September 09, 2019 at 10:53PM by CWC Every once in a while in yoga class, a magical thing happens: the teacher comes up behind you during savasana and gives you a neck massage. The five-second act of other care is worth the entire $30 drop-in free, in my opinion. But you don’t have to leave your house to give your neck tender loving care. Once you know about cross-fiber friction foam rolling, you can get that “Ooh, ah!” feeling in your very own living room. At this year’s Wanderlust 108 festival in Brooklyn, Julie Wu—an instructor with RAD roller—taught me a valuable lesson in foam rolling. Even though most of us are trained to just move the device north and south to knead out tension, a little east and west action is good, too. That’s why Wu had the group at Wanderlust place a Rad Rod (a tiny, tube-like roller) just beneath the nape our necks and wiggle it right and left as well as up and down. It felt like a euphoric out-of-body experience, and I walked away from class feeling like a gazelle. That is, a taller, more agile version of myself. A horizontal approach to foam rolling is called cross-fiber friction foam rolling. Rather than running the foam roller along the length of the muscle, you’re going against the grain of the muscle fiber. For example, if you’re trying to target your quads, roll the tool from side to side rather than from knee to hip. When
Category: City
Would you let your partner follow your location 24/7? These people do
September 09, 2019 at 07:28PM by CWC Shortly after Sahra Sajasi met her boyfriend, they went to a festival together. Since getting separated from your date in a crowd is categorically the worst, the pair wisely decided to add each other on Find My Friends—a mobile tracker app that comes preloaded on iPhone—just in case. Fast forward two years, and they still haven’t turned it off. Now, Sajasi says they occasionally use Find My Friends to check in on each other’s location for practical reasons. “We’re long-distance—[he’s in] London and [I’m in] Los Angeles—and if he doesn’t let me know he got home safely after a night out with friends, I might go into the app and just check that he made it,” she says. “We’ve also used it to see how far away we are from each other when one of us is driving or using public transportation. It’s sometimes easier just to check the app instead of waiting for a reply… and it’s also exciting to see our little icons get closer to each other when we’re used to being 5,000-plus miles away.” Sajasi and her S.O. certainly aren’t the only couple who are tracking each other’s moves via GPS technology—chances are you know someone who does the same, even if they don’t talk about it. Valerie Beesley and her husband use Find My Friends to streamline school pick-ups and drop-offs for their son, while cutting down on incessant text volleys. “The app actually helps reduce messages about
Skin-care ampoules are like the harder-working sister of serums
September 09, 2019 at 06:06PM by CWC These days, beauty counters are piled high with stacks and stacks of the latest creams, serums, and SPFs that all promise to whisk skin concerns and prevent new ones from coming on. In no surprise to anyone, super-concentrated active ingredients are highly covetable, and that’s why ampoules, a Korean beauty staple, are now making their way to the United States. Ampoules are highly concentrated active serums that are specifically designed for one-time use. “The amount and container size are strategically for preserving the pureness of the product,” explains Julie E. Russak, MD, a New York City dermatologist. “There are no added fillers, the product often features one main star ingredient, and, because of the way it’s packaged—it’s usually for one single use—so it isn’t compromised by the effects of being exposed to the environment.” This is especially important for ingredients like retinol and vitamin C, which David Lortscher, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and CEO of Curology, says are unstable and easily degrade when exposed to light and air. Howard Sobel, MD, a New York dermatologist adds that ampoules, such as Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Ampoules ($145) and Natura Bisse Diamond Instant Glow ($90), are of particularly high quality given not only their small, air-tight vials or capsules, but also the fact that they ensure that you’re applying the right amount of product to your face. What do ampoules do? Beyond the ingenious packaging, let’s talk about the benefits of actually adding them into
This $265 moisturizer is destined to be the next La Mer—and it’s worth every penny
