Well + Good

pulse check

You Look Unreal!

Women in their 40s are genuinely having a moment. For instance, Anne Hathaway is 43, seemingly in 5,000 movies, pregnant, and appears to be living her best life. Aside from celebrities, my feed is full of ordinary women serving up their version of what it means to age well… except some of them don’t exist.

That 45-year-old influencer who somehow froze time with a few hot girl walks? Could be AI. It’s not particularly difficult to create her either. Social media is always best taken with a grain of salt, but that feels especially true when the internet’s idea of what longevity looks like is fake. So rather than follow people who make me question my reality, I’ve gone back to what I know works. Here’s my playbook:

I track my sleep. I slapped on a smartwatch and learned something unexpected: I’m actually an excellent sleeper. Most adults need seven to nine hours, and figuring out my baseline now feels especially useful before hormones potentially start to mess with it.

I drink water. No, my water bottle doesn’t erase my forehead lines. But hydration helps with digestion, blood flow, joint function, temperature regulation, and more. There’s even observational research that links better hydration with healthier aging.

I strength train. A huge study followed nearly 150,000 people and found that roughly 90 to 120 minutes of strength training a week was associated with lower mortality. I like group classes for motivation, but lift whatever heavy things — weights, your dog, or the Beanie Baby collection you have somehow moved with multiple times — a few days a week.

— Anna “No Filter, Some Retinol” Davies, writer

Well, well, well

What's Making the Rounds

Talk about hard core: Céline Dion does extensive Pilates sessions to help manage her stiff-person syndrome and prep for her stage return on Sept. 12 in Paris.

Strawberries might become much more expensive this winter. The culprit? A complicated international trade dispute.

These six PT-approved exercises for longevity can be done anywhere, and are especially good to break out if you sit for hours.

Traffic fatalities increase on major album release days, according to one study. Here’s how to jam out safely to that new Phoebe Bridgers album.

Researchers have found signs that dreaming about a problem could help you find a solution. Gives a whole new meaning to “sleeping on it.”

Could you train yourself to get less motion sick? Science says not no. That six-loop rollercoaster is still a terrible idea, though.

in our rotation

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Our extensive review of Hyperice's latest launches.

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well aware

Less Is More?

For a culture obsessed with maxxing, the latest GLP-1 trend is surprisingly restrained. In a recent survey of more than 60,000 people, nearly one in seven injectable GLP-1 users said they’d tried taking less than the standard dose, aka microdosing. Some did so to ease side effects. Others wanted to spend less or maintain weight they’d already lost.

It’s easy to see the appeal. GLP-1s, which are a class of medications that mimic a hormone that helps regulate appetite and fullness, are no longer just a weight loss story: Researchers are interested in what these drugs might mean for heart disease, addiction, or other conditions, and doctors are genuinely excited about their potential. Some athletes tinker with microdoses to optimize performance, and a new review points to potential cognitive benefits as well.

But there’s a pretty big gap between “GLP-1s may do more than we once thought” and hard evidence that a tiny dose will give you those benefits. Scientists haven’t extensively studied microdosing GLP-1s, and taking a medication outside of its FDA-approved schedule counts as off-label use. That isn’t automatically a bad thing — doctors prescribe medications for alternative purposes all the time. There’s just a lot we still don’t know about how very low applications work.

For Your Sanity:

Understand your dose. There’s no standard medical definition or established protocol when it comes to microdosing GLP-1s. It can refer to taking less than the lowest approved dose, staying on a starter amount, or spacing injections farther apart. Before you start, make sure you understand exactly what quantity and schedule your prescriber recommends — and why you’re doing it that way.

Share your full mental health history. If you’ve experienced disordered eating, the doctor who would prescribe you GLP-1s needs to know, and your mental health providers should know you are considering taking these drugs. Even if weight loss isn’t your goal, it can still happen at lower doses. And if you're interested in the medication for something like longevity, your prescriber may not know to ask about your relationship with food upfront.

