August 19, 2019 at 11:37AM by CWC Collecting skin-care products can quickly make you feel like the little old lady who lives in her serums. Case in point: My vanity looks a whole lot more like a Y2K bunker than I would ever admit to someone on a first date. Alternatively: ever. With so many different products to choose from, it can be confusing to figure out exactly what to use and when. Thankfully for all of the skin-care aficionados out there, we discovered the “Skin Care Pyramid” (thanks, Instagram) to help us sort through our collections and figure out what to slather on our faces…without, ya know, melting them off. The pyramid breaks down what you should be doing to your skin on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis so that you’re not overdoing it—think of it like a food pyramid, but for your face. View this post on Instagram Skin care #skincare #skin #beauty #natural #travel #love #instagood #skinglow #cosmetics #repost #glowingskin #antiaging #healthyskin #sun #spa #me #skinexperts #skinfood #loveyourself #skintips #healthy #tatiskincare #mm #blackandwhite #yoga #tbt #world #gunkie #hydrafacial #blackandwhite #skincareroutine A post shared by Toni_esthetician (@toni_esthetician) on Aug 16, 2019 at 5:33am PDT The daily breakdown is pretty much exactly what you’d expect: cleanser, acid, eye cream, serums, sunscreen, and moisturizer (AKA the stuff that any dermatologist or esthetician out there would tell you should be a part of your morning and nighttime regimen). Then, once a week, you should be using an exfoliant (just not
Category: You and your body
Take your beat-based workout up a level (or five!) with this pro hack
August 19, 2019 at 10:42AM by CWC My high school volleyball team had one music-related rule during every practice. Whenever “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls came on our warmup playlist, we had to cease our bumping, spiking, and blocking and run laps. Whenever one of the girls sang “want” or “wanna” (that’s 45 times, BTW), my spandex-clad squad dropped to the floor and completed one push-up. By the end, we were bushed—but hey, it was a really good workout. My varsity experience is proof that when you’re trying to spice up a stale workout routine, letting lyrics be your personal trainer is one, out-of-the box way to make time fly at the gym. Perhaps that’s why beat-based workouts have become a thing as of late, with Instagram trainers like Amanda Bisk posting sweat sessions quite literally orchestrated by the tunes of The Chainsmokers, the reunited Jonas Brothers, and Ed Sheeran. It games your workouts—and there’s way more than one way to do it. Recently, one Well+Good staffer hit up the Peloton’s treadmill studio in New York City where trainer Jess Sims taught yet another melodious way to take a workout from level one to level five. Just hop on the treadmill, choose one word from a specific song, and up the speed by .1 (or your increment of choice) each time you hear it. If you’re treading to “Cake by the Ocean,” you can make “cake” your magic word. If the opening notes of Rihanna’s “Umbrella” scream through your earbuds,
Half of our editors wash their faces this cult-fave cleanser—because it’s *that* good
August 19, 2019 at 10:00AM by CWC When a game-changing beauty product enters your life, it’s only natural to want to shout about it from the rooftops in the hopes that everyone else in your life will try it for themselves and also discover how great it is. This, in effect, pretty much sums up why more than half of our editorial team has fallen in love with Fresh Soy Face Cleanser ($38). It’s not often that we—a group of women with varying skin types—can universally agree on a product that fits all of our needs. Actually, this is literally the only time it’s every happened (and we test a lot of products around these parts). When one editor paid mentioned about just how much she loved the cleanser to the rest of the team, we all decided we needed to see what the hype was about. Now, the first portion of many of our team meetings is dedicated to singing its praises. Seriously. So what makes it so great? The cleanser is made with soy proteins, which are rich in amino acids to help maintain skin elasticity and suppleness, cucumber extracts to soothe, and rosewater, which is known for its calming properties. This combo makes it a win for all skin types; plus, it legitimately feels like a spa treatment in a bottle. Photo: Sephora I’ve been using the cleanser for the past nine months, and it’s become my favorite step in my skin-care routine. Despite being told by
Eating seafood is a ‘SMASH’ with these 5 healthy, low-mercury options