September 09, 2019 at 04:07PM by CWC Every once in a while, a skin-care product comes along that completely changes the game. As of late, that product has been Augustinus Bader Cream ($265), a namesake moisturizer created by German professor Augustinus Bader, who reinterpreted his medical-grade, wound-healing hydrogel into a skin-care product for the masses…or at least for those willing to shell out upwards of two hundred bucks. At its advent, the hydrogel was created to help with burns and scarring; according to him, it greatly reduced the need for skin grafts and other scar revision therapies amongst patients. However, upon seeing how effective it was, Bader decided to use the cream to help with the skin’s four-week regeneration cycle. “It’s not about adding stem cells to the body or cultivating cells outside the body—it’s a totally innovative approach that works with the body’s own physiological communication systems to trigger healing for sustainable health and wellbeing,” explains Bader. Essentially, it stimulates your body to create its own new cells by giving it the building blocks of amino acids, vitamins, and nutrients in “the right location at the right time.” In addition to helping with scars, the technology can also be applied to other skin concerns, too, including acne and fine lines. “The formula was reported by clients to normalize oil secretion, while working to improve the appearance of dark spots that often remain after a breakout,” says Bader. “The creams were also reported to help to minimize the appearance of
The breakdown of the muscles you use during a spin class that you’ve been looking for
September 09, 2019 at 12:02AM by CWC There’s no burn quite like spin class burn. While I’m pedaling away on that bike against the resistance, my muscles are working in overdrive. And I have to admit: Most of the time, the only thing I’m doing during those moments is begging my legs to make it to the end—not fully thinking about what they’re doing. But knowing exactly which muscles I’m using in class—and engaging them at the right times!—is the key to getting the best workout. “The brain-muscle connection is powerful,” says Samantha Jade, senior instructor at SoulCycle and creator of BODY by SJ. “When you focus on which regions of the body to engage and what position and form you should be in, your neurological system is more awake to send improved messages for even more effective muscle firing, riding technique, and position. The mental focus in your workout increases your output capabilities. Plus, being connected to your body and performance will yield a safer more effective workout.” Before your next class, find out exactly which muscles you’re working—and should be engaging!—in and out of the saddle. Which muscles to focus on in the saddle When you’re riding in the saddle during spin class, there’s one primary muscle group you’re working: your glutes. “Our glutes tend to be ‘asleep’—especially if we spend most of our day sitting—so you have to consciously think about turning them on. That means literally squeezing each butt cheek, which creates the push/pull that you
The one thing your hairstylist wants you to stop doing after new color
September 08, 2019 at 06:01PM by CWC You just left the salon with a fresh new color, and you’re fully basking in that post-appointment glow. (You know the what I’m talking about.) But if you plan on hopping in the shower and sudsing up your strands within the next 48 hours, you might want to snap some selfies now. According to the pros, it’s the quickest way to take your hair from fab to faded. Not many people know there’s a hair-washing rule after coloring. Unfortunately, not abiding by it is one of the biggest mistakes you can make for your color—and your bank account. “After you dye your hair, don’t wash it for at least two days because the hair is still sensitive and therefore will be more like to fade faster,” says Sergio Pattirane, a hairstylist at Rob Peetoom in New York City. “We recommend waiting to wash it so that the color stay fresh and longer.” It’s not just the initial wash that matters—it’s really every wash. In order to keep your color looking as fresh as possible between appointments, it’s recommended to keep washes to a minimum throughout the week, as well as switching up your washing habits in the first place. “Wash your hair two days a week—one day with conditioner and the other day with a mask,” he says. “Also avoid washing your hair with water that’s too hot, as this will cause the hair cuticles to open and then cause the color to fade away.”
I want to tell you about my suicidal thoughts
September 08, 2019 at 04:00PM by CWC Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, yet it is still treated with shame and silence. In honor of National Suicide Prevention Week, we’re sharing stories about suicide in order to encourage awareness and combat stigma. If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. I’ve struggled with depression and suicidal thoughts since I was a teenager. But by the time I was 29, I thought I had things under control. I took antidepressants and talked to a therapist every week. I had a full life with my husband of three years. Trips were ventured, friends gathered together, and there were plenty of nights on the town. Everything appeared fine from the outside. It’s just that there’s this one single thing that I slowly began to notice until I could no longer deny its presence in my life. I was gay. In my mind, being gay meant the destruction of the one thing that I thought kept the demons at bay: my marriage. I was in love and he had this uncanny ability to draw me out from the dark side. Being married to this wonderful person, I thought, would solve all my problems. So now to be gay, and lose him and all that he represented? I wouldn’t dare make that leap. To even think about it was too painful, too terrifying. As I grappled
Hey Dentist: Is baking soda paste actually a good way to whiten my teeth?
