Modicum Introduces Skincare Line For People Being Treated For Or Recovering From Cancer

Singer and Modicum Essential Skin Care founder Monica Behan began writing songs when she was 7 years old. By her 20s, she was touring the country, and she still performs locally in her home state of New York.

“Throughout my professional music career, learning and studying holistic medicine and nutrition ran a parallel path,” says Behan, who’s best known for her 1997 hit “World Keeps Spinning.” “My family has always influenced me in terms of health and healing. My mother’s approach to our family’s health was a holistic one. She believed in Hippocrates’ approach, ‘Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.’ She would say, ‘Be mindful of the energy that your food is made with, it should be made with love.’ My older sister introduced me to the healing power of plants in my teens, and I have been hooked ever since.”

A snowmobile accident in 2013 was the catalyst for her interest in the healing power of plants turning into an entrepreneurial pursuit. The accident on a glacier resulted in lacerations and scarring on her face and neck. Dissatisfied with the scar remedies she tried, she developed her own, which led to the launch of Modicum Essential Skin Care in 2014. The brand’s first product, Essential Serum, is a hydrating serum for the face, lips and under-eyes. Made with ingredients such as astaxanthin, helichrysum essential oil, sea buckthorn berry oil, black cumin seed oil and rose absolute, Behan says, “It’s truly a powerhouse formula.”

Behan continues, “My accident showed me a white space in the market for clean and effective products. I sought out a particular cosmetic chemist who had been in the business for 30 years who taught me about the skincare industry and formulation. I wanted to create products that feed the skin cells the nutrients they need and allow the body’s natural intelligence to restore its own balance.”

This year, Behan took her venture into the skincare segment a step further with the release of Modicum Compassionate Care, a sister line to Modicum Essential Skin Care devoted to people in treatment for cancer or recovery from the disease. The line addresses what Behan calls “a personal pain point.” After her husband was diagnosed with cancer and underwent radiation treatment, Behan hunted for plant-derived products backed by evidence-based research to soothe his skin and was surprised by the limited number of options.

“Once again, necessity motivated me to create these products myself. There were brands with products for skin sensitivity during cancer treatments. However, I could not find any offerings that were plant-based created and devoted to those impacted by cancer and the side effects of conventional treatment,” she says. “Using the knowledge I had gained from starting Modicum Essential Skin Care, I created the Compassionate Care line that specifically addressed the common side effects of hair loss, postoperative wound healing, post-radiation burning and collateral damage to the skin cells in general.”

“Daily acts of self-compassion and self-care become a practice that supports the recovery process.”

Behan wants the products encourage acts of self-care, too. “I wanted to introduce the healing power of self-care and self-compassion,” she says. “I hope to encourage creating a ritual when applying our products. These daily acts of self-compassion and self-care become a practice that supports the recovery process.”

It took two years to finalize the Compassionate Care line. “Like so many other businesses, current supply chain bottlenecks have caused logistical struggles,” says Behan. “Customs and shipping prices have increased substantially, and we are experiencing significant overseas shipping delays. However, we were fortunate in that we ordered early and received enough materials for our initial launch.”

Packaging also proved difficult to pin down. “Our brand ethos is plant-centric, so we are committed to finding sustainable packaging alternatives, pushing even our components towards being entirely green,” says Behan. “For example, we wanted to address sourcing alternative straws for our pumps. Non-plastic straws didn’t exist, and we were in the process of creating a bamboo one, but it became untenable when our point of contact left the company. We are still working on finding a new source.”

The Compassionate Care line offers an all-over oil for the skin made with anti-inflammatory astaxanthin and sea buckthorn as well as helichrysum italicum and camellia. It’s designed to assist with the diminishment of scars. Other products include a balm to aid with postoperative healing for breasts, and a head and scalp oil aimed at stimulating blood circulation at the hair follicles to promote hair growth and relieve scalp irritation. The Compassionate Care line’s products start at $20 for a 10-ml. size of the head and scalp oil, and go up to $150 for a set of three products.

“Modicum is self-funded. One might consider my mother an angel investor. When she passed, she left me enough seed money to start the company. She was the inspiration for me, becoming a true advocate of the healing power of plants and the healing power of compassion,” says Behan. “Profits from Modicum Essential Skin Care line funded the Compassionate Care line.” She declines to disclose the brand’s exact sales.

Behan started the nonprofit The Compassionate Care Foundation to ensure the Compassionate Care line’s products will be made broadly available to people who could benefit from them. Behan says, “The relationships we create with leading cancer facilities and hospitals will allow us to send home offerings from Modicum’s Compassionate Care line.”

For now, both Modicum Essential Skin Care and Modicum Compassionate Care are distributed via direct-to-consumer distribution and on Amazon. The brand is fully compliant with European Union cosmetics regulations and plans to expand into the EU countries and the United Kingdom. The Compassionate Care line is available in select wellness centers in the United States.