Category: Lifestyle

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Conscious Beauty Lifestyle

I Tried Magnetic Eyelashes To See If They're Worth The Hype

I am pretty much the target marketing audience for stores like Sephora; show me a trendy product that promises the perfect pink pout; delivers a sunkissed, supermodel glow; or plumps my woefully stubby lash line, and I will purchase it.
Until I had my son, that is. All that extra cash I used to spend on questionable beauty trends now goes toward diapers. (So. Many. Diapers.) But occasionally, I’ll come across a beauty trend so intriguing, I just have to try it anyway.
[pullquote align=”center”]Nothing helps me unleash my inner Liz Taylor like a good pair of fake lashes.[/pullquote]
Enter magnetic lashes.
I have to admit, nothing helps me unleash my inner Liz Taylor like a good pair of fake lashes, so I was immediately smitten by the idea of magnetic lashes (they had me hooked at “glue free”). Think you’re ready to splurge on this beauty trend? Read on to find out if magnetic lashes live up to the hype.

What are magnetic lashes?

Do glue-free fake lashes sound too good to be true? Well, hold on to your hats, ladies, because magnetic lashes are exactly what they sound like: fake lashes that attach to your lash line using teeny-tiny magnets.
Plus, magnetic lashes come in a variety of styles, so whether you’re using full strip lashes for a glam effect or simply using accent lashes to complement your real lashes, you can probably find a look for you.

Why use magnetic lashes?

So why bother with magnetic lashes?
Well, for one thing, they’re eco-friendly. Yes, really. As long as you take care of them, magnetic lashes will last indefinitely with minimal care, unlike fake lashes that use glue, which will need to be gently cleaned after each use if you want to wear them again.
You might not think twice about tossing a pair of fake lashes in the trash at the end of the night, but over time, those wispy little lashes can really add up to a lot of trash that ends up in landfills.
And if you’re trying to build up a nest egg, think of all the cash you’ll save by purchasing a couple different sets of magnetic lashes (a work-appropriate pair of accent lashes for day and a pair of come-hither bombshell lashes for night) instead of hitting up the drugstore every time you need a new pair of lashes.
Finally, magnetic lashes may be a better option than fake lashes that use glue if you have super sensitive skin or allergies, since no abrasive glue is needed. Some medications that promise to lengthen lashes can actually change your eye pigmentation permanently (yikes!), so magnetic lashes can be a low-risk alternative without damaging your baby blues.

How do you apply magnetic lashes?

Just like applying any type of strip lashes, there’s a bit of a learning curve when applying magnetic lashes. But unlike applying other fake lashes, the stakes are pretty low. If you mess up, all you have to do is pull the magnetic strips apart and reposition your lashes. No risk of gluing your finger to your eyeball with these bad boys!
The directions for most magnetic lashes are simple enough. A set comes with a top and bottom lash for each eye. To apply magnetic lashes, take the top lash and line it up with your natural lash line, gently pressing it into place. With your eye open, take the bottom lash (which will usually be marked by a dot or other indicator) and line it up underneath the top magnetic lash along your lash line. When both lashes are lined up, the magnets will lock together.
Voila! Luscious, fake lashes.

My Honest Review of Magnetic Eyelashes

I have to be completely honest: Initially I found magnetic lashes very difficult to apply. I purchased a cheapie set from the drugstore to try, and it was impossible to keep the top lash in place as I adjusted the bottom lash.
I contacted Ardell, one of the biggest names in fake lashes (and incidentally, makers of the magnetic lashes I chose to try), to see if they had any tips to make applying the lashes easier.
Jasmyn, a helpful customer service rep, told me to apply one coat of good mascara to my natural lashes prior to putting on the magnetic lashes. The mascara bulks up your lash line, giving the magnetic top lash something to stick to, so they don’t wiggle around as much while you’re positioning the bottom lash.
In addition, I found that I didn’t need a whole lash strip to get the glam effect I was going for. Using Jasmyn’s advice, I cut each lash in half and used them at the outside corner of my eye.
My lashes were still noticeably fuller, and the magnetic lashes were much easier to apply when there was only one magnet to lock in place, as opposed to three. Thanks, Jasmyn!

Best (And Worst) Magnetic Lashes: Splurge, Steal, Skip

Wondering which magnetic lashes are worth purchasing? I got you, girl. Here are my splurge, steal, and skip picks for magnetic lashes.

Splurge: One Two Cosmetics Magnetic Lashes

Magnetic lashes from One Two Cosmetics aren’t cheap, starting at around $70 (which, tbh, is why I didn’t try them out—Mama has to buy diapers!). But they do have the best reviews online (compared to other brands) and have pretty much set the standard for magnetic lashes.
One Two Cosmetics lashes come in both half and full lash sets in one size, and according to the FAQ section of their website, they should fit any eye shape because they’re applied to the outer edge of the eye only. In addition, they’re made of synthetic fibers, so they’re vegan and cruelty free.
If you’re ready to splurge on a set of magnetic lashes, you can order One Two Cosmetics lashes through their website or on Amazon.

Steal: Ardell Magnetic Lashes

Ardell has been helping give natural lashes a boost since 1971 with a wide range of beloved, affordable, fake lashes. For around $15, you can purchase Ardell’s magnetic lashes in almost any makeup or drugstore. (I got mine at Target!) Ardell’s magnetic lashes come in two styles, the Double 110 for a more natural-looking lash line, or the Double Wispies, for extra length and volume.
You’ll read mixed reviews about Ardell’s magnetic lashes online. For my own research, I tried the Double 110 magnetic lashes out at home. As I mentioned, it took a minute to figure out how the heck to put the magnetic lashes on. But once I got them locked in place, I have to admit, I liked the results—especially compared to the last time I got false lashes and ended up looking like a Kim Kardashian/Dolly Parton hybrid (two of my personal style icons, but those lashes were OUT OF CONTROL).

Skip: Almost any brand of magnetic lashes on Amazon (or purchase with extremely low expectations)

I don’t mean to be down on Amazon, really. I love Amazon. Aside from One Two Cosmetics and Ardell magnetic lashes (both of which can be purchased on Amazon), though, the reviews of most magnetic lashes sold through the online retailer are not great. On the other hand, most of Amazon’s magnetic lash brands are way less expensive than One Two Cosmetics or even Ardell magnetic lashes. If you’re looking to save big, go ahead and take a gamble on magnetic lashes purchased through Amazon, but buyer (and lash line) beware.

Protect your natural lashes from magnetic eyelashes.

Although magnetic lashes are pretty safe to use, there are few things you should do to care for your magnetic lashes and your eye health.
As with anything that goes near your eyes, magnetic eyelashes should always be applied with clean, dry hands to prevent bacteria from getting in your eye and causing an infection. In addition, after using magnetic lashes, you can gently wipe them down with a damp cotton ball to remove any mascara/eye makeup residue before wearing again.
Even the cheapie magnetic lashes come with a little storage case, so after using magnetic lashes, make sure to return them to the case to keep them from getting crumpled in a drawer or lost.

Final question: Are magnetic lashes really worth it?

To be totally honest, magnetic lashes get mixed reviews. Some beauty buffs absolutely love the look of magnetic lashes, while others aren’t impressed.
Personally, I think magnetic lashes are a lot of fun…after the initial trial and error (lots of error) of learning to put them on correctly. Would I spend $70 on a pair of magnetic lashes? Probably not.
But would I wear them for a fun night out or to trick my kid into thinking I’m the Janice the Muppet? Absolutely!

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Life x Culture Lifestyle

Read This Book: 18 Life-Changing Books That Every Woman Needs To Read

There are many things to love about summer: cold rosé, rooftop dining, and beach season. And, of course, what is the beach without a good book? Although it feels like our grueling winter just ended, summer is here, and it’s time to start stacking our summer reading lists. But just because it’s a good beach read or a summer book doesn’t mean it has to be fluffy or frivolous (although, those are fun, too).
If you’re looking for a summer read with a little more substance—something that’s not only enjoyable, but also informative, inspiring, and motivating—we’ve  got you. We rounded up a list of seriously life-changing books, broken down into five categories: fiction, inspiration, killing it at work, self-awareness, and wellness. We also talked to real women (and the ladies working at HealthyWay HQ!) about why they loved each and every one of these books.
With that, here are the life-changing books that every woman needs to read at least once in her life.
[pullquote align=”center”]“I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart. I am, I am, I am.”
—Sylvia Plath[/pullquote]

Life-Changing Fiction That Will Get You Thinking

1. The Bell Jar

By Sylvia Plath

Following the realistic and intense journey of the brilliant and talented Esther Greenwood’s loss with reality, Sylvia Plath’s iconic novel paints a realistic picture that is not only intensely emotional, but relatable to so many women today.
“‘I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart. I am, I am, I am.’ I think this book should be required reading for every person. It’s so candid about how it deals with depression and general feelings of inadequacy, especially as a woman. I think this quote really reminds us that simply existing can be enough, especially amidst the stressors and expectations set out for us.”

2. The Alchemist

By Paulo Coelho

The story follows the journey of the Andalusian shepherd Santiago, a boy in search of the world whose dreams extend far beyond his flock. His journey hits notes of wisdom about listening to our hearts, seizing opportunities, and following our own paths.
“The line, ‘So, I love you because the entire universe conspired to help me find you,’ reminds me of my relationship with my girlfriend and taught me to believe in destiny.”

3. Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald

By Therese Anne Fowler

Fowler pieced together this faux autobiography from Zelda Fitzgerald’s diary and letters between her and her husband, famed author F. Scott Fitzgerald. The novel, written from Zelda’s perspective, tells the volatile tale of their tortured love, the rise and fall of the writer, and the gilded glamour of the Flapper era.
“The Fitzgeralds were the golden couple of their day, and Zelda was the Jazz Age Priestess. These years were followed by the long decline of their relationship, exacerbated by their peripatetic lifestyle, Scott’s worsening alcoholism, and Zelda’s troubles with what may or may not have been mental illness.”

4. Saving Each Other

By Stacy Mitchell

Ean Montgomery and Dani Adams were brought together by the same catastrophe. Each was forced to see the same grief counselor following the deaths of Dani’s husband and Ean’s wife and 6-year-old son, who were killed by the same drunk driver. It is a beautiful love story about finding happiness and starting over in the face of tragedy and allowing yourself to become vulnerable again.
“I read Stacy Mitchell’s Saving Each Other in just a few nights. The plot drew me in as my empathy for the two individuals who lost their spouses in the same car accident grew, chapter after chapter. I thought of a friend of mine who lost her husband that way, wondering if she’ll date again. It’s a moving, tender love story with twists and turns.”

