December 05, 2019 at 11:54PM by CWC Chances are, you’ve got your bedtime routine down to a science. Whether it’s drinking herbal tea or unwinding with a few pages of Gabby Bernstein’s latest, by now, you’ve likely figured out the best way to power down your body, and you should be doing the same exact thing for your skin by using the best night serums around. “Most skin repair happens at night, so it’s very important to prepare it by ‘putting skin to sleep’ as best as possible,” says board-certified dermatologist Sapna Palep, MD of Spring Street Dermatology in New York City. “Your skin is affected by circadian rhythms. Stem cells in the epidermis mainly reproduce at night, creating new skin cells that replace aged cells and reduce the appearance of aging. This is the time when these delicate processes are less likely to be interrupted or disturbed by the external environment.” Most skin issues—including UV damage, inflammation, pigmentation, and the loss of collagen, elastin, and hydration—are best remedied while you sleep. A few other ingredients worth looking for while you snooze? Hyaluronic acid and glycerin, which help with hydration; ceramides, which strengthen the skin barrier; as well as “calming” ingredients like CBD and niacinamide, since skin tends to be more prone to inflammation at night. Below, six of the best-of-the-best evening serums that deliver on this and more. Photo: Superflower Superflower The Everyday Serum, $68 While this serum is technically called “the everyday,” its calming, soothing, and hydrating properties
Day: December 5, 2019
Here’s how your gut microbiome changes as you age—and what you can do to keep it healthy
December 05, 2019 at 10:06PM by CWC Keeping the good bacteria in your gut happy—and helping it multiply—is advice health experts preach no matter your age. But it’s especially important to pay attention to your gut microbiome later in life, according to gastroenterologist Will Bulsiewicz, MD. “While it would seem that your gut microbiome is completely capable of regenerating itself and would simply never age, it’s unfortunately not the case,” says Dr. Bulsiewicz. He points to a study that shows how the microbiomes of older participants are less capable of processing fiber and producing short-chain fatty acids than participants in their 30s. (Fiber is the crown jewel of gut health, of course.) He highlights another study that shows how the diversity of good bacteria has a tendency to decrease as a person ages. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Will Bulsiewicz MD MSCI (Dr B) (@theguthealthmd) on Dec 4, 2019 at 4:38pm PST //www.instagram.com/embed.js A decrease in the diversity of good bacteria likely has to do with lifestyle changes that occur as people get older. “These were cross sectional studies, so we haven’t tracked the human microbiome ‘through the years,’ and frankly that would be a difficult study to do,” says Dr. Bulsiewicz. “But I think we can all agree that as we age, it’s quite common for our diet to change. Some have dental issues or inadequate saliva and struggle to chew on fibrous foods. Others have an altered sense of smell or taste
9 percent of birth control pill users get pregnant every year—this new pill could change that
December 05, 2019 at 09:37PM by CWC Despite the fact that birth control pills are 99 percent effective, 9 percent of women who take oral contraceptives get pregnant each year. The reality is that life often gets in the way of taking a pill at the same time each day, and every once and a while you forget entirely. A monthly birth control pill—currently being developed by a team of researchers at MIT and Brigham and Women’s Hospital—could offer an option that removes human error from the equation. In a report published Thursday in the journal Science Transitional Medicine, the group of researchers announced that they’ve designed a polymer (a large molecule) that can withstand the acidic environment of the human stomach for about 30 days. After infusing the polymer with levonorgestrel, a progestin often found in birth control, the team conducted a test on pigs. Tthey discovered that the once-monthly contraceptive released the same amount of levonorgestrel into the pig’s bloodstream on a daily basis as the daily pill. “With a progestin-only pill, timing is important to maintain a steady-state of the hormonal concentration in the body, thus preventing pregnancy,” says Kecia Gaither, MD, a double board-certified OB/GYN and maternal fetal medicine doctor. The monthly pill would ensure that steady-state happened throughout the month—without having to make it a daily habit. Currently, the only long-lasting birth control methods are more invasive options like implants and IUDs, so the simplicity and convenience of the pill could make many millions of lives easier. And
