September 19, 2019 at 04:30AM by CWC Integrating superfoods into your everyday diet is awesome—but understanding which superfoods address specific areas of your health before adding them to your grocery cart? Even better. For a refresher, here’s what a superfood actually is: “A superfood is a naturally occurring ingredient that has health-supporting properties in the form of antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds, highly bioavailable nutrients, or unique structural components,” explains Ali Miller, RD, CDE integrative dietician, and author of The Anti-Anxiety Diet. To put it simply, superfoods are organic methods of reaping wellness-boosting benefits, in just one scoop. (Life. Hack.) If you’re saying “yes please” to all of the above, same. The next step is figuring out how to actually add them to your diet—and luckily, that task has gotten a lot easier. Enter Further Food, the women-owned and led brand that dishes up real superfood supplements that you can add into your morning smoothie or go-to caffeinated bev. Developed by leading naturopathic doctors, scientists, and herbalists, the supplements are designed to support specific parts of your wellness—so you can find the exact one to meet your needs, because it’s all about that customized life. Keep scrolling to see which superfood supplements you should opt for depending on your wellness goals. Radiant skin It’s not news that the beauty scene has been buzzing about collagen, and for good reason: Studies have shown that the supplement could potentially help boost skin elasticity and hydration, meaning it could be nature’s way of giving you
Month: September 2019
The case for using a bidet seat (and why you actually need one)
September 19, 2019 at 04:30AM by CWC Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about bidets (what, like you haven’t?) and if this luxe bathroom upgrade—which is a super common cleanliness essential in Europe—is something I should try. You see, I’m a prime candidate for upping my level of well-being in the bathroom, because dealing with my various digestive issues means I spend a lot of time in there. But before I took the plunge, I sent a mass message to the Well+Good office with a simple question: “Bidet seats—what are your thoughts?” “Honestly, I’ve never used one, but people who have made the conversion swear by them,” said digital designer Ems McCarthy. “I think they’re cool but never used one—definitely would elevate my space if I had one,” added account manager Caprice Serafine. Even Eva Rohan, our director of content and strategy, chimed in: “It sounds like a ‘once you try it, you can never go back’ situation, and any situation like that is one I want in on.” Among these responses, it was obvious that pretty much all my wellness-loving co-workers are intrigued by bidets. So for the sake of journalism and hygiene, I took TOTO WASHLET out for a test spin (err, rinse?) to see what becoming a regular bidet-seat user would feel like. Keep scrolling to see how using a bidet seat was a totally life-changing experience. 1. It’s easy to install (even for me, someone who somehow messes up everything) I’m so jaded by my own
Scuba diving in the Caribbean gave me the meditative experience I didn’t sign up for
September 19, 2019 at 03:00AM by CWC When I arrived in Utila, Honduras—one of country’s three Bay Islands, which are located in the Caribbean—I had no intention of scuba diving period, let alone taking a certification course and then scuba diving in Costa Rica soon thereafter. But once I arrived on the Central American island surrounded by soft blue waters, I quickly learned that diving is enmeshed in area’s culture. Practically everyone I met was taking a course and seemed puzzled as to why I was even visiting if not to dive. So, nervous as I was, I changed my plan—while in Utila, do as Utilia tourists do, right? I enrolled in an open-water diving course for the entry-level certification, and while I wasn’t shocked about how quickly I fell in love with the activity, I hadn’t anticipated the underlying reason why. From the beginning, I knew diving would be a constant exercise in learning to keep my cool, and the first rule I learned facilitated this: Just keep breathing. It’s simple but something I definitely had to keep in mind in order to stay calm. After all, inhaling underwater after spending your whole life associating such an action with drowning is a strange sensation that can be scary. I put the rule to good use on my first day when my instructor and I were running through potential underwater mishaps and emergency situations at about 8 to 10 feet underwater. After one of these exercises, I had a panic
Your friendly neighborhood pharmacist is an under-utilized healthcare hero
