Posts in category: Beauty & Skincare

In the crowded arena of trendy macronutrients, protein is having a moment—front row, spotlight, centre stage. And while protein shakes have become the go-to, they’re not exactly what you’d call a headliner. Functional, sure. But fun? Not really.

Luckily, there’s more than one way to hit your protein goals without chugging drinks. From pulaos to hemp-laced desserts, these expert-approved high-protein recipes prove your macros can taste as good as they look.

Morning sunshine smoothie by Karishmma Chawla, functional medicine nutritionist and lifestyle educator

“I call this my ‘power punch’ smoothie—it’s packed with fibre, antioxidants, and supports gut and digestive health,” says Chawla. “Greens replace refined sugar and detoxify the liver, while fruits like blueberries and oranges boost cognitive function. Flax and chia seeds add healthy fats and help regulate hormones.”

Ingredients:

• Spinach
• Celery
• Chia seeds
• Flax seeds
• Blueberries or oranges
• Whey protein or hemp protein

Method:

1. Chop spinach, celery, chia seeds, flax seeds, blueberries, and oranges, and add them to a blender.
2. Give it a nice blitz and add water for better consistency.
3. Add in 1 teaspoon of protein powder or hemp protein*.
4. Pour it into the glass and enjoy.

*Poor gut health? Stick to vegan hemp protein. If dairy agrees with you, go for hydrolysed whey isolate.

Paneer or chicken quinoa pulao with vegetable raita by Samreedhi Goel, nutritionist and fitness expert

“It’s a one-pot dish that includes protein from two different sources,” says Goel. “You can add vegetables to it as well for colour, and vitamins and minerals. Vegetable raita has dahi, so one more dash of protein and probiotic along with fibre from raw veggies, which makes it a complete meal.”

Ingredients:

• ½ cup quinoa
• Ginger-garlic paste
• Vegetables of your choice — bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, French beans, capsicum, and corn
• A blend of Indian spices — turmeric, garam masala, chilli powder
• Protein — chicken or paneer

Method:

1. Soak half a cup of quinoa overnight and rinse it well the next morning to get rid of the bitter taste.
2. In a pressure cooker, heat two teaspoons of oil and add ginger-garlic paste.
3. Add vegetables of your choice — bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, French beans, capsicum, spinach, corn — make sure to throw in a good mix of vegetables.
4. Once the vegetables are semi-cooked, add Indian spices like turmeric, garam masala, and chilli powder and stir well.
5. Add the soaked quinoa to the mixture, close the lid, and let it cook for one to three whistles, depending on the quinoa.

Let’s talk about dry skin. Chances are, if you’re over the age of 40, your skin’s natural oil production has slowed down and now you are wondering what type of moisturizer is best for dry skin. Sound about, right? Most dry skin moisturizers are loaded with what are called “occlusives” which are oils that give a thick, greasy feel but is this type of moisturizer truly correcting your skin dryness?

Well, let me just start by saying this. Moisturizers have come a long way and your mother’s moisturizer of yesteryears didn’t work as well as the ones formulated today. Yet, many product formulators haven’t innovated and you may not be giving your dry skin what it truly requires.

In this post, I’ll educate you on how moisturizers actually work, why formulas aren’t truly getting to the root of the issue and what you should be looking for when deciding how to choose a moisturizer for dry skin. Let’s dive in!

The History of Moisturizers

The use of moisturizers for treating dry skin dates back thousands of years with civilizations using natural remedies like animal fats, lanolin (derived from sheep wool), oils found in almonds and olives and beeswax. These all have an oily feel on the skin but worked to alleviate skin tightness and give a soft, supple feel to the skin.

In the 19th century, cold cream was invented and in later years, petroleum jelly. These also have an oily feel which would make dry skin feel better and less tight.

With the rise of cosmetic science and dermatology, moisturizers became highly specialized and commercial moisturizers were developed using not only oils (occlusives), the addition of water and emulsifiers.

Fast forward to today, moisturizers are continually being modernized to meet the needs of what we now need in a dry skin moisturizer, but it is not enough.

What made us believe that a heavy, oil-based moisturizer is the most effective for dry skin?

• Oils give the illusion of a glow. Oils give an immediate shine once applied and it reflects light so the skin does in fact look better. But that doesn’t mean it truly corrected the dryness from within.

• A false sense of relief. Oils create suppleness and when a greasy moisturizer is applied and you talk or move your face around, you don’t feel that “pull” or “tightness” on the skin. People associate this feeling with not being dry. This is simply a feeling. Again, it doesn’t mean that it improves skin dryness.

• We’ve come to expect a certain type of moisturizer for dry skin – something with occlusives that are heavy and topical. This has been passed down from our mother’s and grandmother’s moisturizers who–for most of us–were our original skincare influencers.

What does my dry skin really need?

• Water/hydration. Both dry skin and oily skin require water. Skin cells are like fish and need water to live! This means, using a toner within 60 seconds after cleansing and leaving it on damp. Use a hyaluronic acid or humectant-rich serum under moisturizer to deliver skin-plumping hydration. Learn the difference between dryness and dehydration and watch this video. Also, drinking water won’t hydrate your skin, but these three things will.

• Oil. Only dry skin types require oil since oily skin has it already built in.

• A well-formulated moisturizer for dry skin, regardless of how thick or heavy it is. Don’t fall into thinking that just because something is rich and greasy, that it’s the cure-all. Sometimes a moisturizer can add the required hydration and oil to the skin without just sitting on the top of the skin.

• Repair of your skin’s barrier. To truly correct dryness you need to repair from inside the skin, not just on the skin’s surface. Learn about fixing a damaged skin barrier.

• Avoiding the use of harsh products and ingredients. Did you know that your vitamin C serum could be creating a “vitamin C acid burn?” Ouch. Not good.

How do I choose a moisturizer for dry skin?

• Don’t judge a product by its weight. You need to look beyond the texture since even lighter textures can provide exceptional hydration and repair. Avoid making assumptions when you encounter a rich, greasy moisturizer.

• Choose dry skin moisturizers that restore the skin barrier. Ingredients listed on a bottle are often hard to sort through but at the very least, if a product is being marketed for “barrier-repair”, that’s a great sign.

• Choose a dry skin moisturizer with these key ingredients. If you really want to get serious about correcting dry skin, look for ingredients like niacinamide, linoleic acid, usnic acid, phytosterols, ceramides, shea butter, squalane, vitamin E, dimethicone and soybean oil, to start. (There are too many to list!) Here are five methods for repairing dry skin.

• Consult with an esthetician or a dermatologist for a dry skin moisturizer recommendation. Trust those who truly know and understand how the skin functions, and what your dry skin needs to be restored.

Did you know that you can get barrier correction without the use of oily occlusives? Oily and acne prone skin doesn’t need the oil dry skin does, but that doesn’t mean their barrier doesn’t need help – especially with the use of acne treatments that can really damage the skin barrier. Look at this before and after!

How long does it take to see an improvement in dryness when using the right moisturizer for dry skin?

A skin’s life cycle is 28 days, so it’s important to give any product time to see results. Dry, flaky skin needs time to cycle out and fall off, giving way to new, soft and supple skin.

If you’re looking for a moisturizer for dry skin (that is surprisingly lightweight, because it doesn’t need to be heavy!) try Skin Recovery Balm. With Barrier5 technology, it repairs the skin barrier by mimicking your skin’s natural lipids, so it hydrates without feeling greasy. It melts in rather than sitting on top, offering a smarter way to correct dryness. After it’s applied, it will initially feel tacky, which comes from hydrating humectants like glycerin and propanediol that lock in moisture. Once it dries, it starts restoring your skin’s barrier, creating a “second-skin” effect that lasts all night long. By morning, your skin will feel buttery soft and replenished.

If you prefer a more traditional, richer feel, layer with Rest Day Masque on top or use a skin oil, but on its own, it provides all the moisture your skin needs for long-term barrier health.

In summary…

As an expert esthetician who has touched thousands of faces, I’m here to tell you need to re-think how you moisturize. After all, it’s a product that you use every single day and you want to get the most benefit. You can’t just rely on a basic heavy, thick, greasy moisturizer to correct dryness. It’s just not enough. You need a dry skin moisturizer that can truly repair the skin so you can be on your way to soft, healthy and dewy skin that glows!

Celebrity Esthetician & Skincare Expert
As an esthetician trained in cosmetic chemistry, Renée Rouleau has spent 30 years researching skin, educating her audience, and building an award-winning line of products. Her hands-on experience as an esthetician and trusted skin care expert has created a real-world solution — products that are formulated for nine different types of skin so your face will get exactly what it needs to look and feel its best. Trusted by celebrities, editors, bloggers, and skincare obsessives around the globe, her vast real-world knowledge and constant research are why Marie Claire calls her “the most passionate skin practitioner we know.”

Dreams can feel stunningly real, leave us shaken and surprise us with their surreal storylines. But do dream interpretations amount to anything? Sigmund Freud, the famed neurologist and founder of modern-day psychoanalysis, had a lot to say about how we might interpret the visual, emotional and cognitive sensations we experience while asleep. He believed our dreams are actually the disguised representations of our unconscious desires, thoughts, wishes and motivations. It’s a theory that is still very much alive today.

