Emmy Hayes Condon
Your daily guide to feeling, looking, and living your best.
Should We Be "Eating" Our Skincare?
I’d grown up with a butter mom, a truth of which I’m immensely proud. I don’t mean to suggest that my mom didn’t care what my brother and I consumed (she did and very much still does!), but what we ate was not restricted.
But, in high school, I developed a bit of a disordered eating pattern, as very many teenage girls do. I’d just quit an intensely rigorous sport and found myself online, for hours, comparing my body to so many others.
I haven’t bothered to count calories in years (that’s on therapy!), though I’m still able to call out fad diets, very often marketed as “intentional consumption,” for what they are: disordered eating patterns.
So, naturally, I’m a bit skeptical of TikTok’s most recent obsession, “eating your skincare.” Or, the idea that you can clear your skin from the inside out.
Now, as very many experts have proven, “there is a clear link between nutrition and skin health.” Essential nutrients found in fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats can support normal skin functions.
(It just so happens that the “retinol salad” you’ve been recommended is incredibly low-calorie.)
However, “eating your skincare” is not a substitute for topical application. Nutritional dermatology cannot do the work alone – certainly not the work of the procedures very many influencers have received to achieve the glowing skin they’re suggesting you can attain via diet.
All of which is to write, most everything you see online should be taken with a grain of salt – and, prioritizing fruits and veg is all well and good ‘til it begins to consume your life.
I promise you, a lifestyle (because it truly becomes your life) rooted in restriction and control is never, ever worth it.
An Easily Influenced Girly’s Attempt at De-influencing
I’m writing this and I’m holding your hand – actually, I’m writing this and I’m holding my hand: You! do! not! need! to! purchase! every! recommended! product! you! see! online!
Trust, as an easily influenced girly, I’m awfully susceptible to the marketing of a(nother) rhode lippie. But do we need it? No!
Ooh, it’s giving Chappell Roan’s “Femininomenon” (A Consumerist’s Version!).
Anyhow, I’ve tried just about everything under the sun and am here to share which products shouldn’t be put in our (digital!) carts.
An Owala / Stanley / Hydrojug: I promise you, the Hydroflask (yes, remember those?) you purchased in 2020 functions just as well as the Stanley x LoveShackFancy tumblers.
An influencer-made skincare line, but the influencer herself has used prescription medication to treat her acne: I apologize, Ms. Alix Earle, I don’t mean to call you out quite so aggressively – but, if a medication has cleared your skin (same here, girly!), maybe you shouldn’t guarantee similar results via your non-medicated, non-personalized line…
Single-use gadgets: A strawberry huller, a banana slicer, a carbonator, a candle warmer. I am not above retail therapy, but these unitaskers will not do it for you. Their novelty will dissipate, and they’ll soon collect dust in the back of a cupboard.
There are very many other products I haven’t listed, but when purchasing recommended products you see online, I’d ask yourself two questions: Does X bring me joy, in the vein of Marie Kondo? Can I see myself using X on a regular basis?
Consume responsibly!
Just When Fitness Was Beginning to Feel Inclusive (*Sigh*)
As a chronically online girly, I’d be remiss to not mention Nike’s most recent, and polarizing, ad campaign: “Runners welcome. Walkers tolerated.”
Well, I’ve lied a bit. Somehow, I missed the entire Nike kerfuffle, but a friend of mine, who recently ran the Boston Marathon at an alarmingly fast pace (we’re talking sub 2:40!), had asked me what I thought and I’ve chosen to share via column.
If you, too, are in select pockets of the internet, Nike revealed posters ahead of the Boston Marathon that read, “Runners welcome. Walkers tolerated.” The brand, however, appeared to have misread its consumers and encountered rather severe backlash, prompting their removal of the ad.
I’m not quite sure what Nike had intended with their campaign, and I realize marathons are, more or less, for runners (blah, blah, blah), but here are my two cents.
Though I wouldn’t call myself a runner, I do run 20 or so miles each week and am well aware (!!) that running is 1) not for everyone and 2) a high-impact activity.
Maybe the out-of-breath-ness of running just isn’t your jam. Maybe your joints don’t take well to the consistent pounding on pavement. Whatever it may be, who am I to tell you that, actually, you should be running?
To reiterate a point I made last week: You should choose movement that best serves your body – so long as you are not hurting yourself (or anyone else!), all movement is good movement.
For the looongest time, we were told that certain bodies belonged in fitness-related spaces and others didn’t.
For the looongest time, we were told that certain activities belonged in fitness-related spaces and others didn’t.
Call me crazy, but I think any step taken to prioritize our health and well-being should be celebrated.
Photo Source: Runner’s World.
How Damaging Is Gel-X For Our Nails?
Not a wellness trend necessarily and writing a bit more so for myself here, but I’d quite like to know: just how damaging is Gel-X for our nails?
