SUMMER! Beach days, shorts, tank tops, and flip flops — here we come! But before you go and lather up your skin with all those DIY lotions, creams, lip balms, body oils, and perfumes you’ve had so much fun making, there is something very important that you should know: Phototoxicity. So what IS phototoxicity? The term ‘phototoxicity’ means that there are specific essential oils that when you put them on your skin and go out into the sun, can cause pretty significant damage, i

What is Lymphedema? Lymphedema is a condition that causes swelling, typically in the arms or legs. It causes a buildup of lymph fluid under the fatty tissue of the skin. This fluid buildup occurs due to a blockage. When the buildup becomes too great, it causes the arms or legs to swell. Lymphedema in the legs is particularly common. Lymphedema is a condition commonly associated with cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation. There are two types of Lymphedema: Prima

After I Started Doing Morning Exercise, Life Is Getting Better…​ I’m not a morning person. As a child, I had a Garfield poster in my room that said, “I think I’m allergic to Morning.” I lived by this truth for far too many years, holding onto the belief as if it were a concrete part of my personality—a trait that couldn’t be changed even if I wanted to, and for years I never wanted to. For a long time, I tried to create the habit of exercise, but sadly I wasn’t very successfu