Tag: social

Categories
Conscious Beauty Lifestyle

These Unknown Factors Are Affecting Your Hair Health

At some point or another, we’ve all been there: staring at ourselves in the mirror, examining the volume and sheen—or lack thereof—of our hair. Maybe you’ve had a terrible hair week, a months-long bender of dry ends and dull strands, or perhaps waning hair health has been a lifelong battle. And it’s not like you haven’t read up on what could possibly be the cause. You’re well-versed in the dangers of chemical processing, heat styling, and running around in the sun or splashing around in chlorine without proper protection and post-care.
Here’s the thing, though. There are a handful of underlying causes affecting your hair health that you might not be aware of, such as hormonal imbalances, genetic predispositions, physiological issues, and even diet. If you’re still trying to pinpoint the reasons why your hair won’t grow, lacks luminosity, or is constantly breaking off, you’re in the right place.
With the help of a dermatologist, hairstylist, and registered dietician, we’re here to help you do a 180 on your string of no-good hair days.

The Top Factors for Hair Health

Though all the factors we’re outlining below won’t apply to everyone, it’s entirely possible that you might be dealing with one or two of them. This is especially true if you’ve been battling unhealthy hair for an extended period of time and can’t pinpoint the issue to some of the more obvious contributors to poor hair health, such as going overboard with heat styling (put the flat iron down, friend) or excessive processing.

1. Your Environment

“Everything you do is either damaging your hair or preventing damage. Sleeping on cotton or silk pillows, the fiber of the brush you use, how often you touch your hair, how much wind exposure it has—on and on and on,” noted Cash Lawless, a celebrity hairstylist for SEVEN haircare.

iStock.com/mladen_zivkovic

Sleeping on silk versus cotton and brushing your hair with high quality bristles will prevent tugging and snagging. Touching your hair often can result in greasiness and limpness. Another environmental factor is your water quality.
[pullquote align=”center”]”Yes, moisture is great for your hair, but when it’s 90 percent humidity, it can be really be your worst enemy.”
—Cash Lawless[/pullquote]
Additionally, soft and hard water are notoriously damaging to hair and require adjustments in your routine. Hard water means your water has high amounts of minerals, which can result in brittleness and lack of shine. If your shower has chalky white residue buildup, you have hard water. Either splurge on a water softener, or stock your shower with color-protecting products and chelating or clarifying shampoos. Soft water may require you to wash your hair more frequently, and you should actively avoid parabens and sulfates.
iStock.com/FredFroese

Lawless said that climate is another major factor to consider.
“This is almost solely due to our greatest hair friend and enemy—water! Yes, moisture is great for your hair, but when it’s 90 percent humidity, it can be really be your worst enemy. The right products are essential to battle humidity,” he said.
Opt for shampoos and conditioners that are smoothing and styling products that are anti-frizz. These create a protective layer of the hair to add a little weight and reduce flyaways.

2. Hormones

There are a handful of hormones that affect your hair health, but one of the most pervasive is cortisol, which is known as the “stress hormone,” notes Jeanine Downie, MD, a dermatologist for Zwivel. High quantities of cortisol in your system are responsible for thinning hair and a reduction in overall growth.

iStock.com/laflor

Downie said that exercising five to seven days per week, sleeping seven or more hours, and avoiding excess alcohol and caffeine can also help keep the stress hormones at bay. Beyond that, reducing your workload and carving out time for yourself can help reduce stress.
“Thyroid conditions, variations in estrogen and progesterone, as well as testosterone, can all impact hair health, as well as loss and growth,” adds Downie. “Peri-menopausal women typically start to notice hair texture changes and potentially eventual loss that we usually check in the office when looking at causes for hair changes. In addition, many postpartum women suffer from hair loss associated with or directly related to breastfeeding hormones; this is a very common complaint for many women after giving birth.”


These are issues that ought to be addressed by a professional on a case-by-case basis. Schedule an appointment with your doctor or a dermatologist.

3. Medical Conditions

There are a handful of medical conditions that affect your hair’s integrity. If you suspect you have one of the below, we highly advise meeting with a doctor to devise a treatment game plan.

iStock.com/Artfully79

“Androgenetic alopecia—commonly known as male or female pattern baldness—is related to a gradual thinning of the hair that leads to eventual loss,” says Downie. “Common treatments include nutraceuticals (my favorite is Nutrafol, although Viviscal has also had numerous clinical studies to support its effectiveness), Rogaine topical, finasteride for certain male patients, and spironolactone for certain, eligible female patients.”
https://twitter.com/nadiner_weiner/status/1000004467834703872
Hirsutism, or excess, unwanted hair growth, is another relatively common disorder that Downie sees. She said it’s most often experienced by postmenopausal women, those with genetic predisposition for hair in unwanted places, or in individuals with polycystic ovarian syndrome.
“We usually check to make sure there is no hormonally-associated condition if this is a new finding for an individual, but most often treat the unwanted hair effectively with laser [linkbuilder id=”6707″ text=”hair removal”],” she said. “Several sessions are required on a monthly basis and depending on the location and the individual, treatments may be required beyond a year. However, permanently getting rid of the unwanted hair is certainly worth the wait, and my patients (and I) can vouch to that!”
https://twitter.com/princessleahh92/status/999270603839459336
Inflammatory conditions that impact the hair growth negatively, said Downie, include seborrheic dermatitis, which is one of the most common causes of adult dandruff, ringworm (clinically known as tinea capitis), psoriasis, contact dermatitis from potentially inflammatory ingredients found in some hair products, and predispositions for inflammation.
“Depending on the cause, treatments range from prescription and over-the-counter shampoos and solutions, anti-fungal topical or oral treatments, as well as prescription oral medications to treat the inflammation, injections of steroids for severe inflammation, and even biologic medications in the case of hard-to-treat psoriasis,” says Downie.

4. Diet

A consistently poor diet will almost certainly affect your overall hair health, noted Brooke Alpert, a registered dietician and author of The Diet Detox. As a general rule, you should eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, healthy fats, and reduce your intake of processed foods. To help narrow your focus to a specific hair health issue, though, we’re addressing three primary categories: protein, iron, and antioxidant-rich foods.
https://twitter.com/MrGOODWRK/status/639457561775763456
“Diets low in protein have been shown to result in hair loss, and protein intake has also been shown to prevent hair thinning. Make sure you’re getting the recommended daily amount, which for most women, that’s at least 46 grams of protein per day,” said Alpert. “My recommendation is to have a good quality protein source at every single meal. Opt for organic or wild sources of eggs, fish, beef, and chicken.”

iStock.com/a_namenko

Regarding iron, Alpert noted that [linkbuilder id=”6215″ text=”iron deficiency”] is one of the world’s most common nutritional deficiencies and that it is a well-known cause of hair loss. Premenopausal women, specifically, are at the highest risk for this anemia, she said, and they should consume iron-rich foods, like beef, liver, lentils, spinach, and black beans to prevent it.


“Antioxidants are compounds that prevent something called oxidative damage in our bodies,” she says. “Oxidative stress has been linked to hair loss, so fill up on these to keep your mane looking shiny and long. Foods high in antioxidants include blueberries, blackberries, dark chocolate, and dark leafy vegetables.”

5. Damaging Styling Habits

We’re all guilty of making hair mistakes, but with knowledge comes power and, in this case, healthier hair! Lawless said that one of the most common no-nos he’s seen is the combination of oil and heat.

iStock.com/CasaraGuru

“This is an especially big mistake made by women with texture who love their moisture,” he said. “Oil is an amazing treatment for the hair, but when you add high levels of heat with the oil still in the hair—like irons or blow dryers—this will make the hair incredibly brittle and susceptible to breakage.”
iStock.com/beboopai

This is also true for leave-in conditioners, so make sure you’re only using a heat-protectant product and not a conditioner or oil before heat-styling your hair. Another big mistake is using sea salt before blow drying, flattening, or curling. Lawless said that sea salt and heat will absolutely fry your hair.
Finally, being overly aggressive with your brush—or creating a lot of tension on wet hair—can damage your locks, too.
iStock.com/ipopba

“If you are putting your hair under tension, like a pony tail, and then letting it dry in that position, you are stretching the hair under that rubber band and allowing it to dry in a brittle state. The next time you brush or pull that rubber band out, the chances of breakage are much higher,” said Lawless. “Also, I see women just beat their hair with their brush. Please use a detangler. Collectively, your hair may be strong, but each strand is weak. Over time a little snap here and little break there adds up.”

The Last Strand

Our best piece of advice is to be proactive about your hair health. If you notice something is really off, schedule an appointment with a doctor or dermatologist to pinpoint the cause and start turning things around.

iStock.com/CasarsaGuru

Also make small changes that have a lot of impact, like switching out your cotton pillowcase for a silk one, abiding by the recommended daily allowances for all of your macronutrients and micronutrients, taking more evening strolls to reduce cortisol levels, and avoiding the common hair mistakes we outlined above. Not only will your mane look better when you do all the above, you’ll feel better.

Categories
Mindful Parenting Motherhood

Daycare By The Dollars: An Objective Look At Childcare Costs

“Childcare costs changed everything,” Lacy Stroessner, mom of three, tells HealthyWay.
Before having children, Stroessner was a teacher. After the birth of her first child, she continued working. It was the arrival of her second child that made it clear her family’s lifestyle wasn’t sustainable. She realized it no longer made sense for her to continue to work.
“Even with a few years of experience and a master’s degree, you can’t exactly afford to live on a teacher’s salary,” she says.

iStock.com/nemke

Adding the expense of childcare for two children pushed their budget beyond its limit. Money wasn’t just tight anymore—they literally would not be able to pay their bills. Her salary was less than what her family would be spending on childcare. Stroessner left her job, started freelancing, and stayed home with her two young daughters. She assumed she’d return to work once they were in school, but now she is learning that, with the cost of after-school care, it still makes the most sense for her to stay home.
If Stroessner’s story sounds familiar, that’s because it is incredibly common. Bring up childcare costs in a room full of parents and you’re sure to be met with groans (and maybe even a few tears). My own childcare story is one of working weekends and overnights to circumvent childcare expenses before eventually transitioning to working from home full-time.
https://twitter.com/HoneysIsh/status/1000050840592412672
Childcare is expensive—at least, that’s the general consensus. When you look at it objectively, gathering the cold, hard numbers and stripping them down to the nuts and bolts of expenses, are the costs unreasonable? What other costs are associated with the economics of childcare? Here’s what we found out.

How much does childcare cost?

The cost of childcare varies greatly depending on where the care is being provided, the age of the child, and who is providing the care. For instance, the average cost of infant care is much higher than care for a toddler or school-age child, according to the Parents and the High Cost of Child Care Report by Child Care Aware. Care in a daycare center has a higher price tag than an in-home daycare center.

iStock.com/Nadezhda1906

The average annual cost of care is $8,634, with infant care costing closer to five figures. This is a number that only takes into consideration care provided by daycare centers or in-home daycare providers. It doesn’t account for private nannies, who come at a much higher cost. The annual average cost of a nanny is $28,905, according to a Cost of Care survey by Care.com.
iStock.com/Peopleimages

There is much variation in the cost of childcare, though, depending on where you live. For instance, in 2016, the average annual cost of care for an infant was $20,125 in a daycare center in Massachusetts. On the opposite end of the spectrum is North Dakota, one of the most affordable places to pay for care, where the average cost of daycare falls between $6,000 and $8,000 each year.