8 of the best products to help melt away lower back pain
December 05, 2019 at 07:45PM by CWC While a back massage here and there can work wonders, sometimes you don’t have the luxury of hitting the spa to unwind. Luckily, there’s a whole wide world of tools that are specifically made to melt away the back tension that comes from sitting at a desk all day. And I mean a whole. wide. world. Lower back pain relief products are wide ranging and include heating pads, back pain-relieving balls, and full-on foam rollers that all aim to decompress the spine. There are all different categories of these back pain-solving products, though, so it helps to know what you’re looking for in order to navigate the aisles. Some are preventative, like posture-boosters you can put on your desk chair (or use instead of a desk chair), while others like topicals or percussive devices aim to undo that stiffness outright. To help you shop, we asked Rebecca Lubart, founder of Dynamic Body Pilates and body mechanics pro, for her recommendations on how to stock up your recovery toolkit. Keep scrolling for expert-approved lower back pain relief products to try for yourself. 1. Sunbeam Electric Heating Pad, $25 Ah, a heating pad. It’s a classic back pain relief essential that you probably saw your grandparents use, and you can snag one in practically any drugstore (or, ya know, on Amazon). “Especially in the winter, people are prone to waking up stiff and achey,” says Lubart. “I don’t go fancy on this. Go pick up
Why banana flour is the new ingredient taking over healthy pantries
December 05, 2019 at 07:30PM by CWC If anyone has insight into what food trends are on the rise among healthy eaters, it’s the Whole Foods team, which works tirelessly to curate cool, healthy, up-and-coming products on its shelves. And one of the biggest things they’re predicting for 2020: the rise of alternative flours. Well+Good has watched this for a while too, as healthy eaters have sought to replace traditional wheat flour with gluten-free alternatives sourced from fruits and vegetables. Almond flour, coconut flour, even apple flour have all gained traction with the wellness crowd. And we’re going one step further to say that banana flour is the next up-and-coming alt-flour. The humble banana has already shown to be a rising wellness superstar in other ways, popping up in the form of jerky, chips, and even serving as a base for vegan ice-cream. Now, brands like Hearthy Foods ($19 per pound), LiveKuna ($25 for 32 oz), NuNaturals ($12 per pound) are all jumping on the banana flour bandwagon to help healthy eaters a way to use the ingredient in foods they’re making at home. Banana flour is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: a flour-like substance made from green, unripe bananas. “The way we make our banana flour is by gathering the bananas when they’re still green and then slow cooking them before it’s finally milled [aka ground into a fine powder],” says Hearthy Foods founder Riaz Surt. Santiago Stacey, the co-founder and CEO of LiveKuna, says their production process
This 1-question test tells you if you’re a giver, taker, or matcher
December 05, 2019 at 07:00PM by CWC “When I meet someone new, what’s my first impulse?” According to Adam Grant, organizational psychologist and best-selling author of Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World, says that’s the only question you need to answer to find out what type of conversationalist you are: a giver, a taker, or a matcher. On a newly-released episode of Dax Shepard’s podcast Armchair Expert, Grant told Shepard and actor Kristen Bell that the easiest way to figure out what kind of human you are is to analyze your reaction to a new acquaintance. “When you meet someone new, what’s your first impulse? Are you looking for ways you might be able to help them? Are you looking for a trade that you could do? Or are you evaluating the person in terms of what could this person do for me?” he says. “When you meet someone new, what’s your first impulse?” —Adam Grant, organizational psychologist For example, let’s say you meet a professional astrologer named Vicki. If you’re immediately thinking of ways you could help Vicki further her career interpreting the universe, you might just be a giver. If you’re thinking of ways you could use Vicki’s career to your advantage (“Do the cosmos say I’ll have career success in 2020?”), then you’re probably more of a taker. And, if you find yourself thinking, Maybe we can swap earthly and heavenly gifts… you’re matcher. Of course, your own perception of who you are may not tell the whole story.
