Squeeze the Last Out of Summer
Summer — official and otherwise — is quickly evaporating, so here’s how to keep the season going long after Labor Day.
No! Wait! Stop! Don’t go, summer! Don’t goooo…oh, you went. Welp, it doesn’t mean we have to give up all the good summer stuff just yet…
Drawing a (Tan) Line in the Sand
Want to keep that golden glow a while longer? Esthetician Angela Palmer recommends using a moisturizer containing dimethicone every day after your shower, as this will keep your tanned skin from drying and flaking off as quickly as it normally would. (You could also just use a self-tanner? It’s okay, we won’t tell.)
Turning Your Summer Fling Into the Real Thing
Want the summer lovin’ to continue? Dating coach Harris “Dr. NerdLove” O’Malley says to, “make sure you stay in contact, because by continuing to flirt and talk, you’re keeping the connection alive and keeping possibilities open.” If it’s long distance, he says you’ll definitely have to make plans to meet each other, and be direct — tell them that, “I think we have something strong here, I’d like to see where it goes.”
Sustaining that Summer Shape
You don’t have to let that sculpted summer bod go as we head into flannel weather. Anywhere Gym’s Sean Salazar says that as well as staying active, it would help to increase your protein intake to about 35% of your diet, while keeping the carbs at 45% and fat at 20%. Donuts are like, 90% protein, right..?
Keeping Your Summer Chill
Many find their morning commute to be the biggest threat to their peaceful mind, so Yoga instructor Kristina Sarr recommends simply singing along to the radio to help clear your head, or developing a few mantras to say to yourself — things like, “Today will be a good day” and “Keep negative thoughts out of my head,” rather than, say, “If this guy cuts me off again I’m gonna *unfit for publication*”. Keep that summer zen, y’all!
Pop Quiz!
Man, that was a hot summer. But which animal would have been the sweatiest over the last few months?
A: Hippos
B: Horses
C: Gorillas
D: Me, trust me
Why Does My Sweat Sometimes Smell Bad?
As you probably know by now, your sweat doesn’t smell at all: That nasty B.O. scent is actually produced by the bacteria that feed on it. Regular sweat — the kind you get from exercise or a fever, and which helps cool your body down through evaporation — comes from your eccrine glands, which are located all over your body. Nervous sweat, however, comes from the apocrine glands in your armpits and groin. Unlike eccrine sweat, which is 99% water, this oily sweat is up to 20% fats and proteins, and bacteria go nuts for it. As the bacteria swarm, the smell increases, with the end result that everyone can smell your fear. Biology is gross, huh?
Oh FAQ: Why Are My Armpits So Ticklish?
1. While its exact purpose is disputed, being ticklish is widely believed to be a defense mechanism to protect our most vulnerable areas. Your armpits are especially vulnerable, since they give close access to the axillary vein and artery.
2. Tickling has fancy scientific names, too: knismesis refers to feather-light touch, like the sensation of a stray hair or a small bug on your skin, while gargalesis requires more pressure and is the kind more likely to get you giggling. So now you know!
Check Out This Week’s DSC Podcast
Quiz Answer
D
It’s not just you — the entire human race is shockingly sweaty. The sheer number of sweat glands we have and the amount of sweat we produce make us the number one sweaty beasts in the animal kingdom, in fact — just something to think about next time you’re wringing out those gym shorts.