Inspirational Books That Will Shift Your Focus

5. Come As You Are

By Emily Nagoski

This transformative book teaches women that each of us is an individual with a unique sexuality and sexual response that cannot be generalized. There is no “Viagra” for women, so to speak. It also teaches women that sex happens in a context, and to expect arousal, desire, and orgasm to be a given is unrealistic.
“This book completely changed how I view myself and my partner, and a lot of the shame-based lies women are told about sex. I literally scream it from the rooftops.”

6. You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life

By Jen Sincero

Twenty-seven digestible chapters packed with inspiring stories, advice, practical exercises, and a heavy dose of humor. Success coach Jen Sincero helps readers identify and change their self-sabotaging beliefs, encouraging them to take risks, set goals, and achieve them.
“The book is just real. The author kind of smacks you in the face and just tells it like it is and causes you to think about life—your life—in a different way. You can control your outcome and Jen Sincero is absolutely on to something.”

7. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking

By Susan Cain

Susan Cain gives a voice to introverts in her book that proves how much society undervalues them. She introduces the reader to successful introverts and explains why the world has such a misconception about the image and capabilities of introverts.
“Of the books about introversion and empathy I’ve read, I found Susan Cain’s Quiet to be the most thorough and thoughtful without presenting introversion as a special art. The book helped me understand more about the ‘why’ of personality and overall become more accepting of sensitivities I previously resented.”

8. A Long Way Home: A Memoir

By Saroo Brierley

When Saroo Brierley, an Indian boy who was adopted by an Australian couple, starts to wonder about his roots, he begins a meticulously researched journey to find his home town and his birth mother.
“I always felt like I wanted to adopt a child, but it was more of a rough sketch. This made me see that adoption is not a last resort for when you are infertile. It can be just as completing of an experience for women who are capable of having children, as well.”
[pullquote align=”center”]I laughed out loud on the airplane and alone in my room multiple times while reading it, and it also gave me even more confidence that I am on my way to a bright new path and where I should be.[/pullquote]

9. Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person

By Shonda Rhimes

Household name Shonda Rhimes inspires and empowers women yet again in this life-changing story about her Year of Yes. The book follows her journey of how saying yes to everything for one year changed her life, and how it is a model that can change any woman’s life.
“Shonda Rhimes is not only the funniest writer, but she is so inspiring and writes in a way that is empowering, entertaining, and as if she is only speaking to you. Now I have learned why people love her shows. She not only tells it like it is, but lets the world know that even in Hollywood, we are all living the same lives and having the same feelings around the world. I laughed out loud on the airplane and alone in my room multiple times while reading it, and it also gave me even more confidence that I am on my way to a bright new path and where I should be. Shonda becomes your friend in this book and as much as you are rooting for her, you can feel her rooting back for you.”

Practical Advice for Killing It at Work

10. Women Don’t Ask: The High Cost of Avoiding Negotiation—and Positive Strategies for Change

By Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever

Challenging the Old Boys Club world of business, Women Don’t Ask explores the personal and societal reasons why women rarely ask for what they want and deserve at work as well as at home. The book teaches how this skill can be developed through real-world stories and practical, applicable skills.
“This is one of those books that just makes you think. It has forced me to pay attention to nuances that I never would have noticed before, as well as pointed out more glaring discrepancies between the way men and women are treated that I had previously just thought to be ‘normal.'”

11. In the Company of Women: Inspiration and Advice from over 100 Makers, Artists, and Entrepreneurs

By Grace Bonney

The age of the entrepreneurial woman is here, and no book celebrates that better than In the Company of Women. Full of profiles of successful, creative, and inspiring women of every age, race, industry, and background, this book is brimming with practical advice, interviews, and keys for success. It highlights everything from listening to your gut and building relationships to the effective simplicity of meditation and to-do lists.
“I recommend this book to so many of my friends because it showcases a really diverse group of women and their experiences. The interviews that are included with each of the women are intimate and give another point of view compared to other interviews I have read. From interior designer Genevieve Gorder to true trans soul rebel Laura Jane Grace, this book illuminates what it means to be a great woman. It’s a timeless read, good for any woman at any stage of their journey.”

12. Own It: The Power of Women at Work

By Sallie Krawcheck

Wall Street wolf Sallie Krawcheck turned herself into an entrepreneur, and she’s urging other women to follow their own passions too. In this groundbreaking book, where she details the Fourth Wave of feminism, she challenges women to play by a new set of rules that build on their natural strength in order to get ahead in the business world.
“Passionate about closing the gender-investment gap, Krawcheck reveals why we need to play to our strengths in the workplace and recognize the tremendous financial power we possess. Too many women live in denial about their financial health. Own It is a wakeup call to tackle the topic and start investing.”

Life-Changing Books That Will Make You More Self-Aware

13. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life

By Mark Manson

Blogger superstar Mark Manson calls it like he sees it in this book that topples “positivity” off of its pedestal. His book makes the argument that the improvement of our lives hangs on our ability not to make the best out of a bad situation, but to handle bad situations better. He teaches how to learn our limits—that we are not superheroes, and that’s okay. Once we learn to embrace our limitations, fears, and faults, we can find the courage and honesty to overcome them.
“I try to put on a front about the whole #yolo way of living, even when I indeed give many f***s (like we all do). Of course, I still give f***s after reading this book, I just focus my energy on more important issues, and not the ones out of my control. This has led me to choose how I respond to things (and often that means not responding to things). I feel as a woman I have felt the pressure to say yes to people, whether in a work scenario, a date I don’t really want to go on, or even something sexual. But by learning to actually limit my yeses, and, in turn, get damn good at saying no, I have become empowered with my own time and appreciation of it.”

14. The Empathy Exams

By Leslie Jamison

Leslie Jamison’s personal and revealing essays challenge readers’ basic understandings of others. Jamison began her career as a medical actor who acted out symptoms for medical students to diagnose. Her experience has given her enormous insight on how we should care about each other, feel pain, and understand empathy.
“I appreciate the way Leslie Jamison explores empathy as an active choice a person decides to engage in or not. I found the book to be enlightening without being preachy.”

15. No Hurry to Get Home: A Memoir

By Emily Hanh
A re-publication of the memoir originally titled Times and Places, which was published in the 1970s, No Hurry to Get Home tells the story of Emily Hahn’s incurable wanderlust that led her to explore each corner of the world‚ on her own. Her journeys took her to the Belgian Congo, to Shanghai, where she became the concubine of a Chinese poet, to New York City, and everywhere in between.
“It felt like I was reading the diary of another version of myself. Here was this kindred, unapologetic spirit providing the necessary reminder that there wasn’t a thing wrong with me. Emily Hahn was a prolific, talented writer and bold and fearless traveler 70 years before me, when her insistence on seeing the world was a thousand times more bewildering to the people around her than my own. Her words have provided endless comfort and inspiration to me ever since.”

16. The Spirit of the Trail: A Journey to Fulfillment Along the Continental Divide

By Carrie Morgridge

Two professionals, Morgridge and her husband, both in their fifties, decided to attempt what others might consider downright crazy: the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. Hardly for the faint of heart, the most challenging bike route in North America crosses the Canadian Rockies, down into Montana, across Wyoming, up to nearly 12,000 feet in Colorado, and back down to New Mexico. It’s a book about testing mental and physical strength, pushing limits, and exposing sides of people we thought we knew inside and out.
“Carrie Morgridge does not sugarcoat how unexpectedly difficult their experience was. But she speaks with an inspiring and empowering voice, telling readers that with preparation, determination, and belief in yourself, hard challenges can be overcome.”

Life-Changing Wellness Books (With a Side of Woo)

17. The New Rules of Lifting for Women: Lift Like a Man, Look Like a Goddess

By Lou Schuler, Cassandra Forsythe, and Alwyn Cosgrove

Strong is definitely the new sexy these days, and more women than ever are getting amped up about lifting. No longer is there a stigma that if you “lift like a man” then you will “look like a man.” In Lou Schuler’s weight training book, he speaks to women on an equal playing field in the weight room, encouraging them to put aside the “Barbie weights” and develop their muscles.
“It was an easy read and a really careful introduction to lifting. There’s just something really empowering about gaining actual physical strength. It changes your perception of yourself to a strong energetic person who can grab life as it comes.”

18. The Art of Living: Peace and Freedom in the Here and Now

By Thich Nhat Hanh

One of the world’s most recognized Zen masters weighs in on the art of living. His book discusses seven meditations that can crack windows into new perspectives on life, love, and our inner selves.
“There are so many lines in this book that make me stop and reevaluate everything. For example, ‘There is a marvelous inner world that exists within us, and the revelation of such a world enables us to do, to attain and to achieve anything we desire within the bounds or limits of nature.’ That line has resonated with me and motivated me to seek more from life, [to get] myself in the best mental headspace to achieve whatever it is I set my mind to.”

Categories
Life x Culture Lifestyle

Yes, The Wage Gap Is Real: Here's How To Understand It

You probably haven’t given much thought to the year 2059, but you might want to mark your calendar: That’s when experts predict women will finally reach pay equity with men. That’s right—just another 41 years(!) until the wage gap gets closed if things keep going the way they’ve been going.
Not so keen about making less money than guys at the end of the workweek? Neither are we.
But here’s the deal: It’s not that employers fundamentally hate women (although discrimination does play a role in lower salaries), or that the government puts some random tax on women’s earnings just because (but the caretaking roles women are expected to play in society do put us at a salary disadvantage compared with our male counterparts). The wage gap is a nuanced issue that requires a lot of unpacking, and even the experts don’t completely agree on what’s causing it.
So, let’s tackle our understanding of the wage gap head on. HealthyWay sat down with Deborah Vagins, senior vice president of public policy and research at the American Association of University Women (AAUW), and Julie Anderson, senior research associate at the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR), to get some answers about what’s causing the wage gap and what women can do about it.
We also dug up some rage-inducing statistics that show just how bad the wage gap really is. Here’s what we learned.

What is the wage gap?

You’ve probably already heard the statistic that women, on average, make about 80 cents for every dollar earned by a man. So does that mean if you compared your paycheck with that of your male colleague, you’d discover that you earned 20 percent less than him (even if everything else is equal)?
It’s certainly possible, but that’s not exactly what recognizing and addressing the gender pay gap is getting at.
“When we talk about the wage gap, we’re not usually talking about people doing the same job,” explains Anderson. “That’s actually a tricky analysis because there are lots of reasons to be paid differently, including years of experience, education, and performance.”
The wage gap actually refers to something much broader. It looks at the median salaries of all people working full-time, year-round, in every field, and divides the amount women make by the wages of men to determine the difference. Some women fare better than others, depending on their race, age, location, level of education, and profession, but across the board, women consistently make less than men.
Countless statistics show that the wage gap is not a myth.

