The Better Blog

Better Not Younger features a woman looking herself at the mirror and checking her skin state carefully.

Should You Mix Salicylic Acid and Retinol During Menopause?

July 20, 2022

As we enter perimenopause and menopause, it's no secret that our skin undergoes some significant changes. Aging skin tends to be drier and less elastic than younger skin, and we might start experiencing the breakouts we dealt with as teenagers again. It's incredibly frustrating to be dealing with breakouts and aging skin simultaneously! Is there a way to tackle both at once?

The answer is yes, by using salicylic acid and retinol. But proceed with caution so you don't irritate your skin!

Salicylic acid is the gold standard for acne prevention, and topical retinol is the first-line treatment for wrinkles and loss of elasticity in aging skin. Keep reading to learn how to add salicylic acid and retinol into your skincare routine safely!

Can I Take Hair, Skin and Nail Vitamins While Pregnant?

July 18, 2022

Nothing beats the glowy skin and thicker, healthier hair that comes with pregnancy! As our bodies change and our hormones fluctuate, the increased estrogen and blood flow nourish the scalp, supporting healthy hair growth and optimal sebum production. (All this while growing a baby—aren't our bodies just incredible?)

Many of us see this gorgeous skin and hair and wonder if there's a way to support healthy hair, skin and nails even more while pregnant? What about taking biotin during pregnancy or a dedicated hair, skin and nail vitamin? Read on to learn more about taking hair, skin and nail vitamins while pregnant, what to watch out for, and some hair, skin and nail supplement options we love!

A caucasian woman touching her face skin as a sign of well hydrated slastic skin.

Could the Lines on Your Face Be a Sign of Dehydration?

July 04, 2022

Fine lines and wrinkles are inevitable as we age and our skin loses its elasticity. It's a part of life that we embrace for the privilege of growing older. But if your skin is chronically dehydrated, the lines and wrinkles you notice might be dehydration lines and wrinkles.

Not to worry! Amping up your skin's hydration is easy and will help reduce the appearance of those pesky dehydration lines under your eyes and elsewhere on your face. Read on to learn more about what causes dehydrated skin and how to rehydrate it to curb dehydration lines and wrinkles!

A manopausal caucasian woman looking at the mirror while touching her face during her manopausal skincare routine

Top Skincare Tips to Know as You Approach Menopause

May 20, 2022

For a long time, talking about menopause was a cultural taboo. This left many of us in the dark about what to expect for menopause skin changes like breakouts, dryness and discoloration.

Thankfully, conversations about menopause and aging skin are changing. We're learning more about what we should know heading into midlife and how menopause can affect our hair and skin.

And we've made considerable headway recently! According to Jill Angelo, CEO and Founder of Gennev, "There are so many more companies and brands taking on menopause from various different vantage points. This has driven up the conversation in the media, and as a result, women are starting to talk about it more and more. It’s so wonderful to see the progress in the past two years and I can’t wait to see where it goes!"

Read on to learn more about the best skincare for menopausal skin and what menopause skin changes to expect!

Better Not Younger features a woman with long brown wavy hair touching her face while smiling as a sign of skin health due to the use of probiotics.

Probiotics and Skin Health Explained

May 18, 2022

If you’re not already familiar with probiotics, it’s time to change that. The benefits of probiotics for women are vast and important to your overall health, but probiotics and skin health are especially linked. Good probiotics for women can include everything from the right food in your diet to a supplement that’ll boost your microbiome—all the bacteria inside your body—which in turn, can lead to improved gut health, a stronger immune system, and, yes, smoother, glowy skin. Probiotics and your gut microbiome go hand in hand, but probiotics and skin do, too. When it comes to probiotics, though, everyone talks about gut health and not necessarily how that gut health translates to the rest of your body. But probiotics and skin? Definitely a good idea. Let’s discuss the benefits of probiotics for women and how probiotics and your gut microbiome can lead to a better relationship between probiotics and your skin.

Better not younger features a caucasian woman in her late 30s taking her right hand while having a pain expression as it might be a symptom of menopause.

5 Menopause Symptoms That Catch Women Most Off Guard

May 11, 2022

It’s typical that women have at least some knowledge of what to expect before getting their first period, having sex for the first time, and having a baby. However, preparation for menopause, a rite of passage every woman will experience, is practically non-existent. Most women report being caught off guard and surprised by the physical and emotional changes. In fact, it’s common for women to question whether a symptom is related to menopause or something else.

In the early stages of perimenopause, before your periods become irregular, it can be hard to sort out what’s menopause-related and what’s not. With at least 34 symptoms associated with menopause, and conditions like a thyroid problem with similar symptoms, it’s easy to see why there’s so much confusion. Classic symptoms like hot flashes, trouble sleeping, vaginal dryness and low libido grab the spotlight since they are the most frequent symptoms women experience. However, that leaves 30 other symptoms, many of which women are unaware. Which one’s catch women most off guard? Read on for my pick of the top five.

Your Essential Guide to Postpartum Skincare

May 04, 2022

For many of us, pregnancy brought healthy, shiny hair and glowing skin. (And an adorable, chunky baby, which is a pretty good deal!) But what about after we've given birth and the influx of estrogen and hormones is over?

Similar to our pregnancy skincare, postpartum skincare can be tough to navigate because we want to have an effective postpartum skincare routine while also ensuring that the products we use are safe for baby.

As our bodies recalibrate after creating a new life, our skin often bears the brunt of this adjustment period. Our post-pregnancy skin has been stretched more than ever, so new skin issues like stretch marks and looseness are common. While pregnant, we may have developed darker skin pigmentation, or melasma, and some of us may have experienced breakouts we haven’t seen since middle school!

While every woman’s skin journey during pregnancy looks a little different, our postpartum skin issues vary as well. And the go-to skincare routines we had pre-pregnancy or during pregnancy might not effectively address our new postpartum skin.

We also know that new moms have a ton on their plates! That's why we created an essential guide to postpartum skincare, including products to avoid while breastfeeding and products with ingredients that are safe and effective in addressing the most common postpartum skincare issues.

What Self-Care Means for Hair Care

February 14, 2022

"Self-care" is one of those phrases that we hear all the time. People do self-care challenges and self-care Sundays, but what does it actually mean?

We are here to tell you that having a self-care day doesn't mean just indulging in a glass of wine or a hot bath. Instead, self-care is about practicing mindfulness and being attuned to your body's needs—and that includes the needs of your hair. Everyone's routine will look different, but the goal of any self-care routine is to relax and de-stress. Research shows that chronic stress can have a negative impact on hair health, so adding a routine with hair-care benefits is an important self-care step!

Amping up your hair-care steps at home is also a confidence booster. Prioritizing our own needs over the chaos of daily life centers us, and using the right products and best hair-care practices helps us look and feel our best, inside and out.

Read on to learn more about different types of self-care, including hair and scalp-care tips, and the importance of taking care of your hair and skin with a dedicated self-care routine.