s Women's Mastectomy Chlorine Resistant High Neck Swim Dress One Piece Swimsuit, designed with soft mastectomy pockets, a high neckline to protect scars, and supportive fabric.

Read:  8 sun-care tips for people diagnosed with breast cancer

Find your glow and flow

Whether you’re resting, exploring, covering up, or letting your light shine, take time to find your best version of summer. Kendra wants you to know: “You can’t do everything right away, but you will eventually.”

Ready for more? For everything you want to know about how to enjoy the beach again, travel, and stay cool, safe, and sane during the summer after a breast cancer diagnosis, read Your essential guide to summer with breast cancer.