The wage gap widens for women of color.

As if the discrepancy between a woman’s 80 cents and a man’s dollar wasn’t bad enough, the wage gap gets much wider when you break it down by race and ethnicity. According to a report on the gender pay gap from the AAUW, black and African American women miss out on 37 cents per dollar compared with the guys. That missed income adds up really fast.
“Quite frankly, history has a lot to do with it,” Anderson notes. “For example, even though black women have been in the labor force for much longer than other groups of women, their pay rates are much lower than white women’s. Black women are getting higher levels of education, but we’re not seeing that translate into higher earnings overall.”
[pullquote align=”center”]Countless statistics show that the wage gap is not a myth.[/pullquote]
The wage gap gets even worse for other groups of women. According to that same AAUW report, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders earn only 59 percent of what white men earn, the paychecks of American Indians and Alaska Natives are 57 percent of white men’s earnings, and Hispanic and Latina women face the widest wage gap, taking home just 54 percent of what white male workers do. What gives?
“People in these marginalized communities often don’t have as many opportunities for decent-paying jobs and education,” Anderson says. “There are many, many factors that contribute to it, no matter how you look at it. When you have multiple forms of identity that can be exploited or marginalized, you see a larger wage gap.”
Clearly, the wage gap compounds when you’ve got multiple systemic issues working against you.

Is discrimination to blame for the wage gap?

It seems like a no-brainer: Women make less money than men because of discrimination, right? The experts say that bias against women definitely plays a role in the wage gap, but they have yet to come to a consensus as to just how much discrimination affects the wage gap overall.
“There are lots of factors that contribute to the overall wage gap,” Vagins says. “Obviously, there are a lot of women predominantly working in female-dominated industries, which tend to pay less, so occupation factors in. And then there’s the fact that women face a motherhood penalty and they may be primary caretakers, for which there’s a penalty in pay. These factors are all related to bias. But even when you control for a variety of factors, there’s still a gap in pay that’s left unexplained, and we attribute that to discrimination in the workforce.”
While you can find evidence of discrimination in many statistics related to the wage gap, the problem might be best illustrated by the salaries of recent college graduates. Presumably, men and women should be earning similar wages right after college, when factors like experience and family caretaking responsibilities have yet to come into play for most young adults. But in a report aptly named “Graduating to a Pay Gap,” the AAUW found that women working full time earned only 82 percent of what their male peers were taking home just one year out of college. Why?
Researchers were able to attribute some of the wage gap to college majors (men tended to study subjects that led to jobs in higher-paying fields) and number of hours worked (women reported working about two hours less per week than men, but still more than the traditional 40-hour workweek). But even when adjusted for those factors, there was still a 7 percent difference in the amount women made compared to men.
Experts point to gender discrimination as one potential reason for this unexplained part of the wage gap.

Are women just choosing lower-paying jobs?

Generally speaking, dentists make more than flight attendants, architects command higher salaries than teachers, and investment bankers take home bigger paychecks than graphic designers. And there are very valid reasons for those pay differences. But are women making less because they’re choosing to invest their efforts in lower-paying fields?
“Occupations overwhelmingly done by women tend to be lower paying, while the occupations overwhelmingly done by men tend to be higher paying,” says Anderson. “Until that breaks down and women can move into higher paying fields that traditionally employ men, it’ll be hard to make big progress on closing the wage gap.”
[pullquote align=”center”]“When you have multiple forms of identity that can be exploited or marginalized, you see a larger wage gap.”
—Julie Anderson[/pullquote]
In other words, work done by women just isn’t rewarded quite as lucratively as work done by men. And the problem is that even when women start to move into those higher paying fields in large numbers, they still can’t close the wage gap. One of the most thorough studies related to the wage gap, which looked at 50 years of U.S. census data, found that when the proportion of women increased in particular fields, the salaries for those jobs dropped.
Paula England, professor of sociology at New York University and co-author of the report, told The New York Times, “It’s not that women are always picking lesser things in terms of skill and importance. It’s just that the employers are deciding to pay it less.”

Taking care of your family is another factor in the wage gap.

Is taking care of your family a choice? Depends on who you ask.
Some women spend years planning to have a child, while others are completely surprised when they find out they’re pregnant. And as aging relatives lose their independence, the burden of managing their care frequently falls upon women’s shoulders, whether or not they anticipated or chose to have that responsibility. These commitments take up time and effort that might otherwise be devoted to a career.
But the one factor that’s decidedly not a choice is the lower pay that women end up with after they take on the role of caretaker, which feeds into the wage gap.
“The system is still predominantly built around having women as caretakers,” Vagins explains. Case in point: There are not currently any federal requirements for paid sick leave, paid family medical leave, or paid maternity leave on the books.
The lack of caretaking benefits for women can put them in a position of temporarily giving up a paycheck if they need to attend to the needs of their children and relatives, which obviously impacts women’s wages in the short-term.
But the opportunity cost of prioritizing family over career goes on to widen the wage gap throughout women’s careers. A new mom might have missed out on important client face time, a big work trip, or other career opportunities that were given to someone else on staff. That means she might be passed over for formal recognition in the form of promotions and pay bumps that can go on for years to come. And when you consider that pay increases and bonuses tend to be based on a percentage of your current income, the effect of the wage gap continues to grow over time.
“Employers may pay women less because they have caregiver responsibilities, but it’s actually the opposite for men,” says Vagins. “They tend to experience a fatherhood bonus and make more money once they become dads. It’s that old-fashioned assumption that men are the breadwinners of the family.”
The fact is, moms have it tough at work. Employers are more reluctant to hire mothers (regardless of whether or not they ever left the workforce). And women also tend to shift what it is they’re looking for in a job once they have caretaking responsibilities. The roles that fit their need for flexibility (say, to pick up a kid from daycare or take an aging parent to a doctor’s appointment) tend to pay less.
For example, a woman who was once working at a large law firm may move to a smaller firm with a different workload after she has a baby. She might be looking for a firm that allows her some flexibility in terms of when she does her work, which will allow her to balance her family responsibilities. She might still be working the same number of hours and performing tasks equally as difficult as those at the first job, but because the new position has that flexibility benefit, it tends to pay less.
[pullquote align=”center”]“It’s not that women are always picking lesser things in terms of skill and importance. It’s just that the employers are deciding to pay it less.”
—Paula England[/pullquote]
Men, on the other hand, tend to stick it out at high-paying jobs with traditional working hours, even after becoming fathers.
Our society has yet to place a dollar value on flexible work arrangements, so it manifests as a deficit in women’s pay. And it’s quite possibly the most compelling explanation for the wage gap, says Claudia Goldin, an economics professor at Harvard University, who has spent years studying gender economics. She dove deep into this subject, which she calls “temporal flexibility,” on an episode of the Freakonomics podcast that anyone who’s interested in the wage gap should definitely listen to.

So what can we do about the wage gap?

Make no mistake—the responsibility of fixing the wage gap isn’t on your shoulders. Vagins and Anderson both emphasize that this is a problem that needs to be addressed by policy-makers and employers. But if you feel compelled to take action on this important issue, here are some things you can do:
Talk pay with your colleagues. It’s tough to know what you deserve to be paid without context. Breaking the taboo on financial discussions is critical to fighting the wage gap.
Brush up on your negotiating skills, so you can more effectively request fair pay. The AAUW is on a mission to train 10 million women to negotiate by 2022. Become one of them by signing up for a salary negotiation workshop in person or online.
Connect with women who get it. Ladies Get Paid is an organization dedicated to ending the gender wage gap by providing education and community for women around the world. (They were recently sued by angry dudes for their work.) As a member of LGP, you can attend workshops, webinars, and meetups.
Get politically active. There are at least three federal bills (The Paycheck Fairness Act, the Pay Equity for All Act, and the Fair Pay Act) that aim to take action against the wage gap. The AAUW can help you urge your representatives to support these bills using a simple form that takes about 20 seconds to send. Do it now!
Fight at the state level as well. “This is particularly important right now because a lot of federal bills are stalled in Congress. Contact your state legislators to advocate for change,” Vagins recommends.
Tell others about the wage gap. Talking the wage gap in person and on social media can spread the word and build momentum toward a better future—where we all get paid what we deserve.

Categories
Fresh Fashion Lifestyle

Lali Kids, The Fair Trade Clothing Brand Made For Little Girls Everywhere

Out of Office is a regular feature of brands we love—and we think you will too! Each of the brands we highlight must meet three criteria: 1) have a woman in charge; 2) create sustainably, responsibly, and thoughtfully; and 3) fit in with the lives we’re actually living. Read on to find out more about this week’s brand, the lady behind it all, and the advice she has for women everywhere.

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Lali Kids was a natural choice for our first Out of Office feature. HealthyWay is a St. Louis-based company, so we’re always excited to shout out brands from our hometown! Lali Kids, which was founded in St. Louis in 2013, is a fresh, sustainable clothing brand for girls 6 months through 12 years old.
The company is named after a nickname founder Kinnari McDevitt’s grandmother used to call her: Lali, which means “little darling” in Hindi. Now, McDevitt focuses on creating playful clothing for little darlings everywhere, with silhouettes and prints inspired by her childhood in India.

HealthyWay
Kinnari McDevitt, founder of Lali Kids

McDevitt, a former engineer and a self-described obsessive of artisan textiles, is the brand’s chief designer: She hand-draws each print herself! Occasionally, she’ll find artisan textiles, like hand-woven jacquards, in markets in India that they can use as well; she says, “It’s all about layering different textures and colors to tell a story.”
The prints are then set by a print designer and screen-printed by hand, leading to playful imperfections and unique details in every piece. The workers in their primary factory in India are mothers whose work with Lali allows them to earn a fair, living wage and spend time with their families—Lali is an example of clothing that’s good for everyone involved.
On this side of the world, McDevitt and her team of just three employees are responsible for design, prototyping, shipment, and marketing in their St. Louis studio. The brand, which launched their first collection in 2015, has come a long way in just a few short years. You can now buy Lali clothing at more than 60 retailers in six countries, including Anthropologie(!), and they’re working on their AW 2018 collection, which will include their first little boys’ line.
Lali perfectly combines one-of-a-kind fabrics, fresh Americana style, and fun pops of color reminiscent of saris in Indian markets in dozens of pieces you’ll feel good putting your little darling in.