What factors impact childcare?

Because of the high cost of daycare, it might be easy to assume that the daycare industry is a profitable one or that the costs are unreasonable. That actually isn’t the case. Providing daycare is a costly endeavor. Due to the various legal regulations for the size of the building and labor, daycare centers spend a lot of money simply doing the bare minimum needed to provide good care and keep their business running.

iStock.com/Nadezhda1906

First, daycare centers have to deal with rent. From state to state, there are regulations that dictate how much square footage each center has to obtain per child they plan to enroll. And, depending on where the daycare center is located, the cost of rent is higher. It follows a logical trend—in regions with a higher cost of living, rent is higher for daycare centers.
“Rent is a huge cost in areas such as Hoboken, New York City, or the Washington D.C. area,” explains Holly Flanders, founder and CEO of Choice Parenting, an organization that assists parents in the New York area with finding care.
Flanders also points out that although rent is expensive, it is not the biggest cost of running a daycare center. The reality is that it is payroll that accounts for the vast majority of day care expenses.
iStock.com/designer491

It makes sense when you take into consideration that, in order to be licensed in your state, there are specific teacher-to-child ratios that have to be upheld. Although there is some variation from state to state, most states require a 1:3 teacher-to-child ratio for very young infants. As the age of the children in care increases, the ratios become less constraining. This explains why infant care costs parents so much more.
https://twitter.com/Amazingrocio/status/629451750785703936
For this reason, labor expense accounts for as much as 80 percent of most daycare budgets, according to a report by Child Care, Inc. And, as reported by The Atlantic, these caretakers still aren’t walking away with a large check. In fact, many daycare workers are struggling to live on the salary provided by their jobs.
iStock.com/Fullerene

At most daycare centers, tuition cost is in line with their expenses. It may be expensive, but it isn’t unreasonable.
However, that doesn’t mean it’s affordable for the families in need of care. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has determined that affordable childcare is qualified as any care that makes up 7 percent or less of the family’s total income. For families like Stroessner’s, the actual cost of care would have eaten up the entire income of one of the working parents. It may have been what the care provider needed to charge to make ends meet, but it wasn’t affordable for her family.

Parents and the Cost of Care

There is another cost associated with unaffordable daycare expense—childcare often costs mothers the most. As The Atlantic reports, highly educated moms are jumping from being career women to staying at home for a variety of reasons. One of the most evident is that the cost of childcare is extremely high, meaning it can be unreasonable to pay for it, even on a two-income budget.
[pullquote align=”center”]“As we are calculating expenses, our childcare cost has careened past our mortgage payment.”
—Danielle Butler, mom of two[/pullquote]
Although she enjoys being home with her children, Stroessner still had to let go of a career she loved.
https://twitter.com/jadeleshayy/status/1000066020952899586
For Danielle Butler, a mom of two from Atlanta who is just returning to work, the cost of care of created so much stress she found herself questioning if she should work at all.
“As we are calculating expenses, our childcare cost has careened past our mortgage payment,” she writes in an email to HealthyWay. “Looking into the next school year, we could potentially see our childcare expenses soaring beyond double our mortgage. Even typing it now, it looks outrageous and I’m feeling the knot in my shoulder.”

iStock.com/zenstock

She considered staying home. She even worked from home for a time after her youngest was born, but it simply didn’t work. She speaks of juggling conference calls while trying to keep a baby happy or a toddler out of danger. We connect when we discuss how working-from-home isn’t the “best of both worlds” like it is made out to be. Mothers are stressed with a double workload. It’s nearly impossible to be a good mom and good employee at the same time. It’s too much.
For Butler, the decision to go back to work was about the meeting the needs of both her family and herself, even if it meant stomaching unaffordable care.
iStock.com/monkeybusinessimages

“It allows both mom and dad the opportunity to work full-time to cover other life expenses,” she says. “It also gives parents a reprieve from being stuck in parent mode while simultaneously increasing the children’s social skills.”

Creatively Approaching the Cost of Care

If we’re being perfectly honest, there is no easy solution to childcare cost. Daycare centers need to cover their expenses, and many parents want or need to work. Mothers want to continue to pursue their careers. Household expenses dictate that both parents work, even if it means spending a huge percentage of their income on childcare.

iStock.com/monkeybusinessimages

Flanders suggests that parents concerned with the cost of care might find more affordable options outside of the city.
“There are other daycares that are a little further out of the way,” she says. “They may not come with all of the bells and the whistles, but they are still required to follow state guidelines. They have the same kind of teacher ratios, the same kind of standards and requirements.”
Flanders is quick to point out that it is the teachers, not the “bells and whistles” like organic foods and webcam monitoring, that make a difference to the children. Attentive and caring daycare employees are most beneficial to kids. In her experience, the standard of care is very similar between high-cost and more affordable daycare options.
iStock.com/BraunS

Our family chose unconventional schedules, with me often working nights and weekends to keep childcare expenses minimal. A friend of mine negotiated an arrangement that allows her to work one to two days from home, spending the other three days in the office.
Small families can use nanny sharing, splitting the cost of one nanny across two families. A friend of mine who works from home has used childcare swaps to keep care affordable, helping a friend with her kids occasionally and then that friend returns the favor. It is possible to creatively approach the cost of childcare, although we admit that there is no perfect solution.

Categories
In the Kitchen Nosh Nutrition x Advice

Be A Produce Pro: Expert Tips For Storing Your Fruits And Veggies

My first apartment after college was within walking distance of two different farmers markets. I loved browsing the stalls, picking up new produce to try, and stocking my fridge with a rainbow of fruits and veggies. But all too often, I’d buy a piece of fruit only for it to turn into a gloopy, moldy lump seemingly overnight. As it turns out, I wasn’t paying attention to how I prepped and stored my produce.

“To help keep your fruits and vegetables fresh, it’s important that you store them properly,” explains Amy Kubal, a registered dietitian. ”A bowl of fruit on the counter isn’t going to last as long as one in the refrigerator!”
I consulted the experts about the dos and don’ts of produce storage, and here’s what they had to share.

The first step is to shop smart.

Make sure you buy fruits and veggies that are in good shape to begin with—that means no decay, shriveling, insect damage (like raggedy holes on leaves), or bruises. Your produce doesn’t have to be perfect looking—after all, there’s a serious issue with “ugly” produce ending up in landfills—but it shouldn’t be damaged, either.

When possible, buy local and seasonal items from farms, farm stands, farmers markets, and local vendors who sell to supermarkets. Still, even hyper-fresh produce won’t necessarily last very long.
“Storage times range from five days to two weeks or more and will often depend on the quality and freshness of your produce at the time of purchase,” explains Cara Harbstreet, RD, of Street Smart Nutrition. “If you find you’re not able to use your produce before it starts to spoil, you may be over-purchasing. With a little planning, you can avoid food waste while also minimizing trips to the store or market.”

iStock.com/Steve Debenport

Harbstreet says you should realistically think about how often you can grocery shop. Plan your trips, then plan your meals around those trips.
“Use the vegetables and fruits that ‘go bad’ the fastest first, and save the heartier ones for later in the week,” Kubal says.

Once you’re done shopping, there are various ways to prep and store your goodies.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says you should store your produce away from any raw meat, poultry, or seafood and wash your hands (with soap!) before you prep it. They also recommend washing everything under running water (without soap, according to Foodsafety.gov), even if you don’t plan to eat the skin or rind. Dry everything with a clean cloth or paper towel.

iStock.com/undrey

For cut-up fruits and veggies, you’ll want some containers like mason jars, glass tupperware, or resealable plastic baggies to keep everything clean and organized. A fruit bowl is also a great idea—having a full one in sight makes it super easy to grab healthy snacks.

Let ‘Em Be

Some fruits and vegetables fare better on the countertop, in your pantry (and, in some cases, in the cellar). Here are some items you don’t need to refrigerate:
– Potatoes and sweet potatoes: “Whether you have white or sweet potatoes, you’re dealing with a starchy vegetable,” Harbstreet explains. “When those starches are exposed to cold, they begin to break down, but instead of converting to sugars—hence, a sweeter flavor when you cook them—they become unpleasantly sweet with other ‘off’ flavors.”

iStock.com/YelenaYemchuk

– Onions and garlic: According to Harbstreet, the starches in onions can break down under cold temps, leading to soft, spoiled onions and a very stinky fridge. “This doesn’t apply to green onions and scallions, though, thanks for their higher water content. Those can withstand refrigeration for up to one week.”
Oh, and potatoes speed the spoilage of onions, says Harbstreet, so make sure you’re keeping them separate.
iStock.com/ClarkandCompany

– Whole melons: Research suggests that it’s best to store them at room temperature to maximize their antioxidant content. To keep the antioxidant levels high, only store melon in the fridge after you’ve sliced it up.


– Winter squash and pumpkins: Rounding out the year, these are best stored at 50-55 degrees Fahrenheit according to research out of Oregon State University. Below 50 degrees, winter squashes and pumpkins deteriorate rapidly. This range is well below room temperature, of course, so storing them in a cellar would be best.

Keep ‘Em Cold

These fruits and veggies should go right in the fridge:
(Note: All numeric claims in this section draw from a document published by the Pacific Northwest Extension (PNW), a joint publication from University of Idaho Extension, Oregon State University Extension Service, and Washington State University Extension.)
– Trim the ends of asparagus stalks, wrap the trimmed ends in a damp paper towel, then put them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Or you can stand them upright in a jar of water.

– Broccoli and cauliflower: These two are hardy veggies, and Harbstreet says they can last longer than the usual 3-5 days if stored properly—that’s between 32 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit at 90-95 percent humidity.
– Celery, which lasts 1-2 weeks in the refrigerator, can still go limp very quickly. To preserve whole celery, people swear by wrapping it in foil and keeping it in the fridge.

iStock.com/5PH

– Fresh herbs. Stored at 35-40 degrees Fahrenheit, they can last up to 10 days. “Store herbs like you would flowers, in a glass with water, and refrigerate,” suggests Rachel Meltzer Warren, RDN. If you have any windowsill space at home, it could be worth growing your own herbs indoor and snipping off what you need for individual recipes.
– Lettuce and salad greens. Whether they’re pre-bagged or still on a head of lettuce, toss them in the fridge, the FDA says. And be sure to wash loose salad greens carefully, too. If you want to make salad greens last longer, consider popping them into a container with a paper towel. The towel will absorb any moisture, preventing wilting.
iStock.com/michalpalka

– If you buy mushrooms in a plastic-wrapped container, put that right into the fridge without opening it. If you buy them loose, store them in the fridge in a paper bag. Harbstreet says that mushrooms can spoil quickly, so plan to use them within a couple of days of purchase.