August 19, 2019 at 09:03AM by CWC As the saying goes, “There are plenty of fish in the sea, but only some of them contain low levels of mercury.” Okay, okay, so I embellished this particular cliché just a little bit, but you get the picture: Of the 20,000 known species of fish, only a few stand out as add-to-your-plate protein options that won’t make you worry about mercury. But thankfully, you won’t need to remember 20K different fish, just five, thanks to this easy acronym from Parsley Health: SMASH, which stands for sardines, mackerel, anchovies, salmon, and herring. Remember, mercury can have some pretty concerning effects on the body in high doses. As Parsley Health explains in a recent Instagram post, “Mercury can impact brain function and memory, affect your thyroid, kidneys, sleep, and energy levels.” This is especially important for expectant and breastfeeding moms, as mercury can affect a fetus’s brain and nervous system development. ad_intervals[‘416530_div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘416530_div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’);}); } }, 100); Here’s the thing: Nearly all fish contain some amounts of mercury (thanks, pollution!). However, you can minimize your risk by sticking with SMASH-choices, all of which are full of healthy fats and protein while staying safely low in mercury levels. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends making sure a majority of the fish you eat fall under this SMASH category, while limiting your weekly servings of higher-mercury seafood like tuna, bluefish, grouper, marlin, king mackerel, shark, and swordfish. If you
If you’re going to get one spa treatment in Hawaii, make it this one
August 19, 2019 at 09:02AM by CWC Rainstorms aside, there aren’t many convincing reasons to stay indoors during a Hawaiian vacation. I mean, why would you when there are so many epic waterfall hikes, black-sand beaches, and shaved-ice flavors to partake in and enjoy? All of that being true, on a recent trip to the remote town of Hāna—a Maui-set gem that’s accessible only by driving along a coast-hugging winding road for 2.5-hours—I discovered one activity that totally justifies a break from the sun and the surf: a lomilomi massage. According to Marni Aina, resident general manager of Travaasa Hāna—the experiential spa resort where I stayed and had my lomilomi massage—we all hold stress in different areas of our bodies, causing those areas to tense up. The signature strokes of a lomilomi massage are designed to create space in the muscles and fascia (your body’s interwoven system of connective tissues), allowing stagnant energy to flow more freely. “Traditionally, ‘lomilomi’ means ‘to break apart into smaller pieces,’” Aina says. “That is what the massage is about. Using physical and energetic manipulation can help to break apart blockages so you can be more open and relaxed.” While you can get a lomilomi-inspired massage in most parts of the world today, there’s something special about experiencing it close to the source. It’s said that Polynesian settlers first brought lomilomi to the Hawaiian islands, and from there, the Hawaiian people developed their own spin on it and passed it down from generation to generation.
This 7-minute heart-opening yoga flow will relieve tension from hunching over a computer all day
August 19, 2019 at 05:28AM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4YQeowk9JE] Welcome to Trainer of the Month Club, our brand-new fitness series, where we tap the coolest, most in-the-know fitness leaders to create a month-long fitness challenge. On Mondays, we have our “sweat drops” where you’ll get access to the week’s workout that you can follow along at home. This week, Val Verdier is teaching us a yoga sequence that’s all about opening up your heart. Posture check—how are you sitting right now? As I write this, I’m hunched over my computer like the little work gremlin that I am. I’ll probably sit like this most of today, and the rest of the work week, despite my best efforts to correct my posture. (Your writing is better when your shoulders are up to your ears and your whole body is rife with stress, right? That’s how it works?) Luckily, this heart-opening sequence from Val Verdier, our Trainer of the Month and the director of teaching at Modo Yoga, can help relieve the tension we feel from sitting at our desks all day. Here, Verdier takes us through a seven minute sequence of heart-opening yoga poses that she says will “warm the body up.” Whether you’re looking for a flow to do before a run or a way to cool down post-bootcamp, this one has all the stretchy goodness that you need to really make the most out of your time on the mat. Here’s the rundown: Start in a bridge pose to warm
What to know about the latest advancements in treating women’s hair loss
August 19, 2019 at 04:00AM by CWC Back in the day, I used to chalk up hair loss to being a natural symptom of aging, just like acquiring fine lines and gray hair. Lately, however, I’ve heard murmurs from plenty of friends and browsed through recent research, to find that more-and-more women are losing their hair—and it’s not as simple as excess shedding or losing strands due to age or stress. That said, even though you’re reading about this frequently, it’s not necessarily a new phenomenon. Society is coming to terms with stigma in so many different ways, and we’re just beginning to lift the veil on women losing their hair. “For my 45-plus years in practice, women have been talking about hair loss,” explains Wilma Bergfeld, MD, a board-certified dermatologist with Cleveland Clinic. “In reality, it’s always been there and there has always been a large population of women that come into physicians with this problem.” Dermatologist Francesca Fusco, MD of Wexler Dermatology seconds this: “I believe hair loss in women isn’t so much rampant as it is out in the open,” she says. “Thanks to journalists who write about it, individuals are more comfortable talking about it.” So as we become more open to speaking about hair loss, a door opens for us to explore solutions, ranging from over-the-counter supplements and at-home devices to in-office treatments. Because hair loss is such a complex problem, and a lot of factors can go into it, let’s explore its causes and