HealthyWay’s Picks from Lali Kids

We love this sweet Maggie dress (great name, by the way) in Blue Jambdani; its swingy silhouette is perfect for running around on hot summer evenings. Have a smaller darling? The Baby Ari set in Blue Jambdani uses the blue fabric from the dress and couples it with hot pink bloomers. This pair would be perfect for a big/little sis photo!
This tea-length Chloe dress has an open back, making it ideal for a cool breeze. Pair with the matching Sailor Bow clip for the sweetest outfit you ever did see.
If your girl’s the type to play hard, get her into the Embroidery shorts in peach or chambray to pair with whatever shirt she grabs that day. Or scoop up the Polly playsuit, which will look adorable over a onesie or t-shirt or all by itself.
Don’t forget the accessories: Their tassel bracelets come in blue, green, and pink so you’ve got all your bases covered. We also love the Jacquard purses for holding little treasures; we’re particularly partial to Aqua Dot.
[products ids=’1002663,1002664,1002675,1002701,1002720,1002722,1002723,1002705′ type=full]
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Q+A with Kinnari McDevitt

What’s your why behind the brand? What inspired you to start Lali Kids?

I worked as an engineer for a big corporation and felt miserably uninspired with the routine and structure of it. I had an undying thirst for creativity that was not being quenched.
My childhood was spent in India, where the textiles and artisan crafts are like none other, and right around the time I got married, my husband and I made the trip back to that gorgeous country. That’s when it all clicked.
I felt that there was a gap in the children’s market for clothing made of unique artisan textiles. I didn’t even have kids at this point, but I wanted to bring the beauty of my own childhood into the U.S. market.
And, you know, be my own boss.

Walk us through your typical workday.

Our work days vary a lot depending on where we are with a collection. Most days, I wake up with my 2-year-old son’s happy chatter as my husband is getting ready to leave for work. I have my morning chai and get the little guy ready for school.
Alex, my design editor (and best friend), drops him off while I start calling our manufacturers in India. I deal with our supply chain, design, and production, and she takes care of shipments, prototyping, and a bit of everything else! One minute we’re planning a color palette, the next we’re greeting the FedEx driver and reviewing samples from India.
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Lunchtime is very important to us, and I am usually the chef for all of our meals. After the break, I go pick up my son from school and while he takes his afternoon nap, Alex and I try to get more work done. We wrap up our day around dinner time, my son goes to bed, and I head back into the studio.
Working in the quiet of the night is really productive and relaxing for me. I feel like I can focus more and get design work done efficiently. I try to make it to bed before midnight, but if inspiration strikes, sleep is secondary.

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Lali Kids

What’s up next for Lali?

Oh gosh…I have lots of ideas on what we want to do next. We have started to do some production in the U.S. and would really love to have a big studio space which could accommodate that. I would love to create an artisan studio where creative people can come and work—not just us, but a variety of women.
We would someday love to launch a women’s clothing line. After a few visits to the splash park this summer, I’ve got inklings of developing a swim line as well. I want to do all these things tomorrow, but they will all happen in their own time.

If you had to pick just one of your products as your favorite, which would it be and why?

Our Midi Dress style, hands down. This silhouette was based on one of my own dresses that I had made custom made on a trip to India—and then had it scaled down for little girls. Long flowing dresses are what I’m all about.
We’ve carried this design through several summer collections now, and it’s always a customer favorite. It’s just so comfortable and playful.

HealthyWay
Alex Schad and Kinnari McDevitt of Lali Kids

Five-Minute Mentor

What’s your best advice for our readers?

If you have a dream to create something, just get started. Take the first step and don’t worry about the big picture.
I never in a million years thought I would own a fashion business. I think when you are reaching out into the world with a lot of passion in your heart, the universe conspires to help you make it into a reality.
Also, if you don’t ask, the answer will always be no. If you don’t take a step forward, you will be in the same place. So take the leap.

What was your lightbulb moment, where all the hard work felt totally worth it?

I try to remind myself daily that starting this company is a journey and where we are today is not where we were a few days, months, or years ago. However, when Anthropologie contacted us and started carrying our products, it was a really big validation that we had something unique to offer.
HealthyWay

What’s your favorite way to practice self-care?

Ha! Lots of sleep. My goal this summer was to wear clothing that’s artisan made instead of fast fashion and I have found some really inspiring designers. As a mom I try to keep my wardrobe simple, small, and easy to wear.
Occasional massages and pedicures are also really nice. Oh! And actually finishing my cup of tea—half the time I brew a lovely mug of joy and then get busy and forget all about it.

Balance or harmony?

Definitely harmony. I feel like balance is this elusive creature that you have a sighting of once in a while but it never really sticks around. I try to create and look for harmony in all things: where we work, how we organize our lives, and how we design the collection. It should all feel organic and not forced. I feel you lose a sense of harmony when you are pushing too hard for things to work together.

HealthyWay
Lali Kids

How do you define wellness?

Wellness to me is not about achieving perfection. It’s a day spent doing things at a healthy pace where you have been kind to yourself and others. It’s also about nourishing your body with good food and mind with inspiring environment. Sometimes these things seem a world away, but if you can at least get a nice meal in your belly, you’re doing something right.

What book do you think all women need to read?

A Vindication of the Rights of Women by Mary Wollstonecraft. It’s reflective of the female experience and reminds us that our concerns are valid and this isn’t a new fight.

Pick your fuel of choice: coffee, tea, or something else (if so, what?).

Harney & Sons Irish Breakfast Tea, for sure! Iced coffee only when I haven’t gotten enough sleep.

What’s your ideal day off of work?

This is about to sound like the least exciting thing, but I love being at home with my family. It’s nice when my husband takes over the morning baby duties and lets me sleep in.
Also family naps are THE BEST—we eat a big brunch and all pass out for about three hours. That stuff is glorious. Just slowing down as a family and enjoying each other’s company is really nice.

What was your first job?

Oh, this is so nerdy. I was a librarian aid. I taught retired people how to use the internet in the Chicago suburbs.

HealthyWay
Lali Kids

What has been your biggest obstacle in building your company, and how did you overcome it?

My background is in engineering, so learning how the fashion business works was a significant challenge. It’s one thing to create cute clothes, but a whole different challenge to market and sell it to the right customer. It’s important to try new things, see what works, and not be afraid of failure. I am still learning a lot every day. We still have a long way to go before we can say we know all we need to know!

How do you stay motivated?

Watching our little customers enjoy the clothes we create is what keeps us going. There is so much hard work that goes into a collection, sometimes you forget that your product will even be worn by actual people. It’s really rewarding to see boutique buyers and customers get excited about details that we lost so much sleep over.

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Follow Lali Kids on Instagram, and pick up some pieces for your little darling on their website.

Categories
Healthy Her Way Lifestyle

Alyssa Rimmer Of Simply Quinoa

Diamonds aren’t this girl’s best friend. No, that would be quinoa. Alyssa Rimmer, the woman behind Simply Quinoa, knows firsthand how improper nutrition can take a toll on the body and mind. Before she became a talented food blogger and recipe developer, Alyssa was a college student who struggled with chronic stomach pains, brain fog, and other digestive health issues.
Although she tried to convince herself that this daily discomfort was normal, Alyssa’s view on food changed forever when she decided to ditch processed junk food and consume only natural, whole foods instead. As she prioritized healthy eating, Alyssa noticed a reduction in her discomfort and brain fog in just a few weeks.
With her newfound mental clarity and relieved stomach pain, Alyssa knew she couldn’t return to her old eating habits. She began developing her own nutrient-dense recipes. Eager to share her whole food, nutritious creations, and personal experience with others, Alyssa started her own food blog (cleverly dubbed Simply Quinoa) while working in marketing.
After splitting her time between her marketing career and food blog for five years, Alyssa left her marketing gig to devote all of her time and energy to managing her blog. She has since turned her passion into a fulfilling foodie community. “I never used to think I would start or run my own business, but I feel so damn lucky that I get to do what I love and share my passion with all of you each and every day,” Alyssa wrote in a blog post.  
Alyssa’s creative recipes are simple, approachable, and often feature different superfoods in addition to healthy twists on classic indulgences. From breakfast to dinner and everything in between, Alyssa has your table covered. She even provides recipes for those who have food allergies and sensitivities.
Originally from Vermont, Alyssa now lives in New York City with her boyfriend, Matt, and furbaby, Trevi. Alyssa and Matt both share a love of travel and adventure, but they have their differences when it comes to food. Alyssa’s current diet is mostly plant-based, and she considers herself to be about 95 percent vegan, occasionally working eggs, honey, and fish into her meals. Matt doesn’t eat a plant-based diet, but the couple still makes shared meal times work by using the same base for their meal then adding in their own proteins and other flavors based on individual preference.
As if she couldn’t get any cooler, Alyssa is also a fabulous photographer specializing in natural-light food photography that really captures the beautiful colors of her fresh ingredients. From recipe ingredients to makeup, Alyssa strives to use only all-natural, cruelty-free, and eco-friendly products. In addition to foodie content, Alyssa’s blog focuses on other components of a healthy lifestyle such as the importance of exercise and meditation, using natural and cruelty-free products, and how to use essential oils properly.
In a YouTube Q&A, Alyssa revealed that she works up to 60 hours a week between her blog, YouTube channel, and the rest of her social media platforms. Now that’s how you hustle like a boss babe! It’s evident that this hard-working foodie is on a mission to change lives by sharing her personal insights and colorful creations.

HealthyWay
Photo by Erin Dwyer

A Day in the Life

What does your daily routine look like?

I wake up around 6 a.m. each morning, drink a HUGE glass of water, and then head outside with my dog. We take a long walk in Riverside Park (in NYC), then I come home and either do a quick 30-minute at-home workout or head to my local yoga or SoulCycle studio.

What are your favorite ways to practice self-care?

I love spending time outside, totally unplugged. It’s a great way for me to recharge but also gives me time to think and brainstorm for my business. I also am addicted to face masks and am a HUGE believer in exercise. I love yoga, spinning, strength training, and of course, walking!

How do you stay inspired?

I get inspiration from all around me, but I feel most inspired when I travel. I love seeing new cultures, exploring new places, and trying new food. I always come back with a new sense of vigor and can’t wait to recreate some of the flavors in my own cooking.
HealthyWay

HealthyWay
Photo by Erin Dwyer

Disclaimer: Just so you know, if you order an item through one of our posts, we may get a small share of the sale.

