| Get the best of Oprah.com in your inbox. Sign up for our newsletters! |
In a world where you have opportunities to check yourself out at every turn—in a store window, a rearview mirror or a particularly shiny piece of cutlery—it's hard to imagine not seeing your reflection for a day, let alone a month. But that's exactly what Marianne Power did—she describes her experiment in the Daily Mail as "mirror detox." [Read more about why it's worth it to take a vacation from your face]
If having the wind in your hair and Steppenwolf's "Born to Be Wild" cranked up on the radio is more appealing than baggage fees and stripping down to your socks for airport security, then an all-American road trip might be your best bet this summer. But before you take off, you might want to know that hitting the highway might put at least half of you at risk—researchers at the University of Washington, Seattle, discovered that 52 percent of melanoma cases and 53 percent of Merkel cell carcinoma cases occurred on the left side of the body, or your driving side (as reported by Time.com). Rolling the windows up doesn't necessarily keep you protected, says Heidi A. Waldorf, MD, director of laser and cosmetic dermatology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. "UVB rays are blocked by the glass, but UVA rays still get through unless your windows have a special UVA coating." Bottom line: Even if you're not a truck driver on the road 365 days a year, before you buckle up, slather on a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least an SPF of 30 during the spring and summer months (SPF 15 is adequate for the rest of the year), says Waldorf. Look for UVA protective ingredients like titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, avobenzone or mexoryl. [Next, how choices you make can affect the acne you get]
Sing-alongs. Color wars. A crush on the dreamy, older counselor. Just a few of the many things you might remember about summer camp. And then there was the inevitable end, when the bonfire smell would be washed out of your clothes, but the one thing that remained to remind you of the close bonds you made with your bunkmates was a friendship bracelet. Revive the tradition and gift your current circle with the grown-up versions we found on Ettika.com (they range in price from $26 to $36 per bracelet)—some of the designs even incorporate crystals and charms that you'd be hard-pressed to find in the arts-and-crafts cabin. While tradition states that you're supposed to wear a friendship bracelet until it falls apart, these come with a bead that allows you to slip them on and off minus the scissors. We won't tell anyone if you temporarily break the bonds of friendship for a Monday meeting with your boss. While good friends will forever be the best accessories, what do you think about these? Would you wear them?
Well...not just yet. But in their new study, scientists at New York University's Langone Medical Center discovered how hair goes gray. They found that Wnt signaling (a network of proteins known to control many biological processes in the body) between hair follicles and melanocyte stem cells (color producing cells) can dictate hair pigmentation. A depletion of Wnt signaling in hair follicle stem cells prohibits hair re-growth and prevents the production of hair color--essentially turning it gray. So what does this mean exactly for the salt and pepper popping up on your head? In an interview with BodyOdd.com, the study's lead researcher, Mayumi Ito, PhD, assistant professor in the Ronald O. Pereleman Department of Dermatology at NYU Langone, said that their findings could help "provide a new target for designing therapies for color loss and restoration." In other words: They could stop your gray hair in its tracks. While you wait for these therapies and new technology to be developed, however, here are seven makeovers-in-gray to inspire you--plus a few ways to amp up the white and silver hair you've got. Rather add some color? Try these tricks from our beauty director, Valerie Monroe, for covering up grays (even those stubborn, wiry ones). Are you jumping for joy at the prospect of stopping grays before they start? Or do you think you look sexiest in silver? Let us know!
You may be asking yourself, "And why is that so important?" If you've ever tried to check out your butt while trying on jeans, then you know that it is no easy task—there's lots of twisting, turning and neck strain involved. American Rag Cie, a California-based retailer, recently solved this fashion dilemma by embedding a camera for your derriere into the dressing room mirrors of their World Denim Bars. After all, the back view is just as important (if not more so when it comes to jeans) as the front. These strategically placed, closed-circuit cams give you a 360-degree view while you look straight on. (And no, it's not recording you or your attempts to squeeze into those ultraskinny styles.) Finally, finding the perfect booty-hugging jeans isn't such a pain in the neck! [And it's not only the ladies who are getting in on the action...]
Fancy headgear isn't just reserved for the royal wedding, Oprah's garden party, the Kentucky Derby or mornings when tackling bedhead is just more trouble than it's worth—today is Hat Day in the Sun. And while wearing broad-spectrum SPF daily is a necessary part of avoiding a burn (and preventing skin cancer), it's just one aspect of the equation, as Steven Q. Wang, MD, director of dermatologic surgery and dermatology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, reminded me earlier this week. The Headwear Association—founded in 1908 by 34 hat salesmen at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City (one imagines 34 people in top hats drinking Manhattans)—will be passing out free sun protection hats in various locations across the United States. Check out their website or follow them on Twitter to find out where you can score a freebie near you. [Up next, three things that make it a sun-safe hat]
The Undie Awards were announced this week. (Yes, there really is such a thing!). Over 40,000 women and men voted for their favorites—from bras to boxers...and categories you may not have even considered, like man thongs. Check out whether one of your go-to styles made the list, or amp up your underwear drawer and try one of the award winners at 15 percent off. All of this talk about unmentionables, however, got us thinking about how important it is to find a strapless bra that doesn't slip (or give you back cleavage), panties that don't bunch and a support system you can count on no matter what your cup size. Next: Our pros reveal a few of their top picks...
The old rule: Sunscreens are stamped with an SPF value (anywhere from 4 to, in recent years, 100+). This number tells you only how effectively a sunscreen can protect you from UVB rays (the ones that turn your skin red and cause skin cancer). Many sunscreens are also labeled "broad spectrum"—meaning they protect against UVA rays (the ones that age the skin and cause cancer) as well. Manufacturers don't have to prove this claim, though, so the protection may not be adequate. The new rule: Only sunscreens that pass a new test of UVA protection can be labeled "broad spectrum," a claim that will indicate that the product protects equally against UVB and UVA rays. Sunscreens with an SPF over 15 that earn the "broad spectrum" designation will be allowed to claim to reduce the risk of skin cancer and slow down the skin aging process when used properly (applied 15 minutes before sun exposure and reapplied every two hours). Sunscreens with an SPF under 15, or that do not give equal UVB and UVA protection, will have to carry a warning that they haven't been shown to slow skin aging or help prevent skin cancer. Next: Will "sweatproof" SPF disappear?
Advertisement
about Life Lift
The Oprah blog is a place where you can find engaging news coverage, fresh inspiration, and the straight talk you've come to count on. A place that
provides the tools you need to make a change—if not in the world—then at
least in your little corner of it. It's a place that will raise your energy, lower your blood pressure and
occasionally make you laugh—in short, a place of possibility.
topics
Advertisement
Advertisement
contributors
archived posts
|