February 09, 2019 at 08:17AM by CWC Personality quizzes aren’t just a fun way to procrastinate when you’re on deadline for a big project. (Note to my editors: I never do this.) In reality, they can actually give you some pretty valuable insight into living your best life, from your ideal career path to your biggest relationship dealbreakers to the kinds of plants that are best suited for you. That last one may sound kinda trivial, I know. But your personality is actually a really key thing to consider when choosing a leafy green friend to share your space. “Personality type definitely plays a part in what kind plant parent someone is,” says Joyce Mast, resident “plant mom” at online houseplant shop Bloomscape. “Be honest with yourself about how much time you can and want to devote to caring for your plants.” Think of it like getting a pet. For instance, if you’re a clean freak, you probably wouldn’t get a long-haired dog—and, similarly, you probably shouldn’t get a plant that’s going to shed its leaves everywhere. Luckily, says Mast, there’s a perfect plant out there for everyone, no matter what your individual quirks are. I asked her to recommend a few varieties for each of the four personality archetypes that scientists have recently claimed we all fit into. The first thing you’ll want to do is take this quiz to find out where you land on the spectrums of extraversion, openness, neuroticism, conscientiousness, and agreeableness. Then, armed with your “Big 5” traits,
Category: 2019 Health
9 vegan winter coats that are cozy, cool, and sustainable
February 09, 2019 at 07:05AM by CWC It got down to 45 degrees here in Los Angeles the other day, which means it basically turned into The Day After Tomorrow, only with more faux fur. I found myself in need of more than the fleece jacket. And, as a result, I’ve spent a significant amount of time researching this season’s stock of vegan winter coats. What I found is that, because sustainable fashion is booming, especially in California, right now, ethical options—that also happen to be cool and cozy—are easier than ever to come by. When looking at vegan winter coats, be sure to avoid the obvious: leather, suede, fur, wool, cashmere, angora, camel hair, and mohair. “Often, people just look at the outer fabric, but a jacket’s lining, filling, trim, and hardware can [also] have unsustainable origins,” says Amy Rebecca Wilde, founder of Vegan Scene, a vegan fashion boutique in Venice, Cali. She says they’re usually made from plant or synthetic fibers, but they could contain silk, which is not vegan. You also want to avoid down as the filling of your coat, because this often means feathers from ducks or geese. One more design element to watch out for when looking for vegan winter coats: “Most people don’t know that they should investigate buttons, which can be sneaky, and you can find pearl, shell, horn, and ivory,” she adds. Knowledge is power, people. If you’re looking to stave off the winter chill, wherever you live, here are 9 vegan winter
How to choose music for your zodiac sign, according to cosmic playlist expert Chani Nicholas
February 09, 2019 at 06:00AM by CWC You know those CDs you used to burn for road trips with a track list that couldn’t be more…you? It takes time to find the songs that align best with your personality—the ones that you could listen to over and over because those lyrics just get it. And if anyone knows how to pick them it’s Chani Nicholas. Catering to each zodiac sign, the badass astrologer (and meme wizard) recently curated cosmic playlists for Spotify, each filled with 25 different songs. She has a particular method for selecting a few dozen from of the millions of tunes available. “I choose the music that best fits each sign based on the astrology that is happening at the moment,” she tells me. “I go by themes of the moment for that sign and align the astrology with certain songs, genres, or feelings that seem most appropriate, helpful, and might help people to move though that moment, find inspiration, or articulate their feelings.” While Nicholas is highly skilled in astrology, there’s a way you can go about choosing music that really speaks to you. And the biggest piece of advice she has is to dig deeper than your sign. “We’re all born at a specific astrological moment that gives us a chart, or map of the sky, the moment we took our first breath. We’re the imprint of the entire sky, and we’re so much more than just the sign that the sun was in when we were born,”
I finally found a natural deodorant that stands up to my sweatiest workouts, and it’s made with CBD
February 09, 2019 at 04:54AM by CWC Natural deodorants and I have a love-hate relationship. I’m a big fan of going clean across my entire beauty routine, but better-for-you antiperspirants don’t exactly have a stellar rep for keeping me smelling my best from start to finish of a sweaty workout. Which is why, when I came across a natural option made with CBD (the non-psychoactive compound in cannabis plants), I laughed. As in haha, CBD: If you think you can handle my workout BO, go ahead, give it your best shot. On a morning when I’ve penciled in a HIIT-style treadmill session, I slip on my workout outfit and spritz the product, which is Apothecanna’s “Everyday Deodorant Spray” ($26), under my arms. Along with cannabis, the formula contains zinc ricinoleate (the primary ingredient that keeps odor at bay), mandarin, geranium, and cedar. So the scent that now permeates the air around me is crisp and earthy rather than artificially floral like my usual deodorant. Honestly, if I had to name the scent, I’d call it eau de woodland fairy. “Sure, I smell great now,” I think. “But after one sprint on the treadmill, I’ll be regretting this decision.” Oh, how wrong I was. Haha, CBD: If you think you can handle my workout BO, go ahead, give it your best shot. The product works so well that get this: I forget that I’m wearing it. I make it through my 40-minute workout, dripping head-to-toe in sweat. And it’s only during my
We put our most romantic editors in a Slack chat with V-Day haters—here’s what they figured out
February 09, 2019 at 04:00AM by CWC With Valentine’s Day coming up, we have a lot of thoughts. About romance. And love. And, let’s be honest: hate (for the marketing of deep human emotions, just for starters). So we took to Slack (as we’ve done on the topics of dating app craziness and astrology) to figure out for once and for all: Valentine’s Day—hell yes or nah? Here, senior food and health editor Jessie Van Amburg, assistant editor Tamim Alnuweiri, and associate beauty and fitness editor Zoe Weiner, and I have a (very loving) verbal brawl over the meaning of February 14. ERIN: Let me start by saying we won’t be talking about the 2010 film Valentine’s Day, starring Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Garner, Julia Roberts, and about 47 other celebs. Just to be clear! We’re talking about the February 14 lovefest. So I came into this feeling like Valentine’s Day is SO over, mostly because that’s how I feel about it, and most of my friends. In a long-term relationship, Valentine’s Day feels like the New Year’s Eve of love: performative and, often, not that much fun. So I find a thrilling freedom in just not caring and JOMO-ing the whole thing. But I am aware that others have not quite lost that loving feeling for V-Day! So, first question… Valentine’s Day: yay or nay? And why? TAMIM: I don’t really do “relationships” so even when I’ve been seeing someone around that time of the year I’m not that down to
Derms say the time you wash your face at night actually matters—here’s why
February 08, 2019 at 01:16PM by CWC I may be an avid face washer, but the actual time that I practice my double cleansing routine changes. Sometimes, I’m extra ambitious and clean the day away right when I get home from work (it’s increasingly more difficult the more tired I get). On other occasions, I’m washing my face just before I hit my pillow and drift off into peaceful, glow-getting sleep. Both methods give me a debris-free complexion that’s dutifully slathered with my selection of serums and oils. But I started to think about whether the timing of my facial cleansing impacts the effect of the products on my skin. Your cellular regeneration magic happens while you sleep, after all. For clarification, I sought some derms’ advice. “During the course of the day, whether you’re wearing makeup or not, your skin is going to be a magnet for pollution and debris and grime,” says Rhea Souhleris Grous, aesthetics director and beauty expert at Union Square Laser Dermatology. “All day long, you’re collecting it and your skin’s fighting to preserve itself—so the faster you get home and remove it, the faster your skin can relax and repair itself. You’ll be ahead of the game.” Dermatologist Shirley Chi, MD says that the more important factor is what you’re applying to your skin afterwards. “You can wash your face any time during the day, but it depends on what product you’re putting on your face afterwards,” she tells me. “Retinol for instance is
The sneaky way hormonal birth control can mess with your hair
February 08, 2019 at 12:17PM by CWC Hormonal birth control can do some pretty funky—but also amazing!—things to your body. It can change your skin (buh bye, hormonal acne), regulate your periods, and in news-to-my-ears, it can also change your hair. When a friend recently told me that she was convinced her IUD was making her hair curly, I admittedly had my doubts. I’d never heard of such a thing! But after talking to an OB/GYN and a trichologist on the subject, she may actually be onto something. “The birth control pill can definitely affect the quality and quantity of hair growth,” says Sherry Ross, MD, an OB/GYN and author of She-Ology. “Some women notice their hair thins out when taking the pill, while others notice hair loss. There are also women who notice a fuller, thicker, and shiny head of hair while taking the pill.” She notes that it all comes down to how your body and the hormones work together, and that a family history of hair loss may mean that certain hormonal birth control methods could trigger that same reaction in your body. IUDs, she explains, can be some of the most common culprits when it comes to hair changes: The Mirena has been known known to cause hair loss in a very (I repeat: very!) small percentage of women: It has alopecia listed as a side effect that effects less than 5 percent of women. According to her, the non-hormonal copper IUD has been associated with hair loss and changing
How I totally overhauled my relationship with Instagram for better mental health
February 08, 2019 at 10:20AM by CWC We’ve all read the headlines about how social media and mental health typically don’t go hand in hand. So many people swear by just cutting it out of their lives altogether for better peace of mind. And that’s valid. But as someone who has always prided herself on being an over-sharer (case in point: I used to post photos from middle school to a website called Web Shots a decade before Instagram was a thing), I always assumed I was immune to it all. Then last year, I had an Instagram-induced mental health crisis. At the time, I felt like I was leading a double life. There was the smiley, happy version of myself who dominated my Instagram feed with vacation photos and cool beauty products. Then there was IRL me, who was having daily panic attacks and wasn’t sleeping or eating or taking care of herself. The pressure to live up to the persona I had created for myself online became crippling, but I felt like if I put out an image of myself that was anything other than what my followers expected, I would be failing them. Even worse: I felt like I would be failing myself. I secretly liked the Internet version of me a whole lot more than the real life one. So privately, I would lie awake all night, sobbing, and then hours later I would post photos of myself smiling on a beach in a bikini. It was all
This cult-fave polish brand is coming to Target, so I’d better learn how to paint my own nails
February 08, 2019 at 10:18AM by CWC I could write a master’s thesis on all of the beauty brands worth buying at Target right now. Love Beauty and Planet! W3ll People! Shea Moisture! Plus, all of those great aluminum-free deodorants are making clean personal care way more accessible. Clearly, there’s good reason why it’s literally impossible to walk out of there without, like, 5 new skin-care products and at least 3 bath bombs (even if you don’t have a bath tub). And now, cult-fave nail brand Tenoverten going to be hitting the shelves at the Bullseye. The brand started as a single salon in Tribeca, New York, which was meant to provide guests with a safe, comfortable place to get their nails done with polishes that weren’t packed with toxic chemicals. But after a year, founders Nadine Abramcyk, Jaclyn Ferber, and Adair Ilyinsky, saw the need to bring their mission to a wider audience, and in addition to launching 5 other salons in New York, Los Angeles, and Austin, they also decided to launch their own line of nail-care products. Now, in addition to being lauded for their zen AF city oases, Tenoverten is also known for its 8-free polishes, 24 of which will be coming to Target this month. And they only cost $12! In addition to the polish, Target will also carry several of the brand’s “Conscious Nail Care” items, including a strengthening base coat, a nourishing cuticle oil, and quick-drying drops that will help cut down on the time you
Sorry, but “beer before wine, always fine” is a lie
February 08, 2019 at 10:03AM by CWC Certain maxims regarding the consumption of alcohol have been passed down for generations: “Liquor before beer, you’re in the clear” and “Beer before wine, always fine.” You’ve probably heard these from an older sister or a college roommate. Abide by a few simple drinking rules, show up to class from time to time, and you’ll make it through college just fine, right? Well, get ready to adjust your pre-gaming rituals accordingly: A new (very drunk) study casts doubt on age-old wisdom about chasing that bottle of pilsner with a glass of cabernet. A small study—just 90 people—found that it honestly doesn’t matter if you choose to drink beer before wine or wine before beer; the severity of your hangover is an external constant you can’t control. Some participants in the study had the tough job of downing two-and-a-half pints of beer followed by four glasses of wine. Others did it in reverse, wine then beer. Still more brave test subjects stuck with one or the other. A week later, everyone switched roles. But switching the order of intake had no effect on their hangovers in any way. So, there you have it. Beer before wine is not always fine. In fact, excessive drinking is dangerous no matter the order. But you know what did affect hangovers? Barfing. Shocking no one, participants who vomited from drinking too much rated their hangover as more severe. Please drink responsibly, people. If you’re actually serious about drinking up a