March 14, 2019 at 07:07AM by CWC Let me be frank, here: Although I’ve written about how to maintain a full bush, what to know about vagina beauty products, and why the pH level of your privates is important, I’m not someone who pays much attention to my vag. I don’t ignore it in the shower, and I shave it, but I don’t give it any particular TLC, despite knowing a lot about it. Until one day, when I was invited to get a “vagacial”—AKA a vagina facial or a spa treatment that’s catered exclusively to the nether regions. Mind you, I’ve never even gotten a bikini wax, but somehow, I found myself lying naked on a treatment table at New York City’s Daphne spa—with merely a small towel modestly covering my breasts and torso—waiting for an esthetician to tend to my vagina in a treatment mysteriously called the Lotus (which runs for $85). Natalia Aleksandrova, my esthetician, first instructed me to put the soles of my feet against each other and to open my knees wide. For, you know, easy access to the star of the show. She then put a bright light right on it to examine its state, in a way that kind of made me feel like I was at my gynecologist’s office. “You don’t have any ingrown hairs,” she said after glancing my vagina over. This is something I knew, but then I realized that this treatment is mostly targeted towards those dealing with ingrowns and
Category: 2019 Health
Self-esteem begins with “I am,” and we have the affirmations to prove it
March 14, 2019 at 04:00AM by CWC For a very long time, “Self Esteem” by The Offspring was my go-to karaoke song. To spare you a Google of the 1994 banger, the lyrics follow a subject who gets trapped in a toxic relationship because he’s a “sucker with no self-esteem.” Well. Sounds like somebody could have seriously benefitted from some positive affirmations for self-esteem, #amirite? Regardless of whether or not you specifically relate to that pop-punk relic, it’s very possible that you also aren’t thriving in the self-esteem department. And that’s not your fault—society is largely to blame. Social media provides plenty of comparison traps to scroll through at any given moment, and if your life feels less than picture-perfect (even if it is in an okay, good, or great place), it’s easy to go to bed thinking, “I am not enough, I am not able to succeed, and I am not ever going to get through tomorrow.” But #realtalk, you are enough, able to succeed, and going to get through tomorrow. One simple way to boost your self-esteem is to embrace simple affirmations and rebrand your “I ams.” Affirmations rewire your brain into believing in yourself, which is the cornerstone of bolstering your self-confidence. There are many from which you can choose, but if you’re looking for a great place to start, Claire Grieve, a yoga specialist, health coach and wellness expert, is on board with the power of affirmations focused on empowering “I am” statements. “Your thoughts are incredibly powerful
Everyone’s going crazy over this holy grail skin-care ingredient—I tried it to see what all the buzz is about
March 13, 2019 at 06:30PM by CWC You know those girls who post gorgeous #shelfies of their perfectly color coded skin-care products that support their 10-step beauty routines? Yeah, that’s not me. Props to them for having the patience for all those steps, but personally my skin-care routine has always been pretty simple (cleanse, tone, moisturize, with eye cream thrown on when I’m feelin’ fancy/when I remember). With my I’d-rather-be-sleeping-than-masking mindset, I’ve generally written off most skin-care trends as unnecessary additions to my streamlined regimen. But when multiple vials of hyaluronic acid appeared on my roommate’s side of our shared medicine cabinet, I’ll admit I was intrigued. She already has so. many. products, why did she clear out space for several versions of this particular serum? I did some research on the stuff, and I started to understand her obsession. Hyaluronic acid can hold 1,000 times its weight in water—so it’s arguably one of the most hydrating ingredients out there. All that hydration helps to plump up the skin, so it’s also heralded as a powerful anti-aging ingredient. Hyaluronic acid can hold 1,000 times its weight in water—so it’s arguably one of the most hydrating ingredients out there. Seemed pretty legit, so I decided to try out jane iredale’s new BeautyPrep Hyaluronic Serum, which has awesome (pronounceable) ingredients like hydrolyzed collagen, spirulina extract, witch hazel and two percent hyaluronic acid in its plant-heavy formula. When I chatted with the folks at jane iredale, they said the paraben- and phthalate-free serum should make my skin feel more
Rubbing ginger all over your forehead might soothe headaches