Loving Lately…

What are the best products you’ve discovered recently?

I absolutely love this new skincare line I just discovered called Laurel Whole Plant Organics. Their serums and facial elixirs are out of this world! I also am seriously loving my jade roller.

What are your favorite apps?

Instagram is a great way for me to stay connected to my audience as well as my friends in the blog space. But I also love my meditation app, Calm, Overcast for podcasts, and one just for fun is called Night Sky, which you hold up to the sky at night and it shows you the star constellations.

Whose Instagram is on your radar? #squadgoals #gramlove #hashtag

There are so many! It’s funny because I now actually use Instagram more for keeping up with all my other blogger friends rather than pure inspiration. If I had to choose a few just for fun, it would be icanteven (cute animal videos), thedogist, and bestofvegan.

What’s your go-to healthy snack?

Depends on what I’m craving (i.e., sweet or savory), but usually it’s an apple and almond butter, an energy bite, some hummus and crackers, or a protein bar.
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HealthyWay

Alyssa IRL

If your pet could talk, how would they describe you?

Caring, goofy, game for anything, snuggly

What would the title of your autobiography be?

I’m not sure, but probably something to do with quinoa!

What’s your most-used emoji?

Heart eyes or the dancing girl

What woman in history would you love to take to brunch?

Princess Diana—I love how she followed her heart, was super passionate about her causes, and was an amazing and caring mother all at the same time.

What superpower would you like to have?

I think I’d want to teleport, so I could explore even more places.

What are you really great at (that might embarrass you to admit)?

I don’t really have any hidden talents (wish I did!), but I’d say that I’m really great at listening. I’m an introvert at heart, and so I’d much rather be the listener than the talker. I think this makes me a great friend, a great partner (most of the time!), and also really helps me with my community since I listen to what they’re saying and try my best to give them solutions that will actually help them reach their goals.

Would you rather explore space or the ocean? Why?

The ocean. I grew up going to the ocean in the summer, and I just love it!

What’s your coffee order?

I’m not a coffee drinker, so usually an herbal tea.

What piece of advice has impacted you the most?

That many great things come from failure. It’s hard to build your own business and not get discouraged when things don’t work out as you might have planned. But knowing that everyone who I admire has also had to struggle, has failed countless times, and still picked themselves back up and succeeded helps me look at things in a more positive light.
HealthyWay

HealthyWay
Photo by Mary Elizabeth Creative

Looking for a way to satisfy your sweet tooth without the guilt? Be sure to check out Alyssa Rimmer’s Pinterest or her cookbooks.
Featured Image by DAG Photography

Categories
Lifestyle Well-Traveled

12 Travel Apps Every Woman Needs To Download

It’s easier than ever to take a vacation these days. Not only is travel becoming more and more accessible thanks to the age of social media and a general rising thirst for new experiences, but technology makes planning and executing your vacations easier than ever. You can plan an entire vacation directly from your iPhone—and it can help you get around a new city too.
That being said, the market today is so oversaturated with travel apps that it can be a bit dizzying trying to figure out which ones are actually the best to use. We spoke with real women who spend much of their lives on the road to find out which travel apps help them to make the most out of their destination while still maintaining the routines that keep their lives in balance.

Travel Apps for Booking Your Vacation

From booking flights to organizing your packing list, there are some seriously amazing apps out there that will help get a vacation off the ground.

Skyscanner

Skyscanner covers all the bases for booking travel, from flights to hotels to rental cars. Much like Google Flights’ web app, Skyscanner’s mobile app does a search for the most affordable and best options through its travel partners. View the least expensive days to fly, or set up flight alerts for when prices change for specific destinations. If you’re feeling impulsive, select their Top Deals section, which shows the lowest fares from your nearest airport.
“I was visiting my boyfriend in London and the day I was supposed to return home I couldn’t bear to leave, so I did a quick search on Skyscanner and found a discounted flight back to New York City for the following day. It was cheaper than the cost to change my ticket,” says Gaby, a New York City–based travel writer.
Download Skyscanner for free for iOS and Android.

PackPoint

Keeping a list of what to pack can be incredibly useful—especially if it’s tailor-made for you. PackPoint uses information from your destination, like weather, location, and your travel dates, to curate a bespoke packing list. It will ask you questions about your itinerary to help make the list as specific as possible, so whether you’re traveling for business, lounging at the beach, or having a night on the town, you’ll be sure to have the right outfits. You can also share your packing list with friends traveling with you to solve all the So what are you bringing? discussions going down in the group text.
Download PackPoint for free for iOS and Android.

Travel Apps for Where to Stay

Picking the perfect place to stay is half the fun of traveling. Once you’ve chosen that, it’s a lot easier to envision sipping that cocktail, splurging on a great souvenir, and venturing outside your comfort zone.

Airbnb

Airbnb’s app version of its website is a wonderful way to book travel either at home or on the go. Find a place for a fraction of the cost of a typical hotel and live like a local. There’s no better way to get the feel of a destination than by living in your own space in the heart of a funky neighborhood.
The app also has a section called Experiences, which has a set of curated experiences to try during your stay. These experiences are put on by local guides, which can add a whole new level of local to your vacation.
Download Airbnb for free for iOS and Android.

HotelTonight

If something should go wrong last minute, like a cancellation, flight delay, or a room that doesn’t live up to your expectations, HotelTonight can save the day. This app seeks out the best last-minute deals at partnered hotels, offering discounts on unfilled rooms.
“HotelTonight saved me when I planned to crash at an apartment of a friend in Washington, D.C. I walked in and the place was such a pigsty that there was no way I could have slept there. A couple of taps in HotelTonight and I was able to book a chic hotel room at a discount right in the heart of the city. It saved me so much stress and money. I continue to use it when I travel,” says Jenna, a lawyer based in San Francisco.
Download HotelTonight for free for iOS and Android.

Travel Apps for When You’re En Route

Getting from Point A to Point B can have a lot of steps in between. These are our favorite travel apps for making the trip a bit smoother.

Grab

From flight delays to close connections to long security lines, travel can be a very last-minute experience. We don’t always have time to wait in line at the airport to get a quick bite, let alone sit down at an airport restaurant outside our gate. This app lets travelers order food on the go: Pay from your phone and pick up your meal at the counter without waiting in line. The app also has maps of each airport and a list of the restaurants available.
“Racing between flights just comes with the territory sometimes when you travel for a living,” says Lauren, a bi-coastal personal assistant to a wealthy Los Angeles family. “Sometimes you have less than half an hour between connections. I can literally order food when my plane lands and scoop it up as I pass by racing to my next gate.”
Download Grab for free for iOS and Android.

LoungeBuddy

Of course, there are the instances when you have too much time between flights. For that, LoungeBuddy is a perfect go-to. This app has saved me time and time again when I’ve booked discount flights that are priced so cheap because of inconveniently long layovers. The app allows for entrance to almost any airport lounge for a one-time fee. Select the airport and day, purchase a pass, and show it to the staff upon entry. Often meals at airport restaurants are more expensive than the passes to the lounge, which are stocked with free food and beverages. Score!
Download LoungeBuddy for free for iOS.

Travel Apps to Use on Location

Finally, you’ve arrived at your destination. Now what? Here are the travel apps that every traveler should have on the ground to make their stay the best it can be.

Guides by Lonely Planet

These downloadable guides are tailored to specific cities. Choose from hundreds of destinations around the world and get the world-famous guidebook’s recommendations on activities, restaurants, museums, outdoor experiences, and more. You can download the info to your phone so you can use them without a wifi connection, as well.
“Most travel writers became travel writers because of the Lonely Planet guides. We know that they are incredibly well researched, and often everything in the book has been tested by a destination expert. It’s like having a local in your pocket,” says Rebecca, a freelance travel writer based in Seattle.
Download Guides by Lonely Planet for free for iOS and Android.

Google Translate

Traveling to a country where you don’t speak the language? Google Translate solves all (or at least most) of your problems. You can download an entire dictionary to your phone to use while offline, which will translate back and forth between English and the local lingua franca. Plus there is a “talk” feature that will speak the language for you if you’re uncomfortable practicing or truly have no experience with it.
On a recent trip to Japan, Google Translate proved invaluable in getting me around town with taxi drivers. Since I have no experience reading or speaking Japanese, I was able to type what I wanted to convey in English and have the app translate it directly into Japanese. It’s not always an exact science, but it was certainly more effective than pointing and motioning.
Download Google Translate for free for iOS and Android.

Travel Apps for Food and Drink

HappyCow

For those who are vegetarian or vegan, it can often be a struggle to find a place to meet your dietary needs, especially when traveling out of the country. HappyCow curates a list of vegan options and healthy food in more than 180 countries. Find restaurants, health food stores, vegan shops, vegetarian-friendly hotels, bakeries, farmers markets, delivery services, and more.
Download HappyCow for free for iOS and Android.

Yelp

The late, great Anthony Bourdain may have hated Yelp, but it’s still the international go-to for restaurant and bar reviews. You can get a fairly accurate feel for a place by the overwhelming volume of reviews from past diners. Even if you’re wary of relying on other travelers’ reviews, each listing contains the restaurant’s hours of operation, a phone number, and often a menu so you can decide for yourself.
Download Yelp for free for iOS and Android.

Travel Apps for Staying Active

For many of us, an active lifestyle is very much a part of our daily routine. And as much as we want to indulge on vacation, we don’t want to completely undo our fitness schedules.

Beachbody On Demand

The fitness craze that was the Beachbody videos is still going strong, with popular at-home workout sessions like 21 Day Fix and Core de Force. The Beachbody On Demand app takes the workouts online so that they can be accessed from anywhere.
“I really love this app because I can download the workouts ahead of time, and they have so many that don’t require equipment. I never need to worry about having wifi and I can do any of the workouts in a hotel room or another small space,” says Ann, an au pair from Ireland.
Download Beachbody On Demand for free for iOS and Android.

obé

obé, or Our Body Electric, brings signature classes to iPhones everywhere every morning at 6 a.m. EST (with a later morning start on weekends, thank goodness). There are seven hours of classes, with everything from circuit training and sculpting to yoga and dance.
“I love this app, which streams live workout classes with some of the best boutique fitness trainers in NYC. It’s nice, as you don’t really need equipment, so I can do it in my hotel room or go down to the gym and have a workout plan instead of trying to figure out what to do. Twenty-eight minutes and you’re done,” says Erina, a travel advisor based in New York City.
Download obé for free for iOS.
[related article_ids=1003493,1005839]

Categories
Conscious Beauty Lifestyle

8 Beauty Treatments That Are A Total Scam

We constantly see new beauty products and treatments that promise amazing results, from picture-perfect skin to waist-length, shiny hair. But the unfortunate truth is that a number of products out there don’t have much, if any, scientific backing. They can be ineffective at best and downright harmful at worst.
You should always do your research before spending your hard-earned money. Here’s what the experts say to be wary of.

