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“Diffusing is a neat way to say I want to take command of this living room, or I want to take control of the energy of my bedroom,” Panton told mbg when she stopped by our office earlier this week to celebrate the launch of her new book, Essential Well-Being: A Modern Guide to Using Essential Oils in Beauty, Body, and Home Rituals. From this perspective, diffusing oils can be a creative act of self-care—an opportunity to mix your own scent medicine and have fun doing it....

Maybe you’ve experienced this “distancing” after you get close to someone or commit to being in a relationship? Maybe it comes after you show your vulnerability or start having sex? Whatever the circumstances are, if you’ve been there, you know this pattern is not fun. That’s why I want to help you out of it: by explaining why this pattern occurs and what you can do to shift it so you can create the love you want....

The subconscious mind lies just below (sub) the surface of your conscious mind. It’s our undercurrent and houses things like our emotions, memories, instinctual impulses, and primal directive for survival. I liken the subconscious to our 8-year-old self. The part of us that’s fearless and true to our nature: wise beyond its years. The psyche is the part of us that has infinite wisdom but doesn’t understand or care how the world works....

Some vibrators, like bullets and wands, are primarily for clitoral stimulation. In this case, you’ll hold it against the clit and make any motions that feel good to you, which could include running it along the length of the clitoral hood, tapping it against the glans (head) of the clitoris, making circular motions around it, or simply holding it in place pressed against clitoris or the vulva area. In the case of a toy like a dildo or a G-spot vibrator, you’ll insert the vibrator into your vaginal opening and thrust it in and out at the desired speed and pressure....

Your game plan for a backyard garden will be different from that for a windowsill display. Here are some general rules of thumb for indoor and outdoor displays: If you don’t have one, check out Barbosa’s DIY self-watering strategy below. And of course, you could also ask a neighbor or friend to stop by and check in on your garden for you if there are any prized plants you’re worried about....

Only one part of the whole Yoga system contains the exercises that people learn in yoga class (I will put the exercise part in lowercase and refer to the system of Yoga with a capital Y). The system is often called “Yoga philosophy,” but that phrase sells the whole vision short. As natural as it feels to divide life in this way, this kind of compartmentalization creates a problem that cuts to the very heart of existence....

Here’s everything you need to know about hyaluronic acid, what it does for the body, and how to get more of it. It is the key molecule involved in skin moisture1, meaning it plays a huge role in the skin’s aging process, which is why you’ll hear it discussed with skin care and topicals most often. In fact, 50% of the body’s total HA is in the skin2. But it’s also present in every tissue and fluid in the body....

Over the course of three years, I suffered four lost pregnancies. I spent hours googling “baby after lost pregnancy” just hoping to find a story similar to mine. I spent night after night wondering why is this happening to us, as everyone around me seemed to be getting pregnant. Social media didn’t help. I can’t tell you how many times I saw a pregnancy announcement pop up on my Facebook feed right after I lost my baby....

But somewhere along the line, especially in the last year or so, I began to question this. Do I actually even want kids? Now, here I am at 32, almost 33, and a year into my marriage. As the so-called biological clock ticks, I feel that pressure even more. Sure, more and more women are having kids at an older age. But with that comes risks. Plus, I don’t want to struggle to keep up with my kids or not be able to retire until I’m 70 because my kids just graduated college....

To help you navigate your day, here’s a guide to how to schedule your meals while intermittent fasting. And just remember: Although this eating plan is structured around when you eat, what you eat is still important. During the periods of time when you’re eating, you’ll want to focus on healthy fats, clean protein, and carbohydrates from whole food sources. There are a few different ways you can fast, so I broke up each of the different plans below into beginner, intermediate, and advanced along with a typical meal plan for each day....

There’s a reason the topic is so testy: As with many beauty queries, there isn’t a straight-up answer. So we turned to three dermatologists to help break it down. Many have raised concerns that a moisturizer may dilute the SPF component, rendering it not as effective. As board-certified dermatologist Jeanine Downie, M.D., says, “I definitely feel that moisturizer combined with sunscreen decreases the effectiveness of sunscreen.” Although, perhaps it’s less about the formula itself and more about user behavior: Namely, moisturizers with SPF typically aren’t as water-resistant, so they might not work as well if you’re swimming or sweating....

