Q I don’t want to wear make-up this summer. How can I still feel confident?
First, moisture is key. ‘Glow’ is beauty speak for skin with a healthy moisture barrier – theoutermostlayerof skin responsible for stopping irritants penetrating your dermis and wreaking havoc. ‘If your face is dry, red or flaky, it means you have a damaged moisture barrier,’ explains skin therapist Renée Rouleau. But the right skincare can help. Stop using retinoids and exfoliants until the dryness or irritation subsides. Use a moisturiser with hyaluronic acid and, in the daytime, slather on a face cream that contains ceramides. Next, use a vitamin C serum to boost your radiance, even out skin tone and fadeanypigment spots.Findaformula that contains a stable form of vitamin C, such as sodium ascorbyl phosphate or tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate. ‘Finally consider stashing your products in the fridge. ‘[Chilled] products help constrict capillaries to calm redness and irritation,’ she adds.
Q Can I suppress my period for long stretches of time this summer?
Let’s get one thing straight: when people say suppressing your period isn’t natural or fear that it could affect your fertility or cancer risk, know that this opinion isn’t backed by science. In fact, a report published by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) last year found that stopping your period, even for years, is fine.
So why are so many of us worried? The stigma dates back to the introduction of the birth control pill in the 1950s, when pharmaceutical companies came up with the placebo week – when you get your period – to mimic your natural cycle and make the pill more widely acceptable, says paediatric gynaecologist and co-author of the ACOG guidance, Dr Oluyemisi Adeyemi-Fowode. However, having a bleed every month was never necessary, she adds. So, depending on your situation, periods can be suppressed with birth control pills, an oestrogen patch, a hormonal IUD or a contraceptive injection. But keep in mind that some methods produce more breakthrough bleeding than others and can also cause negative side effects. (The contraceptive injection, Depo-Provera, for instance, can impact bone density.) Want to take a period pause? Talk to your GP about which method is best suited to you.
Q How do I deal with a toxic parent?
Every family has issues, difficulties and recurring conflicts. The greatest indicator of toxicity – in the absence of blatant abuse, assault or violence – is the way you feel when you’re around your parent. You may have increased anxiety, regular feelings of helplessness and irritability, or find
