Day: June 10, 2019

June 10, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC I remember when I got my first gym membership in a suburb of Dallas. I was a teenager, and started off fitness-wise by running around my neighborhood—so going to an actual gym was a big move for me. Walking in for the first time, I felt completely overwhelmed. Everyone around me was slaying their workouts and navigating the gym like a pro, and meanwhile I didn’t know my way around those weights machines or the cardio section—at all. Obviously, being a noob to the fitness world can be extremely intimidating, whether you’re starting a new gym membership or trying a workout class for the first time. There are machines to figure out, workouts to plan, and tons of people around you that seemingly know exactly WTF they’re doing. How’s one supposed to deal with all that on top of doing their exercise, which should be hard enough? In actuality, it’s all about your mindset—and your form. “A lot of people get intimidated when they’re going to do anything for the first time outside their comfort zone,” says Ryan Johnson, principal and co-founder of Homage Fitness.  “In particular, at the gym, there’s an added level of vulnerability because it has to do with the intimacy of your body. And we carry around this hyper-awareness and body consciousness of ourself, and, walking into the gym with that energy, you think that everyone is going to sense this.” ad_intervals[‘399607_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘399607_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’]);

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June 10, 2019 at 12:46PM by CWC While everyone in the locker room post-workout clamors for the blow dryers, I walk out scot-free with my wet strands because I’m an avid hair air-dryer. I stan air drying because a) it’s fast and, well, ultimately ideal for those who are lazy with their hair (like moi), and b) it lets your natural hair texture come through. And I just learned of another way to incorporate air drying into my beauty routine: post-cleansing. In the depths of a Reddit Skin-care Addiction subthread on “ways to clear up your skin that have nothing to do with your beauty products,” I read about someone’s success story when they started air drying their face after washing it, as opposed to patting it dry with a towel. I’m all too aware that towels can be a breeding ground for bacteria if you’re not washing them on the reg (c’mon—I can’t be the only one personally familiar with the “week old wet towel” odor), but I tapped a dermatologist to get her expert take on the matter. ad_intervals[‘399896_div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘399896_div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’);}); } }, 100); “Actually, air drying is a somewhat better way to dry your skin,” says Rachel Nazarian, MD, a board certified dermatologist with Schweiger Dermatology… but notes that there are a few caveats to that statement. She explains that aggressively rubbing your face with a towel can cause irritation and inflammation, which won’t happen if you’re air drying, but

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June 10, 2019 at 10:46AM by CWC “When you think of Moroccan beauty, what comes to mind?” A group of beauty editors and I were sitting in the back of a natural beauty cooperative in the middle of the Marrakesh Medina when our tour guide, Stephanie Flor of Around The World Beauty, posed the question. “Argan oil,” we all responded without missing a beat. In Morocco, women have used the natural, nut-based oil for centuries, slathering it on their skin and hair for an added layer of softness and shine. Personally, I’ve been slicking the liquid gold through my strands since middle school, loving how silky it left them. One thing that I didn’t realize, despite the dozens of bottles that I’ve poured through in my lifetime, it can help prevent hair breakage and keep strands strong, too. ad_intervals[‘398980_div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘398980_div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’);}); } }, 100); As I learned during my trip, women who wear headscarves—which many in Morocco do—tend to deal with hair loss from the fabric rubbing up against their scarves. To help with re-growth, they use a mask made from a mixture of argan oil and olive oil, plus nigella and fig. “While there are no studies directly linking argan oil to hair growth, its natural vitamin E content does help prevent breakage and split ends, which may result in fuller, thicker hair over time,” says Hien Nguyen, co-founder and chief science officer at Function of Beauty.  While the verdict may still

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June 10, 2019 at 10:39AM by CWC The only thing that feels better than freshly laundered sheets against your skin is a set of linens that are brand new. Whether you score unbelievably soft bedding on Amazon for $15 or invest in linens made to last for years to come, a new set of sheets feels divine. Not all bedding fabrics are created equal when it comes to giving your skin the rest it deserves, according to dermatologists. But cotton sheets, along with a handful of other bedroom buys, will keep your complexion happy all night long. “The fabrics that touch our skin, whether it is in our clothing or our bed sheets, can impact our skin health,” says New York City-based dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD. That’s why he recommends sticking to ultra soft, natural fibers, “like high thread count cotton sheets or silk sheets.” These comfy materials allow your face to slip and slide easily across their surface, reducing any friction your skin might experience as you toss and turn in the night. Makes sense, right? (Linens and flannels will have the same skin-soothing effect.) ad_intervals[‘399893_div-gpt-ad-5443410-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘399893_div-gpt-ad-5443410-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-5443410-3’);}); } }, 100); You may be thinking, yikes, most of these materials come with an eyebrow-raising price tag. Agreed. That’s why both Dr. Zeichner and  dermatologist Dendy Engelman, MD, offer a workaround. Rather than investing in sheets that could set you back a full paycheck, you can invest in one (or two!) 100 percent

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June 10, 2019 at 08:59AM by CWC In an age where we protect, honor, and strategize our calendars as if they were our first-born child, there’s no bigger threat to best-laid plans than flaky chronic cancelers. Like I get it, JOMO beckons us all, and it’s easy to join the hermit revolution when we’re all wrapped up in our own busy lives and consumed by stressors. But when you actually have solid, agreed upon plans in place with someone who pulls that “Sorry, I’m the worst, but…” nonsense for the fourth time in a row an hour before you’re supposed to meet, nothing is more clear than the fact that to bail on someone, let alone repeatedly, is really effing rude. So to ease your understandably high cortisol levels after learning your latest round of Scheduling Tetris was utterly needless, there’s some etiquette intel worth embracing about when you can opt out of the resulting rescheduling game. Because at a certain point, you and your daily itinerary have endured enough disrespect to have earned the right to say some version of, “Nah, I’m good” at the prospect of rescheduling those coffee plans. Again. And better yet, it’s possible to go this route without coming across like a total ass. ad_intervals[‘398986_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘398986_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’);}); } }, 100); “After the second reschedule, a third time is not the charm,” says national etiquette expert Diane Gottsman. “Of course, we all understand emergencies do happen and that should

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