Month: March 2019

March 30, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC Ah, yes. Wormwood. Your go-to supplement. JK. Unless you’re well-versed in Traditional Chinese Medicine, wormwood (also known as qinghao) probably doesn’t have much name recognition. For starters, it’s an herb with a strong bitter flavor. It’s also the main ingredient in vermouth and absinthe, the alcoholic drink responsible for that wild club scene in Girls Trip.  The plant been used medicinally for thousands of years, with recorded uses in the Roman Empire as well as during the Han Dynasty in China. Traditional uses include treating malaria, helping grow hair, and even promoting a longer lifespan. Current researchers are exploring its potential efficacy in treating diseases like Crohn’s disease and malaria. And though research is sparse and more clinical human trials are needed, there are some possible wormwood benefits that make it worth having on your herbal radar. 1. It could help stimulate digestion Traditionally, wormwood has been used to help digestion, and a small 2014 study found evidence to support this practice. The control group of 14 participants drank water mixed a sugar placebo, while 12 people drank water mixed with a wormwood extract (another 12 ingested water with gentian, another bitter herb). The study suggests that ingesting wormwood elicits the cephalic phase response, AKA how your body responds to nerve signals telling you it’s time to eat (it’s why you salivate when you see, smell, or taste food). This response also leads to increased stomach enzyme production, which creates better conditions for

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March 30, 2019 at 10:00AM by CWC Selecting a cleanser that works with dry skin can feel like a daunting task. Most foam and jelly formulations will leave you dehydrated and flaky, and finding a milk version that offers the right clean-but-not-too-clean feeling is basically impossible. But—good news: There is one product formulation out there that will have all the dry-skinned ladies shouting Goldilocks-style that you’ve finally found something “Just right!” for your particular skin concerns. Cleansing balms, which are made from oil, clean dirt and impurities off of the surface of your skin while moisturizing and protecting its barrier in the process. And instead of stripping the top layer—the way so many harsh products tend to do—it will leave you with a glow so dewy that you’ll be tempted to skip your moisturizer step (but please, don’t do that). “Oil cleansing balms remove oil-based impurities and free radicals that can lead to breakouts and premature aging,” explains Charlotte Cho, founder of K-beauty skin-care line Then I Met You. “Often times we don’t realize how many impurities are on our skin, so cleansing specifically with an oil-cleanser to gently remove makeup, excess sebum, and sunscreen sets the canvas for clean, healthy skin.” She notes that you should only use a dime-sized amount of the stuff because “a little bit goes a long way.” When you slather it on, the balm should seamlessly melt into your skin. Case in point: Drunk Elephant’s new cleansing balm is called a “butter cleanser”—and when

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