Is technology wrecking your skin?

September 28, 2018 at 12:19PM If you’ve ever noticed a smattering of fresh pimples on your cheek after a long chat with your BFF, you know that using your phone can lead to breakouts. But it’s not just the heat and sweat buildup that causes damage to your skin. The real issue is the blue light that emanates from your devices. “Blue light’s found in natural sunlight and artificial light, but with it coming off of TVs, computers, and smart phones, we’re more bombarded with it than ever,” says Lisa Marie Garguilo, director of education for Luzern Laboratories, a skin-care brand that just launched a line specifically formulated to defend your skin against these rays. Oculoplastic surgeon Maryam Zamani, MD, concedes that more studies on blue light are needed before firm conclusions can be drawn, but she believes it’s possible that blue light can contribute to pigmentation, premature aging, and other skin woes. And unfortunately, there’s no sparkle filter for real life… Keep reading to learn more about blue light and how to protect yourself from its negative effects. Photo: Stocksy/Suzanne Clements How does blue light affect you? So, is staring at your screen as bad for your skin as laying out in the sun? “I wouldn’t say blue light’s unsafe, but it penetrates deeper than UVA and UVB rays,” says Garguilo. “It goes into the sub-tissue of your skin and creates a certain type of free radical. And you’re always trying to protect your skin from free radical damage.” This can lead to the breakdown of collagen and elastin and cause

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The one thing you should do every morning for a healthier sex life

September 28, 2018 at 12:06PM Even if you don’t have time to fit in an a.m. orgasm between your first supercharged cup of coffee and that morning workout, there’s something you can do when you wake up that can improve your healthy sex life, says relationship coach and Well+Good Council member Lila Darville. Here, she explains why fitting foreplay into your morning routine is a *really* good idea.  Too often, people think about foreplay as the prep that comes immediately before sex (kissing, touching, a little Ginuwine if you’re into that). But by this definition, the word “foreplay” limits what we can be experiencing sexually. It gives people the narrow idea that they should start getting turned on only when they enter the bedroom, or in the minutes right before intercourse. There really isn’t a beginning or end to foreplay. In fact, foreplay is the arousal of sexual energy, and it doesn’t have to be relegated to the moments before sex play with your partner. It can start as soon as you wake up in the morning and last all day long, whether between two people or on your own. There really isn’t a beginning or end to foreplay. I like to think of my sexual energy like a simmering pot; I want it to always be simmering. I don’t want to have to go from cold to hot right before sex. If we restrict foreplay to those moments before we go to bed or the moments before we have sex, then

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Lipstick’s younger, cooler sister has arrived just in time for fall

September 28, 2018 at 11:37AM I know so many women—myself included—whose go-to method of taking a makeup look from day to night is by swiping on a bold lip. Nothing gives you an instant boost of confidence quite like rocking a bright shade, am I right ladies? Just ask my roommate, who, on date nights, witnesses me swipe on my go-to fuschia lip to feel exponentially more self-assured with my look and the metaphorical exclamation point that it’s donning. Here’s the thing: Why can’t you take that easy swipe of confidence with you throughout the day? While popping pinks and intense reds can stick with you through the night, making them last from 9-to-5 (through coffee runs and lunch and the like) can be more challenging. That’s why I’m making the case for the upgraded tinted lip balm as your everyday beauty hero. A perfect medium between your go-to lipstick and a nourishing balm, tinted lips provide a touch of color along with hydration. And while they’ve existed for-eh-ver, sure, they have a new twist, functioning more as makeup than treatment. They’re like muted lipsticks—lipsticks with the volume dialed down a bit, if you will, whereas tinted balms of the past felt more like a Chapstick with benefits. These aren’t basic colors for the faint of heart, either—brands are making tinted lip balms in everything from your dark burgundy to coral pink, so you’re sure to find one in the hue you love. And as you reap the confidence-boosting benefits

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Ready your stockpot for the most popular soup recipe on Pinterest