“Throughout history, there has been both fascination and debate about what dreams are, what causes them, what they mean and the benefit they may carry,” Stephanie Gailing, wellness astrologer and author of The Complete Book of Dreams, explains. “Since antiquity, they have maintained a very important role in cultures across the globe, revered for their visionary wisdom.”

The act of trying to suss out the possible meaning of dreams can be traced as far back as the ancient Sumerian civilisation, when many people used them as prophetic guides and to help them make important decisions. According to Gailing, it wasn’t until the early 20th century—and the birth of modern psychology—that dreams were seen as a reflection of the subconscious. Nowadays, it’s common to interpret dreams in order to better understand our overall well-being.

Thea Gallagher, PsyD, clinical associate professor of psychiatry at NYU Langone Health, breaks down dreams, which typically occur in the rapid eye movement (REM) sleep stage where images or stories play out in our minds, into three types: a pleasant dream with an ideal outcome, one with a less preferred outcome (or oftentimes a bizarre one), and a nightmare. What these dreams mean is personal and can vary; it all depends on the dreamer.

“Dreams can show us things that we are experiencing in waking life but are not acknowledged in our conscious minds,” explains Gailing. “Either because we don’t have space to process them or we don’t want to deal with certain feelings or thoughts.”

Though the interpretation of dreams will be different for everyone, there are universal themes that pop up and are worth looking into if you’re trying to figure out what your dreams might mean. Consider this your crash course in basic dream analysis—or, a handy little dream dictionary, just for you. Read on for 14 of the most common types of dreams and what they could mean for you.

Dreams of being pregnant

Depending on what is going on in your life, being pregnant in a dream can mean totally different things. Gailing says it’s important to look at the details of your dream to help flesh out the overall meaning. You’ll also want to explore how you’re feeling after the dream; she says your emotional reaction can provide insights into what the dream might mean to you personally. “For example, if you have a dream about being pregnant and you have been working hard on a creative project, the dream may relate to this period of creativity you are experiencing and how you feel about it,” she explains. “It’s always important to take the dream into the context of what is happening in a person’s waking life.”

Dreams of falling

If you’re dreaming about being in a free fall, Gailing says it could mean that you feel out of control and don’t “have steady footing” in some aspect of your life. On the other end of that spectrum, however, she says that if you find yourself falling in a dream but then start flying, it could represent freedom and trusting the timing of your life.

Dreams of being chased

Someone chasing you in your dreams is another sign that you might not feel in control. Gailing says it could signify a couple of different fears, such as concern that someone is out to get you or that you’re avoiding certain responsibilities.

Dreams of flying

Whether you’re dreaming of flying like a bird or cos-playing your favourite Marvel superhero, Gailing says that the vivid dream of flying symbolises freedom and a need for adventure. However, if the dream turns into you falling as you fly, it could also mean you feel ungrounded. So remember to pay attention to what’s going on in the dream and how you feel.

Dreams of death

An obvious reading, Gailing says, of dreaming about death is that it could signify your internal fear about dying. But here’s another way she says that you can look at it: it could just be giving you a sense that a chapter or situation in your life is coming to an end—and that doesn’t always have to be a bad thing.

Dreams of your teeth falling out

One of the most common dreams people tend to have involves teeth falling out. Gailing says that there are three main dream interpretations for this. First, it could signify some sort of rebirth and transformation, as you’re releasing something old and making space for something new. The other two are more introspective and could signify feeling some sort of loss of control or internal concerns about how you present in public.

Dreams of being late or missing a deadline

These habits of tardiness showing up in your dreams usually show some sort of worry you have internally. Gailing says that it could represent worrying about a lost opportunity or stress around your relationship with time. It could also show that you’re overwhelmed by being overcommitted with responsibilities.

Dreams of being naked in public

Have you recently fallen flat on your face while walking through a crowd? Or accidentally liked an old photo of an ex while on a social media (read: stalking) deep dive? If you’re not one to brush it off and keep it moving, those embarrassed feelings may manifest in dreamland as you sleep. If you find yourself dreaming about being naked in public, Gailing says it’s most likely connected to a recent embarrassing situation you’ve found yourself in.

Dreams of infidelity

The good news: dreaming of infidelity isn’t necessarily a sign from the universe that you’re with the wrong person or that you’re tapping into some psychic ability to predict the demise of your current relationship. The bad news: you might be dealing with trust issues in general and operating from a place of fear. Both Gallagher and Gailing say that if you’re not feeling secure or have been betrayed in the past, it’s normal to have those subconscious feelings of distrust creep up. Maybe you’re having this dream because a partner has cheated on you in the past or you’re scared something will ruin a beautiful current connection. Just remember, it’s important to ground yourself rather than lash out over this particular dream.