October 08, 2019 at 01:00PM by CWC When I was an oily teen, so to speak, my mom picked me up some tea tree oil, hoping in vain that it would help clear up my skin. But rather than spot treat using a less-is-more approach, I recklessly smeared it all over my face and had a fun, burning time thanks to my complete lack of patience. (Just kidding—it was not fun.) At the time, I felt betrayed: Do essential oils work for real and for true, I wondered. Or I destined to have stubborn skin issues until Mom throws in the know-it-all towel and takes me to a dermatologist? While option B ended up becoming my reality, I did also learn that essential oils work when used properly. (And I was decidedly not using tea tree oil for skin care properly.) Moreover, although every essential oil is billed as offering quite the slate of potential benefits, certain varieties have strengths backed by some scientific research. So to make the best use of your oils, it’s worth being aware of which have been studied for specific purposes, how the work, and in which ways they’re most effective. Lucky for you, all that legwork is already done. Below, check out a crash course in how oils work. Essential oils: A general refresher “Essential oils are aromatic liquid substances that are extracted from different kinds of plant materials using the process of steam distillation,” says Amy Galper, aromatherapist and founder of the New
Tag: Well+Good
“The fear and anxiety I felt was the hardest part of my mastectomy”
October 08, 2019 at 12:00PM by CWC In the United States, breast cancer is the most common type of cancer, with over 270,000 new cases a year. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in her life. It doesn’t matter if you’re reading this in Mississippi or New York, if you’re 16 or 62, what ethnicity you are, or how much money you have—the odds are that you or someone you know has been affected by this disease. The majority of women faced with a diagnosis are confronted with a crucial decision: whether or not to get a lumpectomy (surgery to remove cancer or other abnormal tissue from the breast), mastectomy (removing the whole breast), or a double mastectomy (removing both breasts). According to a 2017 study, 33 percent of breast cancer patients between the ages of 20 and 44 (and 10 percent of breast cancer patients aged 45 and up) decided to get a double mastectomy in 2012—regardless of whether or not they have cancer in both breasts. In 2004, those rates were 11 and 3 percent, respectively. Mastectomies in particular can be life-saving surgeries, but for better or for worse, breasts are so deeply tied to identity and self-esteem in American culture that for many patients, losing one or both of their breasts is a lot to process mentally. How do you navigate your relationship with your new body when you’re literally just trying to survive—and when your new scars and shape
Well+Good readers share their favorite hot breakfasts that aren’t oatmeal
October 08, 2019 at 02:30AM by CWC As temperatures drop, the desire for a steaming hot dish of something or another to entice you out of bed in the morning tends to rise. And while oatmeal’s cool and all, it’s not exactly the sexiest thing on the menu and some days, you need healthy breakfast ideas to put a little more pep in your pot to get things going. Sure, you can add eggs to it, throw in some miso and/or veggies, or top it with roasted fruit, but occasionally, none of that is enough to get you excited and you need to go an entirely different route. Enter cold-weather healthy breakfast ideas from Well+Good readers, via Cook With Us, who shared their favorite go-to’s—outside of oatmeal—for breaking the nightly fast. Whether you’re devoted to veganism, vegetarianism, the Whole 30 diet, the ketogenic diet, or just about anything in between or beyond, something on this list oughta spark. It’s got stacks, scrambles, sandwiches and skillets—all healthy, quick (or fairly easy to hack) and, at least according to our readers, yummy AF. 10 healthy breakfast ideas that aren’t oatmeal Photo: Love and Lemons 1. Shakshuka If your breakfast typically consists of a nuked bowl of oats, this recipe may at first glance look like a huge leap; however, in practice, it’s not actually all that difficult—especially given that Trader Joe’s sells a shakshuka starter kit. You can follow TJ’s 10-minute recipe or opt for the linked Love and Lemons version instead.