1. At-Home Derma Rollers

Maybe you’ve heard of micro-needling—running a roller of tiny sterile needles over your skin to boost collagen production and help absorb skincare products. According to Jacqueline Schaffer, MD, micro-needling can be really effective—but you should always have this done at a doctor’s office, never at home.
The needles of a derma roller range from 0.25 millimeters to 3.0 millimeters in length (though anything over 1.5 millimeters is not recommended for at-home use under any circumstances), meaning they can go quite deeply into your skin and potentially cause damage if used incorrectly.

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istock.com/Neeila

“It’s something that can actually worsen your skin,” Schaffer says. “It can cause more injury and disturb your skin’s texture. Your [desired] outcome is to have a more even skin texture, which is what the fine needles should do, because it should stimulate collagen and repair. But because it’s manual and not done by a machine, [at-home derma rollers are] actually causing damage and unevenness in you.”
Ultimately, Schaffer says, your skin can end up looking irregular—and there are safety concerns, too.
Without proper sterilization, your derma roller could put you at risk for serious infections or flare-ups of existing skin conditions. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is looking to regulate these devices to keep users safe.
https://twitter.com/aqilahnaqlis/status/921219947417579522
“With anything that is going to puncture your skin, you can really hurt yourself,” Schaffer adds. “It’s going to be a complete shock to your skin, and [at home] there’s no supervision.”

2. Eye Cream in a Jar

The skin around your eyes is generally thinner and more delicate than the skin on the rest of your face, as Rachel Nazarian, MD, a board-certified dermatologist, told HuffPost. As such, you may well want a specific cream to help hydrate that area—but make sure it comes in the right type of container.
“You need to be very, very careful with certain eye cream,” Schaffer says. “If it comes in a jar, after the cream is exposed to oxygen it’s going to oxidize. So that expensive eye cream is going to be goop.”

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istock.com/Image Source

“Oxygen, sunlight, and microbes, which cosmetic products are often exposed to during storage and use, can change their characteristics, [resulting] in strange odors, discoloration, or contamination,” researchers said in a review (link opens as a PDF) published in the Journal of Pharmaceutical and Scientific Innovation. “This reduces the shelf life of the product and degrades its quality and effectiveness once opened.”  
So, despite the luxurious look, eye cream from a jar may actually be less effective and full of germs after only one use. But don’t give up on all eye creams just yet.
Schaffer suggests this alternative: “You want to make sure it comes in an airless tube.”
The researchers agreed. “… The danger of contamination and degradation is almost non-existent for airless packaging,” they said.

3. SPF Nail Polish

Obviously, proper sun care is very important. As dermatologist Fayne Frey, MD, recently explained to HealthyWay, you are exposed to the sun’s rays every day, even while walking to your mailbox or driving during the daytime.
Because of this, you should definitely make sure a chemical sunscreen (which will absorb the potentially harmful UV rays) or a physical sunscreen (which will block the UV rays entirely by reflecting them off your skin) is part of your everyday regimen.

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Other safe sun tips include staying away from tanning beds, wearing baseball caps and long-sleeved shirts or UV-protective outfits, and wearing sunglasses to protect your eyes from UV rays.
What you don’t need? SPF nail polish.
While the sun can certainly burn the skin under your nails if the rays are strong enough, regular nail polish should act as a good enough barrier. Just make sure you pay attention to your hands and nails when applying sunscreen: If you’re already wearing nail polish, some chemical sunscreens can ruin your manicure, cosmetic chemist Joseph Cincotta told Allure.

4. Tanning Beds

Tanning beds are a scam (even though they technically do give you a tan) simply because they are dangerous to use.
Tanning beds give off UVA and UVB radiation, which can cause adverse effects, including increased cancer risks. According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), “Researchers estimate that indoor tanning may cause upwards of 400,000 cases of skin cancer in the U.S. each year.”

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What’s more, according to the AAD: One single session in a tanning bed can increase your risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma by 67 percent, basal cell carcinoma by 29 percent, and melanoma by 20 percent.
Despite these risks, the AAD estimates that 7.8 million adult women in the United States tan indoors.
The safest way to get a sun-kissed glow is to get a spray tan, or use fake tanning lotion. And if you are low on vitamin D, the AAD recommends eating foods like fatty fish, cheese, and fortified cereals, drinking orange juice, or looking into vitamin D supplements.

5. Split End Repair Serum

Split ends—when individual strands of hair separate at the ends into two or more pieces—are caused by hair damage from heat tools, over-brushing, or chemical dyes.
You can prevent split ends by getting enough protein in your diet, avoiding heat tools and excessive hair handling whenever possible, and brushing your hair gently, among other healthy hair habits. But once you have them, forget about fixing them with expensive serums or oils.

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Sadly, products that claim to repair split ends really don’t work. They can temporarily glue the split ends back together until your next shampoo, or add moisture to conceal and prevent further split ends, but they can’t actually repair your hair.
“Once your ends are split, the only solution is to go to the salon to get them trimmed,” WebMD explained.

6. Stretch Mark Creams

Stretch marks are incredibly common. They are caused by tearing in a layer of the skin called the dermis and are especially likely to occur during puberty or pregnancy, when the body is growing.
“Stretch marks are caused by the skin rapidly pulling to accommodate weight gain, growth, or stretching from other causes,” says Jennifer Caudle, DO, a board-certified family physician. “Genetics can play a role, and certain medications can as well. Stretch marks may fade somewhat over time, but they are generally considered to be permanent.”

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[pullquote align=”center”]”Many over-the-counter creams claim to remove stretch marks, but they usually provide moisture without a proven benefit of stretch mark removal. For treatment options that may help reduce the appearance of stretch marks, it’s best to talk with your doctor.”
—Jennifer Caudle, DO[/pullquote]
Though stretch marks can vary in appearance, some people don’t like the way they look and seek to get rid of them. Unfortunately, topical creams that claim to treat stretch marks usually don’t do much to help.
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Some clinical trials suggest that certain creams help decrease the appearance of stretch marks, but more than likely won’t eliminate them. The Mayo Clinic explains, “Products made of cocoa butter, vitamin E and glycolic acid, for example, aren’t harmful, but they probably won’t help much either.”
Caudle agrees: “Many over-the-counter creams claim to remove stretch marks, but they usually provide moisture without a proven benefit of stretch mark removal. For treatment options that may help reduce the appearance of stretch marks, it’s best to talk with your doctor.”

7. Sheet Masks

Sheet masks have become insanely popular over the past few years, to the point where it’s not unusual to see people using them on airplanes. But experts are divided on whether they actually work.
The point of sheet masks is to hold the mask close to the wearer’s face and trap moisture, aiding in absorption. Effectiveness depends the active ingredients in a sheet mask.
However, even when those ingredients are beneficial, does the paper mask itself actually make any difference in how well they work when applied to your face?

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Paula Begoun, the Cosmetics Cop, doesn’t think so.
“Sheet masks don’t deliver ingredients to the skin any better than well-formulated skin-care products,” she said in a recent interview with The Cut. In fact, she considers them a waste of time. She explained that absorption depends on the molecular size of the ingredients, not on something holding those ingredients to the skin. So all those single-use sheets are fairly useless.
You can get the same (or better) results by investing in a good leave-on face cream. It will last longer and, as Begoun emphasized, allow you to make better use of your time.

8. Bee Pollen Weight-Loss Products

Bee pollen weight-loss products have been touted by some health experts as a quick way to shed pounds. These products are made from the pollen bees collect from flowers and feed to their larvae. Sellers make grand (unsubstantiated) claims about the supposed benefits of these products, which can include anything from quick weight loss to increased longevity.
Scientists are still researching the effectiveness of these products, but some bee pollen products have already proven themselves dangerous and deadly.

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“Some bee pollen products marketed for weight loss have been found to contain hidden and potentially dangerous ingredients that may be harmful for people who have conditions such as irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, and bipolar disorders,” said Gary Coody, the FDA national health fraud coordinator, in a consumer update.
Over 50 people have reported adverse health effects, including renal failure and anaphylactic shock, after using bee pollen weight-loss products—and shockingly, one person has died.
“It is tempting to believe that a quick and effortless weight loss supplement is safe for use,” FDA regulatory manager Jason Humbert said. “But given the fact that these products contain a hidden dangerous ingredient, consumers should avoid taking them.”

Protect yourself.

There are tons of treatments and products out there that truly work and are worth spending your money on. Other products, like these, are total scams, with marketing campaigns designed to appeal to people’s insecurities.
So how can you tell if something is worth trying or not? First, see if you can find trustworthy reviews. Then, if the product or treatment makes grand claims, check the clinical trial registry, find out if the claims are linked to any peer-reviewed research, or see if a licensed medical doctor recommends the treatment. Generally, the more scientific experimentation and backing a product or treatment has, the more likely it is to be the real deal.

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Ultimately, if you’re not sure that something is effective or safe, you should avoid using it. Better to be safe than sorry!

Categories
Conscious Beauty Lifestyle

Is Microblading For You? Here's What You Need To Know

If there was one step in your morning beauty routine you would never, ever skip, we have a feeling you’d say it’d be your brows. There’s a reason why the phrase “brows on fleek” caught on like it did. Your arches frame your face, and they have the ability to totally transform the way your face looks.
These days, people are taking their brows to new extremes to garner major attention. Scroll through Instagram, and you’re bound to spot rainbow arches, wavy eyebrows, and more. Prefer a more natural brow look? No tweezing necessary today: Super-thin arches are out, and thick, full brows are very, very in.
Luckily, there are tons of products out there you can use to fill in your brows, from pencils to mascaras to pomades to gels (oh hey, Glossier Boy Brow). But let’s be real: Filling in your brows on the daily is time-consuming as hell, and sometimes the results don’t look quite as natural as you’d hope.
Sound familiar? Microblading might just be the solution to your biggest brow woes.

What is microblading?

“Microblading is a cosmetic tattoo procedure that involves creating small intricate strokes using a manual tool and applying pigment,” explains Jen Santoro, cosmetic tattoo artist and owner of Altered Aesthetics, a cosmetic tattoo shop that specializes in getting clients’ brows on point.  


