Germs Under the Microscope

Fact of Myth? Antibacterial Soaps can help create resistant strains.

Answer: Possibly a Fact
The antibacterial triclosan is rinsed off before it can do all its work and then enters the water supply and resistant strains of bacteria have been created in labs using triclosan, although it remains to be seen if it will happen in the natural environment.

Accumulation of triclosan in the environment or chronic exposure to it on a long-term basis, especially for children, may have a long-term risk that we will not discover until later on.
And, studies show that antibacterial soap doesn't do enough to justify its use; regular soap rids germs from hands just as effectively as antibacterial soaps.

Germs Under the Microscope

Fact or Myth? Antibacterial soap keeps your hands cleaner than regular soap.

Answer: Myth
If you can get to a sink and wash your hands with regular soap for 15-20 seconds followed by a good rinsing, that is the most effective method for shedding unwanted germs.

Washing with soap and water doesn't remove all of the microbes present on our hands, but that's actually a good thing. Some of those littler germs are and important part of our skin, and even if we did kill them, they would return.
Given that regular soap and water removes germs, there is no need for an antibacterial agent, and it probably doesn’t work anyway. The speed of action of the ingredients added is rather slow, so they are really not on our hands long enough to make a significant impact.
In fact, the presence of antibacterial agents in soaps may present more problems than solutions. Stay tuned for more.

Germ Myths Under the Microscope

Fact or Myth? You can get infections or illnesses from sitting directly on a public toilet seat.

Answer: Myth
Just sort of sitting on the seat and having that contact with the skin on your bottom isn't going to be a way of transmitting an infection says one doctor at the Simmons Center for Hygiene and Health at Simmons College in Boston.

Everyone finds public toilets disgusting, but you're more likely to get sick from touching the toilet seat or the flush handle with your hand.

Stay Healthy Over the Holidays

Hair & makeup: Start out with an exfoliant to get rid of dullness. Look alert by dotting silver shimmer in the inner corners of eyes and right above eyebrow arches, and widen peepers by darkening and lengthening brows with a pencil. For an instant facelift, draw hair into a ponytail.

Wardrobe: Wear colors that you know warm and flatter your complexion. To distract eyes, pile on some heavy metal or sparkly bling.

Go wild: Before you head out, briefly hang upside-down from your sofa or bed to get blood flowing to your face. And above all, embrace the holiday cheer! After all, the holidays only come once a year.

Stay Healthy Over the Holidays

Holidays are both some of the most joyful times of the year and the most stressful. Between shopping, worrying about money and attending holiday parties, you need to take care of yourself first more than ever. Follow these tricks to look refreshed and ready to conquer the world.

Set the stage: During party season, avoid salty foods and stay hydrated to decrease puffiness. Keep a bag of peas in the freezer to reduce under-eye bags in an emergency, or try green tea bags steeped in cool water.

Stay tuned for more tricks to help you survive the holiday season.

Are "healthy" nail polishes really necessary?

There are three ingredients in nail polish you should avoid:

Formaldehyde
Used as a preservative in beauty products and known to cause itching and burning (and is classified as a possible carcinogen by the EPA). Countries like Japan and Sweden have banned it completely.

DBP
Or dibutyl phthalate, makes nail polish flexible and exposure to it has been shown to cause birth defects in animal studies.

Toluene
Used as a solvent, is a toxin particularly harmful to the nervous system.

All three of these ingredients score a 10 (the highest) in the skin toxicity database and are linked to cancer, as well as other health consequences. Luckily, there are many brands now available that offer all the pretty, without so much of the toxicity.

Need a memory boost?

Give yourself some short-tern help by:

• Paying attention: really listen to a name when being introduced. Repeat it out loud and make a comment about it (e.g. "Catherine, is that a C or a K?")

• Using linking tools: Attach new information to information you already know.

• Picturing it: Visualize a silly or strong image that you associate with someone (e.g. what animal does s/he remind you of?)

For help in the long-term:

• Make like a vegetarian: Blueberries, strawberries and anything green and leafy (especially spinach) contain brain-boosting compounds.
  

• Stress less: Exercise reduces stress hormones that can impair memory.
  

• Work your mind: Keep on your toes with brain power games like crosswords or sudoku.