Protect your skin with safflower oil
Heal your skin barrier and fight the effects of inflammation with safflower oil, the phytochemical- and essential fatty acid-rich ingredient your skin will love.
As a cooking oil, safflower oil is prized for its heat-stability and high linoleic acid content, a fatty acid that has been shown to lower cholesterol levels while reducing the risk of heart disease. When applied to the skin, linoleic acid boasts similar anti-inflammatory properties, protecting the skin from the effects of photoaging and helping to fade the appearance of scars.
Already a popular addition to skin and haircare products from China, Japan, and Korea, cold-pressed safflower oil can be applied directly to the skin, used as a carrier oil in combination with other neutral or essential oils, or found in formulations for storebought products.
Get strong and flexible with ballet and barre
Perfect your développé while channeling your inner prima ballerina with ballet and barre workouts, ultra-accessible exercise methods for strengthening and stretching the body using minimal equipment.
Thanks to a wide range of small-but-mighty movements, ballet and barre exercises target the entire body, especially the core, hips, glutes, arms, and thighs. Barre exercises, in particular, are low-impact and considered suitable for those with arthritis or joint pain.
With regular practice, ballet and barre training improves posture, mobility, and muscle tone. If you are ready to get your relevé on, sign up for a class or try an online video at home—equipment such as light weights and a resistance band are optional but will increase the intensity of your workout.
Give sweet basil seeds a try
If you’re a fan of chia seeds, then consider giving basil seeds a try. Also known as sabja or tukmaria seeds, these tiny black powerhouses come from sweet basil plants. Although small, these seeds are mighty, containing dietary fiber, essential fatty acids, calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
Basil seeds, in addition to having anti-microbial and antioxidant properties, are also a food source of linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid that reduces cardiovascular risk and improves insulin resistance.
While basil seeds have been used in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine for thousands of years, they’re only currently becoming a hot commodity in the world of wellness trends. Like chia seeds, sweet basil seeds can be added to drinks, made into pudding, or used to make jam.
Consider “sleeping on” the mouth taping trend
A sleep hygiene trend that’s taking over social media, mouth taping refers to the practice of literally taping one’s mouth shut to encourage breathing through the nose while asleep.
Breathing through the nose is preferable to mouth breathing in several ways: it helps control air temperature before it reaches the lungs, it filters out allergens, and it makes the air humid (which is easier on your mouth and throat).
Despite a robust presence on TikTok, research on mouth taping has found that the practice provides limited benefits for sleep. In fact, the risks associated with mouth taping include anxiety, skin irritation, and worsened breathing.
One small study found that mouth taping helped with sleep apnea, although these findings could also be due to individuals sleeping on their back. If you struggle with sleep, consider discussing mouth taping with a healthcare practitioner before giving it a try.
This article was originally published in the January 2025 issue of delicious living magazine.
