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
Category: Relaxation
I did yoga every day for a year and learned a ton about myself in the process
February 08, 2019 at 09:26AM by CWC Hi, my name is Avery, and I have practiced yoga every day for the past year. Truly, if I’m being honest, while I have not skipped a single day in the past 365, I don’t think I’ve missed more than a handful over the past five years. That might sound crazy to those alarm clock snoozers or early-to-bedders, but I’m here to tell you that it has totally changed my life. Allow me to explain. A little over five years ago, I quit my full-time office job at a glossy fashion magazine to go out on my own as a freelance writer and stylist. Back then, I hadn’t exercised for more than a collective week since high school, and (spoiler alert!) that was longer than I cared to admit. So on that first Monday in May (yes, it really was…) I woke up before the sun—my very own boss—and was invigorated by the new non-scheduled schedule I was about to set up for myself. I started the day with a hot power yoga class. I had dabbled in heated yoga in high school, and then again in college, but it never really stuck. Now, with little structure to my full-of-work days as a freelancer, I needed something to jump-start that energy. So, I slipped into my leggings and tank top, threw my yoga mat in my bag, and off to Earth Yoga I went. Quietly sitting in the back of the class, it
Aly Raisman on why “strength” has taken on a new meaning for her this year
February 08, 2019 at 07:26AM by CWC When Aerie asked gymnast Aly Raisman to identify her superpower for its latest campaign, she chose the word “strength.” At the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, the world watched Raisman show off her physical strength by helping Team USA win history-making, back-to-back gold medals. But in the past year and a half, the word has taken on an entirely new meaning in her life. In November, 2017, Raisman came forward alongside over 160 other women to accuse her former gymnastics coach, Larry Nassar, of sexual abuse. During her 13-minute testimony at his sentencing hearing last January, she delivered a powerful message, at times looking her abuser straight in the eyes. “Abusers, your time is up. The survivors are here, standing tall, and we are not going anywhere,” she said. And in the months since, Raisman’s made it abundantly clear that she plans to hold true to that promise. She has become an advocate and activist, sharing her story across the country and acting as a source of support for other victims of abuse. But as she told me when we sat down together at Aerie’s headquarters in New York City on the day of her campaign launch (which she stars in—un-retouched—with other badass ladies we love like Busy Philipps, Iskra Lawrence, and Cleo Wade), the only way she can be strong for others is if she prioritizes taking care of herself. As a journalist, I know how unprofessional it is to gush about my subjects. But as
Raise your very available hand if you always claim to be busy when you’re in a relationship
February 06, 2019 at 08:46AM by CWC When my recent plans got canceled on account of a polar vortex, I hesitated when my friend texted to reschedule for the following Friday. “I might be free on the 8th, but I’ll let you know,” I answered. I knew that the space on my Google Cal was wide open, but these days, Friday and Saturday are automatically reserved for my relationship. Friendship meetings are for weekday, after-work drinks and the occasional witchy, new moon cauliflower pizza party—and nothing else. But that reality of mine doesn’t exempt me from a cold, hard truth: I regularly lie to friends in order to stay totally available for my boyfriend, Luke. Cue: self-loathing panic leading me to wonder whether I seriously and monumentally suck. Indeed I might when it comes to ditching my friends in favor of spending yet another consecutive night with Luke. But I know in my bones that other people do it do it too. (Which—I know, I know—doesn’t make it right, but it does pique my curiosity.) Only confirming my suspicion is a chat I recently had with psychologist and Loving Bravely author Alexandra Solomon, PhD, who was was able to share insight on why so many people seem to do this. It’s how our brain works It’s not you, it’s the chemicals. According to Dr. Solomon, the neurophysiology that comes when you fall in romantic love is simply more powerful than any friendship, especially during that beautiful honeymoon phase. With neurochemicals like norepinephrine (a source adrenaline
OK, TMI: I have way too much ear wax and IDK what to do about it