Getting injured in Hawaii was actually the best thing to happen to my vacation
October 08, 2019 at 02:00AM by CWC On day two of the weeklong vacation to be spent relaxing in Hawaii, I sprained my ankle. As I ran out of the ocean, away from the jellyfish I spotted in the water (I got stung on my other ankle the day before), I didn’t see a dip in the sand and landed badly. I screamed in pain—inviting the attention of all the other beachgoers in Kailua, Oahu—kneeled down, and started crying. As far as physical injuries go, I’m well aware that a muscle sprain isn’t near the top of the list in terms of severity, but it really hurt. That said, my tears of pain quickly morphed into tears of sadness about my now-ruined vacation. As my boyfriend and a (very, very kind) stranger carried me off the beach, I mentally scratched out all the activities on the itinerary I’d no longer be able to do: hikes I’d planned to climb, beaches I’d planned to run, tropical attractions I’d planned to explore. All these plans slipped like sand through my fingers when I made that one wrong step on the beach. Now I couldn’t bear any weight on my right foot; I couldn’t walk or exercise at all, and since fitness is part of my daily routine, the injury felt like a disorienting assault on my natural inclination to run and move and sweat every single day. (I’m not kidding—I even work out when I’m slightly sick, which research has shown can
Is citric acid the new baking soda? Here are 5 ways you can use it for a home that’s squeaky clean
October 08, 2019 at 01:00AM by CWC If citric acid sounds familiar, it’s probably because you’ve seen it on a label. You can’t really miss it, as it’s in everything from food items like wine and hummus to beauty products. What most people don’t realize, though, is that it also makes for a super-versatile, all-natural cleaning ingredient for your healthy home. Baking soda is often touted as the best cleaning ingredient. It’s safe on a variety of surfaces, banishes odor, and even helps to keep the sparkle in your white sneakers. But citric acid is often overlooked when it comes to sprucing up your home. In powder form (like this highly-rated option from Amazon), “citric acid helps break down any gunk, grime, and build-up,” says Melissa Maker, founder of Clean My Space. Citric acid can be used easily to safely to rid your home of bacteria, mold, and mildew. The fact that citric acid is ingestible and used in food makes it a harmless choice for cleaning your home. You can clean surfaces that come in contact without worry. If you want to retire your baking soda for a while, the ways to use it are endless. Here are 5 ways you can clean with citric acid at home 1. Deep-clean your coffee pot To give your coffee machine a deep-clean, fill the reservoir with water and add in a couple teaspoons of citric acid. Once it’s done brewing, any build-up will be gone. 2. Clean your toilet bowl Creating
Your next-level guide to increasing your fiber intake (without pooping your pants)
October 08, 2019 at 12:00AM by CWC You’ve done your reading, and you’ve got the fiber scoop down. You understand that fiber is found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, and legumes; and that it promotes gut health, low cholesterol, and low blood sugar, and helps you feel full longer. You’ve even started trying to eat more fiber. Basically, you’ve mastered the 101-level life course on fiber. But experts say to really reap all of the nutrient’s benefits, you need to get serious about your fiber intake. Consider this your 201-level guide to eating more fiber…you know, without become a gassy, farty mess. 1. Eat more of it than you think you need The USDA’s 2015-2020 dietary guidelines for Americans recommend 14 grams of dietary fiber per 1,000 kcals a day. That translates to a recommendation of between 25.2 and 28 grams of dietary fiber each day for women ages 18 to 50. Women in the U.S. get, on average, 15 grams a day, which means you likely need way more than you’re consuming, even if you’ve already significantly upped your daily amount. “I think [my clients] overestimate the amount that they get from certain things and don’t realize that it’s actually not so simple to get that 25 grams without a little bit of planning,” says Lauren Harris-Pincus, MS, RDN, founder of Nutrition Starring You and author of The Protein-Packed Breakfast Club. “They’re like, ‘I had a big salad,’ and it was like three grams of fiber, because lettuce
This is the most Googled drugstore makeup brand in the U.S.—here are the 5 items to buy
October 07, 2019 at 11:00PM by CWC If someone were to check my Google history, they’d find any variety of searches on how to apply liquid eyeshadow, which blushes are the easiest to use with minimal effort, and how to perfectly match my foundation. But if you were to check the makeup-related inquiries of the entire United States, you would discover the most popular beauty brands in the country… and that’s exactly what skin-care company Sand and Sky did. They compiled data from Google Trends to determine the most-searched makeup brands in every state. While the luxury lineup was fascinating (people really love their IT Cosmetics and Laura Lee, huh?), what really struck my interest was the most-searched drugstore makeup brand in the U.S. The winner? Drumroll please: Physicians Formula. This was news to me, as it’s admittedly not the first name that pops into my head when I think, “drugstore cosmetics.” But it’s actually an under-the-radar, makeup artist-beloved makeup line that’s chock-full of dependable cosmetics bags staples. And it’s known for having hypoallergenic, safer-for-your-skin ingredients, which is great news for those with sensitive skin or eyes that tend to water up from certain mascaras (raises hand). Plus, it’s something you can get at the drugstore, which means it’s better for your wallet. In case all of this didn’t give you enough reasons to love the brand, the story behind it also happens to be aww-worthy levels of romantic. Physicians Formula was founded by an allergist who wanted to create makeup
