Month: March 2019

March 07, 2019 at 01:05PM by CWC One famous person beauty myth that I like to believe in—besides Cleopatra bathing in milk—is that Marilyn Monroe supposedly rubbed mashed strawberries all over her face for a clean, naturally pink-hued glow. Sounds sweet, doesn’t it? I’ve dabbled in DIY beauty treatments myself‚ having replaced my face wash with honey and slathered on aloe vera to fight inflammation, but the world’s sweetest berry has never touched my skin. Much to my surprise, however, Monroe’s reputed go-to skin savior is popping up on beauty shelves—for good reason. “Strawberries, or fragriaria chiloensis extract, is a wonderful hydrator due to the high amount of carbohydrates it contains and skin protectant due the antioxidants,” says Dr. James Heskett, holistic MD, author of The Well Path and consultant for HydroPeptide. “It contains alpha lipoic acid which is a potent antioxidant, which slows the aging of collagen elastin. Also it has great vitamin C, which is a potent antioxidant as well as being a key player in collagen synthesis.” In fact, strawberries give vitamin C superstar oranges a run for their money. “It’s different than orange vitamin C, which is more acidic, and therefore more exfoliating and less hydrating,” says Dr. Heskett. One student named Varika P. even worked with skin-care brand Volition to capture her fave DIY beauty ingredient in the ease of a serum (hence why the brand just launched the Strawberry C-Brightening Serum ($42) for your skin’s benefit). “Strawberries were in season over the summer, and several

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March 07, 2019 at 12:40PM by CWC If Punxsutawney Phil is to be believed, spring is right around the corner. But… can someone try telling that to my hands? Even as temperatures are starting to tease warmer weather (please, please, let that precious little groundhog be right this year), my palms and cuticles are dry, cracked, and gross. Honestly, if you saw what I’m working with right now, you’d be absolutely horrified. And understandably, I’m not alone. But what gives—why are my hands still dry, even on the tail end of winter? “When you consistently wash your hands in hot water in the colder months, you strip off the natural oils that help keep your skin hydrated,” says Dr. Howard D. Sobel, NYC dermatologist and founder of Sobel Skin. “Over washing, scrubbing, or over sanitizing can lead to skin barrier disruption which means dried out, cracked outer layers which lead to loss of hydration and inflammation.” Obviously, the easy solution to this is to slather on a boatload-and-a-half of hand cream and hope for the best. But before you grab whatever product has been sitting at the bottom of your work tote all season long, there are a few things to keep in mind. “If your hands are dry and sensitive, you might want to opt for a fragrance-free formula,” suggests Dr. Sobel. “Look for a hand cream with humectants that will coat and moisturize the skin without leaving it greasy.  Vitamin E, beeswax, and sweet almond oil are all great hydrating ingredients to seek out.” In

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March 07, 2019 at 09:46AM by CWC I simply can’t resist a good candle. Every time I end up at Home Goods, I make a beeline to sniff out something add to my collection. But candle quality varies at every price point, so no matter where you’re buying, there’s a trick you should know to make sure you’re selecting a something top notch. Many candles are made from a blend of soy and paraffin wax, a petroleum byproduct. While burning something that’s mostly soy is A-okay, candles loaded with paraffin tend to emit toxic fumes, which can be damaging to your health. To make sure you’re not bringing something harmful into your space, do the touch test. “Some candles that state they’re soy blends contain considerable amounts of paraffin. An easy way to tell is by touching and inspecting the wax,” says Jon Bresler, founder and CEO of LAFCO, a fragrance and personal care products company based in New York. “With some limited exceptions for some hard paraffin waxes, generally paraffin candles are soft and have an oily, translucent feel. Soy wax, on the other hand, is hard and opaque. So as a general rule, the more soy in a soy blend candle, the harder the wax will feel.” To test out a candle for yourself, Bresler recommends tapping your finger on the surface of the candle. “If your finger sinks into the wax, that means the candle most likely doesn’t have a large amount of soy wax and conversely has a considerable

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