The Toss-Ups

Some items can go either way. Other items can go in both, depending on where they are in the ripening process (and when you plan to eat them):
– Avocados. “You’ve likely struggled with finding the perfect ripeness—avocados seem to either be rock hard or so soft they’re hardly edible,” Harbstreet says. “If you find yourself with the former, opt for the countertop, which speeds ripening, and if you have the latter but can’t eat it right away, go with the fridge.”

iStock.com/gradyreese

– Eggplant. Harbstreet prefers to store hers on the counter, but only if there’s not much humidity in the kitchen. “Eggplant is best consumed within 2 to 3 days from purchase, and you may find storing in the fridge helps it reach that second or third day with quality intact.”
– Citrus fruits are a true toss-up, lasting 10 days at room temperature and 1-2 weeks in the refrigerator, per the PNW document. The researchers, for what it’s worth, say it’s best stored at “cool room temperature.”
iStock.com/gradyreese

– Apples. Apples should be ripened at room temperature and then stored in the fridge, per the PNW doc—there, they’ll live on from anywhere 1-4 weeks, according to the PNW document.
– Tomatoes. “Have you ever had the sad, [measly] slices of tomatoes on your sandwich or in a salad? That’s likely due to refrigeration,” Harbstreet says. “The taste and texture of tomatoes is best when they’re allowed to stay at room temperature but out of direct sunlight.”
iStock.com/bymuratdeniz

Like apples, it’s best to ripen these at room temperature and store in the refrigerator, unwashed, after that.

If you often have to throw away spoiled or rotten produce, consider buying some things frozen or canned.

Back in 2007, scientists at UC Davis published a paper comparing the nutrients found in frozen, fresh, and canned produce. As it turns out, frozen produce is equal in nutrition, and sometimes more nutritious, than the fresh stuff. That’s because frozen veggies and fruits were often picked when they are at peak ripeness and then frozen, basically pressing the “pause” button.

iStock.com/VictoriaBee

Another plus? Frozen items are usually cheaper than fresh ones, and they last way longer.
A few ideas of what to store in the freezer (or keep in the can):
– Hyper-seasonal produce like peaches, zucchini, pumpkin, or anything else you might purchase in bulk and not be able to use immediately.
– Ginger root can last for up to 6 months in the freezer, according to Foodsafety.gov, and frozen ginger is easier to grate for recipes than the fresh stuff.
iStock.com/egal

– If you cook spinach regularly, buying canned spinach is a great idea. FoodSafety.gov says that spinach, a “low acid” canned good, can last two to five years if safely stored in the pantry.
– Even when refrigerated properly, berries only last a couple of days. Buying frozen berries is usually much cheaper than buying them fresh, too. Frozen berries are ideal for smoothies, desserts, and snacking—and Foodsafety.gov says the frozen stuff will safely last up to a whole year.
iStock.com/MarkHatfield

Oh, and don’t wash berries until you’re ready to eat them, advises Warren. “I’ve seen people do that thinking it will make the berries ready for snacking, but instead, the berries are more likely to grow mold and spoil faster.”

Now that you’re armed with all this knowledge, time to stock up on your favorite fruits and veggies.

If you want to try a few new things, visit your local farmers market and chat with vendors there. Browse grocery store circulars for deals and coupons, and look into local farm shares or community-supported agriculture programs.
No one’s perfect, so chances are you’ll still have some produce that goes bad before you can use it.

iStock.com/aluxum

“If you’ve got fruits and veggies that are getting close to having outlived their useful life, slice them up and throw them in the freezer to use in soups, stews and smoothies later,” says Kubal.
If you really struggle with food waste, consider composting your kitchen scraps. Ultimately, don’t beat yourself up if you can’t always eat something before it goes bad. Just do your best—and enjoy whatever fruits and veggies you have access to.

Categories
Uncategorized

Is She Actually Born With It? Here's How Genetics Influence Your Skin.

“Maybe she’s born with it.”
That’s the tagline of a popular cosmetic line, which we won’t mention here—okay, fine, it’s Maybelline—and a reference to the timeless appeal of beautiful, natural skin. Dig a little deeper, though, and there’s an assumption within the tagline: Our genes control our skin’s appearance.

iStock.com/Peopleimages

That’s partly true, but of course, it’s a lot more complicated than that. We decided to look into the science of skin genetics—with special attention to products that claim to leverage the power of genetics to slow down the aging process.

When people discuss “aging” and “skin,” they’re really talking about something else.

Admit it: When you think about aging and skin, you think about wrinkles. They’re arguably aging’s most visible sign, and for the most part, wrinkling is inevitable. However, we wondered what actually causes wrinkles to form and whether there’s a way to slow down or reverse the process.
As we age, we produce less collagen, the structural protein that gives our skin its strength. We produce about 1 percent less collagen every year, so over time, the skin becomes more susceptible to wrinkling and sagging. That’s a simplified version of the aging process—we also become worse at sweating (which sounds way more awesome than it actually is), and we produce less elastin, another protein that acts as a connective tissue.

While everyone ages, the process is certainly more pronounced for some people. That’s partially due to genetic differences.
“One of the bigger factors is how your parents have aged, how your grandparents aged,” says Suzanne Friedler, MD, a board-certified fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology. “If you look at that, you’ll probably get a good idea of how you’ll age.”

Michele and Mikaela Lilly, winners of the Herald-Whig’s Mother & Daughter Look-Alike contest. (Phil Carlson/Herald-Whig)

However, external factors play an enormous role, and it’s difficult to completely isolate the genetic factors from those external factors. UV radiation is an especially significant problem; while our bodies have some built-in protection from sunlight, sunlight can cause extraordinary damage to the skin in a fairly short amount of time. That’s why sunscreen and sun avoidance are crucial to slowing the skin’s aging process. Unfortunately, people typically apply sunscreen at under 25 percent of the recommended dose.

If you’ve got lighter eyes and hair, you’re probably more susceptible to getting wrinkles.

That brings us to one of the key ways that genetics affect skin aging.
“In general, darker-skinned individuals skin will age more gracefully as there is more melanin in the skin which protects the skin from sun exposure,” says Jerome Potozkin, MD, a California dermatologist.


This is the reasoning behind the saying that’s now the title for Viola Davis’ possibly-upcoming comedy, Black Don’t Crack. Research backs that up. A 2016 paper found that “individuals with darker skin are overall thought to have firmer and smoother skin than individuals with lighter skin of the same age.”

The authors also noted that cultural ideas of beauty differ quite a bit, and that all types of skin age, albeit in different ways. Nevertheless, darker skin tends to show fewer wrinkles due to the melanin difference.
That brings us back to one of those external factors, because…

UV light—the light from the sun—ages the skin.

“UV light is probably one of the biggest factors in skin aging,” says Friedler. “To put it simply, the more sun exposure you’ve had, the worse your skin ages. Darker skin tones have more natural protection against UV, so they tend to age a lot better.”


With that said, people with darker skin can still get skin cancer, so sunscreen is important for everyone. Don’t assume that your skin’s natural defenses are enough to keep you safe.
“The two most common forms of ultraviolet exposure are exposure to sunlight and tanning beds,” Potozkin says. “To decrease the acceleration of skin aging, it is prudent to protect the skin from the sun through the use of sunscreen and sun-protective clothing.”
[pullquote align=”center”]”There’s no such thing as a healthy tan.”
—Suzanne Friedler, MD[/pullquote]
Granted, you’ll want to get some sunshine, since vitamin D is a crucial nutrient, and your body creates vitamin D when prompted by sunlight. Still, high levels of vitamin D have also been associated with premature skin aging in mice, so moderation is key.

Never assume that your skin is healthy simply because you didn’t get a sunburn.

Friedler says that’s a common mistake.
“There’s no such thing as a healthy tan,” she says. “A tan is a sign of skin damage, period.”

iStock.com/Filipovic018

Tanning occurs when your body is exposed to relatively high levels of UV radiation, typically from sunlight or a tanning bed. Your body responds to the threat by increasing melatonin production. That sounds like a healthy response, but the FDA notes that suntanning is associated with higher levels of skin cancer. Even if you don’t tan or burn, you shouldn’t step into the sunlight without adequate protection.
“All kinds of UV affect skin aging,” Friedler explains. “Not only UV-B, which we associate with sunburns and suntans, but UV-A, which is more of an invisible radiation—it also affects your skin aging.”


“For example, the windows on a car block out UV-B. In Australia, there have been studies that look at people and compares the driver’s side—which is hit with a lot of UV-A rays—versus the passenger’s seat, which is on the shadier side of the car. And in the studies, the side that was exposed to UV-A had a lot of solar elastosis, which means a breakdown of the collagen, breakdown of the elastin, and a lot of fine wrinkling. That’s just from those UV-A rays.”
[related article_ids=1001303]
Moral of the story: Wear your sunscreen, even if you don’t think it’s necessary.
[Editorial note: We think that Friedler is referring to this study, performed by a team led by Matthias Moehrle, MD.]

If you have thicker skin, you might also age more gracefully.

As Friedler explains, thicker skin contains more collagen, that fun structural protein we’d referenced earlier.
“The more collagen you have, the better your skin will look [as it ages],” she says. “That’s if you naturally have more fullness or thickness to the skin. But I don’t know if that’s a main factor in skin aging—it’s just one of the factors that has a genetic basis.”

iStock.com/Youngoldman

Once again, darker-skinned people tend to benefit in this department, specifically because they have smaller collagen-fiber bundles than lighter-skinned people.
“People with darker skin naturally have a little bit more collagen and a different kind of collagen, and your skin might age a little better along the way,”  Friedler says.
iStock.com/Wavebreakmedia

Still, our experts agreed that, over time, external factors tend to play a much bigger role than genetic factors. That’s not a bad deal—external factors are controllable, but genetic factors obviously aren’t.

What about skincare products that claim to use genetics in order to provide better results?

We’re talking about products that claim to use a “genetic profile” to create an optimized skincare routine for every consumer. Basically, these products claim to be the 23andme of dermatology. Orig3n, a Boston-based company, offers a “skin health and appearance” test for ~$38, along with a more comprehensive “beauty DNA test” for ~$47.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh_3oZknoDv/?taken-by=orig3n_inc
“It sounds a little hokey to me,” Friedler says. “I don’t know too much about it. But I think the things that determine a skincare routine have more to do with oils.”
Friedler notes that oilier skin tends to have fewer wrinkles. There’s a big caveat to keep in mind: Some wrinkles seem to pop up regardless of your oil levels or skin type, according to recent research in Clinical Anatomy. Crow’s feet (the little lines around your eyes) are a notable example.
Still, oilier skin tends to prevent forehead wrinkles, per the Clinical Anatomy research, and forehead wrinkles are obviously pretty notable. If you’re not dealing with issues like acne, oily skin might actually be a good thing. Unfortunately, it’s also unpredictable.

iStock.com/Youngoldman

“If you’re younger, your skin may produce more oils,” Friedler says. “But there are patients and people who age and their skin stays so oily, which is unusual. Typically, skin gets drier as you age, but there are people who actually get oilier skin as they get older. And oil levels also vary depending on the time of year.”
If you use a skincare routine optimized to your “genetic profile,” you’re probably going to be disappointed, simply because genetics are far too complicated for a single test to reveal anything useful.


