Day: September 15, 2019

September 15, 2019 at 11:00PM by CWC Teas have long been used to serve as aids for everything from better energy (matcha!) to digestive assistance (hello, ginger). Sleep has certainly been no exception. While you may have heard that a cup of lavender or chamomile tea help promote good sleep, there’s another, lesser-known tea linked to a more restful snooze: banana peel tea. Typically, banana peels tend to go straight in the compost bin. But you can actually save the peels and brew them into a lightly sweet tea. (Sustainability, FTW!) Skeptical? I was too—until I started doing some research. Why banana peel tea is linked to better sleep Essentially, bananas as a whole are linked to promoting good sleep. “Bananas are full of various sleep-promoting nutrients, specifically the natural muscle relaxants magnesium and potassium,” says registered dietitian Eliza Savage, RD. “They also contain an amino acid called tryptophan, which is a precursor for the sleep hormone, melatonin, and the mood-influencing neurotransmitter, serotonin.” So incorporating a banana into your dessert (or as your bedtime snack) could work in your favor when you turn the lights off later. These sleep-promoting benefits may extend to the peel as well. “Based on some research reports, banana peels do have high concentrations of potassium and magnesium,” Savage says. But since eating a whole peel sounds…unappealing (sorry!), you can make tea out of the banana peel instead. “To my knowledge, it is safe to brew tea using banana peels. However, I would recommend cleaning the

Read More

September 15, 2019 at 08:00PM by CWC I’d bet that if you paused your TV at any scene in which a leading lady in a 1950s-era show is primping herself or doing her skin-care routine, you could zoom in to see a cold cream on her vanity shelf. If you’ve never heard of such a beauty product, I feel you. It was a staple of women’s regimens half a century ago, used to remove gobs of makeup and soften the skin. But if you take a look at a cold cream, it appears to just be a fluffy moisturizer. And then the name indicates that it’s some sort of sickness remedy, or a skin-care concoction that’s meant to lower the temperature of your complexion. But here’s the deal: A cold cream is essentially a moisturizing makeup remover. “Cold creams are designed to remove makeup and smooth the skin,” explains Shari Sperling, DO, a board-certified dermatologist. “They are simple emulsions of water, mineral oil, and wax, and are best used for removing makeup.” Her take on the old school beauty product? “They don’t contain ingredients that are amazing for your skin, like hyaluronic acid, so just don’t expect cold cream to be a skin-care savior. Be cautious of using too much as the high concentrations of mineral oil and soap can dry out the skin,” says Dr. Sperling. That said, they certainly can feel like a luxurious way to wash your face at night—I’d imagine it feels like you’re rocking the famous

Read More

September 15, 2019 at 05:00PM by CWC Whether you’re a bonafide plant lady or a known succulent killer, you know that caring for your plant babies is not an easy feat. You can do all the right things—feed them water, put them near a window, incorporate them into your self-care routine, give them names and tell them how beautiful they are every morning (just me?)—and yet, sometimes your plant’s leaves start turning yellow.  To help solve our plant conundrum, we turned to a couple of green-thumbed pros to find out why (dear God, why?)  those plant leaves are turning yellow (there are seven common reasons) and what you can do to keep your potted pals looking lush and oh so green.  Here are 7 reasons that could explain why your plant leaves are turning yellow 1. The plant needs more water One of the things that can cause plant leaves to turn yellow is that the plant’s roots aren’t getting enough water. This can happen if you’re just watering the top of the soil. To fix this, Joyce Mast, Bloomscape’s “plant mom,” recommends soaking the bottom of the plant by filling up your sink with 2-4 inches of water and setting the plant in there for 30 minutes. This will allow it to soak up the water from the bottom. Next, drain the sink and let the plant rest there for a bit to let excess water trickle down. Repeat every four weeks.  2. The plant is overwatered The color

Read More

September 15, 2019 at 04:00PM by CWC Going to get your eyebrows waxed is a fairly mindless experience. All you’ve gotta do is tell your waxer what you want, then sit back, relax, and muscle through the pain for like, six minutes, before the entire thing is over and you’re on your merry way.  There’s literally nothing to think about except whether you want to opt for an additional lip wax, and what kind of snack you’re going to treat yourself to after the appointment…right? Well, not exactly. There is actually one thing that should be top of mind that you probably haven’t considered, and that’s your skin-care routine. “Many people make the mistake of not thinking about how their skin type and skin-care regimen can affect their brow shaping experience,” says celebrity eyebrow artist Robin Evans. Some ingredients that raise a red flag? Retinoids and alpha hydroxy acids, which can make skin more sensitive and change the way it reacts to the wax. “I do a verbal consultation with my new clients, to see if they’re using Retin-A or Differin (both are retinoids), AHAs, or have recently had peels, so I can decide if I need to be more careful with the waxing—or not wax at all,” says Evans. These products make skin more sensitive, which means that, in addition to ripping out your brow hair, the wax could also take off some skin. “Retinoids decrease the thickness of the stratum corneum which is the outermost layer of the skin,”

Read More