September 28, 2018 at 11:28AM Now that fall is in the air (and in your coffee cup), it’s time to stash away your trusty blender to make room for the stockpot (or slow cooker). But stop yourself from combing through the infinite pages of the World Wide Web to find recipes for the coziest soups and stews in which to dip your still-steaming loaf of super-bread. Rather, skip to the Pinterest finish line with a creamy vegan find: roasted butternut squash, the most-popular fall soup recipe on the whole platform. According to the social network, which is chock-full of ideas for living your best DIY life, the bowl that’s been saved 133 thousand times is one that’s filled to the brim with the orange-hued goodness, crafted by the food blogger behind Ahead of Thyme. The dish calls for 12 ingredients, including roasted butternut squash, carrots, celery, and onions, as well as apropos-for-autumn herbs like sage, thyme, and rosemary. After roasting the veggies for an hour, simply pop the ingredients into a food processor and, ta-da, dinner is served. View this post on Instagram Happy American Thanksgiving!! Serve my popular and delicious roasted butternut squash soup on your holiday table. Rosemary, thyme and sage… need I say more? | aheadofthyme.com – click link in bio for recipe #aheadofthyme A post shared by Sam | Ahead of Thyme (@aheadofthyme) on Nov 24, 2016 at 12:09pm PST //www.instagram.com/embed.js In second place (but not so close), a recipe for Italian chicken veggies soup comes in at 65 thousand saves—AKA,

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The 5 best crystals for better sleep and how to use them

September 28, 2018 at 11:17AM There is no exact science for getting the perfect night’s sleep. There are, of course, things that can help you catch more zzz’s. You can set a curfew for your technology. Or, ban your pup from your bed, for starters. Some DIY energy healing with the help of crystals is another option. There are five crystals associated with better sleep, according to Heather Askinosie, co-founder of Energy Muse and author of Crystal Muse. Her recommendations are below. But first, she offers this word of caution before you over woo-woo your bedroom. “At the end of the day, crystals are amplifiers,” she says. “So they can keep some people up at night.” “Ninety-nine percent of the time, less is more when it comes to crystals in the bedroom.” Finding the perfect setup requires some experimentation. Light sleepers might want to keep the crystals farther from their beds. Another option is to opt for smaller stones. “Ninety-nine percent of the time, less is more when it comes to crystals in the bedroom” Askinosie says. Read on to learn about the five best crystals for better sleep and how to add them into your nighttime routine. Photo: Stocksy/Lyuba Burakova Selenite Selenite isn’t an obvious choice here since its nickname is liquid light. But Askinosie says “it represents what your ideal mindset should be before you head to bed: calm and clear.” Amethyst Are dreams the part of your slumber that could use some help? Fill your bedroom with amethyst. Amethyst

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Here’s what’s *actually* going to happen to you if you eat expired butter

September 28, 2018 at 10:14AM There are some fridge staples I run out of on the reg. It seems like I’m always buying eggs or another half gallon of almond milk. But butter on the other hand, sits in my fridge for literally months on end. Maybe it’s because I don’t make Bulletproof coffee every morning and I’m not much of a baker, but it takes me forever to run out of the stuff. Which made me wonder: When does it reach the point when it’s not safe to eat anymore? I did some digging to find out. Apparently, there are a lot of people out there who have ancient butter in their fridge, including this person who put four year old butter on her baked potato. Fortunately, scientists have actually studied this. They meticulously monitored butter kept in the fridge and found that it can last about six months with no gross bacteria growing on it and no changes in texture or flavor. In another study, scientists found that after ten months, there actually still wasn’t enough harmful bacteria on refrigerated butter to lose any sleep over it. So it turns out when kept in the cold, butter can last for a long damn time. But what happens when you’re like the lady who ate four-year-old butter? Will it leave your stomach, er, churning? (Sorry! Sorry!) The first thing to know: Don’t panic—old butter can’t kill you. It seems the worst that can happen is, yes, you’ll get a stomach

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