February 06, 2019 at 08:24AM by CWC Ear wax is about as appealing to think about as boogers, which is why I try not to bring up the topic that often. But it’s hard not to be top of mind when you suspect you have a wax problem…you know, when your Air Pods are crusted with yellowish goo and you start having trouble hearing out of one of your ears? [Shudders] First of all: Everyone has ear wax, and as icky as it looks, it’s 1000 percent normal (and necessary). “People think of ear wax as something dirty, but it isn’t,” says Linda Dahl, MD, an otolaryngologist in private practice in midtown Manhattan, and author of Tooth and Nail: The Making of a Female Fight Doctor. Dr. Dahl says that ear wax (or scientifically speaking, cerumen) is a combination of sebum, sloughed-off skin cells from inside of the ear, and secretions from glands in the outer ear canal. It’s designed to seal the very delicate skin that sits above the bone in your ear and act as an antiseptic, says Dr. Dahl. “There’s not a lot of cushioning [in the ear canal],” says Dr. Dahl. “You should aim to have a bit in there at all times,” she says, to ward off infection and keep the area healthy. It’s something your body naturally makes for a reason—although it can still feel excessive at times. “No one knows why some people produce more than others,” she says. (So, some of us are just
This 10-Minute Exercise Equals 44 Minutes Of Sleep, New Study Finds
February 05, 2019 at 01:22PM New research finds that mindfulness does more for stress relief than we think Continue Reading… If trying to balance work, friends, relationships, family, and self-care sometimes makes your head spin, you’re not alone. Nowadays, the pressure to achieve is on, and while sleep should be a top priority, it can sometimes feel next to impossible to get everything done in a day and still wake up refreshed. We’re only human. A new study, however, found a way to help you feel a bit more restored without hitting snooze. By doing just 10 minutes of a mindfulness practice each day, you could get the same positive brain effects as an extra 44 minutes of sleep per night. What exactly is mindfulness practice? While often different for everyone, it can range from traditional meditation to acts purposefully devoted to clearing your head, like taking walks or deep breathing techniques. Researchers conducted two separate studies on groups of really busy people—budding entrepreneurs—to measure their sleep, stress levels, and mindfulness practices, if any. They found that the individuals who reported the least amount of exhaustion were those who were lacking in sleep but still found time to engage in a mindfulness routine. One caveat: There’s a cap to how helpful mindfulness exercises can be. If you’re already getting the sleep you need and still feeling exhausted, researchers found that these exercises didn’t really make much of a difference. They only showed real stress-reducing benefits when the entrepreneurs were a
Talk about your beauty routine the way French girls do to make it feel so. much. better.
February 05, 2019 at 10:10AM by CWC If your essential beauty products had job titles, retinol would be the cell-turnover specialist, hyaluronic acid the SVP of hydration, and vitamin C the brightening executive. It might well feel natural to value skin-care staples in terms of the results they give your complexion, but at Well+Good’s most recent TALK in New York City, New York Times beauty columnist and author of Skin Deep Bee Shapiro suggested viewing your skin-care routine through an à la Française lens. Meaning, rather than putting all the emphasis on the effects of your lotions and potions (très American), consider how they make you feel in the process of using them. “I have this French girlfriend who’s so into beauty,” Shapiro tells the audience. “When we talk about products, her descriptions are always like, ‘Oh, it feels so good. It makes me feel relaxed. I use it like a massage before I go to sleep.’” Meanwhile in the US—where we all basically have “achieve! achieve! achieve!” tattooed onto our brains—many of us tend to equate a product’s worth with what it can accomplish. But why not enjoy the actual lathering, slathering process instead? “We’re so result-driven that even during self care, we’re like, ‘Oh! Gotta achieve something.’ Maybe you just like that oil because it feels really good.” —Bee Shapiro, New York Times beauty columnist and author of Skin Deep “We’re so result-driven that even during self care, we’re like, ‘Oh! Gotta achieve something,’” Shapiro adds. “Maybe you just like that oil because it feels
3 psychologist-approved tips for dealing with social anxiety at the gym