4 surprising ways to use a $4 bottle of Trader Joe’s Green Goddess dressing
December 05, 2019 at 05:20PM by CWC Trader Joe’s salad dressings are way underrated. Go ahead, rave about the cauliflower gnocchi and Everything But the Bagel seasoning. I’ll just be over in the lettuce aisle singing the praises of the Trader Joe’s green goddess dressing, which—true to it name—makes everything from pasta to salads to roasted veggies taste like heaven. Since I spent $4 on the multi-purpose dressing on a recent shopping trip, I’ve been drizzling it on everything that’s edible. And I can honestly say that it hasn’t disappointed my tastebuds yet. If you don’t believe in its versatility, here are four recipes you should try. 4 ways to use Trader Joe’s green goddess dressing on just about everything [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89fq3Zi1bSw] 1. GREEN GODDESS PASTA SALAD This recipe is all green: green beans, kale, and green goddess dressing. If you’re on the market for a new one-pot pasta dish, the dish for you. 2. 10-MINUTE GREEN GODDESS GRILLED SHRIMP If you’re firing up the grill (or just cooking shrimp in a skillet), you can skip mixing up a fancy seasoning mix and dip the raw shrimp directly into Trader Joe’s green goddess dressing. 3. VEGAN BURRITO BOWL Burrito bowls already burst with flavors from the veggies and beans, but a drizzle of dressing on top makes everything that much more delicious. 4. SLOW COOKER GREEN GODDESS CHICKEN What if I told you that you could meal prep a week worth of chicken using just your Instant Pot, chicken, and
8 out-of-this-world gifts every astrology lover needs this year
December 05, 2019 at 04:32PM by CWC This year, my list of holiday-gift recipients is a veritable coven of Co-Star-using friends and a mother who’s been blaming people’s personality traits on their birth month for as long as I remember. Astrology is both near ancient and bigger than ever. And that’s is precisely why I’m sure you have one or a dozen zodiac-obsessed loved ones who would love some cosmic-themed astrology gifts to kick off the new year. Luckily, there are plenty of astrology gifts available for purchase, and they span the spectrum of specific to general. Meaning, no matter where someone is in their zodiac-loving journey, there’s a star-sign-themed gift they can enjoy. Below, find 8 astrology gifts any zodiac lover would love to receive. 1. Birthdate Candles, $48 If you’ve seen these candles creep into your Instagram feed (we all have), then you know they’re not about lumping you in a one-out-of-a-dozen classification. Birthdate Candles go beyond the zodiac wheel and get into the nitty-gritty nuance of, well, your birthdate. They assign you a title based on your birthday—and they also smell great. 2. Venus Et Fleur Zodiac Collection by Susan Miller, $169 This collaboration between Venus Et Fleur and Astrology Zone founder Susan Miller includes bespoke arrangements for each zodiac sign, with each sign connected to a different color of flower. Every order comes with a booklet of horoscope predictions for the year ahead, and since these treated blooms will last for that entire year, the gift is even
This mirror makes putting on your makeup in bad lighting a thing of the past
December 05, 2019 at 03:00PM by CWC According to an old proverb I found on Quotes.com, “The best mirror of all is an old friend.” While that’s a nice sentiment, I’m here to tell you that the best mirror is actually the Simplehuman Sensor Mirror Pro ($400). Which is why I’m begging someone (anyone!) to buy it for me for Hanukkah this year. Before you @ me for getting all dramatic about a mirror, hear me out. I’m a big believer that a mirror is actually the most important part of any beauty routine. You can invest hundreds of dollars in the best haircare, skin care, and makeup products, but ultimately it’s for nothing if you can’t actually see yourself putting it on. How can you tell if a cleanser is really working if you can’t check to see that each individual pore is free of gunk? Really, you can’t. Enter the Simplehuman Sensor Mirror. This mirror isn’t just any old mirror: It’s more a hi-def, full-screen IMAX flick that stars your face. For starters, it’s huge. And that hugeness brings on an element of glamour that will make you feel like you’ve been transported to Beyoncé’s dressing room and are getting ready to go onstage… even if you’re only sitting in your bathroom getting ready for work with a bottle of drugstore concealer. It’s equipped with 1X magnification, which is big enough for ensuring you’ll never miss a spot when concealing blemishes, but not so big that you’re going to want to
5 products Well+Good readers swear by for bringing dry hair back to life
December 05, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC My hair has been parched lately. Between the soul-sucking heat from the office radiators to the frigid wind outside, it’s as if I’m testing my hair’s limits in just how much it can endure before it all breaks off. But, thankfully, the Well+Good readers in our Beauty Geek Facebook group are saving the day with their product recommendations that revive dry, cracked strands. In a recent post, someone (hi Zoë!) asked for the best products for dry hair repair—and our readers delivered. Since I haven’t heard anyone around me talk about how moisturized and soft their strands feel right now (hey, it’s winter you guys), I’d say it’s the perfect time to share our beauty geeks’ savvy product recommendations. From a hair butter to luxe oil options to full-on treatments, here are the five best products for dry hair to get into your shower, stat. And don’t forget to join Beauty Geek to peep all kinds of beauty intel, and share some hair-saving faves of your own. Photo: IGK 1. IGK Expensive Amla Oil Hi-Shine Topcoat, $29 Though this is technically a gloss, you can use it in all kinds of different ways. One of our readers says that she mixes it with a styling product as a leave-in “to refresh dry ends in between washes.” Or you can put it all over your strands when you wash. Either way, the blend of strengthening amla oil, protecting sea kelp extract, and sunflower seed oil