This space is a creative outlet and mostly just something fun for me. As I do occasionally share things that I feel are important though, I didn’t feel right staying completely silent here about current events. My thoughts and feelings are still very raw and I am by no means an expert on racial issues, but I am certain that I absolutely and unquestionably support Black people’s rights to live (and thrive). More than that, I acknowledge the Black community as they are asking for my help and support.

I’ve been using aluminum-free deodorant for a few years now. It’s important to me and one of the “clean beauty” swaps that I’m definitely sticking to. The first thing you might need to know is that natural deodorants are just deodorants and not antiperspirants. Antiperspirants work by clogging your sweat glands and therefore preventing your body’s natural processes. Sweat isn’t gross or bad, guys. It’s natural and healthy! Unfortunately, the smells and excessive wetness associated with sweat aren’t always appealing, and there’s also nothing wrong with wanting to minimize those aspects. There can be an adjustment period when switching to natural deodorants, but I’ve honestly found it not to be too bad and the end result is using a healthier product with minimal noticeable difference from conventional brands. I’ve tried countless cleaner deodorants since I switched, and here are my picks (and a couple of duds) from this year:

If you follow me on Instagram (here!) and watch my stories, you might have seen me dealing with a pretty bad reaction to a face mask last week. I immediately washed it off to reveal some SUPER red and angry skin that looked like a serious sunburn.  I washed it off quickly enough and my skin wasn’t burned too badly, but it was still an intense situation that had me freaked out for a bit! Here’s what happened and how I got my skin back to normal.

As many of you know, I find therapy to be incredibly rewarding and helpful. I’ve pretty much had a standing hour-long appointment with my therapist every week for the past two years, and it’s been such a comfort to me and become an integral part of my health & lifestyle. My therapist recently had a baby and took a six week maternity leave, and I was so nervous at first that I wouldn’t have access to her for so long. The time has flown by, and I’ve really felt a sense of freedom realizing that I am also fully capable and complete on my own. Therapy no longer feels like something that I absolutely consistently need to function anymore, but it is because of the many lessons and tools that I have learned that I can continue to grow and heal.

Last year, I tried three different organic tampon subscriptions to see which one I liked best. Lola, Cora & Sustain are the brands that I tested and here I’ll give you a rundown on each.

As promised, here are my top five tips for developing a healthier sleep schedule and bedtime routine! Just in time, too, since we’ll lose an hour with Daylight Savings beginning this weekend. All of these tips have been hugely helpful for me as I’ve worked back from staying up super late to going to bed much earlier on a regular basis. So here we go:

Confession: I’ve had pretty bad sleep habits for most of my adult life so far. From all-nighters and regular late night parties in college to even more all-nighters (but no more parties, unfortunately) in grad school, I was basically a walking zombie for most of my early-mid twenties.

Cassie is a wife, mother, holistic nutritionist, and the wellness writer behind Candid Health. I connected with Cassie on Instagram after following her account and loving all of the gorgeous pictures and “Candid Tips ” that she regularly shares about lifestyle, nutrition, and other health & wellness topics. Cassie is so incredibly kind, smart and supportive and I love her outlook and attitude towards health. To read Cassie’s thoughts on snacking, smoothies, trusting your intuition, and what’s non-negotiable for her daily nutrition, check out our interview below!