September 19, 2019 at 01:00AM by CWC If you’re anything like me, you use your pharmacy mainly for filling prescriptions, buying supplements, and impulse purchasing drugstore beauty products. But I’ve never considered talking to the actual pharmacist for…anything, really. I’m missing out, apparently, because pharmacists are medical professionals who can play a helpful role in anyone’s overall health care network, particularly given their accessibility. This is something I realized while researching a piece on over-the-counter birth control, when I learned that pharmacists in my state (California) can actually prescribe oral contraceptives. I had no idea this was the case, which led me to wonder what else they’re capable of doing which, it turns out, is a lot. “Pharmacists are truly under-utilized in our healthcare system—they’re very highly educated and trained [for five to eight years!] and skilled,” says Edith Mirzaian, Pharm.D., BCACP, an associate professor of clinical pharmacy at the University of Southern California. However, there is some variance in what pharmacists are able to do for you, depending on where you live. “All 50 states are variable in terms of the scope of the pharmacist’s practice,” Mirzaian explains. “If you have a cardiologist, the cardiologists in New York that’s the same thing as a cardiologists in California and a layperson will be able to tell you what a cardiologist does but a pharmacist in New York absolutely does not do the same thing as a pharmacist in California because our state laws are very different.” Yet by taking the time
Try this two-minute trick for turning insecurities into confidence
September 18, 2019 at 11:55PM by CWC It can be easy to let seemingly harmless thoughts (like wondering why your skin won’t cooperate with your own agenda, or skipping that workout class due to the anxiety of sweating it out with a group of strangers) the same way you mentally cycle through your daily to-do list. But according to blogger, model, and disability advocate Mama Cax, now is the time to quit the negative self talk. And at our recent Wellness Collective event with Athleta, she broke down exactly how. The answer? Leaning on the power of your (literal) collective. In real time, she confronted these feelings head on by asking all 41 women in the room to write down their top three insecurities on a sheet of paper—and then share them with each other. Not an easy task, but the exercise proved that even taking a moment to be mindful of how you speak to yourself can immediately halt its effects. Case in point: One pair of women—who were complete strangers until this moment—were hung up on the same exact characteristic (they both thought they sweat too much) and felt a giant sense of relief once they realized they weren’t alone. Letting your insecurities out into the open creates an opportunity to reframe them—and reclaim your power. “How you talk to yourself affects how you feel,” shared Cax, who survived having her leg amputated due to cancer. “Instead of saying, ‘I hate my scars,’ I say, ‘I’m happy I
A dermatologist says *this* is the number one culprit behind bikini-line bumps after you shave
September 18, 2019 at 11:22PM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8oUKNCZHbo] I don’t remember how old I was the first time I decided to shave my bikini line, but I do remember how excited I was to finally be able to wear my favorite bathing suit without having to worry about flashing any #BigBushEnergy to the world (while that’s some people’s thing, it’s never really been mine). I also remember how painful it was when those first few ingrown hairs started to rear their heads, and how GD itchy my bits-and-pieces were when things started to grow back. So imagine my surprise when I learned that keeping razor burn at bay relies not in the way you shave, but the razor you don to get hairless. In our latest episode of Dear Derm—aptly titled “Booty Call Beauty” (lol)—board-certified dermatologist Mona Gohara, MD, reveals everything you need to know about how to get rid of the hair down there, including the tools to do so properly and without having a whole “pants-on-fire” situation on your hands. After all, in the waxing-shaving-lasering lottery, it’s the least painful in the moment (and cheapest!) option out there. “Shaving is quick, easy and convenient, and we all know you can get it done in the shower less than five minutes after getting that ‘U Up?’ text,” she says. So what razor should you reach for? WTF do you do when shaving cream is on your shopping list, but not in your shower? Check out the video above to
Half of our editors use these peel pads, which make the rest of your skin care work better
September 18, 2019 at 11:00PM by CWC There are very, very few beauty products that I would sell my soul to get a lifetime supply of. Someone recently asked me what my number one, can’t-and-refuse-to-live-without skin-care product is, though, and after some reflection and time gazing into my (very packed) beauty cabinet, I’ve realized that it’s: Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Extra Strength Daily Peel ($88). I remember the day I received my first box of these peel pads, individually wrapped in the brand’s iconic orange package box. It’s an important date that I’ll celebrate right alongside my birthday and anniversary. Because, once I started swiping the pads over my skin in the morning—first, step one, the “exfoliate and peel,” then step two, the “anti-aging neutralizer”—I started seeing my complexion’s true potential. I’m not alone. These pads are a permanent staple in half of the Well+Good edit team’s beauty routine. The magic’s in the one-two punch of alpha hydroxy acids or AHAs like lactic, malic, and glycolic and beta hydroxy acids or BHAs like salicylic and willow bark extract, which more thoroughly exfoliate your skin. “They’re topical exfoliants,” explains Shirley Chi, MD, a California-based dermatologist. “Beta hydroxy acids go deeper into the pores and are great for acne, oily skin, and brightening. Alpha hydroxy acids are good for superficial exfoliation. So when they’re used together, you get more exfoliation and brightening than when used alone.” It takes two, ya know? Photo: Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare I know that chemical exfoliants and the