Why one trainer thinks heated studios are hurting your workouts
October 07, 2019 at 10:00PM by CWC Here in New York City, some boutique fitness spots have a reputation for turning their “studios” into glorified sweatboxes. Despite the air conditioning vents and the industrial fans in every corner, some instructors insist on literally turning up the heat. And Ambyr D’Amato, a group fitness instructor at Crunch Gym, says that—ironically—hotter than hot rooms aren’t doing your sweat goals any favors. “I think the room best serves the students in the class if the temperature is comfortable. Often, I find that if it’s too hot or too cold during a spin class, students are distracted by being uncomfortable,” says D’Amato. “I also think the fan is helpful in both spin and yoga because no one wants to breathe in deeply if the air is stale and uncirculated.” It’s safe to say that inhaling your neighbor’s stank won’t exactly inspire you to “get up that hill.” What’s more: sweat can give the illusion that your body’s hard at work when, in reality, it’s just hot as the dickens. “I can’t work people as hard if they are already sweating before they’ve even done anything. I like to make people sweat because they are moving and working hard,” D’Amato adds. If you find yourself dripping with perspiration in a room that’s an average temperature, then you know you’re sweating from exertion. Not from near heat stroke. As trainer Sal Di Stefano said on a recent episode of the Mind Pump podcast: “The workout has to
A human sexuality professor believes anal sex could help close the orgasm gap
October 07, 2019 at 09:30PM by CWC “The orgasm gap” is a buzzy term that describes a harsh sexual reality: women don’t experience an orgasm during sex as often as men. Only 65 percent of straight women (compared to 95 percent of heterosexual men) reported climaxing “always” or “usually” when having sex with a familiar partner, according to a 2017 study published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior. While there’s no single solution to bridge this particular divide in sexual pleasure, Zhana Vrangalova, PhD, LELO sexpert and NYU professor of human sexuality, says that staying open-minded about anal sex could be promising for the future of female gratification. The orgasm gap affects women of all sexual orientations, though not equally, according to Dr. Vrangalova. “It is especially true for heterosexual and bisexual women. Lesbian women have higher rates of orgasm compared to women of other sexual orientations—although still somewhat lower rates than men of all sexual orientations,” explains the sexuality expert. Research suggests that anal sex, partnered with the other acceptance-driven acts that come along with it, could pave the way for inclusive orgasms in the future. Dr. Vrangalova points to a study that looked at the kinds of sexual acts participants had engaged in during the most recent time they had partnered sex. Researchers then asked the 1,931 adults how often they orgasmed during these encounters. “They found that women were significantly more likely to report orgasm during their most recent sexual event if they gave oral sex, received
5 things a perfumer wants you to know about fragrance, including the 1 wrong way to spritz it
October 07, 2019 at 09:00PM by CWC Confession: I don’t wear perfume. In part, this is because I grew up with a mom whose heady fragrances from ’80s and ’90s left me with a headache, and in part, it’s because I’m a hippie who naively thinks people (read: those I want to be attracted to me) will be more turned on by my natural scent than anything from a bottle. (Spoiler alert: I’m still single.) Still, I love cologne on a man—especially the way it lingers after a makeout sesh or on a borrowed shirt. If you think about it, that kind of disproves my theory around the allure of going au naturel. And so, to educate myself about all things fragrance, including how best to apply a spritz, I tapped Stephen Nilsen, the Givaudan perfumer responsible for scents such as Calvin Klein Dark Obsession and Drew Barrymore Flower: Pretty Deadly Collection, among others. He’s as romantic in spirit as I would imagine a perfumer to be, as evidenced by his initial description of how fragrances are concocted. “How is a fragrance built? How is a building built? Where does love come from? How do people dream?,” he responds. Every fragrance is “a journey,” which can start with the perfumer being inspired by a new place or smell or distilled “natural” (aka plant) or by a sunset or a piece of art. Nilsen isn’t just a pro at mixing some of the most popular bottles of fragrance out there, he’s