“I don’t think a genetic test is really going to give you the answer to that. It can’t tell you how oily your skin will be at a certain point in your life,” Friedler says. “It’s not going to tell you what to expect in that department.”
To put it another way, products that claim to offer some sort of advantage thanks to genetic science might not be worth the money, simply because genetics are, well, complex.

iStock.com/Wavebreakmedia

“While everything ultimately has a ‘genetic’ origin, it’s a very different line,” says Ranella Hirsch, MD, a Boston dermatologist. “[The line is] straight, say, for eye color or a condition like xeroderma pigmentosum (a genetic skin condition). How you wrinkle has a much more indirect connection [to genetics].”

Regardless of your skin type, effective dermatological maintenance makes a difference in aging.

We consulted with a few dermatologists for this story, and they all gave us the same advice: Wear sunscreen. If you skipped over that section of this article, that’s the big takeaway. UV radiation can age the skin, so if you’re spending a decent amount of time in the sunlight, make sure that you’re adequately protected.
Another good tip for staying young: Put your phone away at the end of the night. Melatonin production seems to have a beneficial effect on the skin aging process, per a 2012 paper published in the journal Dermatoendocrinology. And your body naturally produces melatonin, a hormone, at night.

iStock.com/Melpomenem

The hormone plays a critical role in healthy sleep, and various factors can influence its production. If you regularly look at your phone at night, your body will produce less melatonin, since your body interprets the electronic light as sunlight.
While genetics play a big role in skin aging, researchers are just starting to understand that effect. Ultimately, if you want to preserve your youthful looks, your best bet is to think about the factors that you can control—for instance, skin moisturization, sleep health, and sun exposure—and leave those miracle, “genetically optimized” products behind.
We’re all the subjects of our genetics, but the good news is that we can control some of the factors that drive aging. Pass the sunscreen.

Categories
Motherhood

6 Things To Remember When Giving Birth In A Turkish Hotel Room (Or Any Other Unusual Place)

Here’s the scenario: You’re in a Turkish hotel, giving birth. You don’t think that anyone in the area speaks English, you’ve never given birth before, and you’re absolutely positive that the baby’s not going to wait another second. What do you do?
For Tia Freeman, the answer was obvious: Get on YouTube. With some help from the internet, she recently gave birth to her first child, Xavier Ata, alone in a hotel bathroom.


About 1.5 percent of U.S. women give birth in locations other than hospitals, per a report from Reuters Health. But many of them do so by choice, according to Karly Nuttall, a home birth midwife—they do it to keep control, to maintain body autonomy, to curate a comfortable setting. Tia did it out of necessity.
We spoke with Tia and Karly to find out what it’s really like to give birth in a strange place—and what every woman should know if she finds herself in that position.  

1. In desperate situations, you might not think to call a hospital.

As soon as she arrived in the hotel, she started prepping. We asked Tia why she didn’t call a hospital right away.
“I thought about it,” she says, “but from the limited amount of time I’d been in Turkey—there were so few people who spoke English, and I didn’t know any Turkish other than ‘Thank you’ and ‘Okay.’ That was a factor. I also knew that each country had a different 911 number, and I didn’t know that number in Turkey.”


She also had practical concerns.
“I didn’t know how my insurance was going to work overseas,” she says, “and on top of that, he was coming so quickly. My contractions were, like, back-to-back at this point. I didn’t think I was going to make it to a hospital anyway, so I said, ‘Well, I guess we’re just going to have to figure this out.'”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BC-c9CxpDsv/?taken-by=teenwitchtia
“If a pregnancy is not planned and a baby is coming fast, sometimes people can’t get to the hospital in time,” says Karly. “A birth under three hours is a precipitous labor, and usually that means that there are no complications. Sometimes, the baby may need a little assistance breathing because it can be shocking for them, but more often than not, if a woman is having a rapid birth, usually everything is fine.”

2. A bit of guidance goes a long way.

After she realized that she was giving birth, Tia looked up tutorials on YouTube.
“In true millennial form!” she says. “I didn’t know what else to do, so I was like, ‘Well, the internet’s got my back. YouTube, Google—one way or another, I’m going to figure this out.'”


She boiled shoelaces in her hotel room’s teapot (Tia tells us that most Turkish hotel rooms have teapots), grabbed towels, and ran water in the bathtub. The shoelaces would tie off the umbilical cord, at which point she could cut through it with a sterilized pocket knife.
“I was like, ‘Alright, this should get the job done.’ I put the towel in my mouth to muffle out the screaming—because the only labor I’d known was what I saw on television, and those women always look like they’re going through hell and high water.”


Tia was preparing to “freebirth” it—she was delivering her own child, on her own, without any sort of assistance whatsoever. While, spoiler alert, everything worked out in her case, Karly recommends against that practice.
“If you are birthing at home with a midwife, they will have proper training and education,” she says. “There are three common types of complication that can happen out of hospital: hemorrhage, shoulder dystocia, and infant resuscitation. Midwives are trained and have all of the same equipment to deal with these situations. Our best tool is our ability to observe and know when something is no longer low risk and make the call to transfer if necessary.”

3. Ultimately, your body knows what to do.

As Tia began giving birth, she had a brief moment of panic.
“So I’m groaning into this towel and pushing, and I’m like, ‘Why is this baby not coming out? Where’s my epidural? How did I get into this situation?'” Tia recalls.
https://twitter.com/TheWittleDemon/status/988924447359946752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
“And then, finally, I’m guiding his head, because I know not to pull. Suddenly, he just comes popping out into the water and floats to the top,” she recalls, laughing. “I was like, ‘Oh my God, it’s a baby!'”
We asked Karly what women should know if they find themselves in the same situation. The short answer: Relax and let your body take over.


“Stay calm and realize that is a normal and natural process,” she says. “Mothers usually know what to do instinctively. You want to deliver the head as slow as you can. You want to keep the baby warm, you want to help stimulate the baby to breathe if they are not doing so on their own with rubbing or a quick puff of air.”
Of course, the safest option is to have a midwife or doctor nearby.

4. Cutting the cord can be pretty traumatic.

After the delivery, Tia successfully clamped and cut the cord. That was the first time she felt afraid.
“‘What if I cut the wrong thing?'” she remembers thinking. “‘This isn’t a game of Operation, this is the real deal. It’s game time.'”


Karly notes that this can be a tricky part of the process.
“You want to let the umbilical cord pulse until it’s finished,” she says. “Don’t touch it or do anything to it.”


Per the American Pregnancy Association, the umbilical cord doesn’t have to be cut immediately; in fact, one study found that babies whose cords were clamped more than a minute after delivery had greater iron storage three to six months after birth. However, those babies also required more phototherapy due to jaundice.
If you find yourself in Tia’s situation, you’ll want to clamp and cut—but take your time, don’t panic, and wait for the pulsing to stop before you reach for those scissors.

5. If you can give birth in a Turkish hotel room, you can do just about anything.

Amazingly, Tia didn’t panic at all during labor, and while she admits that the experience seems scary in retrospect, she remembers feeling fairly calm.
“I just thought, ‘What’s step one? Water birth, I saw that somewhere on the internet. Okay, step two: What position do I get in? On to step three.’ And the whole time, I’m talking out loud to myself. I probably sounded crazy to the person in the next room, but I was just trying to coax myself through it.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BhVAbgJjfqo/?taken-by=teenwitchtia
“And I’m on the internet this whole time. The internet’s like, ‘Don’t push until your contractions are two minutes apart,’ and I’m like, ‘Psh, I’ve got a timer, I can do this. My iPhone has prepared me for this.'”

6. Flight authorities ask a lot of questions if you suddenly show up with a new baby.

The consulate authorities asked her how she’d boarded a plane in her third trimester.
“I didn’t really know the official rules regarding who can’t fly, but no one ever asked. No one ever told me I couldn’t—in their defense, though, I didn’t really look pregnant.”
https://twitter.com/TheWittleDemon/status/988937072764387329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Airlines typically prevent women from flying in the last several weeks of their trimester without a doctor’s note, but some airlines don’t have any policies whatsoever. According to the CDC, the typical cutoff date is 36 weeks into a pregnancy.
“At no point did anyone chastise me or anything, but they had a lot of questions,” Tia says. “They kept saying, ‘I can’t believe you did this.’ And I was like, ‘I barely believe it myself.'”
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bih5bUslgK9/?taken-by=teenwitchtia
Tia answered dozens of questions to prove that the baby was actually hers, then filled out paperwork for a United States birth certificate. Xavier received an emergency passport.

Xavier, by the way, is doing well.

His middle name, “Ata,” references the unusual circumstances of his birth.
“It’s Turkish,” she tells HealthyWay. “I kinda just got it from the ladies that were helping me at the airport. They were like, ‘Oh, he needs a Turkish name, he needs a Turkish name!’ And I was like, ‘Well, I think I can do that.'”
Ata is both the name of the city where Tia gave birth and a reference to the founder of the Republic of Turkey.


“If you’re planning on traveling later in a pregnancy, pack a baby-go bag,” she says, “even if you’re super early and you don’t think that you baby’s coming. Babies come on their own time! If you do end up going into labor somewhere where you can’t get to a hospital—say you’re stuck at traffic or you’re at home and you can’t get to a phone—deep breaths.”
“I know, it sounds very cliché. Breathe and focus, and your body and your instincts will take over.”

Categories
Conscious Beauty Lifestyle

The Truth About Shampoo

When was the last time you sat down and thought about shampoo?
We’re not talking about spending 20 minutes browsing through bottles of TRESemmé during a shopping trip. We’re talking about the actual function of shampoo itself. Why is it necessary? Is it really necessary? And is there really any difference between the pricey products lining the walls of your favorite salon and, say, the cost-effective options at the drugstore? Or a bar of soap?

iStock.com/JackF

We’ve been thinking about shampoo for a long time now—probably too long, according to our friends and family—so we decided to reach out to a few experts to get some answers.

First of all, what does shampoo actually do?

You can probably guess the basics, but to really answer some of the difficult questions about shampoo, it’s important to understand how it works.
“[Shampoos remove] two things: the natural oil that accumulates in the hair and dirt from the environment,” explains Laura Waters, PhD, principal enterprise fellow at the University of Huddersfield. Waters is a forensic anthropologist who studied shampoo for BBC Two‘s Horizon.
Dermatologist Fayne Frey, MD, gets a little more specific in an email to HealthWay: “Shampoo is basically a liquid cleanser designed to clean the scalp of sebum, sweat, desquamating skin cells, styling products, and dirt.”

iStock.com/MihailUlianikov

Desquamation is the clinical term for when skin sheds (it’s also our new favorite word). Sebum is the oil our skin naturally secretes.
Basically, shampoo works in exactly the same manner as bar soap: It uses detergents to get rid of oils. The detergents are the heavy lifters, and other ingredients thicken the shampoo (watery shampoos don’t sell well), prevent bacterial contamination, add a pleasant smell, and make the mixture foam up in the shower.
[pullquote align=”center”]”… well-formulated shampoos will clean the hair adequately and leave the hair aesthetically pleasing to the consumer. The trick is finding one you like.”
—Fayne Frey, PhD[/pullquote]
People respond to that foaming action, but foaminess doesn’t guarantee cleaning power.
“Most consumers think foaming equals cleansing, although the two are not related,” Fayne clarifies. “Almost all shampoos are built around detergents that are blended together to achieve the [optimal] amount of cleansing, depending on the type of hair.”
iStock.com/gilaxia

“Harsher detergents, or surfactants, strip the hair of almost everything,” Fayne continues, “leaving the hair dull and lackluster, often [susceptible to] static electricity,” she explains. “Milder surfactants don’t clean as well but leave the hair more manageable. Certain ingredients are added to shampoos to address manageability, and other ingredients are added to make the shampoo itself more appealing to the consumer.”

