Day: March 14, 2019

March 14, 2019 at 01:16PM by CWC Whenever anybody asks me what the most important part of a skin-care routine is, I always say exfoliation without missing a beat. Dermatologists and facialists alike sing its praises for good reason—exfoliation, whether physical or chemical, is the secret behind sloughing off dead skin cells so that your pores are open and clear from gunk. I also know that you should be exfoliating your vagina (apparently), and the rest of your body, too. But it was only recently that I learned you should be taking exfoliation to your fingertips in order to have healthy nails. … Say wha? “Your nails have layers of dead nail cells—AKA onychocytes—that become dehydrated and damaged from environmental exposures such as water, temperature changes, as well as chemicals from products, polish remover being the biggest culprit,” explains Dana Stern, MD, a board-certified dermatologist who specializes in nail care. “As a result, the onychocytes lift and separate, which causes peeling—this is analogous to dry, rough, scaly skin.” Who knew your nails can have problems when facing buildup, just like your skin? According to Dr. Stern, that buildup can also lead to discoloration—particularly a yellowing tone that comes from polish. “White patches called keratin granulations can form when polish is left on too long, and then the onychoctes are removed along with the polish—which is especially common on toenails where people tend to keep polish on for very long periods,” she tells me. Not to mention that ridges can develop, which

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March 14, 2019 at 12:55PM by CWC Creating a solid home gym is tricky, particularly when you lack an extra room to devote your fitness pursuits or simply live in a small apartment. Take it from me: I splurged on a fold-up Pilates reformer in my old place that’s currently collecting dust in a closet due to the lack of space in my new one. Womp, womp. But thankfully, new innovations in the fitness space (looking at you, Mirror!) are making it easier than ever to get in quality workouts in the comfort of your own home. Most recently, the magical JaxJox kettlebell that’s basically six kettlebells in one. Fitness technology company JaxJox solves the storage problem with KettlebellConnect ($349, jaxjox.com). Within a single piece of equipment, you get a weight range from 12 to 42 pounds. After selecting the weight you want on a digital screen, in increments of six pounds, your “new” kettlebell will be ready to use in just three seconds after it loads up the weight. At any weight, it rattles a bit during swings (unlike a solid kettlebell), but that’s not enough to deter me from using it regularly. The high-tech device also monitors your form and tracks your reps and sets, rest time, weight time, and power. It also gives you the option for personalized training so you can get the most out of your workout. That’s cool, but I can’t say how often I’d use it. Beyond the (kettle)bells and whistles, the real draw here is the

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March 14, 2019 at 12:54PM by CWC It’s hard to believe that just a year ago, finding a cafe that served oat milk was a rarity. Now, it’s totally commonplace. Baristas love oat milk because it froths better than almond or soy, which is crucial for creating that perfect foamy texture. And consumers like it because it tastes pretty close to cow’s milk. No wonder it’s the rising star in the alt-milk world. The only possible downside of oat milk lattes: They’re only available at the coffeeshop. (Or if you’re particularly industrious slash have your own milk frother, at home.) Thankfully, the single-serve oat milk latte—where the trendy bev is canned or bottled for added on-the-go convenience—was a big trend that the Well+Good team saw at ExpoWest, the world’s largest natural and organic product convention. Here’s the inside scoop. The brand ahead of the curve One company, RISE Brewing, is already ahead of the trend. They sneakily released America’s first organic canned oat lattes back in September in two flavors: original and mocha, both made with nitro cold brew coffee. Amazingly, when you pop the can open and pour it into a glass, you get the same heady foam as you would if you were getting the latte on draft. “We decided to pair our already creamy and smooth Original Black nitro cold brew coffee with oat milk after over a year of trying virtually every existing dairy alternative,” CEO and co-founder Grant Gyesky says. “After evaluating three main components, taste, nutrition and

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March 14, 2019 at 12:12PM by CWC For those of you #blessed enough to have skipped The Bachelor’s most recent “most dramatic” season, allow me to offer a quick recap. No less than five women warned Colton Underwood—this year’s contestant—that certain “girls in the house” weren’t “ready” to get engaged. So naturally, the former college football star proceeded to pledge his love for Cassie, the woman who raised the most red flags, according to the others. All of this made for good—scratch that, amazing television. But beneath all the cringe-worthy melodrama, there’s a very real problem at play. What the heck do you do when your friends, relatives, or—sure—other love interests think that your current bae might not have the best intentions? How do you know when you should listen and when you should make like Underwood and charge forward with blinders. Before you can even begin to consider the validity of an accusation, relationship expert and life coach Jillian Turecki recommends evaluating your relationship with the individual expressing their concerns. “The right question to ask is, ‘Who is the person telling you this?’ It depends on the relationship that you have with the friend,” she tells me. “So if you really trust this person, then you listen. But if you don’t exactly trust this person, then it’s a relationship question between the two friends.” “If someone really close to you is warning you about someone you’re dating, chances are that your intuition is warning you, too.” —Jillian Turecki, relationship expert and

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