October 05, 2019 at 04:00PM by CWC After a full day of sitting through meetings that could have been emails and trying not to lose your cool at Karen for forgetting to re-fill the office coffee pot again, the last thing most people want to do is haul to the gym. In fact, in a recent Instagram survey, 62 percent of our readers revealed that they would rather work out in the morning than at night. And personally, I’m right there with them. I’m one of those people who is constantly singing a refrain of: “If I don’t workout in the morning, it isn’t gonna happen.” That’s mostly because I would rather go home and drink wine on my couch than go sit on a spin bike after the clock strikes 7 p.m. “After work workouts can be tough because there are more chances that a variety of things can happen during the day to deter you,” says Colette Dong, co-founder of New York City’s the ness. “In the mornings there is usually only one variable —can you wake up?—because your day hasn’t been long enough to let in as many distractions.” At night, though it can be a combination of work, exhaustion, or the desire to just mindlessly watch television, she adds. But every once in a while, even if you’re a die-hard member of the morning workout tribe, every once in a while, you find yourself in a position when you’ve gotta motivate to get to the gym after a
Category: City
There’s never been a better time to buy an inexpensive serum—and these under-$35 options are proof
October 04, 2019 at 11:00PM by CWC With so many great serums on the market filled with it-ingredients that you’ve just gotta have for your routine, it’s hard to resist going gaga over them all… like a child pining for every doll in the toy store. Beauty shelves are minefields of options, and it makes it far too easy to empty your wallet in pursuit of a healthy complexion. So what’s a girl to do? With a seemingly infinite number of skin-care serums out there to choose from, there are more affordable—and effective—options than ever. Formulators have nailed how to pack actives like vitamin C, retinol and niacinamide into products that everyone can manage to snag for themselves without breaking the bank. The Ordinary has been dutifully offering potent skin-care serums since 2016, with not one bottle running past $29 (and for what it’s worth, that single $29 serum is double the cost of the rest of the line). Over the past year or so, even more wallet-friendly skin-care brands have infiltrated the shelves: There’s Versed, a solution-oriented collection you can get at Target; The Inkey List, a London-based beauty brand where nothing costs over $15; Sweet Chef, a spin-off line from buzzy K-beauty brand Glow Recipe that’s sold at Target and makes nutrient-dense serums for much less than its sister brand; and Ghost Democracy, a derm-backed skin-care line offering the most coveted ingredients at more cost-effective prices than most. Drugstore staple brands like Neutrogena and Olay have even caught
Uh-oh: Research confirms pollution can have damaging effects on your hair, too
October 03, 2019 at 10:31PM by CWC As I biked my way through New York City to the Well+Good offices this morning, I dodged exhaust from countless vehicles, unidentified smoke coming out of potholes and fumes spewing out of garbage trucks. All I could think about was my poor skin, and was thankful for the fact that it was covered with antioxidants to help with protection. But, guess what? All of the pollution in the air isn’t just a threat to your complexion—new research shows it’s bad for your hair, too. Researchers with L’Oreal, as reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that things called photo-toxic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the air degrade your hair with increased exposure. Researchers took microscopic images of 200 hair fibers from women in Baoding and Dialian, China, and examined the cuticle and cortex of the strands. “They found increased structural degradation of the hair fiber over time with increased PAH concentrations,” writes the study report. “Pollution has long been shown to be damaging to the skin, causing free radical damage which leads to premature aging and dark spots,” says Joshua Zeichner, MD, a New York-based dermatologist. “These molecules have been shown to cause structural damage to the hair shafts, disrupting the outer layer, which may be associated with breakage and brittleness.” Don’t worry, though—you’re not doomed to have weak hair in the face of pollution. You can protect your strands in the same way you protect your skin: with antioxidants. Dr. Zeichner
I swapped my $514 makeup routine for an $83 one from the drugstore