Go ahead, blame your zodiac sign for your love of gossip
September 18, 2019 at 09:48PM by CWC Arguably, we live in the age of legitimized gossip. Just last week, a personal essay airing influencer Caroline Calloway’s dirty laundry secured word count on New York Magazine‘s website and proceeded to spread like wildfire across the internet before landing in, of all places, The New York Times. Gossip! Perpetuated by The Gray Lady! Oh, 2019—how dare you! While this trend certainly won’t be viewed by many as the pinnacle of humankind, gossip is not actually as shameful a habit as we believe it to be. Or at least, we shouldn’t be as ashamed of it as one of my editors was made to feel earlier today when an astrology app bluntly notified her that she’s using gossip to secure her social status. In fact, that’s what gossip, in part, evolved to do—bond people together, as well as allow them to share information about others that would have (and still may be!) beneficial to survival. In other words, it’s an effective, honed-over-generations social strategy we all come by naturally. We’re actually rewarded, for the behavior, too; the act’s been shown to increase oxytocin, aka “the cuddle hormone.” This isn’t to say there’s no reason for gossip’s bad rap, however. Exclusion from your “clan” can cause the brain to over-activate its stress pathways, and such exclusion is undeniably engendered at times by gossip. Plus, it’s usually kinda petty, no? Since it’s not easy to override all that programming—and because an app’s brutal accusation has me
Here’s what happens when you simplify your skin-care routine for 28 days
September 18, 2019 at 09:42PM by CWC https://content.jwplatform.com/players/IfOtmYKC-AjgxWzQ7.js Few things in life are guaranteed, but hitting that stage when you feel like you should start paying closer attention to your skin’s needs in the name of #adulting—but having no clue where to begin—is one of them. If you’re in that transitional phase, the good news is it doesn’t have to be all that complicated. The trick is nixing the more-is-more approach, and finding the right natural products that support your specific skin needs, no matter what your age. Well+Good’s marketing director Jessica Pickens recently put that method to the test, and culled down her super-complex skin-care routine from six products to just three (thanks to Weleda’s new Skin Care Profiler quiz) in an effort to support her sensitive skin over time. “I do suffer from some red spots and some blotchiness, so it’s really important that all the products I use are for sensitive skin,” Pickens says. “And also [that I] make sure that they’re super moisturizing to help me prevent the first signs of fine lines and deep wrinkles.” Pickens used her three Weleda products (filled with nourishing botanical ingredients like gentle almond oil and line-blurring evening primrose) for all 28 days of the Weleda Beauty Bloom challenge to see how her skin reacted to a more natural approach. Her results? You’ll have to watch the video to see, but by day seven she was already getting compliments from French women. Merci. Watch the video above to see how
Meet the probiotic that’s designed to tackle multiple aspects of your health—not just your gut
September 18, 2019 at 09:10PM by CWC With the sheer amount of probiotics on the shelves, it feels impossible to differentiate between the ones that hold up versus the ones you should probably scoot on by. And if you thought you were the only one confused about how to navigate this new world of gut health, kindly get in line. “The rise of ‘wellness’ has ushered in a wave of consumer enthusiasm and self care, but also propelled a category filled with misleading messaging, unsubstantiated products, hyperbolic claims, and a shift away from science,” says Ara Katz, co-founder and co-CEO of Seed. Katz and her co-founder, Raja Dhir, built Seed to change all of that, with a focus on elevating standards in the probiotic space with legit science and education at the core—not to mention, a probiotic that people can’t stop raving about all over Instagram. To that end, they brought together key scientists, like Gregor Reid, PhD (who co-authored the scientific definition of probiotics for the United Nations/World Health Organization Expert Panel, nbd), to develop a pipeline of the next generation of probiotics. The first one? The Daily Synbiotic—a two-in-one probiotic plus prebiotic designed to bring clarity through the noise. Keep scrolling to learn how Seed’s Daily Synbiotic separates itself from the rest of probiotics. Benefits beyond the gut When you think probiotics, you probably think digestive health, right? Makes sense, because according to a national survey, 72 percent of Americans live with some form of digestive discomfort (think: