Your ultimate guide on how to exfoliate away the scales and leave your body soft from head to toe

June 18, 2019 at 01:00PM by CWC I exfoliate my face like it’s my job. Because…it kind of is. My beauty cabinet is chock-full of chemical exfoliating enzyme face masks, (non-walnut) facial scrubs, and exfoliating peels to keep my complexion clear and glowing. But my body? It’s consistently covered in flakes. That’s because I literally never think about exfoliating my body, despite how many more square feet of skin it covers compared to my face. “The benefit of exfoliating your body is to break down and remove dead skin cells from the top layers of the skin and unblock pores to reveal healthy skin cells beneath for a smoother appearance,” says Shel Pink,  founder of SpaRitual. “Body exfoliation also helps to stimulate and increase blood circulation to achieve healthy and glowing skin, and leaves the newly revealed skin hydrated and nourished.” But exfoliating your body is a bit different than the practice than you’re used to with the skin on your face. “It’s not the same rules when you’re exfoliating your body,” says Shirley Chi, MD, a California-based dermatologist. “The skin on your body is different. First of all, the skin is thicker. And it’s also drier than the skin on your face because there are fewer oil glands—that’s why on the body you tend to be more prone to dry skin.” ad_intervals[‘396106_div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘396106_div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’);}); } }, 100); In other words, getting that lizard-like, scaly skin is a totally commonplace situation between your

Read More

Alright, I got blood all over my bedsheets—what now, laundry experts?

June 18, 2019 at 11:07AM by CWC On a recent shopping adventure to Marshall’s, I found the perfect set of white sheets. They featured a light grey, trellis-like pattern that looped from edge to edge. They were flawless. That is, until a midnight visit from Aunt Flo turned the brand-new set into 600-thread-count crime scene. At the time, I wiped a tear from the corner of one eye, said a few words in their honor, and threw them in the trash. Now, I need absolution. I asked laundry experts how to remove blood stains from precious bed linens. Lindsey Boyd, cofounder of The Laundress, tells me that when sheets are personally victimized by nose bleeds, razor cuts, and periods, they need to be treated as soon as possible. “We’ve removed blood many times from most fabrics. However, we always recommend treating these types of stains sooner rather than later,” she says. First, you’ll need to check the tags to see exactly what fabrics you’re trying to rehabilitate. But generally, the process will look like this. ad_intervals[‘401837_div-gpt-ad-5443410-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘401837_div-gpt-ad-5443410-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-5443410-3’);}); } }, 100); How to remove blood stains from bedsheets Apply your stain remover of choice. (You can use a DIY solution, an all-natural option, or a drugstore buy.) Follow that up with a sprinkle of all-purpose bleach alternative. Together, the two should form a paste. Using your thumb or a brush, work the paste into the fabric with the help of cold water—not hot! hot

Read More

Real talk: Is going to an infrared sauna worth the hype?

June 18, 2019 at 10:53AM by CWC Skin care has gone high-tech—just look at the slew of at-home LED masks and microneedling tools on the market, and cryotherapy treatments landing at every spa. The latest trend du jour? Infrared saunas. Bloggers, journalists, and influencers alike are singing their praises of the treatment, saying that just 30 minutes in a glowing red booth leaves you with a model-worthy glow. (Celebrities love them, with everyone from Gwyneth Paltrow to Selena Gomez touting their beauty- and health-boosting benefits). Seems pretty sweet to me! But before you shut yourself up in one of these futuristic-looking rooms and get ready to leave looking like a model, here’s the fine print: How do infrared saunas work? If you’ve ever tried a traditional sauna, you’re probably familiar with the hot stones and water used to create steam, which is what heats the room (and you) up. In contrast, infrared saunas use infrared light (a type of light that is not visible to the human eye but we can feel it as heat, per NASA) “to directly heat your body,” says New York-based dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD. ad_intervals[‘401776_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘401776_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’);}); } }, 100); This heating up of the body happens gradually, says Lauren Berlingeri, a holistic nutritionist and co-founder and co-CEO of HigherDOSE. This results in a “vigorous, effective sweat at a lower, more comfortable temperature,” she says. That’s what’s responsible for that dewy, #wokeuplikethis glow you’re seeing all over your

Read More

Here’s what’s *actually* going to happen if you take a sip of spoiled milk

June 18, 2019 at 10:05AM by CWC If you learn one thing about milk, let it be this: Unlike cheese, it doesn’t (I repeat, does not) get better with age. Believe me, I hate the idea of eating a bowl of dry cereal as much as the next gal. But consuming a tall pour of spoiled milk from a weeks-old gallon in the back of your fridge likely leads to one thing: a Bridesmaids caliber bout of food poisoning. I wasn’t quite sure of the science behind why milk “spoils” in the first place, so I asked gastroenterologist and internist Niket Sonpal, MD, to explain. “Milk curdles in part because of bacteria,” he says. “Even if milk is pasteurized, there’s still a certain amount of milk bacteria left behind that will eventually cause the milk to spoil and curdle.” According to 2018 research published by the Journal of Dairy Science, this is because the bacteria continue to grow even after the milk has been pasteurized (which involves heating up the milk to kill off pathogens) and bottled. Yuck. Milk will go bad regardless, but you can slow the process by storing your carton at 38 to 40 °F. ad_intervals[‘401760_div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘401760_div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’);}); } }, 100); Still, one sniff of expired should lead you to utter: “Hmmm, this milk smells funky.” The best case scenario is that you’ll throw it out right then. If, however, you pour the spoiled milk into your Lucky Charms, smoothie, or

Read More

A coffee-cup reader taught me how to see images, messages, and meaning in my mug

June 18, 2019 at 08:24AM by CWC With my Greek relatives being long gone, all I have left to speak for my heritage is my tasseography abilities (which refers to reading coffee cups, tea leaves, sometimes, wine sediments). And a bunch of gold costume jewelry. And 14 photo albums. And a family-heirloom hookah. (Okay, I come from a long line of hoarders, so I’m not lacking in physical relics.) But, to get back to cultural practices, I only have faint memories of the coffee fortune-telling practice my aunt, theía Georgia, taught me. As such, properly learning tasseography, or reading coffee cups for fortunes in the grounds, is a twofold desire for me: It’s both a means to connect with my Greek heritage and my current Brooklyn community, because since all my friends do tarot, knowing a different woo-woo fortune-telling practice will really resonate and also feel all my own. To brush up on my skills, I met with Turkish coffee messenger Sema Bal, the wise and wonderful cup reader of 30 years, infamously featured on that episode of The Real Housewives of New York. ad_intervals[‘393586_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘393586_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’);}); } }, 100); First, the specifics about reading coffee cups: Tasseography requires a thicker Mediterranean coffee, which is brewed differently than your go-to Starbucks order. To make it, scoop the concentrated grounds into a Turkish coffee pot, and add in the water you measure by the cup. To make it sweet, add a cube or two of

Read More

Halp! Can you be allergic to your workout clothes…like for real?

June 18, 2019 at 07:00AM by CWC At any given moment, you can probably find me wearing leggings and a sports bra. Between commuting from the office to a sweat sesh in New York City (and teaching cycling classes and working at the front desk of my university gym at my home base of Philly), I hardly have any time to wear non-sweaty clothes. You feel me? This is precisely why when I started sprouting itchy, angry rashes after wearing my beloved workout gear, I was horrified. How could the clothing I wear the most betray me like this? Since I can’t simply stop wearing my workout clothes (I mean, duh), I needed to get to the root of the issue. After scouring the Internet, I realized I wasn’t alone in my quest to stop itching. So, fellow sensitive skin babes, I did the hard work and got the answers for you—you know, for athleisure’s sake. The first step is to determine whether your skin reaction is from a true allergy (called contact dermatitis) or just an irritation, says Purvi Parikh, MD, an allergist and immunologist with the Allergy and Asthma Network. “An allergy usually will give you a red, scaly, itchy rash—sometimes it could even be blistering and very painful, and often the rash will last even after you’ve changed,” she says. What’s more, often an allergic reaction won’t pop up right away, but instead could happen hours later, or even the next day, and it will often give

Read More

A sex researcher shares the number of people your brain can handle dating at once

June 18, 2019 at 06:00AM by CWC Sure, the concept of playing the field is no new thing, but I think anyone who’s dabbled in or is at least aware of swipe culture via dating apps can agree that the advent has made the practice oh-so common. Two leading sex pros have noticed, at least: During a recent episode of the Sex with Emily podcast, host Emily Morse, PhD, chatted with sex researcher and chief scientific advisor to Match.com Helen Fisher, PhD, who really illuminated the experience of dating multiple people at once when it means messaging a seemingly unending number of potential mates simultaneously. “The problem is, the human brain is not built to even cope with so many choices,” Dr. Fisher says. “The brain has a sweet spot, apparently between five and nine alternatives, and after that, you don’t choose any.” And though even the wildest chapters of my diary (when I fancied myself a modern Mae West circa winter 2017) don’t include me rotating nine people at once, that number here doesn’t need to reflect…well, official dating. Rather, the range could also point to people you’re “talking to” or “texting with,” with a strong emphasis on the quotation marks. (Don’t play coy, you know what I mean.) ad_intervals[‘401414_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘401414_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’);}); } }, 100); And be honest, it does seem possible (and even likely, perhaps) that you could keep five or so conversations at a time going on Bumble, Hinge, or whatever else, right?

Read More

1 26 27 28 29 30 78