Year: 2019

January 31, 2019 at 11:45AM by CWC I’m covered in freckles, and it’s been that way since I was a wee child. While I’ve come to accept them—and to even like them—that wasn’t always the case. My mom told me they were normal (and she’d had them too). My classmates called them “angel kisses,” which I suppose makes them feel special. But to me, they made me stand out. I’d find myself pulling down my sleeves in order to cover my speckled arms so that my classmates wouldn’t judge me (TBH, I also did this to cover up my arm hair, another old foe of mine). It also didn’t help that beauty advertisements and models in magazines were always completely Photoshopped so that not a spot one peeked through their flawless complexions. To me, this meant that my freckles were something that I wasn’t supposed to have (like pimples or dark circles, but you know, for an elementary school kid). In reality, freckles are a genetic (thanks, mama!). But they actually show up after sun exposure (I spent my early years in bright and sunny southern Florida, FWIW). “Freckles are genetic. In the presence of the sun, pigment-producing cells make extra pigment that’s deposited in the skin, causing brown spots,” says Joshua Zeichner, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York. “Freckles tend to get darker in the warmer months because of the effects of UV light, and tend to fade during the winter time.” With melanoma on the rise, it’s important to

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January 31, 2019 at 11:32AM by CWC The buzz surrounding cannabidiol is strong, but folks in the wellness community are whispering about a different cannabinoid compound, one that might help you sleep at night. You may have heard of the murmurs, but what is CBN? The most dominant cannabis compounds, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), steal all the attention, but cannabinol, or CBN, could be the next big thing. According to Bon Appetit, as marijuana oxidizes, the THC converts to CBN. In other words, old weed is high in CBN. But can you get high on it? Not really. The CB1 receptors are weaker than with THC, but it definitely still has the potential to make you drowsy, which is why more people are turning to it before they turn in for the night. Scientific evidence is sparse, but CBN has been studied on mice. (Rodents given cannabinol were more likely to stay asleep.) There’s a chance it could even be used to fight the signs of aging, so look out for CBN as an ingredient in a night cream and sleep aids. But here’s the kicker: Most studies suggest it works best when combined with other cannabinoid compounds, like THC or CBD. Anecdotal evidence still dominates in conversations pertaining to uses for CBN. In any case, it’s worth noting that if your friend says it works for them that doesn’t mean it will work for you. As always, consult your doctor about your options and possible interactions with other medications. Currently, the health benefits

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January 31, 2019 at 09:29AM by CWC Plenty of items in your pantry will keep fresh for an eternity. Honey, for example, never expires. The same can’t be said for spices. While I cook with enough garlic salt and oregano to fill a dump truck each month, other jars on my spice rack mostly just collect dust. (I’m talking about you, cumin, nutmeg, and paprika.) But do spices expire? They certainly do. It varies, but most ground spices have shelf life of about three years, though freshness is more fleeting. As time goes on, flavor and potency really diminish. (Let’s not forget about the problem with bugs, too.) Breaking the seal to scoop a measly 1/4 teaspoon of ground cardamom required to make single batch of delicious buckwheat waffles hardly seems worth it, particularly considering that a typical jar contains packs a full 50 teaspoons of spice. You’d have to make thousands of waffles to finish a whole jar before the spice loses its potency. As much as I love a little cardamom here and there, that’s impossible. Fortunately, a genius money-saving, waste-free solution is in the works. A women-led company called Occo has created a collection of 12 spices, including a handful of favorites, like curry and fennel, that you might use only every so often. The spices come sealed in recyclable aluminum cards, each with 12 peel-to-open pre-measured servings of 1/4 teaspoon. View this post on Instagram Introducing a phrase: molecularly fresher. We seal our spices using modified atmosphere technology – a process in which

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January 31, 2019 at 09:11AM by CWC In the wake of my most recent breakup, I slogged through the typical motions (you know—tears, chocolate, more tears), but there was also a decidedly happy narrative flanking my sadness: My relationship with my dad, which was never bad, per se, but we’ve never actually been close. Until now. Our four-times-a-week phone calls had always consisted of a few minutes of small talk about how much better the weather is where he lives in Florida than it is in my New York, or about the meals we’ve each eaten in the last day. With us, big life events—my promotion and move from Brooklyn to Manhattan, his recent retirement and engagement—just weren’t on the table as topics of discussion. Even in the weeks leading up to my older sister’s wedding, we talked exclusively about the weather forecast in Atlanta, where the ceremony would be held (instead of, ya know, how happy we were for her and our soon-to-be new family member). So imagine his surprise—and, TBH, my own—when he one day said, “Goobey” (what he calls me) “do you think these knucklehead weathermen are right?” And then I promptly began blubbering about being heartbroken. To put this in context: My ex and I were together for close to 18 months, and my dad had no idea he even existed—I had never even said his name to my dad. Not once. Remember, the two of us never spoke about the real stuff. Yet, here I was, confiding

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January 31, 2019 at 08:36AM by CWC As you may have discovered on the morning of your high school prom or moments before your first big presentation at work, the relationship between stress and acne is the real deal. It’s why those big, honkin’ zits tend to park themselves on your face ahead of major life moments, and seem to so generously stick around for all the photo opps. While it’s easy to look at these frustratingly common scenarios as proof that “stress causes acne,” the real impetus behind your big day breakouts is a bit more complicated than that. It’s actually the stress hormone, otherwise known as cortisol, that’s giving your complexion grief, and there are a whole lot of things—in addition to run-of-the-mill life stressors—that can cause it to spike. First, it’s important to understand how stress actually impacts your system, and why that tends to show up on your skin. “Stress causes a complex series of changes to our bodies.  As part of the stress response, cortisol and related hormone levels rise to prepare the body for a stressful experience,” explains New York City-based dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD. “As a side effect, these hormones lead to an increase in oil production in our skin promoting breakouts. They can also interfere with wound healing, prevent the skin from repairing itself, and could potentially be associated with premature aging.” What causes cortisol to spike? As we’ve already established, when you’re feeling mentally, physically, or emotionally stressed, cortisol spikes and ultimately

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January 31, 2019 at 05:30AM by CWC Anyone who has ever dated online knows the cold, hard truth about what a time-consuming black hole the undertaking can be. With so many options on your apps, scheduling dates can become more difficult (and less enjoyable) than scheduling an in-network dentist appointment. So it should come as no surprise that from time to time, some people decide to double-book, dating two people in one night. This means meeting potential suitor number one for an early cocktail or matcha followed by a dinner with potential suitor number two. As someone who’s done it and lived to tell the tale, I can say with certainty that people have got feelings about this course of romantic pursuit. When I talk about my double-booking experiences, a good number respond with shock, some say its sounds exhausting, others say it’s unfair to the dates in questions, and a confident few admit to having done it themselves. Since the verdict is clearly out on what’s acceptable here, I chatted with national etiquette expert Diane Gottsman about whether or not I was breaking any kind of decency rules by setting two dates in a day. Here answer, not shockingly, was complicated. “When you double-book, it’s because you’re hedging your bets,” she says. “You may not be giving each person your full attention because you’re busy worrying about the other date of the day.” If the date in question is only a first or second date, then that’s not necessarily a

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