What about specialty shampoos?

Specialty shampoos are big business. Baby shampoos, for instance, promise “no tears,” while oil control shampoos promise to detoxify the scalp and reduce grease. That’s not all marketing, but it doesn’t imply any massive differences in the formula’s basic composition, either.
“There are many different ‘types’ of shampoo claiming to be for different groups of the population,” Waters says. “They all do the same job—clean your hair. It is just that some, such as baby products, use milder [or more dilute] surfactants, which means they will be less likely to irritate the skin but also not be as effective if you have a lot of oil/dirt to wash away.”

iStock.com/South_agency

“Most of the other types of shampoos, such as ‘volumising’ and that sort of thing, have added ingredients as well as the surfactants,” she says. “Some put a coating on the hair to make it seem thicker, some have extra conditioners, but they still all contain surfactants.”
That’s also true for bar soaps. In fact, if you find yourself in a situation where you’re completely out of shampoo, a little bit of bar soap should accomplish the same basic thing.


That’s right; shampoo is, ultimately, unnecessary. That doesn’t mean that it doesn’t serve an important purpose.
“Most people believe that their hair looks better when the oil is removed,” Waters writes. “It looks and feels cleaner, but there is no need to wash it away, really.”

That brings us to the “no-poo” movement.

Disregard the silly name; the idea is that hair is healthier without shampoo because the natural oils in our hair are, well, natural. Why strip away something that’s supposed to be there?
It’s not a ridiculous idea, and it’s gone somewhat mainstream. Gwyneth Paltrow is an avid no-poo-er, per a report in Express.co.uk, and publications like Marie Claire and The Telegraph have published fawning testimonials from no-poo adherents.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BidF3QCB__b/?tagged=nopoo
There’s even a dedicated site, nopoomethod.com, to guide new non-users. According to Frey, there’s nothing wrong with foregoing shampoo completely, provided that you don’t mind some changes in the texture and feel of your hair.
“For healthy scalps, personal preference [determines how often you should shampoo],” she says. “[There’s] no consensus. No evidence that shampooing at any given interval is beneficial to scalp health.”
https://twitter.com/itmaehata/status/984488616905920514
If you don’t wash your hair at all, sebum will build up, potentially causing itchiness or oily dandruff. With that said, Frey notes that scalp health and hair aesthetics are two entirely separate issues.
“Individuals with scalp conditions, redness, itchy scalp, scaly scalp, or other irritations should seek medical attention and see a dermatologist before expecting to cure their scalp ailments with [over-the-counter] shampoos and conditioners,” she says.

We asked Frey whether our shampoo habits might harm the health of our hair.

“The bottles say lather, rinse, repeat, but they never tell you when to stop!” says Frey.
We’ll always appreciate a decent shampoo joke.

iStock.com/dolgachov

“The answer to your question is there is no consensus on how often [to shampoo] or if any given individual with a healthy scalp really needs to shampoo,” she explains. “Before the 1930s, shampoo didn’t even exist. Folks used bar soap if they desired to clean their hair.”
The first liquid shampoo hit markets some time around 1927, but of course, people had been washing their hair for centuries prior. Modern shampoo is largely safe; cosmetic shampoos are regulated, for both their contents and their branding, by the Food and Drug Administration. Medicated shampoos must be approved by the administration.

That means those scary-sounding sulfates listed on the back of your shampoo bottle are safe—within limits. One study published in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science did find that sodium lauryl sulphate, a common commercial shampoo ingredient, caused noticeable damage to hair proteins. That study was carried out at a microscopic level, however, and the authors didn’t recommend against shampoo use; their goal was simply to compare the conditioning effects of different hair products.

Frey says that, provided you have a healthy scalp, you can shampoo your hair as frequently or infrequently as you’d like.

“Folks who don’t want to expose themselves to the chemical ingredients in shampoos … never need to shampoo,” she tells us. “Shampooing daily has become part of the American culture, but for most [is] totally unnecessary. Some say it is un-American to not shampoo, but the ‘no-poo’ movement is growing.”
https://twitter.com/pimpgotdistress/status/996367948251049985
For what it’s worth, we couldn’t find anyone who says that it’s unpatriotic to forego shampoo, but we’ll take Frey’s word for it. The takeaway is that if you like oily hair, you can safely stop shampooing. Just be prepared for the results.

“It is perfectly normal to have oily hair, but most prefer not to … . [How] quickly your hair generates oil depends on how often you need to wash it away,” Waters says. “Dirt from the environment sticks to the oil, and so the former makes the latter seem worse.”

Ever thought about pH levels? Maybe you should.

“Certain characteristics of shampoos and conditioners will affect hair appearance,” Frey notes. “The pH of a shampoo can affect [hair strength] and manageability. Unfortunately, the pH of … shampoos and conditioners is not found on the labels. Consumers must contact the manufacturers for this information.”

iStock.com/Steve Debenport

“The pH of the scalp is around 5.5; pH of a hair shaft is around 3.6,” Frey continues. “Very alkaline products (high pH) can leave the hair with static and difficult to manage.”
According to one study in the International Journal of Trichology, shampoos with an alkaline pH may “increase the negative electrical charge of the hair fiber surface and, therefore, increase friction between the fibers.” That friction, in turn, could lead to cuticle damage fiber breakage.
iStock.com/stock_colors

While the researchers advocate for pH labeling on shampoo bottles, they acknowledge that further research is needed to figure out what the optimum pH range is.

Our experts agreed on one point: Great conditioners, it seems, are worth the money.

When we asked Frey whether shampoos can ever really add volume to hair, she quickly got to the real issue.
“Possibly, for some people, it can appear to have a small effect for the short term,” she writes. “[But] it’s the conditioner that makes a much bigger difference.”
“The idea of beautifying the hair is a secondary issue for shampoos and better addressed by well-formulated conditioners,” Frey says.

iStock.com/skynesher

Conditioners basically bind cuticle flakes to the shaft of each hair, providing a smooth feel and improving appearance. They’re not magical—they can’t add new hairs to your head, either—but they can provide the so-called “volumizing” effect that manufacturers love to tout.
“Shampoo doesn’t tend to be left on the hair for long and is quickly washed away, whereas conditioning products are left on for longer and more likely to have an effect,” Waters says.
“The price of a shampoo is only partially about the ingredients: it is also the image, such as the packaging, et cetera,” Waters continues. “… I wouldn’t buy the [expensive bottle of] shampoo, as it isn’t that much better than [an inexpensive] bottle.”
[pullquote align=”center”]”Some like their hair a bit wavy, others not so much. Beauty, when it comes to hair, is truly in the eyes of the beholder.”
—Fayne Frey, PhD[/pullquote]
Frey recommends experimenting to find what works well with your hair and scalp.  

“Of course, well-formulated shampoos will clean the hair adequately and leave the hair aesthetically pleasing to the consumer,” Frey says. “The trick is finding one you like.”
When buying any product for your hair, it’s imperative to keep that you in mind.
“Some folks like the full, wild hair look, others prefer flat,” Frey says. “Some like their hair a bit wavy, others not so much. Beauty, when it comes to hair, is truly in the eyes of the beholder.”

Categories
Conscious Beauty Lifestyle

The Steps You Should Follow Before Getting Highlights

Jen Panaro, the woman behind lifestyle website Honestly Modern, chose the balayage technique because the lack of upkeep worked well with her lifestyle.
“After highlighting my hair for a few years in high school, I took a 15-year break from highlights because I didn’t want to commit to the regular appointments and expensive cost,” she says. “Recently, I started having balayage treatments, and I have been so happy with them! Because I only have to get treatments once every six months, it’s much more affordable and takes up much less time. Because it’s not colored near the roots, I can also decide at any time to stop coloring it and let it grow out to my natural color with no concerns.”

iStock.com/hedgehog94

So, you’re thinking about getting highlights, too. You’ve glanced at Instagram and marveled at the luscious locks, you’ve read stories like Panaro’s to get you extra excited, and you’ve even given thought to a reasonable budget. Now what?
Well, there are a few steps you should follow before hitting the salon. We hit the books and talked to professionals to acquire them. Here’s what you need to know:

Step 1: Brush up on what highlights actually entail, then evaluate the current state of your hair.

If you’re totally new to hair dye and highlights in general, here’s a quick primer on how the whole thing works.
Hair is mostly made up of keratin, which is a protein also found in your nails and skin. Your natural hair color is determined by two different melanin proteins—eumelanin causes dark hair, and phaeomelanin causes blonde and red hair. Hair dyes are little molecules of color designed to reach the thickest layer, or cortex, of the hair. Semi- or demi-permanent dye molecules will eventually get washed out and leave the cortex; permanent hair dye molecules react with the melanin inside the hair cortex, permanently changing the hair’s color.

iStock.com/powerofforever

Once the chemicals have been applied to your hair, you must wait a while for the chemicals to do their magic—and yep, sometimes that means hours.
While most modern hair dyes are very safe, some people may experience some nasty allergic reactions to them. A common hair dye ingredient called paraphenylenediamine can cause rashes, swelling, welts, and itching in people who are allergic to it. (To test for allergies, your stylist should always do a patch test—that means dabbing a small amount of the dye onto your skin, usually behind your ear or on the inside of your elbow, to see if anything happens within a 24- or 48-hour period.)
iStock.com/Antonio_Diaz

Before you make changes to your hair color, you should figure out what’s going on with your hair right now. Ask yourself a few questions: Is your hair damaged by heat or color? When was the last time you had it treated? Are you super sensitive to chemicals or dye in general? Are you sure you want to change your hair, or would you be just as happy rocking a fun colored wig on special occasions?
If you are already suffering from breakage or seriously dry hair, you should wait until your hair is healthy again and ready to take on color. If you’ve had it colored recently, ask a professional hair stylist how long you should wait before getting more color.

Step 2: Figure out the style you want.