Bianca Davis, licensed esthetician, tattoo artist, and owner of J’Adore Brows, says the whole goal of microblading is to create natural-looking brows. And, spoiler alert: It actually works.

Microblading might be for you if…

If your brows are sparse, you hate spending your precious time filling in your brows in the morning, or you’re simply interested in achieving a natural brow look, microblading might be a good option for you.
Santoro says most of her clients have either plucked for so long that their brows no longer grow, or they have inconsistent hair growth; Davis has clients of all ages and all different kinds of brow situations. “I see everyone from young to old women to women who love makeup to women who don’t love makeup,” she says. “Even women who don’t love makeup still like to have a finished look without looking overdone.”

What to Expect From Microblading

Curious about microblading? Here’s everything you need to know about the procedure if you’re considering it.

Microblading Prep

Forty-eight hours before your microblading appointment, you should stop taking any blood-thinning medications or supplements (such as ibuprofen or fish oil), says Santoro. She explains that during microblading, you might bleed a little bit, but if you’re on a blood thinner, you’ll bleed a lot more, and this will dilute the pigment, preventing your skin from retaining it well. Davis recommends limiting alcohol and caffeine intake in the days leading up to your appointment because they also thin the blood.
Additionally, stop using prescription retinoids a week before (they thin the skin), don’t get any chemical peels, microdermabrasion, or Botox, and don’t pluck or wax because you don’t want any irritation around your brow area, says Santoro.

Microblading Procedure

Expect your microblading session to take two hours or more.
Before your esthetician gets to work on microblading, they’ll map your eyebrows to ensure you’re happy with the shape and fullness. This can take anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour, says Santoro. During this process, your esthetician will determine where your brow should naturally start, arch, and end (with input from you). “If the client has a little bit of brow hair or a decent amount, I like to follow the natural pattern of the brow,” says Santoro.
[pullquote align=”left”]“I find brow mapping to be the most crucial part of the process. You can lay down the perfect stroke and color, but if you don’t map, you won’t have good results.”
—Jen Santoro, cosmetic tattoo artist[/pullquote]
Santoro gives clients the opportunity to look at the brow shape from all different angles (lying down, sitting up, in a front-facing mirror, etc.). Once both brow shapes are complete, Santoro uses a caliper measuring tool and string to measure the brows to make sure they’re symmetrical, the arches are the same height, and that both brows are the same size. “I find brow mapping to be the most crucial part of the process,” says Santoro. “You can lay down the perfect stroke and color, but if you don’t map, you won’t have good results.”
Next comes the numbing. Santoro uses a topical lidocaine cream to numb the brow area and leaves it on for about 20 minutes. During that time, she works with the client to figure out what color they want their brows to be. “The goal should be to create color that, in its healed state, is as close as possible to what your current brow color is,” says Davis. “That’s what will give the most realistic look if you’re not using any makeup.” Santoro typically goes for a slightly darker color to account for the fact that pigment fades 20 to 30 percent once healed.
When the area is numbed, your esthetician will remove the cream and get to work microblading. They’ll use a hand tool to deposit ink, and this usually takes about 30 minutes to complete, says Davis. “We use the smallest strokes to build the eyebrow with a specific pattern to replicate the most realistic look of an eyebrow,” she says.
Santoro says she’ll do one pass to create enough strokes to outline your brow, then she’ll do a second pass to fill in the rest of the brow. After looking at the brow from all different angles, she may do a third pass to fill in areas that she missed.

After Microblading

Once done, Santoro will clean the brows and give clients an aftercare kit. She’ll have you blot your brows with cotton rounds every 10 to 15 minutes for the first two to three hours post-procedure to remove lymph fluid that might be seeping out. “You want the brows to heal softly and flake off, and reducing fluid helps,” says Santoro.
You’ll want to clean your brows with a little bit of warm water and a fragrance-free antibacterial soap morning and night, says Santoro, since you do technically have an open wound. Santoro gives clients an ointment specifically made for microblading that you can apply two to four times a day for the first week.
“For the first two to three days, your brows will appear darker because the pigment is sitting on top,” says Santoro. Then, between days four and six, your brows will start to flake off. “You go through the same process when you get a traditional tattoo,” says Santoro. You should stop flaking by day six or seven, and then by day 14, the color should have stabilized.
“Microblading is a two-step process with sessions four to six weeks apart,” says Davis, meaning you’ll have to come in for a touch-up after your initial session.
Davis calls the touch-up the perfection session: “We take time to adjust the color, shape, and anything else we want to tweak,” she says. The perfection session is a lot quicker than the initial microblading session. From there, touch-ups are recommended once a year.


“The ideal candidate for microblading is someone with a skin type that has minimal oil,” says Davis. “The less oil there is, the better the results will be because the color retention will be more vibrant over time.” If you have moderately oily skin, Davis says you can expect to need a touch up between eight and 10 months, whereas if you have normal to dry skin, you can go up to a year before needing a touchup. If you never go for any touch ups, your results may last pretty well for one to three years, says Santoro.
To maintain microblading results for as long as possible, always wear sunscreen when you’re outside (sun exposure fades tattoos) and avoid exfoliating around your brow area, since that can accelerate pigment fade, says Santoro.

How to Find a Microblading Expert

It’s important to go to someone who’s properly trained in microblading, as you don’t want to take any chances with someone working on your face. Your expert’s licenses should be on display in their studio, says Davis, and they should have completed microblading training. Santoro says you want to go to someone who’s at least taken a four-day course, if not more.
Davis also recommends requesting to see photos of healed work, not just advertised pictures. “The healed work is what you will end up with a week and a half after your initial appointment,” says Davis.
Going in for a consultation (which is typically free) is a good way to see if that pro is the right one for you.

How much does microblading cost?

Microblading doesn’t come cheap. Santoro says it can run anywhere from $400 to $600 (or more!) depending on where you live. This price usually includes the initial touch-up, says Santoro, and it may also include any aftercare products you’re supposed to use.
Yearly touch-ups won’t be as expensive as the initial cost (they may be about half).

Microblading Risks: What to Keep in Mind

The good news is that microblading is relatively safe, says Anna Guanche, MD, board-certified dermatologist at Bella Skin Institute; however, there are always risks with any procedure.
“Anytime there is a puncture of the skin, there is a risk of infection,” says Guanche. “The area should be properly prepped to avoid this.”
Guanche adds that you could experience an allergic reaction if you’re sensitive to the pigment or numbing cream. Doing a spot test could be a good way to avoid this, she says.

Popular Microblading Alternatives

Microblading isn’t your only semi-permanent brow option.

Microfeathering

Kristie Streicher, celebrity eyebrow artist, created the technique known as microfeathering. Streicher uses a super-fine, precise blade to deposit pigment onto brows. Microfeathering isn’t a way to create a totally new eyebrow (so it’s not for those with zero brow hairs), but it can refine what you already have.

Microshading

This treatment is popular, too. “The idea with microshading is to produce the look of a filled-in brow that looks more like you’ve filled it in with powder or makeup,” says Davis. “Sometimes artists will combine this with microblading.” Microshading can be done with a hand tool or a machine, says Davis.

Categories
Conscious Beauty Lifestyle

The Deets On Dermaplaning: Shaving Your Face To Get A Glow

You’ve probably noticed that your skin doesn’t shine quite as brightly as it did in your younger days. Yes, it’s totally unfair, but it’s a fact of life that skin gets duller as you get older. So celebs and beauty pros have been turning to a treatment that has the ability to pump up the radiance on lackluster skin—and it doesn’t even require fancy machinery or cost boatloads of money. We’re talking about dermaplaning.
This popular mechanical exfoliation method is super gentle and has been gathering legions of fans in recent years. “Dermaplaning has been around for well over five years, but it’s become very popular in the last couple of years,” says Lauren Fine, MD, board-certified dermatologist in Chicago. Why so popular? “I think because it’s so simple, there’s no downtime, and it has multiple benefits,” Fine says.
Dermaplaning utilizes a super fine surgical blade to remove the hair from your face—yep, you’re shaving to get a glow. And almost anyone can benefit from dermaplaning, peach fuzz or not. But if you’re easily irritated by traditional face scrubs, want to boost your complexion’s brightness, or have oily skin and regularly experience clogged pores, dermaplaning could be particularly useful for you, says licensed esthetician Michelle D’Allaird Brenner.

How Dermaplaning Works

Dermaplaning involves an expert gently gliding a surgical scalpel across your face to remove dead skin cells and vellus hair (better known as peach fuzz) from the outermost layer of your skin, says Kelly DeWolfe, a nurse practitioner in Chicago.
First, your expert will cleanse your skin, then they’ll degrease your face with either alcohol or acetone, says D’Allaird Brenner. “You want to dry out that upper layer of skin as much as you can so that it sloughs right off,” she says. “If it’s well hydrated, you’re not going to get anywhere.”
Next comes the actual dermaplaning. “We’ll start in one area, then move around the face,” says Tahl Humes, DO, founder and director of Vitahl Medical Aesthetics in Denver. “We customize it to you. We might not treat the entire face, but there might be some areas that need more treatment over others.”
After that’s done, D’Allaird Brenner says she’ll apply a serum to deliver anti-aging, brightening, or hydrating benefits deep into your skin. Finally, your session will end with moisturizer or sunscreen with SPF if you had dermaplaning done during the day, since your skin is in a slightly heightened state of sensitivity after exfoliation, she adds.

Dermaplaning Pros and Cons

One of the biggest pros of dermaplaning is that it’s something that just about any skin type can benefit from, says Humes. And experts love it because it’s much easier on the skin than scrubbing. That means you won’t risk irritating sensitive skin. “It’s probably the most gentle form of mechanical exfoliation there is,” says Fine.
Another dermaplaning pro is that there are immediate benefits, namely brighter and softer skin. Because those dead skin cells and peach fuzz are gone, your skin will look radiant and feel ridiculously smooth right away. “It offers instant gratification,” says DeWolfe.
Additionally, pairing dermaplaning with another procedure, such as microdermabrasion, a chemical peel, or laser treatments, can leave you with even better results, says Humes. When you exfoliate dead skin cell buildup, this allows your skincare products or other treatments to penetrate deeper and work more effectively, says Fine.
Dermaplaning is also a good option for those who can’t use other exfoliation or hair-removal methods. DeWolfe points out that while pregnant women have to steer clear of chemical exfoliators (ingredients like retinoids that work to increase cell turnover are usually a no-no when you’re expecting), they can dermaplane.
In other cases, getting your facial hair waxed if you’re also using over-the-counter retinol products or a prescription retinoid can cause your skin to lift and may even leave you with open sores, says Fine. Because dermaplaning is so gentle, you don’t have to worry about that happening. “It’s a nice option when waxing is difficult,” says Fine.
One of the biggest cons of dermaplaning is that you can’t get the same results at home. In fact, your skin could end up in worse condition if you take a DIY approach. “We’re talking about blades on your face, so I’d be worried about any sort of complication,” says Fine. Another con is that dermaplaning is not a suitable option if you have skin conditions like cystic acne, psoriasis, or eczema on your face, says D’Allaird Brenner.