September 06, 2019 at 04:57PM by CWC Baking soda is the ultimate multi-hyphenate. It’s a stain remover, toilet bowl/garbage disposal/sneaker deodorizer, drain un-clogger, fabric softener, inflammation fighter, skincare savior, perfect-hard-boiled-egg maker, and even an embarrassing-tan-line eliminator, among other things. So, it can definitely be used as a teeth whitener, because it’s good at everything, and because Julia Roberts (the smile) says so. Right? Sort of. “Baking soda acts to remove stains and whiten teeth by scrubbing the enamel surfaces with more abrasive particles,” says Inna Chern, DDS, a New York City-based dentist. “It is effective in removing superficial stains from teeth but not the ones that get embedded in deeper aspects of the tooth structure.” Okay, fine, but do we really care about the stains no one can see but our dentist? I mean, Julia Roberts has made an icon out of her surface-level shine. Unfortunately, the dentist caveats don’t stop at superficiality. Both Dr. Chern and Lawrence Fung, DDS, a cosmetic dentist based in Los Angeles, caution that unregulated amounts of baking soda can cause damage to the teeth. “Baking soda is actually not the best idea [for whitening], because on the abrasive chart it can be higher leading to more tooth/enamel wear with modest whitening results,” says Dr. Fung. Chern adds that it can also cause changes in oral mucosa, the delicate tissue of the cheek and gums. Both dentists say to be wary of using a pure baking soda paste or, like Roberts’ grandfather, just dumping a
You’ll never see my natural hair, but that doesn’t mean I’m hiding a part of who I am
September 06, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC When I come home after a long day, the first thing I do is take off my wig. Because it’s big and curly, (or straight and long, depending on the day), it gets hot AF under here. After a while, the combs that secure it to my head start to hurt. I’d like to say that the next thing I do is sit down with all my lotions and potions and condition my strands, paying close attention to the parts between my poorly self-done cornrows, but most of the time I don’t. Even though you’ll never see my natural hair, I am natural. I ditched relaxers when I was in college, and now exclusively sport protective styles like wigs and sew-ins. These offer me a look I can’t get with my natural hair alone. A look that, ironically, feels most “natural” to me. And while I’m not spending my nights twisting my lengths, or searching for the best product cocktail to achieve the elusive wash-and-go, I’m still a part of the natural hair community. It doesn’t always feel that way, though. Going natural feels as if you’ve seemingly leveled-up in your blackness by falling in love with your natural hair, taking ownership of what you think is beautiful, and breaking out of the Eurocentric beauty mold. This ideal is rooted in the natural hair movement of the ’60s and ’70s, which was intertwined with the Black Power movement. “Although it was seen as
You’re not just imagining it—food really does taste different on airplanes
September 06, 2019 at 02:00AM by CWC When it comes to airplane food, the general consensus is that it’s…well, not great, Bob! The work-around has long been to bring your own food on board (whether it’s airport fare or stuff you brought from home), but even if it makes it through TSA security, it probably won’t taste nearly as good as it normally does on land. Sure, the fact that you’re forced to eat it in a cramped corner while trying not to offend the stranger sharing your armrest certainly doesn’t help, but TIL that elevation *literally* changes the taste of food…and usually not for the better. According to food scientist Herbert Stone, PhD, who worked on food for the Apollo Moon Mission, there are very specific ways elevation affects how something tastes. “Elevation makes the air colder—and airplanes are already kept quite cold—and when the oral cavity is cooled, we don’t taste things as well,” he explains. He says that when food—or its surrounding temps—make your mouth either too hot or too cold, your receptors start working on overdrive to get it the temperature back to where it should be. That slows down the process of sensing—and therefore enjoying—what you’re eating. “Elevation dulls your taste buds about 20 percent inflight,” says Sheri Whiteley, the director of on-board menu planning for American Airlines. She says sweetness and saltiness are the flavor notes most impacted. “The air on board is also extremely dry, which affects sense of smell and taste,” adds