Once you’re confident that your hair can handle some color, it’s time for the fun part: Narrowing down exactly what you want.
Paul Cucinello, CEO of members-only salon Cucinello Studio, says you should ask yourself what type of highlights will be most flattering with the texture and base color of your hair.

iStock.com/MilosStankovic

“I always say that highlights should always accentuate and enhance the depth and dimension of a beautiful hair color,” says Cucinello. “They shouldn’t have to be more than a few shades lighter than your existing color. If that’s the case, you might want to consider changing your overall color before you start adding highlights. You can’t decorate the house before you build the foundation.”
Social media is a great place to start. On Instagram, browse hashtags like #balayage, #haircolor, #mastersofbalayage, #brunettehighlights, #blondehighlights, and #hairdressermagic, then save your favorite pics to your phone or tear out magazine pages so you can show stylists exactly what you are looking for (and maybe a few examples of what you don’t want, too).
While you’re researching, take time to brush up on the lingo. A few key terms you should know:
Partial highlights: If you get partial highlights, the stylist won’t put the highlights all over your head, obviously, but just on part of your hair. Typically, partial highlights frame your face. 
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bhs3qXpg14z/
Full highlights: This is when the highlights are done on every section of your head.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BhtkHRlBlH6/
Foil highlights: During this process, the stylist will take sections of hair, apply the highlighter chemicals to them, and fold them up in pieces of foil until the dye has set in.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BhtkKjwhyp1/
Balayage: This is a freehand technique where the stylist essentially “paints” your hair with the color rather than using the foil method.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BhtYsJQF-9S/
Ombré: Ombré is the French word for “shadow.” In the context of hair, it means a look that goes from darker to lighter in color.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bhr-dsfngFT/
Lowlights: Lowlights are when you add a darker color to your hair rather than a lighter one.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BiN7cvAnZxo/
Pintura: Pintura is a specific technique for highlighting curly or textured hair, developed at the DevaChan salon 20 years ago (the salon specializes in curly hair).
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf144VXDXlW/
“[Pintura] literally means ‘to paint,’ and with this technique, colorists apply hues directly onto the hair without the use of foil,” the DevaChan blog explains. “They ‘paint’ this way because it allows more application freedom, as a result colorists are able to individually identify which curls catch the light the best, and highlight them to add more dimension to someone’s individual texture.”

Step 3: Look for a hair stylist who has done this before—and is comfortable working with your hair type.

“If you don’t have a colorist or have never colored your hair before, find someone who has great hair color with highlights and then schedule a consultation with that colorist,” Cucinello recommends. “Bring lots of pictures of what you have in mind, and more important, what you don’t want.”
You can also check out salon reviews on Yelp and Google and browse stylists’ Instagram pages to see their previous work.

iStock.com/gemenacom

If you have specific concerns, look for relevant reviews and call ahead to the salon. If you have natural hair and want to ensure your stylist has experience with your texture, for example, see if other natural-haired customers have reviewed their services or ask the salon to confirm the stylist’s experience.
When you’re researching, don’t forget to consider pricing. The price range will depend on a few things, like what kind of highlights you want, how long your hair is, how experienced your stylist is, and where you are located. At the Bumble and Bumble salon in New York City, partial foil or balayage highlights run $175-$320, and full foil or balayage goes for $225-$375. At Blondes and Blowouts in Dallas, balayage starts at $250. At Edit Salon in Chicago, full highlights start at $150. Highlighting your hair usually isn’t cheap (sadly) so you need to be realistic about your budget.
iStock.com/PeopleImages

When you call to make your appointment, ask the salon if they have any specific instructions for you. A good general rule of thumb is to show up with clean hair, wearing your usual everyday style.
Smadar Nadav, a junior colorist at Devachan, explains: “We ask our clients to come in with their curls down and in their natural state. Since we paint with your curl pattern, the more we can see the curl and definition the better we control where the color lands. We section out the hair before we highlight. Then we paint each curl we want to showcase and bring light to.”

Step 4: Figure out how your appointment is going to go.

Many salons will offer a consultation ahead of the actual appointment. During that consultation, you can patch test the hair dyes and make sure you’re on the same page with your stylist about the final look. You can ask questions about the chemicals in the dye they use, talk through any potential side effects, and work out an aftercare plan. The stylist can also advise you on how long they expect your appointment to take—giving you the option to rethink things if the 8 hours it would take to give you lavender highlights is not your idea of a great time.

iStock.com/AleksandarNakic

Though you may have your heart set on a certain style, remember that the stylist is a pro. It’s possible that your dream color might not look great with your skin tone, and you may be better served by a warmer or cooler tone. Listen to their input—this is a great chance to collaborate and use the stylist’s expertise to come up with something that’s perfect for you.
“As a colorist, I always have the final result in mind and a color that may look great on one client, might not fit another one,” stylist Giulia Farella from Fabio Scalia Salons explained in a blog post. “Trends come and go, but a great style could last forever. My advice would be to consult with your colorist to find a color that fits your skin tone, haircut, and style in general.”
iStock.com/petekarici

On the day of your appointment, eat beforehand, and make sure to have water and snacks on hand. Some salons, though, offer complimentary snacks and beverages; other places even have a menu you can order from.
Wear something comfortable (dark colors are always a safe bet if you’ll be around dye—accidents happen, people!). Chances are you’ll be at the salon for a number of hours, so come prepared with your phone charger and something to keep you occupied. Most salons will offer reading material, but you could bring along crosswords, addictive iPhone games, or even headphones to watch a show or listen to a podcast during times when your stylist isn’t actively working on your hair.

Step 5: Figure out how to care for your hair afterwards.

Your stylist will provide you with specific aftercare instructions, but here are a few general guidelines.
In many cases, experts suggest waiting 72 hours before shampooing your hair. And you may need to pick up some specialized shampoos for color-treated hair, as many professionals recommend washing your hair with a sulfate-free shampoo after a color treatment. Sulfates are common in shampoos and cause the product to lather when you add water; however, they can also strip your hair and scalp of natural oils, drying out your hair and making it brittle. Sulfates can also strip your hair color, causing dye to fade fast.

iStock.com/JackF

Other tips to keep your highlights looking great: Don’t wash your hair too often, as that can cause the color to fade; use cool or lukewarm water when washing your hair because super hot water can leach out the dye; allow your hair to dry naturally as often as possible; when you do need to heat-style your hair, use styling tools on low heat and use a heat-protecting spray or balm on your hair as well. Oh, and if you’re going to be out in the sun, consider throwing on a cap or scarf to protect your color (along with SPF for your skin, of course).
“I always tell my clients to give their curls a little extra TLC,” Nadav says. “Leaving in extra conditioner or doing a conditioning treatment is always beneficial after the color has had time to settle … the better your curls are hydrated the better your color will look and last.”

The most important step: Deciding whether this process will work for you.

Highlights can be amazing, but if you do all your research and decide it’s not worth it, there’s no shame in that.
“Will the highlights be realistic to maintain based on your budget and lifestyle?” Cucinello asks. “How often will you need to have your highlights retouched? Will you need to do the same amount of highlights every time, and what will the cost be? No one likes surprises when it’s time to pay for their services.”

Some people may not have the patience to sit for hours in the salon chair; for others the service just isn’t in the budget; for others still, the aftercare instructions might be a little too high-maintenance. If the highlight world isn’t for you? No big deal. But if it is, gather all the info you need and reap the rewards of your hard work when you walk out with your new look.

Categories
Conscious Beauty Lifestyle

The Bottom Line On Beauty Boxes

Walk into any beauty retailer or browse those never-ending virtual shelves from your computer, and there’s one thing for certain: You won’t run out of options. For every skin concern, there’s a myriad of cleansers, serums, and creams; for every type of beauty preference, there are countless palettes, lipsticks, and rouges. From spendy, luxurious oils to highlighters so lit you’ll be casting beams into space, it’s easy to feel equal parts excited and overwhelmed by the plethora of products before you.

This is where beauty box subscriptions come in. The idea isn’t just to amass a huge collection of beauty loot (though it’s a nice side effect), but also to learn about new brands and products in an attempt to figure out what works for you. It’s also a great way to sample products before throwing down a ton of cash on products that might not be your thing.
[pullquote align=”center”]“The convenience afforded by these subscription models really resonates with younger generations that prefer to shop quickly, digitally, and ‘set-it-and-forget-it’ …
—Sarah Biggers[/pullquote]
From avid consumers to professional reviewers, we’ve rounded up the experts to help you navigate the expansive world of beauty box subscriptions.

An Overview of Boxes

Though you can find other boxes out there that cater to things like diet, pets, and even flowers, today we’ll focus specifically on general beauty and skincare. For a more inclusive overview of such options, we’ve divided this section into categories according to lifestyle and preferences.

For the Makeup-Obsessed

If you’re specifically seeking a makeup-centric box, this is the category for you. These boxes tend to fall in the $10 to $15 per month range and provide you with five or six small samples, some luxury samples, and the occasional full-sized product.
[pullquote align=”center”]“Start with a low price point [beauty] box. This way, if you find out it isn’t for you, it was a cheap experiment.”
—Liz Cadman of MySubscriptionAddiction[/pullquote]
Liz Cadman, the founder of MySubscriptionAddiction—arguably the destination for comprehensive reviews on any and all boxes—says this is a great category to begin with because of the price point.
“Start with a low price point box,” she says. “This way, if you find out it isn’t for you, it was a cheap experiment. Inexpensive beauty boxes I recommend are Birchbox, Ipsy, and Play! by Sephora—which are all $10 [per month]—and Macy’s Beauty Box and Allure Beauty Box, which are $15 each.”

Birchbox

Each of these put their own spin on the subscription box. Ipsy’s samples always come in an original “Glam Bag”; Sephora’s Play! box always focuses on a specific theme; Allure’s samples are editor-tested and approved; Macy’s box comes with a $5 coupon you can use toward a full-sized product.
For the best bang for your buck, Cadman recommends BoxyCharm, which is slightly more expensive at $21 per month, but comes with four to five full-sized makeup items.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BiIA1-kAjcm/?taken-by=boxycharm
Sarah Biggers, a celebrity makeup artist and the founder of beauty brand Clove + Hallow, says Birchbox is one of her all-time favorite subscription boxes.
“Birchbox was a pioneer of the subscription box business model, and I love to support that kind of female-driven innovation,” Biggers says. “Plus, they do a fabulous job curating a balance of small indie brands versus well-known cosmetic lines.”

For the DIY Queen

Gather your crew and throw a DIY party or put on your favorite jams and carve out an afternoon of therapeutic solo crafting; instead of being product-driven, these subscription boxes essentially send you an experience through the mail.
For $29, My Lemon Crate sends a monthly DIY kit that contains everything you need for a specific project, ranging from bath bombs to body scrubs. All the ingredients are premeasured and organic.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BhfMwB1g932/?taken-by=mylemoncrate
Mousse Coco operates a little differently: Instead of a monthly subscription that automatically renews, you go to the site and choose which DIY beauty project you want to do. Each box costs $32, comes with premeasured organic ingredients, and the projects range from lip balm to deodorant to face masks.

For the Practical Person

From razors to toothbrush heads to feminine hygiene, there are a handful of beauty subscription boxes out there that ensure you’ve always got a replenished stock of necessities.
“I think the swell of utility boxes like Billie and The PMS Package accurately represents the enormous shift in how consumers are shopping and experiencing products,” notes Biggers. “The convenience afforded by these subscription models really resonates with younger generations that prefer to shop quickly, digitally, and ‘set-it-and-forget-it’ when it comes to recurring, functional items.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BiFd8YOlQzZ/?taken-by=my.billie
Billie is a shaving subscription box for women that costs $9 for the starter kit then ships four blade replacements for $9 every month. Lola sends a supply of organic tampons or pads to your home every month (or every other month) for $8 to $10. The PMS Package includes feminine hygiene products along with comfort snacks and fun products for $35 per month.
Another great utility subscription is Quip, which, for $25 to $40, provides an electric starter toothbrush and a toothbrush head–replacement plan for as low as $5 per month.