Checks+Balanced: How going back to school for a career shift affects a 29-year-old’s wellness budget
August 19, 2019 at 03:00AM by CWC Even in a world where questions about menstrual cups and the ins and outs of sex are completely (and blessedly) normal, somehow the ever-ubiquitous use of money remains a touchy subject for many. People want to live their healthiest life ever, but—#realtalk—it can add up. Have you ever wondered how your colleague who makes less than you do (or so you think) can afford to buy a $5 matcha and a $12 chopped salad every day? Or how your friend’s budget allows her to hit up $34 fitness classes three times a week? It’s enough to make anyone want to ask, “Ummm, excuse me. How do you afford that?!?” That’s where Well+Good’s monthly series Checks+Balanced comes in. By lifting the thick, tightly drawn curtain to expose how much women of varying income brackets spend on wellness, we’re spreading transparency and hopefully providing some inspo that’s possible to copy. Because no matter how much you make, it’s possible to cultivate healthy habits that work within your budget. This month, meet Madelana, a 29-year-old living in New Jersey who’s in the midst of a career change from media to becoming a chef. Scaling back her full-time client services job to part-time in order to attend culinary school led her to cut back on expenses, but living healthy remains a priority even while she’s budgeting for school. In fact, her whole Instagram account, @itscalledbalance, is devoted to her wellness philosophy. Keep reading to see her spending habits. Here, a 29-year-old living in New Jersey shares how
7 anti-chafing shorts that make me feel like I’m running, lifting, and HIITing in pajamas
August 19, 2019 at 02:00AM by CWC I snagged my first-ever pair of running shorts off the clearance rack at Marshall’s. They were splattered in highlighter-colored cheetah spots (so. cute.), and after a three mile road test, they dyed the tops of my thighs so pink that the lower half of me looked more Double Pop than person. Worse, they chafed like a mother f**cker and I returned home salty—not just with sweat. Thankfully, in 2019, anti-chafing shorts are ubiquitous, to which I say: it’s about frickin’ time. Swooshy fabrics and smartly-designed silhouettes hug all the right places—and blessedly leave the rest alone. Every sport calls for athleticwear that works with—not against—you. But when you’re setting out to test the best anti-chafing shorts on the market (as I was), running—which involves a whole lot of thigh-to-thigh interaction—proves the ideal fitness litmus test. Below, I rank the comfiest, most pajama-esque speed shorts out there. The 7 best women’s running shorts for zero chafing ever. Photo: Outdoor Voices Outdoor Voices Relay Short ($45) Well+Good beauty and fitness director Ali Finney and I wore a matching pair of these shorts to a 10K we ran in New York’s Central Park. And we both agreed: they were amaze. The lack of lining allows a nice breeze to sift through your nether regions with each step and for those—like me—who don’t wear underwear with athletic clothes, this proved especially divine. Photo: Nike Nike Elevate Shorts ($30) I discovered these shorts when a friend texted me something
Have you been overlooking *the* superfruit of 2019? Here’s what you need to know
August 18, 2019 at 06:30PM by CWC First there was acai. Then pomegranate. And remember camu camu? This time, however, the nutrition buzz is coming for a superfruit a lot closer to home: the cranberry (literally: it’s one of only three fruits native to North America). But unlike some of the other fruit-wonders you’ve known and loved, this one is easily accessible at your own grocery store—and the benefits of cranberries live up to the hype. “Cranberries are a nutritional powerhouse: rich in antioxidants, polyphenols, fibers, and vitamins,” says Christina Ferzli, head of global corporate affairs and communications for Ocean Spray, who previously worked alongside Michelle Obama on her Let’s Move initiative helping to develop nutritional guidelines for food companies. “Cranberries are higher in antioxidants than most fruits and berries—outranking nearly every fruit and vegetable including strawberries, spinach, and cherries.” The antioxidant oomph is just the start, though—because cranberries have a whole rainbow of effects ranging from major sustainability chops, gut-friendly powers, and potential disease-prevention properties. Spoiler alert: You don’t even know how excited you’re about to get over a fruit. Keep scrolling for more intel on the benefits of cranberries, plus 4 reasons to add them to your superfood rotation. See ya, inflammation Aside from being a flavorful topping to your overnight oats, one of the main benefits of cranberries is that they’re a natural inflammation fighter—and that’s been linked to some pretty powerful research: “Cranberries have been found to not only help reduce inflammation that may lead to cancer,