February 04, 2019 at 12:21PM by CWC For plenty of people, going to the gym is a place to escape the stressors of everyday life. But for others—those who are among the 15 million adults living with social anxiety disorder—going to a public place to exercise is actually stressful. When you’re dealing with social anxiety, simply being around other people can lead to anxiety, which means that a fitness class or crowded gym can become a space where the endorphins from a solid sweat sesh are outpaced by worry. “Social anxiety is comparing yourself to everyone else—you become overly concerned with what other people are thinking,” says Lani Lawrence, Psy.D, Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) representative and clinical and sports psychologist. “With athletes facing it, anxiety and other things may inhibit their performance—there are times when they have a hard time competing in front of others, so it’s definitely something to deal with in terms of performance.” But if you’re not, say, running a sprint in front of a stadium audience, you can still face the same level of anxiety that prevents you from performing the way you’d like. “This involves a lot of over-thinking, worrying, and negative thoughts and self-talk,” explains Lawrence on how social anxiety can affect you at the gym. And it’s not just mental—the anxiety impacts your physical self, too. “Physically, you might have an elevated heart rate, tension in your muscles, excessive sweating, and uncontrollable breath,” she says. “Physically, it feels awful and like you’re
Good news: Listening to music at work is probably a good thing for your productivity
February 04, 2019 at 08:32AM by CWC Listening to music at work is one of those things that can be surprisingly controversial. Some people swear by their Spotify accounts for keeping them on-task. Others insist on total silence to get stuff done—a tall order given how common open floor-plans are now. And there’s definitely a subset of people who think that no matter if it helps or not, having headphones on at work is just flat-out unprofessional. Well, music haters might be in the wrong on this one. One small study compared the productivity of software engineers over the course of five weeks, seeing how much work they accomplished while working in silence versus with music playing in the background. It turns out that they finished their work faster when music was playing. Why? The engineers were happier, and happy workers are productive workers. However, the science of music and productivity is a bit more complicated than just “music is good.” Its effectiveness on your work actually depends on a few factors. Here’s what you should know before putting together your Beyoncé-themed office playlist: The type of music matters Not all music is best-suited for plowing through your to-do list; what you listen to is key. Music psychologist and scientist David Greenberg, PhD, points to one 2007 study in particular that had surprising and unexpected results. “The researchers played different types of music—that the participants were unfamiliar with—while they performed cognitive, problem-solving tasks,” he says. “What they found was music that had dissonance, or a
Why this new moon is the perfect time to embrace your inner weirdo
February 03, 2019 at 04:00AM by CWC Each new moon is the chance to start over and set new intentions—or, hey, go crazy and invite your nearest and dearest over for a women’s circle to make it more social. And this month, the cosmos supports serious “you do you” energy—it’s all about being authentic, even eccentric, says astrologer Jennifer Racioppi. Monday, February 4 The new moon in Aquarius, the second new moon of 2019, perfects at 4:01 p.m. Eastern. New moons begin new chapters; and, actions taken when the luminaries (the sun and the moon) conjoin have both short-term and long-term implications. With this current new moon happening at 15 degrees of Aquarius, alongside Mercury, now’s the time to own your authenticity and eccentricity. Aquarius, a fixed air sign, encourages you to lead via originality. It asks you to decide for yourself what truths you wish to subscribe to, and let the rest go. This new moon initiates new beginnings that stem from the deepest place within your heart. Meanwhile, Saturn the planet of discipline, traveling very close to Pluto (for the next two years) takes no prisoners. Meaning, the cosmic dance not only commands you to honor your truth, no matter what, but it also doesn’t leave room for lack of compliance with the directives of your soul. Add to the mix that Mars, the planet of action, conjoins both Eris, which represents feminine discord, and Uranus, the ruler of Aquarius, and it’s safe to say that this new moon initiates