For the Splurger

If you’ve ever followed an influencer or reality star on social media, you’ve probably seen them talking about lifestyle subscription boxes. These are often more expensive, with their price points ranging from $50 to $150, but they’re more luxurious and comprehensive in terms of their contents. A handful ship monthly, but many ship quarterly, in line with seasonal shifts.
https://twitter.com/_sadiemuir/status/970844137049108480
“Lifestyle boxes like FabFitFun are a great way for people to sample a variety of products that they wouldn’t otherwise pick out for themselves,” says Biggers. “It’s like having a best friend in your ear telling you all the fun new stuff you should try. Not to mention, they do a great job of sourcing a combination of staples [and] previously unknown products from smaller brands, so there is an air of excitement that comes with each box.”
FabFitFun is a quarterly box that costs $50 and is valued at over $200, according to their website. In every box, you receive eight to 10 full-sized lifestyle products: accessories, food, skincare, makeup, and home goods. You can customize your order or opt to make it a surprise.

FabFitFun/Instagram

The PopSugar Must Have box is a similar option. It costs $75 per quarter and contains six to eight full-sized products, including beautiful accessories, decor items, and high-end beauty goods.
“Box of Style from Rachel Zoe is $99 a quarter and is definitely a luxe treat,” notes Cadman. The box is carefully curated by Zoe’s team and includes a mixture of accessories, clothing, and skincare.

For the Fragrance Fanatic

Before you drop hundreds on a full-sized eau de parfum, consult a fragrance beauty box that’ll deliver a mini version for way less.
Scentbird, which caters to both men and women, was one of the first beauty subscription boxes to do this. For just under $15 per month, you’ll receive a 30-day supply of a designer fragrance that comes in a refillable atomizer. They have over 450 different fragrances to choose from, from splurge-y, high-end options to lesser-known indie options, and they constantly add new scents to their library.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BiKR3SSF1Ag/?taken-by=scentbird
A very similar option is Scentbox, which costs just under $14 per month. They, too, send a 30-day supply of your choice fragrance in a reusable atomizer, and they have an arsenal of over 800 premium fragrances to choose from. Both boxes can help you out of a fragrance rut and allow you to experiment with an expensive product before buying the full-size.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BRBl_5-F1Ss/?taken-by=scenttrunk
For a completely different option, consider Scent Trunk, which costs $12 per month. What sets this option apart from others is that it allows you to create your own scent. To begin, they’ll send you a $5 scent palette, which you sniff and report back with your preference in notes. From there, they customize a fragrance and send it to your door monthly.

For the Organic-Lover

Anyone who gives a hard pass to traditional beauty goods in favor of organic will appreciate this category.
Whether you’re all-green, interested in converting, or are simply curious about what natural options are out there and how they fare compared to traditional beauty, these boxes are where to start. They’re also a great way to learn about new brands you haven’t heard of before, as small organic brands often don’t have massive budgets for advertising.
[pullquote align=”center”]“I know I can trust [Petit Vour] to source the best cruelty-free products. They’ve completely transformed the face of … cruelty-free into something glamorous and chic.”
—Sarah Biggers[/pullquote]
Erin Williams, a celebrity makeup artist and founder of Erin’s Faces, a natural beauty brand, says her favorite beauty subscription boxes are Oui Fresh ($30 per month), Petit Vour ($18 per month), and Organic Bunny Box ($59 per month).

OuiFresh/Instagram

“I love that Oui Fresh’s focus is green beauty, and they work with both indie and mainstream brands. I recommend Petit Vour if you’re wanting clean vegan picks. They have a lot of options in skincare, haircare, and makeup,” says Williams. “For Organic Bunny Box, Amanda, [the founder], is very specific with what ingredient decks she’ll approve, so you can feel safe with her choices, which are a mix of skincare, makeup, and hair care [products].”
“I know I can trust [Petit Vour] to source the best cruelty-free products,” says Biggers. “They’ve completely transformed the face of … cruelty-free into something glamorous and chic.”

For the Budget-Conscious

Fact: You don’t have to spend oodles to have a nice treat sent to your door. A handful of companies offer options that cost about the same as your Frappuccino.
For starters, there’s the Walmart Beauty Box, a quarterly option that costs $5 and contains five to seven small samples of beauty and skincare products sold in stores.

Walmart Beauty Box

Similarly, Target’s Beauty Box costs $7 and includes a mix of new beauty product samples that are valued at $28. Their box isn’t a subscription, mind you, as you have to purchase it when it becomes available every month.
If you’re really into K-beauty and cheap thrills, the FaceTory subscription box is another fun choice. For $7 to $9 per month, you’ll receive four to seven sheet masks.

Bottom Line

The whole point of beauty subscription boxes is to experiment with new products and, ultimately, #treatyourself. Choosing the right box for you comes down to your budget, lifestyle, and health and beauty goals.
“The biggest factor for many of our readers is value,” says Cadman. “Both in the sense of retail value—is it important to you to get a much higher retail value in the box versus what you paid?—and personal value. Are you going to use the items? Did this subscription help save you time, encourage you to eat healthier, et cetera?”

“If you’re looking for a box to start,” says Williams, “I’d think about what you want to get from it. Do you want tried and true brands that you know and love, or do you want to unearth some gems that you’ve never heard of? Is green beauty important to you? Do you want sample sizes since you tend to get more diversity and it’s cheaper, or full sizes, which mean less products per box but more ounces of each one?”
There’s no wrong answer, of course! It all boils down to your preferences. Shop around, do some research, watch some unveilings on YouTube or Instagram. Commit to one or two for a couple months, then assess whether the box serves your needs. The worst that can happen is trying some things you don’t like, but hopefully you can still discover some gems and get joy out of mail day.

Categories
Fresh Fashion Lifestyle

Much Ado About The Plus-Size Section (And How We Can Work Toward Inclusion)

When influencer and plus-size fashion blogger Corissa Enneking visited Forever 21’s plus-size section for the first time, her initial emotional response was excitement. Big retailers like Forever 21 don’t often sell to the plus-size demographic, and when they do, it’s typically online.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BgUpoGyBI4I/?hl=en&taken-by=fatgirlflow
Unfortunately for Enneking, within a few minutes of beginning her shopping, her excitement quickly morphed into horror. She took to her blog to share her frustration with the entire experience.
“Your entire store is lit with beautiful cool white lighting, and the floors are shiny little tiles of white and gold,” she wrote on her blog, Fat Girl Flow. “So please, tell me why the sweet hell the tiny plus size corner is dimly lit with yellow lights, no mirrors, and zero accessories on the shelves.”

Fat Girl Flow

In her open letter to the popular clothing store, Enneking doesn’t ask for much. She wants to be treated kindly. She wants to have a pleasant shopping experience. She wants to be able to find her size. Still, the writer admits that she already knows she is asking for way more than most mainstream stores offer.
[related article_ids=1006771]
“Create spaces that make people proud to wear your clothing,” she wrote in the closing lines. “Bring positivity into your stores, instead of alienation.”
Fat Girl Flow

Enneking’s powerful and vulnerable response to her shopping experience isn’t the first time major retailers have been called out for lack of inclusion, and it certainly won’t be the last. As more advocates for inclusivity and body positivity speak out, more criticism will fall on the clothing suppliers who don’t follow suit.

The State of Plus-Size Fashion

Before we can move toward an inclusive apparel industry, we need to be honest about the current state of plus-size fashion. Things are certainly improving, but we’ve got a long way to go.
Most obvious is a lack of options. It’s still surprising when a store has sizes bigger than a large, according to Brittany DiCologero, a lifestyle blogger at Castle Party who has been buying plus-size clothes since she was a teenager. Many of the stores that do have plus-size clothing only carry these items online.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BhW3PeRnGpG/?taken-by=theashleygraham
“Plus-size women today cannot walk through their local shopping malls and browse whichever stores they like and find something in their size,” she says.
Cost is another issue faced by people shopping for plus-size clothing, according to yoga instructor and body diversity advocate Dana Falsetti. Although Falsetti believes there may be some variance in cost of manufacturing plus-size clothing, she feels certain the price variance is more about the limited availability of these clothes. Women have fewer plus-size options in brick and mortar stores, so the stores who actually offer a number of options can get away with higher pricing.

iStock.com/Eva-Katalin

“A lot of ‘marketing diversity’ is actually just tokenism, and tokenism isn’t inclusion,” she says. “Brands making a profit off of diversity (in size, race, gender, etc.) but not showing any actual support for those communities is actually just taking advantage of them.”
[related article_ids=1057036]
The freedom to curate your personal style is also lacking for women who wear plus sizes, according to Falsetti, who points out that manufacturers aren’t just expanding the sizing of clothes marketed toward women wearing straight sizes. Instead, they’re creating a separate, limited collection for women wearing plus sizes. So, when you do happen to find clothing in your size, there is an expectation that you won’t be able to find a style that best embodies who you are or what you like.
“Not all of us want to wear hourglass-enhancing peplum tops and things that are considered traditionally flattering to patriarchal or eurocentric beauty standards,” she adds.
iStock.com/pixelfit

And even if you can find your size, it still might not fit right. There seems to be a learning curve when stores that have previously sold only straight sizes makes the switch to selling plus sizes, too.
“When straight sized retailers start designing plus options, the cuts are usually off and the fits may not work the same way they would on a smaller model,” says DiCologero. “In most cases, however, this is a learning process that designers eventually get right.”
iStock.com/gradyreese

Lastly, the shopping experience is often an unpleasant experience, according to DiCologero, who says that stores that have historically carried only straight sizes are often the worst. Employees can be rude and shoppers are occasionally unkind, as well.
Sarah Guerrero, another woman who wears plus-size clothing, was quick to point out the isolating nature of the shopping experience. She says that most stores treat plus-size clothing like a separate category, like maternity fashion, shoving them in a corner somewhere in the back of the store.

Slowly but surely, things are changing.

Thinking back to shopping as a teen, DiCologero recalls just how terrible it used to be. Going to the mall with her friends filled her dread, mostly because she knew there wouldn’t be clothes available in her size.
“I would literally disregard what the dresses looked like, and I would just look for the biggest size on the tags,” she says of shopping for dresses for school dances. “I’d usually be able to find about two or three to try on, and whichever one fit, I would buy—regardless of price or whether or not I even liked the dress.”

@ndiritzy/Twitter

Now, she is excited that so many retailers who produce plus-size clothing are opening brick and mortar stores, even if it means driving three towns over to find clothes she loves. She also says that she has noticed plus-size clothing’s quality improving. Both Falsetti and DiCologero point out the roles of more inclusion in marketing in the changing world of plus-size fashion. More retailers are including images of women of all sizes and colors in their advertising, and this is a great first step.
“I see people who look like me represented more every day,” Falsetti says.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BfQOnm9nT0l/?taken-by=curvycampbell
Some improvements have also been made when it comes to the trendiness of plus-size clothing, shares Anya Jackson, who has shopped for plus sizes for 20 years.
“I’m seeing massive improvement in the availability of trendy styles,” she says. “Plus size no longer means I have to look like a granny wearing a floral tent.”