October 03, 2019 at 06:18PM by CWC One of the biggest perks of being a beauty editor is that part of my literal job is to test makeup products, which means, as you can probably imagine, I’ve racked up quite the personal collection. Whether it’s a pricey foundation that will make your skin glow like a baby angel’s or a splurge-worthy waterproof mascara that refuses to budge (no matter how many teary therapy sessions I put it through), my face and I have been pretty spoiled thanks to the job. But as any beauty pro will tell you, you don’t have to be shelling out big-time bucks on makeup in order to create a look you love. In fact, there are plenty of products on drugstore shelves that will help you get the look for a whole lot less. To prove it, I swapped my pricey routine for one that costs only $83, and frankly, I can’t tell a difference. Scroll through for the products that officially have a permanent place on my beauty shelf. Photo: ELF E.L.F. Hydrating Face Primer, $5 I’ve used the Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer ($36) for years, so when the internet told me that this version could serve as a $5 dupe, I admittedly had my doubts. But, this stuff is good, and seriously lives up to the hype. I have very dry skin, and the vitamin A, C, and E in this primer gives it an added layer of hydration before I apply my foundation so that
How to get rid of blackheads around the nose, according to dermatologists
October 03, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC If you’re like me and a large chunk of the population, you’ll often find pesky blackheads on and around your nose. As a refresher, blackheads are acne before it’s officially acne. Dermatologists call it a “precursor” for acne, since it’s just a clogged, debris-filled pore, and it turns black because it’s the bacteria on your skin mixed with your own face oils (hope you’re not eating). It can either just stay put as a blackhead, or go on to mature into a full-on breakout—but, either way, if you’d rather your pore be cleared of this gunk, there is a path forward. “Blackheads are more likely to form on the nose because the nose has numerous glands—more so than the rest of your face, which already has more oil glands than the rest of your body,” says Sheel Desai Solomon, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in North Carolina. That means it’s a hotspot for clogged pores. There are plenty of ways to deal with (and prevent) blackheads, though—keep scrolling to find which one could work for you. How to get rid of blackheads on nose areas 1. Try a pore strip: You may have tried this gunk-removing method in middle school (guilty!), and derms say it’s still pretty reliable. “Pore strips work like a bandage. Each strip is coated with a strong adhesive,” says Dr. Solomon. “They work to remove what you currently have, but they do nothing to prevent what is coming.” To use, leave
A psychologist names the 1 type of social media account you can follow without feeling triggered
October 02, 2019 at 08:00PM by CWC I’ve actually considered hiring a personal social media manager as a strategy to help me feel less blue after scrolling into the void. Because no matter what’s going on in my life, when I log on to any platform, I fall victim to either the comparison trap or my anxieties about the state of the world. Watching old classmates live their fun lives after clocking out from their fancy jobs bums me out, just as watching other old classmates overshare about their less-than-enviable situations also bums me out. Happy or sad or voyeuristic (like, say, photos of my co-worker’s vacation), the feelings I have as a result of seeing the content are always the same: negative because it seems social media is negative in effect regardless of whether what I’m viewing is positive or negative itself. Research backs me up here: A recent small study notes smartphone dependence (guilty) is predictive of loneliness and depressive symptoms, and past research has connected social media with similar mental-health issues. Be that as it may, we live in a world where unplugging is more likely to be a facet of a restorative vacation than a permanent choice. Meaning, I’m almost certainly not going to stop using my phone and/or social media. So what gives? Who, if anyone, should I follow on social media to gas myself up and also avoid feeling triggered? It turns out this exercise starts with who not to follow rather than who
Boost your coordination and full-body strength with kettlebell cleans
October 02, 2019 at 06:38PM by CWC Kettlebell cleans used to scare me. However, once I gave them a shot, I quickly realized that heavy cast iron ball with a handle wasn’t nearly as intimidating as it looked—and that a proper clean never fails to give me a full-body workout. Performing proper kettlebell cleans looks simple enough. You bring it from the floor to the racked position on your chest in a smooth, continuous movement. But like most kettlebell exercises, it’s not just about swinging—you have to master a few tiny details that go into perfecting the movement in order to get it right. “The kettlebell clean primarily targets the legs and core, while also involving the arm and back muscles. It’s a complex full-body movement with the emphasis on the legs,” says Samantha Jade, creator of BODY by SJ at Project by Equinox and senior instructor at SoulCycle. “The movement is generated from the hips and the main power comes from the quads and the hamstrings, with many other muscles assisting.” The kettlebell clean is a very technical, complex exercise, and if you’re not careful, you could hurt your wrists. Take your time learning each of the steps required for proper form. How to do kettlebell cleans properly Start with the kettlebell on the ground and between your legs. With your hips flexed—and neck, back, and spine straight—hold the kettlebell by the horn with your palm facing your body. Keeping your elbow against your side the entire time (like