Julie realized that she had a knack for all things music and art at the age of 28, so she pivoted from a steady job in the fashion business to embrace her creative pursuits wholeheartedly—refusing to let anyone’s perception of what was “normal” or “responsible” get to her. Her husband, Rich Roll, went through his own dramatic career shift years after, leaving behind his job as a successful lawyer to chase his athletic dreams....

The good news is, once you understand your own, you can take steps to balance it. Here’s what you need to know about karmic debt, according to experts. Clairvoyant and acupuncturist Deganit Nuur adds that “when you haven’t mastered a karmic lesson, it’ll repeat itself over and over again until you master it.” That said, both she and Kaehart add that karmic debt doesn’t need to mean the end of the world....

A ketogenic diet can be an effective way for some to lose weight and improve health1. (Here’s a deep dive into the diet and its benefits.) Here’s what to know about lazy keto’s benefits, limitations, recommended foods, and a sample meal plan. It does, however, require you to track carbohydrates since carbohydrate restriction is the most important component for achieving ketosis. “Lazy keto is simply eating less than 50 grams of carbs per day (total, not net), which most experts agree produces a mild state of ketosis, glycemic control, and weight loss for the majority of people,” says Dominic D’Agostino, Ph....

Here, we’ll dive into the personality traits of Libra and explore how this sign approaches life, love, career, and more. Libras are interested in finding balance everywhere: in spheres of social justice, friendships, partnerships, etc. As such, they’re often stereotyped as being indecisive—but they’re just weighing all the options. The scales of justice are meticulous, after all. Libra’s opposite sign, Aries, is known for boldness. Libra, on the other hand, prefers to keep the peace, so you may have heard that Libras are nonconfrontational....

Sure, sleeping with someone outside of the relationship behind one partner’s back is pretty undoubtedly considered cheating. But what about frequently hanging out with someone you’re sexually attracted to? The latter, and more obscure, scenario could fall under the umbrella of “micro cheating.” This subtle form of cheating doesn’t involve physical intimacy with the other (i.e. they haven’t kissed or had sex with another person), but the actions do break a couple’s agreements about romantic exclusivity in other ways....

These genetic variants (known more scientifically as single nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs) have gained attention for the way they affect your ability to process and use the essential B vitamin folate and, thereby, affect a globally important (i.e., literally affects whole-body health) biochemical process called methylation. MTHFR, or methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, is an enzyme that converts dietary folate (from foods like leafy greens) and folic acid (from fortified foods and certain supplements) into a bioactive, methylated form called 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF)....

I saw these six weeks as a way to see how tough I was, how much willpower I had. After college I took the opposite approach. I decided to add something instead of giving something up. Maybe it was getting older, but I longed for more of a self-improvement challenge instead of a self-deprivation challenge. Last year, I decided I would do yoga every day for six weeks. I practiced at most once a week and enjoyed the class I went to but rarely thought to do it on my own....

We consulted registered dietitians Jess Cording, M.S., R.D., CDN, and Abby Cannon, J.D., R.D., CDN, to find out some of the healthiest (and tastiest) ways to use your canned chickpeas—and yes, they’re the same as garbanzo beans. Kombu is a sea vegetable rich in minerals and commonly used to enhance Japanese noodle broths. According to Cannon, the amino acids in kombu help breakdown starches in the beans, making them softer and more digestible....

One of the most common overlaps skin care experts see is a complexion that’s both oil-slick and lacks moisture. Of course, this sounds counterintuitive, but it’s a very real and common issue. Celebrity esthetician Aida Bicaj calls it “oily dehydrated skin”—and she has the routine to fix it. If this sounds like you—certainly, I’ve been guilty of this bad habit in the past—Bicaj has a balancing routine to even things out: