September 17, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC When I watched the video of Simone Biles competing in the 2019 U.S. Gymnastics Championship in August, my thoughts throughout the three-minute routine can be condensed into the mind exploding emoji times 1000. I wish there were a more creative way to put this, but her moves—especially the “triple twisting double somersault” that went viral—look like they defy gravity. My brain hurts just trying to imagine how one would make their body do that. Simone Biles hits the unprecedented triple-double on floor exercise. pic.twitter.com/L5fu3OoiOm — Nick Zaccardi (@nzaccardi) August 12, 2019 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Biles, new brand ambassador for oral healthcare startup Candid, is busy getting ready for her next competition…which hopefully will pave the way for her to compete at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. “I try not to think about the Olympics too, too much, because we still have a couple steps to get there. So I just try to take every competition one at a time,” she told Well+Good. “But if I ever get the jitters about competing at the Olympics, I kind of just relish in it because I feel like it’s good.” That is exactly how I feel every time I go on a date, which is basically the same as the Olympics, right? The four-time Olympic gold medalist also shared with us some of the most important things she does every day for her health and wellness. Check them out below. 1. She makes time for self care Let’s
Tag: Well+Good
Gender bias in the workplace is very much rampant—here’s how that can change
September 17, 2019 at 01:00PM by CWC “Well, she’s qualified—but what if she leaves to pop out a couple babies?” That’s a real sentence Alyson DeNardo, a partner at California-based venture capitalist firm M Ventures, heard from a former male colleague during a hiring search for a senior-level position. “My blood was boiling,” she tells me. “My response was, ‘That happens all the time; then you give her maternity leave.’” Whether or not you’ve encountered similar issues—perhaps heard a woman being put down for having opinions, or for being “bossy” or “bitchy,” or had her achievements minimized for any other reason—trust that gender bias is a present and pervasive workplace fixture in 2019. And evidence to this point abounds. A 2018 study of 1,150 participants found people were less likely to refer a female to a job opening when the description emphasized intellectual ability. In fact, when a job description mentioned “brilliance,” participants were 25.3 percent less likely to recommend a woman for the role versus when that word was left out. A recent Lancet study showed similar results. The study authors looked at 24,000 scientific grant applications to see how men and women were funded for their respective research. The authors found that when the scientific ideas were evaluated, men and women were equally likely to receive a grant. But when the promise or talent of the scientist was considered, men were 1.4 times as likely to receive the money. And while the problem is systemic, acknowledgement of it
Here’s how to know if you need to listen to the ‘dry clean only’ command
September 16, 2019 at 01:00PM by CWC Buying anything with a “dry clean only” label on it is basically my worst nightmare. As someone who—don’t @ me—rarely separates whites and colors in the wash, the last thing I want to do is take something to the dry cleaners. No thank you. But lucky for me and anyone else who likes to keep their laundry day simple, that rule doesn’t necessarily have to be followed 100 percent of the time. While you’ll probably always get the best results following your garment’s label to a T, there are exceptions to the damning “Dry Clean Only” rule. Brian Sansoni of The American Cleaning Institute told Real Simple that velvet, silk, and leather always require a trip to the dry cleaner because they don’t hold up in the rough washing machine cycle—or water in general’ however, there are some items you can give a hand-wash or even delicate-cycle treatment instead. “Nylon, polyester, and spandex hold up well to delicate cycles or hand-washing, in water slightly above room temperature,” he says. “Nylon, polyester, and spandex hold up well to delicate cycles or hand-washing, in water slightly above room temperature.” —Brian Sansoni of the American Cleaning Institute Wonderful news, really. That being said, hand-washing clothes doesn’t feel like, you know, an easy alternative to dry cleaning. In fact, given my grimey bathroom, my garments probably wouldn’t even get clean using this method. If you, like me, want to cut down on hand-washing as much as possible,
The easiest habit to adopt to improve your worst days doesn’t even require speaking