Dermaplaning for Hair Removal

As previously mentioned, in addition to exfoliating away dead skin cells, dermaplaning also removes peach fuzz, which is another reason that this treatment is so popular. Whether that’s something that’s important or not is entirely up to you, but there’s no denying it’s a big point of attraction for many people interested in dermaplaning.
The pressure to remove hair, whether on the face or body, is real, and it’s something that women have dealt with since forever, shaving, waxing, and lasering their way to being fuzz free. In her book Plucked: a History of Hair Removal, author Rebecca M. Herzig writes that women who don’t shave their legs are often seen as gross and less sexually attractive than [linkbuilder id=”6509″ text=”hairless women”]. She also writes that hair removal is linked to sexualization.
A study published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research asked 88 women about their facial hair-removal practices and found that on average, the women spent 104 minutes a week on managing facial hair. Forty percent of participants even said they felt uncomfortable in social situations due to their facial hair.
Meanwhile, according to a survey done by the American Laser Center, the average woman will spend more than 58 days of her life removing hair from her body and spend $15.87 a month on shaving (which adds up to more than $10,000 over the course of a lifetime!). While we’re all for doing what you want with your beauty routines, the societal pressure to be hair free is certainly something to keep in mind.

What to Know Before Dermaplaning

So now you’re sold and you want to see what all the fuss is about when it comes to dermaplaning. Here’s what to expect.

How long does dermaplaning take?

Humes says a stand-alone dermaplaning session lasts 20 to 30 minutes, although your appointment may take longer if you have any Qs for your derm.

Is dermaplaning painful?

Not really. “If you took a business card and rubbed it back and forth against your cheek, that’s what it feels like,” says D’Allaird Brenner.

Can dermaplaning cause breakouts?

You could break out after dermaplaning, but the dermaplaning itself isn’t to blame. Here’s the deal: You have to make sure whoever’s doing the dermaplaning is using a single-use surgical-grade blade, says D’Allaird Brenner. Otherwise gunk from an old blade could be transferred onto your skin.
Another reason you might break out after dermaplaning: “When you mildly exfoliate, you bring new skin to the surface, but you’re also bringing whatever garbage is on the way out,” says D’Allaird Brenner. So if a breakout was on its way, it might hit the surface of your skin sooner than it would’ve if you hadn’t dermaplaned.
Finally, when people get dermaplaning done, they often put their hands all over their faces to feel the softness (not that we blame them…), and in doing this they risk transferring pore-clogging germs from their hands to their faces.

Can you put on makeup after dermaplaning?

You can, but D’Allaird Brenner doesn’t recommend it. “From an aesthetic standpoint, let your skin breathe and adapt to the environment,” she says. That being said, your makeup will go on a whole lot more smoothly post-dermaplaning sesh, says D’Allaird Brenner. Just wait until the next day!

How long does it take to recover from dermaplaning?

Fine says there’s no downtime. You can go about your regularly scheduled business immediately. No red faces here.

What kind of maintenance am I looking at with dermaplaning?

Humes says you can go as often as once a month, and you may even be able to extend that to two months between sessions, says Fine.

Can an esthetician do dermaplaning?

Yes! D’Allaird Brenner says it’s a good idea to check an esthetician’s credentials first to see where their license is from. For instance, D’Allaird Brenner is licensed by CIDESCO, a major international beauty therapy association. It’s also a good idea to read reviews before seeing an esthetician for dermaplaning, she says.

How much does dermaplaning cost?

Unlike a sugar scrub you could pick up at your local drugstore or even DIY, dermaplaning isn’t exactly cheap. Prices generally range anywhere from $50 to $150 per session depending on where you live, says D’Allaird Brenner. Fine says that if you combine dermaplaning with another treatment, like microdermabrasion, then you might be given a discount on the dermaplaning.

Dermaplaning Myths: Busted!

What’s true and what’s not when it comes to dermaplaning? We break it down.

It’s safe for all skin types.

True. Fine says that even the most sensitive skin can handle dermaplaning. Unlike scrubs, which are often formulated with harsh particles that can irritate skin, dermaplaning is incredibly gentle.

It’ll make your hair grow back thicker and darker.

False. “That couldn’t be further from the truth,” says D’Allaird Brenner. “Your hair growth cycle is completely linked to hormones. It has nothing to do with shaving.”

Your skin is too dark for dermaplaning.

False. Some skin treatments (like certain lasers) are typically off-limits for people with darker skin tones because they can cause hyperpigmentation and discoloration. But people of all skin tones can try dermaplaning, says Humes. Dermaplaning is also safe to do on tan skin in the summer, says Fine.

You can use your regular razor to dermaplane.

False. Sure, you could shave your face with a drugstore razor, but you won’t see the same results. Consumers don’t have access to the same quality of blades that professionals do, says DeWolfe.

You have to really commit to dermaplaning to see results.

False. Remember: There are immediate results. DeWolfe says dermaplaning (especially when it’s included in a facial) is a great way to get glowing skin before a special occasion.

DIY Dermaplaning: Can you do dermaplaning at home?

If you want to try dermaplaning at home, tools like Dermaflash 2.0 Luxe Facial Exfoliation & Peach Fuzz Removal do exist. This tool has two speed settings (one for gentle exfoliation for beginners and one for a deeper experience). The brand recommends holding your skin taut, placing the tool at an angle so that it sits right above the surface of your skin, and using short feathery strokes to exfoliate.
That being said, experts caution against DIY dermaplaning for the most part. For starters, you’re not going to be able to buy the same quality blade that a professional has access to, says DeWolfe, meaning you won’t get close to the same results.
It’s also a matter of safety: It’s much harder to work on yourself. “You could slice your skin,” says D’Allaird Brenner. “If you draw your blade the wrong direction, you will cut your skin. And if you scrape too aggressively in one area, you’re going to scrape down to the lower layers of skin. By doing that, you might end up with hyperpigmentation and increased sensitivity.”
 

Categories
Healthy Her Way Lifestyle

Nutritionist × Functional Medicine Practitioner Jennie Miremadi

The sheer amount of nutrition “rules” and advice circulating in society right now makes it difficult to determine what is actually healthy. Paleo? Keto? Fro-yo? Who knows. And even if we do know, that doesn’t mean we’ll always make the right choices. Sometimes it takes help from a professional who understands the struggle, like Jennie Miremadi.
Jennie embodies many nutrition goals worth aspiring to. She is a licensed integrative clinical nutritionist, after all. Scrolling through her website and Instagram, you can tell Jennie has found her true calling. Her recipes are the healthy-but-delicious meals we all obsess over and hope to create in our own kitchens. Her cacao almond chia seed smoothie? It legit looks like a chocolate milkshake. And her collard wraps look so good that giving up tortillas doesn’t even seem that upsetting.
But wellness didn’t always come easily to Jennie. In fact, Jennie struggled for years with body images issues that began at the age of 14. She tried all of the fad dieting and restrictive methods that seemed like obvious solutions to her struggles. It took her years (and a lot of work with her body and mind) to figure out that these approaches to food were wrong—very wrong. Eventually, Jennie realized she needed to nourish her body, not deprive it of essential nutrition and care.
Jennie felt so passionately about helping others navigate their own health, nutrition, and wellness journeys that she gave up her career as an intellectual property attorney and went back to school to earn her master’s degree in nutrition and integrative health. Eventually she developed and started teaching a successful seven-factor methodology that focuses on all aspects of wellness: physical, emotional, and spiritual.
What exactly does that mean? Jennie doesn’t just help her clients understand food in terms of what’s healthy and what’s not. Having her own problems with food sensitivity and a background in science, Jennie still helps clients find what foods make them feel their best, but she also recognizes that the relationship we have with food, not just our knowledge about food, matters. From EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) to an anti-inflammatory nutritional approach to helping clients understand how to bring their bodies into balance biochemically to mindful eating (and so much more), Jennie gives her clients the tools they need to create lasting change. She believes that by looking at food together with biochemistry, physiology, spirit, and psyche, we can achieve true wellness.
While we’re whipping up that cacao smoothie, read on to learn more about Jennie and how her methodology takes shape in her personal life.

HealthyWay
Photo by @valoriedarling

A Day in the Life

What does your daily routine look like?

Every day is different, but the one constant is my daily gratitude practice where I think about what I’m grateful for.

What are your favorite ways to practice self-care?

Yoga, hiking, gratitude practice, EFT, meditation, visualization, spiritual practice, getting a massage, and going on vacation.

How do you stay inspired?

Connecting with nature always inspires me.
HealthyWay

HealthyWay
Photo by @valoriedarling

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Loving Lately…

What are the best products you’ve discovered recently?

I recently discovered La Tierra Sagrada’s Dry Shampoo for brunettes and I love it. It’s not only made from completely natural ingredients like cacao, lavender flower, and he shou wu—it’s also brown so it doesn’t make my dark hair turn white, which happens with most other dry shampoos.

What are your favorite apps?

I love the Insight Timer app. It has so many incredible meditations.

What’s your go-to healthy snack?

A handful of nuts—it makes the perfect snack! Nuts are filled with fiber, protein, and healthy fat so they fill me up and keep me satiated—and they’re delicious!
HealthyWay

HealthyWay
Photo by @valoriedarling

Jennie IRL

What’s your most-used emoji?

It’s a three-way tie between the heart emojis, praying hands emoji, and the avocado emoji!

What superpower would you like to have?

I would love to be able to fly so that I could go anywhere that inspired me anytime.

What’s your coffee order?

A latte from Moon Juice—they make it with their own homemade coconut milk and almond milk and it’s amazing!

What is your bucket list travel destination?

I love hiking and glamping and I’m so enamored with all of the stunning national parks in the U.S. I would love to do a national park hiking tour and stay at all of the Under Canvas glamping locations.
HealthyWay

HealthyWay
Photo by @valoriedarling

Peruse Jennie’s blog or scroll through her Instagram for a healthy dose of food inspo and advice.