Moving Toward More Inclusion

What’s next for plus-size fashion? How can we advocate for more sizing and style options? Perhaps the most obvious is how the way we spend our money supports or inhibits inclusion.
Get clear on which retailers are practicing inclusion and which are simply paying lip service or putting minimal efforts into the plus-size options. Going out of your way to support retailers that align with your values, like diversity and inclusion in both advertising and what they sell in their stores, is a powerful way to make a statement. ModCloth is one example of a retailer who has made great strides to a more diverse catalogue of clothing.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh-WfnogRtI/?taken-by=modcloth
Aerie is an example of a store who preaches representation by including “real models” and never retouching their photos. Unfortunately, their selection speaks louder than these initiatives, as their clothing options still stop at a 2XL. Rarely do they carry extended sizes in stores.
Torrid, a plus-size line with brick and mortar stores, produces high-quality clothes up to size 4X, while Elizabeth Suzann is a designer who is making huge strides toward offering ethically and sustainably produced clothing in sizes 000 to 28.

elizsuzann/Instagram

“Remember your resources are plentiful and not just financial,” Falsetti points out. “Spending your money with those brands, telling your friends about them, and promoting them on social media are just a few ways that consumers can influence what companies are doing.”
Since brands are now so accessible through social media, giving feedback is easier than ever. Sharing how you feel about a particular brand, both positive and negative, is one way Jackson believes we can advocate for change in plus-size fashion.


Representation also plays a powerful role in moving plus-size fashion in the right direction. Jackson says she is thrilled to see more women who actually look like her modeling the clothes she buys. Women like Enneking, DiCologero, and Falsetti are just a few members of a greater movement using social media to promote a message of body positivity. Enneking is self proclaimed “happy fatty.” Falsetti posts about yoga, plus-size fashion, and body diversity. DiCologero blogs about plus-size fashion. They’re celebrating their bodies, and they’re empowering other women to do the same.
Men are stepping up, too. Troy Solomon runs his Instagram on a policy of self-love—and not giving a you-know-what—and has gained 43,000 followers being exactly who he was born to be. Matt Diaz has gained his following by candidly sharing pictures of himself shirtless and talking honestly about the insecurities he has felt about his body.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh2AYV8HPvz/?taken-by=abearnamedtroy
“We all just want to be seen and respected and have equal opportunities to dress and express ourselves,” says Falsetti. “Representation gives people a sense of value and belonging.”
Lastly, women like Falsetti are pushing for a more inclusive language being embraced by the general demographic. The words we say matter and ultimately inform our actions. Knowing the experiences of others and moving forward with empathy is a good first step toward more representative fashion and a more inclusive world.

Categories
Conscious Beauty Lifestyle

4 Beauty Staples From Cleopatra's Time That Lived On (And One That Should Stay Hidden Away)

Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator, “The Father-Loving Goddess,” queen of Egypt, beloved of emperors, leader of armies, muse of Shakespeare and Elizabeth Taylor, lived near the banks of the Mediterranean Sea more than 2,000 years ago. She warred with her princeling brother for Egypt’s throne and won with an assist from a few Roman legions, courtesy of a boyfriend named Caesar. After two decades of absolute power, Cleopatra took her own life for love—or so the story goes.
Plus, she was beautiful. Like, historically beautiful. Who better to turn to for beauty secrets than the woman who captured the hearts of Julius Caesar and Marc Antony?

iStock.com/The Hollywood Reporter

Cleopatra probably took some beauty secrets with her to the as-yet-undiscovered grave, but we do know this: She was a woman of her time. Egyptians of the 1st century B.C. were as obsessed with skincare and cosmetics as any contemporary Kardashian. They had it all: perfumes, cleansers, ointments for zits and wrinkles, fingernail polish, and, of course, eyeliner. You know that winged eyeliner trick that’s so hard to get right in real life? The ancient Egyptians invented that look.
https://twitter.com/MeltCosmetics/status/830153280932106240
But not everything in Cleopatra’s makeup kit would work for us these days. Styles change by the season, and we’re talking about millennia—plural. Today, we investigate the ways Cleopatra kept her skin in emperor-tempting, kingdom-ruling shape:

1. The Original Winged Eyeliner

Cleopatra couldn’t take a selfie, but she did have legions of artisans to paint her image on frescoes and sculpt it in bas relief. Look at any example of ancient Egyptian portraiture and you’re bound to notice something about the eyes. They look like Sophia Loren. They look like Amy Winehouse—men, women, and gods alike. The ancient Egyptians perfected the art of winged eyeliner.

HISTORY

But lacking Maybelline, what did they use to create the perfect cat’s eye? Powdered galena, wrote historian Lionel Casson in Everyday Life in Ancient Egypt. They’d grind up the lead-based metal and mix it with fats or oils or resins to create a thick, dark goo that functioned as eyeliner and mascara in one. It’s called kohl.
Historians are starting to think kohl was good for more than beauty, too. Researchers found that lead sulfites in the cosmetic spur a natural immune response, according to Discover magazine. Cleopatra’s eyeliner wasn’t just makeup. It was an antibiotic.
Smith College

That’d be pretty attractive to the people of the Nile River Valley, who were prone to bacterial eye infections with the annual floods. If you’re thinking of digging up some lead and grinding your own kohl, though, think again. You’re better off with something from the cosmetics aisle.
“Lead is most dangerous to growing children because it can cause severe anemia,” points out Tanya Kormeili, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Santa Monica. “I would not recommend having anything with high lead around if you have kids. Otherwise, it is unclear how much it would absorb through the skin, but high levels of heavy metals (especially mercury) are proven to be toxic to all humans.”
National Geographic

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration agrees. In some parts of North Africa and Central Asia, people still make kohl the old-fashioned way. It occasionally gets into the U.S. market under a variety of names: kohl, tiro, surma, kajal, kwalli. The FDA headline on the subject offers a stern warning: “By Any Name, Beware of Lead Poisoning.”
The FDA is serious about the threat. They set an import alert for products that use the terms kohl, kajal, or surma on their labels. This is one ancient cosmetic that belongs in the past. If you’re prone to eye infections, there are antibiotic drops for that. Modernity does get some things right—leave this one buried.

2. From Cleopatra to Cara Delevingne

The recent move toward a full-eyebrowed look would have been familiar to Egypt’s most famous queen. Women of Cleopatra’s time filled out their brows with charred almonds, per Marie Claire. This little trick isn’t relegated to years that end in B.C., either.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZmX_0Ql4eT/?taken-by=caradelevingne
“My late grandmother used various nuts for makeup!” Kormeili tells HealthyWay. “The key is to slightly charcoalize the nut over a flame until it is black. The black ‘ink’ is a natural product used for eyeliner and pencil. It is natural and organic.”
But what if Cleopatra wanted a little more color? That’s when she’d touch up her brows with powdered malachite, a copper ore with a green tint, wrote Casson. Cosmetics manufacturers use copper powder in their products to this day, according to CosmeticsInfo.org. You could be putting on your face like Cleopatra already!

3. A Soak of Milk and Honey

“Age cannot wither her,” Shakespeare wrote of Cleopatra. Today’s dermatologists might have figured out the secret of the queen’s famed agelessness.
“Cleopatra’s famed baths in the milk from [donkeys] is well known,” says dermatologist Sonam Yadov, MBBS. “The scientific basis is still in use today: The lactic acid in sour milk is an exfoliating and skin-brightening agent. Thus, her milk baths were just an ancient and effective ‘chemical peel.’ Today, we use the same lactic acid, just in more purified and concentrated forms in our offices.”
The “Father-Loving Goddess” might have mixed honey into her milk baths, according to popular legend (and about a thousand beauty blogs). That makes sense to Kormeili. She touts the skincare properties of milk and honey both.
“It is interesting that thousands of years later we are doing this and getting great results,” the dermatologist tells HealthyWay. “There are new studies to suggest that honey has both antibacterial and wound-healing properties. As such, I am using it on my surgery patients post-op! As for the milk baths, we [use] lactic acid in a variety of skin peels and products for exfoliation and skin brightening.”


Kormeili should know. She’s on the forefront of the dermatological use of lactic acid, an organic compound that comes from soured milk.
“I am currently working on an office procedure that would involve using lactic acid with a variety of other natural acids for skin brightening and melasma,” she says. “None of my patients would want to soak in a tub of milk. It is easier to get it at my office!”

4. Lipstick from the Pharaoh’s Tomb

Today, you can head to the nearest Walgreens and find lipsticks in every shade from “dusty lilac” to “warm tangerine.” Cleopatra’s lip coloring of choice would be right at home on that shelf. It’d be called “red ochre.”


Iron oxide gives powdered red ochre a rich crimson flush. Ancient cosmetologists would mix this pigment with grease or tallow to make a bright, kissable paste that Marc Antony’s wife back in Rome probably discovered on his shirt collar (if ancient Romans had shirt collars).
Oh, and Cleopatra’s people also invented a surprisingly familiar beauty hack. “Use your lipstick as blush,” the makeup bloggers say. “It’ll look great!”

Thutmose, “Nefertiti Bust” (1345 B.C.)

Whether you’ve been able to pull that trick off or always end up looking like Raggedy Ann instead, Cleopatra got there first. She didn’t just use red ochre on her lips, reported Marie Claire. She also rubbed it into her cheeks for a bit of definition.

5. The Mani-Pedi of the Gods

No modern woman would neglect her nails. Neither would an ancient queen. Women today don polish, shellac, gel, acrylic; women of Cleopatra’s time tinted their fingernails and toenails with henna, giving them a gorgeous scarlet glow, wrote Casson.
It might not have been a gel manicure with intricate design work, but it did the trick. Even better, henna is generally safe for adults when used topically, as in cosmetics, according to WebMD. At least the women of ancient Egypt could tint their nails without ingesting paint-chip quantities of lead.

Want to try this yourself? Go ahead! There are lots of great YouTube tutorials to get you started. We’re fans of the one above.

The Cosmology of Cosmetology

If Cleopatra were to march out of a pyramid and into the modern world, we doubt she’d be surprised by today’s makeup counter. While specific styles grow and evolve and devolve and come back before disappearing again, everyone wants to look good—preferably good enough to catch the eye, if not the heart, of the most powerful ruler on the planet.
“I think the lesson is that human bodies have not changed that much,” says Kormeili. “Neither has our desire for beauty and health!”
https://twitter.com/AwesomeANTJAY/status/922177920084221952
That’s not all we’ve borrowed from history, either. You can’t always get the look you desire with YouTube tutorials and Sephora catalogs. Even ancient Egyptians had their beauty experts, although they tended to double as physicians.
“I would recommend patients seek expert help if they are trying to improve things,” says Kormeili. “In the Egyptian times, there were ‘natural healers’ and ‘medicine men’ who would come up with the treatments. The average person did not ‘google’ ideas and do trial and error. The mistakes with skin can be so expensive to fix.”
That’s wisdom for the ages.