September 17, 2019 at 01:00AM by CWC Right now, my life is amid a phase of change—and I’m personally predisposed to hate change. But, waaah waaah waaah, because even if I’m having a bad day, it’s still a day I still have to get through. One way I’ve been trying to make my awful days decidedly more bearable? Being more generous with my internal compliments to others as a means for boosting my own mood. The idea, which came courtesy of a co-worker who swears by it, is to compliment strangers you encounter on your walk to work, ahead of you in the checkout line at the grocery store, in the locker room with you after yoga—really anywhere. Since the compliment is in your head, you can challenge yourself to find something nice to say about every person who passes you without seeming disingenuous by actually vocalizing these rapid-fire kernels of kindness. Think of it as a cousin to a gratitude practice, one that allows you to acknowledge that there’s so much beauty in the world even when you’re having a bad day. And, better yet, there are two big psychologist-backed reasons to support this being a great idea: distraction and redirection. “First, you’re focusing your mind away from your problems and on to something that’s good,” says psychologist Aimee Daramus, PsyD. “You’re noticing what’s good about the people around you. You’re also likely to get some positive energy back, just because your thoughts can change your posture, tone of
Keep every sweater looking brand spankin’ new with these genius laundry hacks
September 17, 2019 at 12:00AM by CWC September is in full swing, which means that by now you’ve likely traded your iced coffees for hot matcha lattes, your bike shorts for leggings, and your flimsy tees and tanks for cuddle-worthy knits. Sweater season is officially upon us, but But if you’re anything like me, you’ve probably spent the better part of the last week realizing that some of your favorite go-tos didn’t exactly hold up quite as well as you’d hoped. Sure, some (literal) wear-and-tear unavoidable, but a lot of that stretching, pulling, staining, and overall pilling could easily have been avoided. If only we had all taken a little bit better care of our sweaters. This Fall, however, we vow to be better. So, in preparation for the chilly days ahead, we turned to Valerie Macaulay, co-founder of knitwear brand La Ligne for tips. The three pillars of success, which should become wardrobe commandments from now through spring? Wash, store, repair (repeat). Read on for how to do all three properly for your coziest fall yet. Wash: As knits are most often layered over at least one under top, you don’t have to wash them after every single wear. That is, unless you’ve spilled something that needs to be attended to stat, in which case we’ve got you covered. For every other situation, Macaulay suggests either a dry clean or hand wash, never something as harsh as a washing machine cycle. “Depending on the sweater, I will either dry clean or
We found the “Swiss Army Knife” beauty products that do it all for dry skin
September 16, 2019 at 11:37PM by CWC Growing up, I remember dreamily sorting through my mother’s bins of beauty products: There were tubes of lipstick, compact blush palettes, brushes of all different sizes, eyeshadows—the whole gamut. But the only specific product that I can recall nestled in there? A tub of Vaseline. The iconic old-school beauty staple has been around since 1872, so it certainly says something that it’s still flying off the shelves. But there’s a good reason why this stuff has had such staying power, and why we’ve seen so many similar moisturizing balm products hit the skin-care aisles over the last century and a half: Because when it comes to dry skin, they do it all. “These skin-care products include oil-based occlusive agents that help seal in moisture and slow down water loss,” says David Lortscher, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and CEO and founder of Curology. “They’re especially beneficial for skin wounds because hydrated surfaces allow the skin cells to more quickly close wounds.” While he points out that pure petrolatum (as Vaseline is) can feel greasy on oily and acne-prone skin, it hasn’t been shown to clog the pores—plus, the new iterations out there are formulated to better suit all skin types. Dr. Lortscher says these soothing skin heroes are great to apply whenever your skin’s extra thirsty, or in cold weather when it’s dry outside and “your skin may need a thin layer of a heavier moisturizer to help it adjust to environmental changes.” Basically, these
It’s your socks, not your shoes, causing that colony of blisters on your feet
September 16, 2019 at 10:37PM by CWC I’m smack-dab in the middle of training for the New York City Marathon—and FYI (perhaps TMI?), my foot hygiene situation is not good. Heading out for 15-milers might be the exact opposite of getting a pedicure, and none of my scrubbing has yielded any aesthetic results. I’ve pretty much come to terms with the fact that my feet will look decidedly not cute for the next couple of months, but I refuse (refuse!) to accept the blisters. Little did I know that my socks might be what causes blisters. Through the fitness grapevine, I heard that working out in cotton socks is a very bad idea if you’re hoping to keep your feet blister-free. Doug Tumen, DPM, FACFAS, a board-certified podiatrist based in New York’s Hudson Valley confirms as much. “Cotton socks can be a primary cause of blisters because of how they handle the moisture,” he tells me. “Although the cotton can absorb moisture, it leaves it in close contact with the foot making the foot more vulnerable to blister development.” Even more of a problem arises when cotton socks are too small for you, adds Miguel Cunha, DPM, founder of Gotham Footcare. When your socks get wet, they’ll rub against your skin barrier and create even more friction. (So, yeah, that pair of Hello Kitty one you still have from middle school need to be tossed—like, yesterday.) Now that we’ve covered why cotton socks basically suck, the podiatrists have a few ideas
