In 2003, at the American Association for Cancer Research Second Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research, studies were presented that found pomegranate fruit extract a novel agent for skin cancer prevention. Researchers say if further studies confirm preliminary findings, skin care products such as creams, patches, and sunscreens containing pomegranate may be developed to protect the skin against cancer.

"The incidence of skin cancer is rising faster than any other solid tumor in the United States. It is critical that we develop novel approaches to both primary and secondary prevention of what appears to be becoming an epidemic," stated Dr. David Alberts, M.D., of the University of Arizona. "We are pleased to see numerous studies exploring the therapeutic value of topically-applied natural ingredients that people can begin incorporating into everyday life."

While research of pomegranate extract is ongoing, and the bath and beauty skin care products featured in this post do not claim to reduce skin cancer risk, they do all contain pomegranate extract. Pampering yourself with these delightful bath and body products is simply a treat -- and if research does prove that pomegranate extract provides topical health benefit, all the better. Indulge yourself, you deserve it.

St Helena Olive Oil Co. Pomegranate Soap

Made with olive oil and the fruit of the pomegranate, which gives St Helena Olive Oil Co. Pomegranate Soap its rich pink color and refreshing scent, according to the product description, pomegranate is known for its soothing properties for sensitive skin. View product details here.

Noveya All-Natural Pomegranate Soap

Noveya makes its All-Natural Pomegranate Soap from a special formula of pomegranate extract, pomegranate juice, pomegranate leaves, pomegranate peel, essential oil of patchouli, essential oil of lavender, vanilla extract, organic goat's milk, and pure wildflower honey all enhanced by red clay from the Negev to hydrate and enrich the skin with nutrients. View product details here.


Archipelago Botanicals Pomegranate Collection

Archipelago Botanicals has developed a line of pomegranate bath and beauty products. According to the company webpage, ancient Greeks touted its medicinal benefits, while modern beauty editors point out that the fruit is loaded with powerful antioxidants. Two of the products they offer are:

Archipelago Botanicals Pomegranate Triple Milled Soap made with a blend of pomegranate, white tea, cranberry, and chamomile extracts in a 100 percent vegetable base. View product details here.

Archipelago Botanicals Pomegranate Body Polish is formulated with ground pomegranate and cranberry seeds to gently exfoliate and detoxify. View product details here.

Aqua Dessa Honey Pomegranate Facial Cleansing Foam

Created to be mild foaming facial cleanser, Aqua Dessa Honey Pomegranate Facial Cleansing Foam is made with honey, pomegranate and antioxidants vitamin C, vitamin E, black currant, raspberry, blackberry, strawberry and blueberry to hydrate and nourish the skin. View product details here.

Bella Lucce Pomegranate Polishing Crème

Made with pomegranate extract, the polishing cream exfoliates with tiny microderm abrasion crystals in a product designed to meet the same high quality standards you might experience with pricey microderm abrasion treatments at a spa. In fact, Bella Lucce's bath and body products are featured in luxe spas, salons and natural wellness centers in 38 states and nine countries -- from Los Angeles to Dubai. View product details here.

It's hard to describe the feelings that overwhelmed me during my bad days with cancer. I could call them consuming and crushing and sickening and frightening and crippling and still not completely cover all the bases. It's much easier to describe the feelings that overwhelmed me on my good days with cancer. I felt -- and still mostly feel this way -- happy and spunky and motivated and invigorated and fulfilled. And I felt loved -- because most of my bad days were turned around by the love of others. It was like clockwork. When I needed it most, a surprise awaited me in my mailbox or my inbox or on on the other side of my front door or on my front porch. These surprises strengthened me on my bad days -- and sometimes beyond the bad days. They still help me really -- because my memory of how they saved me from days of despair continues to fuel my good days. And here are seven of my special surprises.

I see and use my handmade quilt every day. It was created especially for me by more than 20 talented friends who crafted the lavender, pale green, and white patches into a flowered work of beauty and serenity and warmth. It sits at the end of my bed -- folded neatly and by coincidence matching the color scheme of my room -- until the time at which I turn in for the night and I spread it out and allow it to comfort me and warm me. It has covered me every night since the night it was delivered to my doorstep by a few of the friends who helped make it -- and the peace it brings me today is no less than the peace it brought me the first night I used it -- the night when I was weak and sick and struggling with breast cancer.

Stress is not good. Long-term stress can suppress the immune system. Part of cancer prevention is supporting a healthy immune system so it can do the job of stopping cancer before it has a chance to develop into disease.

Whether stress is related to work or family life, most of us experience too much stress in our daily life. Why the same events will cause some people stress and not others, or why the same event can cause us to experience stress at one time but not seem to bother us as much at a different time, is largely based on our perception of the event and how we define what is happening.

One of the best ways to escape stress? Never personalize what is taking place. Easier said than done, but with practice, it works in reducing the amount of stress and the number of times you experience stress in a day. Still, easier said than done.

When it comes to cancer organizations and cancer charity, if I say pink, you think ribbon and breast cancer. If I say yellow, you think wristband and Lance Armstrong. I say that is what you will think because the pink breast cancer campaign and the yellow cancer survivor wristband have become phenomenally successful at marketing brand identity. Which is a good thing for cancer charity. Many companies and products are going pink as a way to donate money for cancer research. By offering pink products, and allotting a certain portion of the profits to cancer charity, the purchase of the product serves two purposes. But what if you do not normally wear pink, or decorate your home in pink? 

Okay, what about purple? The Lavender Trust, a foundation that serves young women living with breast cancer, offers a line of fundraising products in a soft lavender color. The products range from apparel to candles to gardening seeds. All in shades of lavender. Go here to check out the Lavender Trust online shop.

Nigella Lawson has created a gorgeous recipe for lavender-tinted and lavender flavored cupcakes -- aptly named Lavender Trust Cupcakes -- that Lavender Trust at Breast Cancer Care has generously published online. The recipe uses lavender sugar. Lavender sugar can be purchased at specialty shops, or you can make lavender sugar simply by placing a few sprigs of fresh lavender into a jar of sugar for a few days.

According to the recipe introduction, lavender has been used as a flavor in Provencal cuisine for many years, and has recently begun to come back into fashion as an ingredient in the UK in both savory and sweet dishes. To get a copy of the recipe for Nigella Lawson's Lavender Trust Cupcakes, go here.

The Lavender Trust at Breast Cancer Care was founded by Beth Wagstaff and journalist Ruth Picardie, both breast cancer survivors. The Lavender Trust provides support for younger women living with breast cancer. Lawson supports the breast cancer charity in a number of ways, including the design launch of a limited edition set of lavender measuring cups as part of her Living Kitchen line of products.