Today I want to talk about something awkward but necessary: sexual wellbeing. Sexual wellbeing is an extremely important but taboo and under-discussed aspect of physical and psychological health. If you know me in real life, you may want to stop reading around here and detour to the safer waters of sunscreen quantities or exfoliating or hair protectants instead. Or not, …
This “lead in lipstick” hoax has been going around Facebook again – it’s actually pretty ancient (goes back to the early 2000s) and refuses to die. Here’s one version: All the versions of this chain email are slightly different but all have the same themes… and all are BS. There’s a whole bunch of wrong in this scary-sounding PSA. Firstly: …
(Note: When I write “Asians” here, it’s shorthand for people of Asian ancestry, in particular East Asian.) My entire life I’ve had difficulty getting glasses that fit me. If a pair of sunglasses fit me around the front, they’d tug my ears forward. If they fit my ears, they’d hug my temples too closely and give me a headache. During …
Too many numbers! What’s going on? 3-free polish does not contain dibutyl phthalate, toluene or formaldehyde. 4-free polish does not contain dibutyl phthalate, toluene, formaldehyde or formaldehyde resin. 5-free polish does not contain dibutyl phthalate, toluene, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin or camphor. 6-free polish does not contain dibutyl phthalate, toluene, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, camphor or parabens. 7-free polish does not contain …
Do these sorts of images look familiar? The general gist of the message is this: Natural = safe, healthy, normal and the way things are supposed to be Chemical = unnatural, cancer-causing, poisonous, dangerous, untested and unsafe This logic really appeals on a gut level, doesn’t it? But in reality, it’s untrue and misleading. Here’s why: “Chemical-free” is not a …
So you may have heard about the Black Milk Clothing debacle, which started on Star Wars Day (May the 4th) and has finally kind of petered off, after popping up on the usual internet cesspools of Buzzfeed and Salon and Yahoo! News. Here’s the meme that sparked the controversy: On the right is Amy Farrah Fowler, a neurobiologist from the …
In case I haven’t already managed to bombard you with this on other channels, an article I wrote was just published on The Toast, about surfactants and not being scared of chemicals. I’m very proud of it – click through here to read more! (I have to add a special thanks to the lovely and talented Cassie of Reluctant Femme …
“Screw everyone, girl’s got needs!” Oh, Ariel. The traditional tale: Mermaid goes to sea witch and swaps amazing voice for really painful legs, mad dancing skills and a chance at eternal life. She tries to win the prince. She fails. Her sisters convince said witch to make a knife – if she kills the prince she gets to be a …