5 healthy dinner recipes with 5 ingredients from Trader Joe’s
September 16, 2019 at 09:01PM by CWC You don’t have to pick up a paint brush or start writing the great American novel to tap into your creativity. My recommendation is to head straight to Trader Joe’s and let your imagination run wild in the gastronomy wonderland that is the aisle frozen food aisle… or, like, any other section of the store. One of the supermarket’s many humble brags is that its variety of products can be mixed and matched into dishes that are at once delicious and so. easy. Once you know how to pair the pre-made foods with veggies and other finds, five-ingredient dinners suddenly become not only possible, but delightful. If you’re skeptical, please allow me to back my Trader Joe’s claims with edible proof Here are five unexpected ways to bring together a meal with only a handful of Trader Joe’s buys. Trader Joe’s dinners are on the table fast with 5 easy recipes Photo: The Minimalist Baker 1. Salsa Soup I’ve waxed poetic about this soup from blogger Dana Kaplan before and—can’t stop, won’t stop. The starter is a simple jar of Trader Joe’s salsa and with just a few additional ingredient, you wind up with a soup that could warm the most frigid soul. In winter, it’s oh-so-cozy to eat in the office. And, since it packs avocado, black beans, and sweet potatoes, you get the healthy fat, protein, and complex carb combination that will help you feel satisfied when you put your spoon down.
This $15 cleansing milk rivals micellar water when you need to melt away makeup
September 16, 2019 at 08:29PM by CWC Removing makeup is one of my least favorite things, ever. Putting it on? Always a good time. But when it comes time to take it off, it can be really hard to get rid of every last bit—looking at you, liquid eyeliner!—for a totally clean face. While micellar water typically comes through like a champ, there’s another buy that might just be even better. The cult-fave Collosol No Rinse Cleansing and Softening Milk ($15) won’t break the bank, but it delivers results comparable to pricey department store brands. You only need to put a few drops of the beloved French-girl product on a cotton pad to remove all traces makeup on your face. It also doesn’t leave your skin feeling dry and stripped in the process. Instead, it’s left super-soft and glowy. Reviewers say it’s great for their sensitive skin, too, removing makeup without any irritation. Now that all already sounds great, but what’s really cool about this product is that it’s a twofer. You can use Collosol Cleansing Milk for a luxurious bath, too. All it takes it two or three capfuls added to warm water for a gentle soak that nourishes your skin from head to toe. You’re probably applying lipstick all wrong. Here’s how to get the perfect red pout: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NH8sxEKPjTI] Sleep with your makeup on? It happens. Here’s how a derm says to deal. And if you need to clean your makeup-removing pads, this is exactly how to
“Bio-adaptive botanicals” give your skin what it needs, when it needs it
September 16, 2019 at 07:25PM by CWC Picture the harshest climates in the world, where extreme cold and excess heat defile everything in their paths. Somewhat surprisingly, plants are still able to grow (and even thrive) in these places. Take the resurrection plant, for example, which is a desert species that can look dead, but bounce back when watered. Or maral root, which can survive in an alpine-level elevation where even trees can’t grow. These superhero plants are called bio-adaptive botanicals and they alter to their environments, depending on where they are. Good news: They’re coming to your beauty products, so that your skin can reap these incredible benefits like dealing with freezing winters or dry AF summers. “These are not new—if you think about it, these compounds have been known for a long time in Traditional Chinese Medicine for their health benefits,” says Anganel Davis, director of North America for Nu Skin. Some are even what you’ll hear called “adaptogens” in the wellness industry. “Bio-adaptive botanicals, when put on the skin, can also help the skin withstand daily stress and what the environment places on the skin, like pollution,” says Davis. That’s adaptogens job too. “Adaptogens help the skin and body adapt to environmental stress,” says Barbara Close, herbalist and founder of Naturopathica. “When applied to the skin, they function like an antioxidant, soothing and repairing free radical damage.” So, they’re smart plans and they help your skin function better than it does on its own. “Adaptogens react as needed