If you aren’t familiar, Gel-X is a full-coverage, soft-gel nail extension that adheres to your natural nail via builder gel or a similar soft-gel adhesive.
(Note: if you aren’t using a full extension – a style I’ve preferred as of late – the builder gel is still applied to attach what length you’ve added and create a level base where the tip meets your nail.)
Gel-X is often preferred to acrylic, as it provides the strength and length of the latter, “minus the damage to your natural nails,” per L’Oréal’s blog.
Builder gel, too, is preferred as a base, as it provides a protective layer between your nail and the gel polish itself – and (!!) builder gel has received the endorsement of Zola Ganzorigt, a celebrity manicurist and creator of “glazed donut nails.”
However, Gel-X is not without its concerns, particularly as it requires curing beneath a UV/LED lamp, which may be correlated with skin cancer and premature aging due to radiation exposure – though the risk of the former is low.
So, healthier (and cheaper!) alternatives?
Dazzle Dry – a recommendation I received from my mom who is much too style savvy for her own good – is a non-toxic polish that provides long-lasting wear without the use of UV light. (Bonus: As its name might suggest, it’s fast-drying!) Dazzle Dry, however, is BYOL (bring your own length).
Or, you may prefer press-on nails, which are both easy to apply and damage-free – provided they are removed correctly!
I’m a bit of a YOLO-er these days – though I very much understand if this lifestyle is not for you! – and (infrequent!) Gel-X manicures bring me joy. I just might continue with Gel-X for the time being, but I’ll let you know if I stumble across another technique I prefer!
P.S. The builder gel design I'd gotten (pictured above) was a butter yellow base with a studded perimeter in silver.
On Fibermaxxing and Proteinmogging
In continuation of our most recent column, On Nonnamaxxing, I bring you fibermaxxing and proteinmogging. That is, consuming large quantities of fiber and protein. Did I learn these terms from Bento, a viral pug (@bentothebug)? Well, yes. Am I rather convinced “fibermaxxing” and “proteinmogging” will soon be added to our wellness lexicon? Well, yes!
Let’s back up a bit, why might fiber and protein consumption complement each other?
Here’s a circuitous answer, so I might reference Heated Rivalry (re: Wednesday's column!) just once more: In an interview, Hudson Williams remarked that, to bulk for the role of Shane Hollander, he increased his consumption of both protein and fiber.
Protein, generally, is a bit more complex to digest. As such, supplementing high(er)-protein diets with an increased consumption of fiber can ease digestion. To do so, fiber interacts with protein in slowing digestion, increasing satiation, and regulating blood sugar.
Too much protein and too little fiber, in turn, may induce bloating, inflammation, and constipation.
Moreover, Northwestern Gastroenterologist Olufemi Kassim said, “people who eat high-fiber diets have a more diverse, rich microbiome, which is associated with a lower risk of gastrointestinal (GI) issues.”
All of which is to write, just as much as you’d like to proteinmog, be sure to fibermaxx as well!
Photo Source: Nick Kimel on Unsplash
On Nonnamaxxing
I have a bit that I do for my friends that goes “my family’s so Italian,” and then I’ll insert a quirk of my family’s that’s particularly Italian — an Italian-ism, if you will. (I promise, I have a point.)
A favorite of mine is, “my family’s so Italian, we know this guy, Ronny, who supplies us with sausages every Christmas.” Or, “my family’s so Italian, my grandfather made Sunday Sauce just about every weekend to share with his children and grandchildren.”
All of which is to write, if anyone knows a thing or two about “Nonnamaxxing,” it’s me.
Well, not really — as The Guardian article I stumbled upon articulates, there’s a bit more to Nonnamaxxing than regularly consuming pasta. (Alas!)
Rather, Nonnamaxxing consists of all that Nonnas do to ensure their longevity and contentment — such as, “walking everywhere, cooking for others, spending time with family and getting all up in everyone’s business.”
Moreover, Nonnamaxxing is emblematic of a “Blue Zone lifestyle.”
Globally, there are five Blue Zones — one of which is in Sardinia, Italy, hence Nonnamaxxing — and each is marked for its sheer number of centenarians in residence. Per Dan Buetter, an explorer (self-described) at the helm of Blue Zone research, the longevity of those living in Blue Zones can be attributed to their dietary habits, regular movement, and prioritization of family.
So maybe there is something to consuming a healthy dose of carbs… mangia bene!
Photo Source: Entertainment Weekly
Ask Clara:
"What eating habits best promote longevity?"
That Peloton Ad. (Yes, That One.)
Hudson Williams x Peloton. That’s it. That’s the column.
I kid, I kid (mostly), though I received a message from a friend the morning the ad was released that read, “Hudson Williams in a Peloton ad? A crossover made just for Chloe!”
She could not be more right.
If you’ve been in my vicinity these last few months (so sorry!), you’d know that Heated Rivalry (really, Williams and Connor Storrie, the series’ leads) is all I care to talk about.