Proceed with caution. Microdosing isn’t FDA-approved, and some prescriptions may come through wellness or telehealth clinics. Consider looping in a PCP or OB-GYN who’s familiar with your overall health. And if you’re using a compounded GLP-1, which may come in different concentrations and require you to measure your own dose, make sure you know exactly what you’re getting and how much you’re supposed to use.

Brain Trust

Q: I’m seeing neurocosmetics everywhere. What are they and do I need them?

Featured Expert

Amy Wechsler

MD, a double board-certified dermatologist and psychiatrist in New York City and a Castle Connolly Top Doctor

“The brain and the skin have multiple connections going in both directions. One affects the other, positively and negatively. So I think the theory is that it might be possible to have a skincare product that could affect the brain.

But as a board-certified dermatologist and psychiatrist, I have some strong opinions about it. A lot of these claims are unregulated. I’ve seen them on different cosmetics, and then I look at the ingredients and think, ‘What are they talking about?’ Mind-body stuff is really trending, and smart marketers are jumping on it.

Skincare often has a stress-lowering effect indirectly — just the fact of having a regimen can make us feel in control of our day, of our life. People really enjoy the experience. But to make a claim that a product is directly affecting the mind-skin connection, I want to see the science and the proof behind what they’re talking about.

Be a critical thinker and have an open mind. If you want to try something new, try one product at a time to make sure it reacts well with your skin, and see how it makes you feel.”

the more you know

Why are two common chemotherapy drugs, cisplatin and carboplatin, in short supply?

Their key ingredients have become harder and more expensive to source

New manufacturing requirements have made them significantly more costly to produce

Demand has risen faster than manufacturers can expand production

Their low prices can make them less attractive for manufacturers to make

just one thing

Prep Rally

Cookbook author and recipe developer Julia Turshen has a brilliant idea to make sure your farmers market haul actually gets used: a postshopping “power hour.” You don’t need to unleash your inner chef or even turn on the oven to take advantage. Just commit to prepping and storing your produce in a few different ways — it can set you up for success in 60 minutes or less.

Well Reviewed

Sweet Release

An acupressure mat sounds mildly medieval until you try one. Hundreds of tiny spikes press into your back to help release muscle tension and promote relaxation. Some people even swear by them before bed. Sweet, spiky dreams.

Hugger Mugger

Hugger Mugger Acupressure Mat is the best option for athletes.

Gaiam

Gaiam Acupressure Mat & Pillow is the best option for sleep.

DoSensePro

DoSensePro Acupressure Mat & Pillow is the best option for sore muscles.

BalanceMate

BalanceMate Acupressure Mat Set is the best option for travel.

Here’s the full list of the best acupressure mats, according to experts.

In Our Rotation

Looking for thicker, fuller hair? Our editors have been particularly into this densifying serum from Zenagen. Take $20 off your purchase of $100+ with code SKIMMDEAL.

Affordable nail-care products if you find sitting in the chair so freaking irritating.

Psst…love our recs? Follow @skimmshopping on Instagram for more products, gifts, and services that are actually worth the hype (and the price tag).

Well Traveled

Go With Your Gut

Vacations are a great way to get out of your routine. Your gut, unfortunately, may take that a little too literally. Here's how to keep yours happy when you're OOO.

Have a go-to breakfast. One nutritionist recommends you start the day with yogurt and flaxseed, plus kiwi when you can find it. The combo delivers fiber and probiotics that can help keep you regular and leave plenty of room for more adventurous eating later.
Be smart about street food. One tip: Book a street food tour, where a knowledgeable guide can steer you toward busy vendors with lots of turnover. Food that’s sat around at unsafe temperatures can give bacteria more time to multiply. Another rule of thumb according to Sandra Eskin, the CEO of the nonprofit Stop Foodborne Illness: “Boil it, cook it, peel it, or forget it.” That may mean you skip raw produce in some destinations, which makes it even more important to get fiber elsewhere.
Keep things moving. Travel-size prebiotic or probiotic supplements may be worth packing if they’re already part of your routine. And don’t sleep on hydration: Keep water on hand so a full sightseeing schedule doesn’t leave you running dry.

No Notes

I cracked a joke to my therapist and she wrote it down. She's stealing my jokes

How Céline Dion ensures her heart will go on