An elite runner swears by an oldie-but-goldie recovery routine to amp up her rest days
October 01, 2019 at 09:18PM by CWC In fitness eras past, bragging about your gym gains was all the rage. Now, the real flex is how well you recover. That’s why we tapped Melissa Wolfe, a coach at New York City’s Mile High Run Club, to hear all about how she decompresses her body in the aftermath of long runs, hours teaching at the studio, and all her sweaty endeavors in between. Wolfe tells me that she likes to stay foundational with her recovery routine. “I keep it simple. [I use] one of those old-school hot water bottles wrapped in a towel, and apply it to and spots that feel like they need it. Any places where old muscle or tendon injuries have left scar tissue and tightness,” she says. The practice not only feels good on muscles that are too tired to deal, it also speeds up the mending process before she hits the road once more. “As a long-distance runner, my mental game is often challenged just as much, if not more than, the state of my body.” —Melissa Wolfe, runner and coach at Mile High Run Club “Heat stimulates blood flow by dilating your blood vessels, which delivers vital healing elements to muscle tissue that is tired and in need of repair. I find heat to be soothing, on top of those other benefits,” says the runner. The folks over at John Hopkins Medicine echo Wolfe’s point that heat draws blood to the targeted area, reducing the
Therapists say millennials worry most about 5 specific issues
October 01, 2019 at 05:00PM by CWC Of all the labels used to describe millennials, as one of them, I have to say the “the anxious generation” feels the most apt. Because how could we not be anxious? The world is on fire and the extinction of our entire species is looming. “Anxiety is a form of fear—a type of fear that tends to be amorphous and often haunting in nature,” says clinical psychologist Carla Marie Manly, PhD. Well, the climate crisis is not a drill and is definitely haunting—and it’s also hardly the only huge, amorphous issue fueling millennial anxiety. Since mental health pros, like Dr. Manly, are likely most privy to the worries that are haunting us, I sought insight from pros into the most common concerns plaguing my generation, as well as advice for easing our troubled minds with respect to each issue. And, to be clear, that easing of the mind is no small task. “Unlike a rational fear that can be readily addressed, fears that manifest as anxiety tend to be a bit tricky and more difficult to assess and overcome,” says Dr. Manly. Below, find the fears currently spooking us the most. The 5 most common reasons for millennial anxiety, according to therapists. 1. Missing milestones “The biggest thing I notice in millennial clients is pressure to hit milestones and a feeling of failure if they haven’t,” says psychologist Aimee Daramus, PsyD. “A lot of millennial clients are ‘behind’ where their parents were because
7 farm-to-table restaurants in NYC that make sustainable eating easy—and delicious
October 01, 2019 at 02:00AM by CWC It’s no secret that the food industry has a big sustainability problem. According to the World Wildlife Foundation, around 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide come from the food system (and farm animals in particular create 40 percent of methane gas emissions in the United States). There is no one cure to this very large issue, but there are a few ways people can contribute to a more eco-friendly food system—like prioritizing farm-to-table food and restaurants. It’s not just a buzzword. Essentially, “farm-to-table” describes food and restaurants that use local (and often in-season) ingredients, whether that’s vegetables grown on a nearby farm or meat from a small area rancher. The movement has been around since the ’30s, but it’s seeing new life as more and more people are interested in eating sustainably. Experts argue that using local ingredients when they’re in season is better for the environment, since it requires less transportation (and thus creates a smaller carbon footprint). Many also argue that this is a healthier option for consumers, since produce in general retains fewer nutrients the more time there is between harvest and consumption. To make this work, chefs maintain a direct relationship with their farmers and purveyors, and often prioritize vendors who use organic and sustainable farming methods. Speaking of organic, here’s the deal with that whole “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean Fifteen” thing: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncHSaA0-Chg] Certainly, some places just use this term as a buzzword. But legit farm-to-table restaurants