And, if you’ve been in my vicinity these last seven or so years (yes, really!), you’d know Peloton is the sole fitness platform I care to use.
As such, their collaboration, set to David Bowie’s “Fame,” just about made my morning.
Now, you may be thinking, “Chloe, how is the (in)decent exposure of William’s abs and ass related to wellness?”
I’d argue that the sight of a beautiful (feminist!) man induces a bit of serotonin rush; however, to assuage concerns that The Wellness Edit may be in questionable hands, I’ll cite their intended message, “movement sets you free.”
However you choose to move, movement is meant to be liberating, expressive, and a moment to get out of your head and into your body, as Peloton’s Emma Lovewell might say. A former athlete and uber-medicated girly, I could not agree more.
Wishing you all a moment or two to get in a bit of movement this week!
Photo Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Hi Again, I'm Chloe!
Hiii, Rescripters!
I’d write “allow me to reintroduce myself,” but I’m Gen Z (alas!) and don’t quite understand the lyric’s cultural significance (so sorry!) — anywho, my name is Chloe Mintz, a fourth-year at Northwestern University and former Rescripted intern!
You may have read an article (or two!) of mine — re: How to Talk to Your Daughter About Her Period Without Making It Weird — but I’ll be switching gears a bit and manning Emmy’s column, The Wellness Edit, while she’s on maternity leave. (Best of luck, Emmy!)
A bit about me! I’m an IVF twin, romance novel fiend, peanut butter (and dip!) enthusiast, and Aquarius — oh, and a reproductive health and wellness advocate!
Though Gwenyth Paltrow I am not, I am twenty-two (yikes!), chronically online (double yikes!), and precisely the demographic wellness influencers seek to, well, influence — and, I’ll admit, I’m an easily-influenced girly (promises of clear and supple skin get me nearly every time).
That said, my tendency to hop on the bandwagon has provided me with a bit of a BS detector — are TikTok trends credible (scientifically-backed, maybe) or, more or less, a consumerist scheme?
But vetting every trend you happen across can be time-consuming — enter The Wellness Edit (me!). While you have me (!!), I’ll break down the wellness trends we just can’t seem to escape and provide an answer to the ever-asked question: is this real?
(Again, I am chronically online, but if there’s a particular trend you’d like to see broken down, please LMK at chloe@rescripted.com!)
I’m so glad you’re here,
Chloe
Photo Source: Twitter
Unexpected Ways You May Be Damaging Your Skin Barrier
Your skin might be crying out for help, and you don't even know it. If your moisturizer has been randomly stinging lately, or your go-to products suddenly feel irritating, that's your skin barrier waving a little white flag. When the skin barrier is healthy, skin looks smooth and hydrated — when it's damaged, skin becomes dry and inflamed. And the culprits? They're sneakier than you'd think.
Sure, you've heard about not over-exfoliating, but what about your beloved steamy shower? Research has shown that continuous hot water use damages the skin barrier, leading to water loss and increased dehydration. Think of your skin barrier like butter, hot water melts it right away.
Then there's the viral 60-second cleansing rule. Sounds thorough, right? Not so fast. There's no benefit to massaging your cleanser in longer, and in fact, you may do damage because the fatty layer of your skin barrier can begin to break down.
Your product-stacking habit might also be working against you. Layering too many active ingredients — like retinoids, acids, and benzoyl peroxide — can overwhelm the skin. More is definitely not more here.
And don't sleep on stress — literally. Research has shown that stress disrupts skin barrier function, likely by exacerbating inflammation.
The fix? Simplify your routine, turn down the shower temp, and give your skin some grace.
Trouble falling asleep? Here are some tricks to help you fall asleep faster
You're lying in bed, phone down (good job!), eyes closed, and yet your brain has fully decided this is the perfect time to replay every mildly embarrassing thing you've ever said. Same, honestly.
If falling asleep feels like a nightly battle, you're not alone. About one in three adults struggles with sleep at some point, and the frustration of being tired but wired is so real. The good news? There are some genuinely helpful, science-backed tricks that can make a difference.
First up: try the 4-7-8 breathing method — inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7, exhale for 8. It activates your parasympathetic nervous system and helps slow your heart rate, signaling to your body that it's safe to wind down.
Next, check your room temperature. The National Sleep Foundation recommends keeping your bedroom between 60–67°F. A slightly cool environment helps your core body temperature drop, which is actually a cue your body uses to initiate sleep.
Also, ditch the doom-scrolling at least 30 minutes before bed. Blue light from screens suppresses melatonin production, making it harder for your body to recognize it's nighttime.
Finally, try progressive muscle relaxation — slowly tensing and releasing each muscle group from your toes up. It sounds a little silly, but it works.
You deserve rest, let's get you there.
Ask Clara:
"How much sleep should I get at night?"