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Here’s the 101 on the skin microbiome and how to care for yours. The skin microbiome changes depending on the “eco-niche3,” or location. The critters also vary depending on the amount of light and whether the area is moist, dry, hairy, or oily. And the microbiome differs with age and gender. For instance, a hormonal, sweaty teenage boy sports a very different microbiome than a sedentary, postmenopausal woman. Ditto for the skin microbiome....

There are many types of soul mates, from romantic soul mates to soul families to kindred spirits. That said, twin flame relationships aren’t necessarily about love, and it often requires a great deal of inner work for two twin flames to make a partnership work. According to Spinelli, there’s a common misconception that twin flames are supposed to “complete” each other—which can lead to an unhealthy dynamic between the two, as people are supposed to feel complete on their own....

This is why the ingredient consistently pops up on the ingredient list for some of our favorite skin care products, like the below. They maintain barrier function, help hold in moisture, and aid in keeping the bad stuff out. In skin care, these ingredients are primarily derived synthetically or via plants (also called phytoceramides). And while it’s vital to enhance your natural ceramide production if you want healthy skin, there is a huge benefit to applying it topically—as it can help your body in the short and long term....

Since our feet are unique, support looks different for everyone: Some folks have flatter feet, while others have super-high arches. We chatted with experts to learn what it means to have proper arch support in a shoe—and they even shared a few go-to recommendations. Below, find our picks for the best shoes for arch support, with options for every activity and budget. Janine Ferrigno-Taddeo, DPM, agrees. “Arch support is important for keeping your feet and body aligned to help prevent injury,” she adds....

But it also informs your ability to absorb nutrients properly—really, it plays a huge role in your overall well-being. The long and short of it: Gut health is key. And while your diet and exercise habits play a role in the state of your gut, there are additional things you can integrate into your daily routine that may elevate your gut microbiome and help you feel your best. Exhibit A: supplements....

Of course, you don’t have to stick to the yearly themes if you don’t want to, but they can be fun to follow along with, as each material through the years gets more and more solid—just like your relationship! For one thing, understanding your partner and what they might like should be top of mind. Are they fond of silly gifts? Meaningful gifts? Extravagant gifts? Sure, you could always wow your loved one with something pricey, but as Muñoz says, “Most of the time, gifts are about really expressing to our partners that we see them deeply and know who they are....

For a lot of us, this means taking a second look at our mattress. If you’re sharing a bed with a partner (or a pet!) and don’t have space for a king-sized model, you might want to consider an Olympic queen mattress. Since quality sleep is essential to ensure you’re protecting your heart health, blood sugar3, mood4, muscle recovery5, and more, we spoke with experts to determine how to select the right mattress....

“It is important to keep this in mind because everyone will have different lengths and severity of symptoms,” he says. “Other factors like living conditions, financial security, and ability to take time off work for rest all also play into how severe colds are, which is why different populations will suffer from colds longer and more frequently.” But most experts agree that when it comes to colds, focusing on prevention (and avoiding these stages altogether) is the best course of action....

To learn more about who might benefit from a gel mattress (and how our body temperature affects our REM cycle), we spoke with sleep specialist and neuroscientist Christopher Winter, M.D., who explains, “It is thought that sleep probably works best at a temperature of about 65 to 67 degrees Fahrenheit, and gel mattresses can absolutely help.” Winter encourages people to also be conscious about the types of bedding they are pairing with their cooling mattress....

Traditional, old-school options were not only very harsh on hair (the dyeing process is notoriously damaging, and according to research, possibly toxic1) but contained less-than-ideal ingredients at high concentrations. “The hardest part of hair color is the balance between limiting the chemicals that have been found to be problematic and still making sure it’s effective,” says colorist Christine Thompson, co-founder of the hair salon Spoke&Weal about hair dyes. In fact, there are actually several at-home hair dyes that are made with a blend of natural, cleaner ingredients, as we’ve found here....

Regardless of your genital anatomy, feminist counselor and psychotherapist Ashley D. Sweet, M.A., LPC, LMHC, CCRC, says oral sex can be a very pleasurable experience because of our bodies’ nerve-dense genitals. Many people consider oral sex to be more pleasurable than other forms of sexual play, she adds, and this may explain why: “The tongue is a soft yet strong set of muscles that can create powerful, pleasurable sensations on the genitals that are unlike any other form of stimulation....

Here, we dive deep into the Fool, the very first card in your tarot deck. By extension, this card also has an element of naiveté and speaks to the excitement of the unknown. According to Vanderveldt, “I would interpret it as opening up to a person in a new way, taking a chance to be vulnerable and true to yourself. Leading with your heart or taking a chance on a person....

Or she gets out of a relationship, she says she’s “single and ready to mingle,” gets right back on Tinder, and has a new boyfriend a week later. She is never single for long. She’ll tell me she isn’t going to “apologize for getting out of a bad situation” and she “wishes people could be happy that she’s found happiness again.” I wish I could say that her constant matching and unmatching is due to the fact that she’s super amazing, hot, and funny (all of which she is), but it’s not....

Harper’s brand is famous in the beauty space for providing products that are worth every penny—the natural active ingredients are potent but never overpowering. The raw extracts are sourced from all around the world, with a particular emphasis on regenerative farming so you can do good for your skin and the planet. Last year, Harper launched a new collection called Superkind—formulated to deliver real results for sensitive, reactive skin types....

And staying calm is important because stress hurts. It takes a toll not just on your mental health but your physical health too, as the two are intertwined. So it’s no surprise that something that nourishes you physically can also soothe your frayed nerves. This smoothie recipe is packed with ingredients that have stress-reducing properties and can be whipped up any time you need an extra serving of calm. For greens, you could swap out a mild leafy green like baby spinach for romaine or butter lettuce....

All the evidence is that we are not cutthroat, survival-of-the-fittest evolutionary competitors. We are actually bonding animals who are naturally cooperative and empathic. In fact, studies by Michael Tomasello and colleagues show that even 14-month-old babies will offer to help an adult who cannot do a task and will comfort someone in distress. But often in romantic relationships, we feel that our partner is cold and unfeeling. But maybe rather than assuming that John is a Neanderthal, it’s better to get curious about what is getting in the way of his natural empathic response....

Although, both of these ingredients do their best work under certain conditions: You want to apply a vitamin C serum on clean, dry skin so it can penetrate the skin cells, but you want to apply hyaluronic acid on a damp face so it can pull water into the skin. Vitamin C is also a vital part of the collagen synthesis process, helping collagen cross-link and support skin firmness. But it doesn’t just stimulate collagen production; it stabilizes the collagen2 you have, leading to overall wrinkle reduction....

But when we talk about increasing our vitamin D intake, it’s helpful to be clear about the specifics of what we mean, exactly. After all, the body doesn’t use all types of vitamin D in the same way; it prefers one kind over another. Although our bodies can produce some vitamin D on their own with exposure to sunlight, spending too much time inside is not the main reason D deficiency and insufficiency rates are 29% and 42% among U....

It’s understandably frustrating to open your eyes first thing in the morning and already feel the telltale signs. And with so much time passing between your last meal (unless you snuck in a midnight snack), it can be confusing to understand where this unwanted gas and air may be coming from. As regular bowel movements are another way to keep bloat at bay in the mornings and evenings, staying hydrated can help get things moving right when you wake up....