March 13, 2019 at 02:02PM by CWC Sometimes nothing seems to help with headaches. You can chug all the water you want and sniff your entire collection of essential oils—and trust me, I have!—but that throbbing pain lingers. One of the best natural remedies for banishing a day-ruining headache is probably already hanging out in your refrigerator. Using ginger for headaches should come as no surprise—the root has been shown to help fight off bacterial infections, get rid of bad breath, and help cure upset stomachs— but the application is unusual. “Ginger’s anti-inflammatory properties can actually be more potent than a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID),” says Serena Goldstein, ND, a naturopathic doctor and hormone expert based in New York City. And there’s some research that backs this up: A small 2017 study found that powdered ginger worked as effectively as ibuprofen to manage pain and swelling in patients who had been treated for impacted molars. “And just like many migraine medications act by leaving more serotonin—our ‘happy hormone’—in our body, ginger does this as well.” To try the remedy at home, Dr. Goldstein recommends rubbing a paste made from fresh ginger root between your eyebrows or on your forehead. You can also get some relief by drinking it. “Boil fresh ginger root in hot water to make a tea for faster absorption or put ginger powder in a shot glass with a few ounces of water,” says Dr. Goldstein. “Most serotonin is made in the gut. And because ginger can help decrease nausea, gas,
This $7 all-natural facial toner is the most popular skin-care product on Amazon right now
March 13, 2019 at 01:41PM by CWC Sifting through thousands of beauty products on Amazon is wildly overwhelming, which is why I’ve developed a quick and easy method for figuring out which products are worth adding to my cart: read trusted reviews. If thousands of other people who are shopping for skin-care on Amazon love a particular cleanser or facial toner or moisturizer, chances are I will too. The most recent product to catch my eye is Thayers Alcohol-Free Rose Petal Witch Hazel Toner ($7), which happens to be the no. 1 best-selling skin-care product on Amazon right now. It’s made with rose-petal water and witch hazel to “make your skin bloom,” as the brand puts it. In beauty-speak, that means that the naturally astringent properties of both ingredients will help to tighten pores, control the production of oil, and lock in moisture while protecting your skin from free radicals. The aloe in the bottle is there to provide continued hydration. Photo: Well+Good Creative And for what it’s worth, it looks like this facial toner’s 4,388 (overwhelmingly positive) reviewers are onto something. According to derms, Thayers really is that great. “Witch hazel is botanical extract rich in compounds known as tannins, which have both antioxidant benefits and astringent properties,” says dermatologist Dr. Joshua Zeichner. “It also has a naturally has an acidic pH, which is why it is used as a toner to maintain a healthy skin pH level. Its astringent properties help remove excess oil from the skin which is useful in people who are
Sorry not sorry: Kayla Itsines is absolutely pro-bread
March 13, 2019 at 01:37PM by CWC Unlike keto-aficionados or J.Lo and A. Rod, fitness influencer Kayla Itsines wants you to eat bread. In fact, she wants you to eat as much bread as you damn well please. The Sweat With Kayla founder follows a Mediterranean-style diet—featuring healthy fats and *gasp* carbs—and has stuck with it throughout her pregnancy. “I eat seafood, I eat meat, I have pasta, bread, a lot of olive oil, oregano; my standard dressing is that with lemon and olive oil on everything,” she tells me when I ask about her go-to eats. For Itsines, eating like this isn’t necessarily a purposeful “diet” per se—it’s just what she’s always known. “I’ve eaten this way my whole life,” she says. “In Greek culture, we use food to bring people together. So if I’m going to meet you for the first time, or we’re going to do business together, you bring that person to your house and you feed them, you talk to them. I never looked at food as something that was scary or like, ‘I can’t eat that.’ Of course you can! We’re here to eat.” Unlike so many other trendy diets (ahem, keto), the Mediterranean diet doesn’t treat bread like it’s a bad thing. When I ask Itsines how she personally feels about the controversial carb, she immediately tells me, “Of course I’m pro-bread!” “I never looked at food as something that was scary or like, ‘I can’t eat that.’ Of course you can! We’re here
The editor-approved pimple patches that will take any zit down a notch
March 13, 2019 at 01:00PM by CWC Of all of the possible solutions out there for treating acne, pimple patches are by far the easiest and most convenient—no contest. For most whiteheads, blackheads, and blemishes, all you’ve got to do is slap one on before bed and wake up to a clear complexion, without having to worry about any gunky spot treatment getting all over your beautiful silk pillowcases. And not only are they hassle free, but they can actually even be more effective than your traditional topicals when it comes to healing acne. “Patches can be more effective at treating pimples because the contact time of the medication on the patch and the skin is longer,” says dermatologist Lily Talakoub, MD, of McLean Dermatology and Skincare in McLean, Virginia. “Most medication evaporates about 50 percent off the skin upon application. The duration of contact is thus low. Patches stay on the skin and keep the medication from evaporating, meaning a higher amount of medication is directly absorbed on the skin.” Plus, when your zits are good and covered with a cute little sicker, it’s a whole lot easier to, ya know, not to pick ’em. Since all pimples are not created equally (just ask the cystic one I can currently feel brewing on my chin), there’s no one-size-fits-all for pimple patches, either. Thankfully, there are plenty of options on the market to treat whatever pimple decides to pop up. Here are some of our faves. Photo: CosRX For superficial surface zits: CosRx Acne Pimple Master Patch
If you only have 15 minutes to work out, take a page from people in Blue Zones
March 13, 2019 at 12:45PM by CWC Rain, shine, or below freezing temps (though hopefully not for much longer), I need to start my morning with a sweat. I like think of it as my own personal version of morning meditation, mostly because it’s the only thing that makes me feel centered and productive before the real craziness of the day truly begins. But as much as I love my early a.m. workouts, I also love the snooze button, and every once in a while, I press it enough times that my usual 6 a.m. class just isn’t happening. Neither is a 7 a.m. class. Or an 8 a.m. one. When I finally do manage to get myself out of bed, I realize I’ve got less than 15 minutes to spare before it’s time to get ready for work. And instead of treating myself to an extra-gourmet breakfast or spending an extra few minutes on my glam, I take myself for a run around the block…something that people who live in Blue Zones do on the reg. While it may sound like nothing, these few minutes and few hundred steps actually do make a difference in determining the course of my day. “The biggest benefit is that you made a commitment to take care of yourself. You mentally said, ‘I may not have an hour to go to the gym, but I care enough about myself that I am going to do whatever I can, even if it’s seven to 10 minutes,’”
You can buy everything you need for a home gym at Marshalls for under $100
March 13, 2019 at 12:19PM by CWC There are certain stores that make it literally impossible to walk into without leaving after having spent $100 on stuff you never knew you needed but can’t live without. Target, for one (I mean, have you seen their beauty aisle recently?), and Trader Joe’s, for another (because, cauliflower gnocchi). Recently, I discovered a new store to add to the list thanks to its status as a completely unexpected fitness destination: Marshalls. Last month, I unwittingly walked into the Marshalls in Lower Manhattan, and walked out as the proud new owner of a complete home gym (and a hardboiled egg maker, a cold brew coffee maker, a 1-gallon water bottle, and the best damn trail mix I’ve ever eaten) for $102. In addition to the resistance bands, yoga mat, free weights and kettle bells that came home with me, the store also had racks upon racks of (really, really cute) workout-wear, foam flooring, and other types of equipment like Bosu Balls, chin-up bars, and makeshift TRX’s. While the Marshalls inventory isn’t available online just yet (the company recently announced that they’d be transitioning to e-commerce later this year), with over 1,000 stores throughout the United States, it shouldn’t be too hard to find a shop nearby. And though every location has different stuff, here are a few things you can expect to find from my favorite fitness store. Fitness equipment In addition to all of the equipment that I wound up bringing home with me from
The best time of day to take your allergy meds, according to an allergist
March 13, 2019 at 11:53AM by CWC Seasonal allergies are the worst. At first, you’re overjoyed to see all the greenery popping up after a long winter. Then the next thing you know, your eyes are red, your nose is runny, and—worst of all—you’re sneezing 24/7. So, you grab your go-to antihistamine to help relieve those symptoms. But what is the best time to take allergy meds for maximum effectiveness? Most people don’t pop that pill until they’re already dragging through their morning. That’s why experts say you should actually be taking your antihistamines before you go to bed at night. “Antihistamines take at least 30 minutes to work, and the newer, long-acting ones will last you 24 hours, so you’ll be covered until the next day. They work best when they’re already in your system, so the night before is most efficacious,” says Purvi Parikh, MD, an allergist/immunologist with the Allergy & Asthma Network. “Since some antihistamines make you drowsy, it’s actually best to take them before bedtime.” Bonus: Taking them ahead of time means you’ll rise just in time for them to reach the prime allergy-fighting zone. “Once-daily antihistamines reach their peak efficacy 8 to 12 hours after you take them, so using them at dinnertime or before bed means better control of your daytime symptoms,” says Yoon Mi Kim, DO, an allergy and immunology specialist for Geisinger. As long as you’re consistent and try to take your meds prior to exposure, Dr. Parikh says any time will work. But for anyone