According to Mayo Clinic, eating disorders are health conditions that affect physical and mental health, and can include issues around eating behaviors and “how you think about food, eating, weight, and shape.” The most common eating disorders are anorexia, which can involve severely limiting calories or cutting out certain kinds of foods; bulimia, which involves eating food in a short period of time, then “purging” afterwards; and binge-eating disorder, which involves eating food (sometimes in large amounts) in a short period of time.

And while the common stereotype says that only young women suffer from eating disorders, recent research has found that that’s simply not the case. According to a 2014 study cited by the National Eating Disorders Association, 25 percent of people with anorexia are men, and men are at higher risk of dying of the condition — in part because they’re often diagnosed later, as many people assume men don’t have eating disorders. Eating disorders are also prevalent among high school and collegiate athletes.

According to the NEDA, eating disorders arise “from a variety of physical, emotional, and social issues,” and preventing them and lowering their prevalence worldwide means addressing all of those issues. That said, initiating conversations about eating disorders — who they affect, why they occur, and their harmful effects on people — is one step in the right direction. Ahead, these celebrities are doing just that by speaking out about their own experiences to help end the stigma.

It’s also strange to think that — if TikTok is to be believed — the common habit of rinsing after brushing your teeth isn’t actually a best practice for oral hygiene. I don’t know anyone that doesn’t rinse after brushing. Isn’t that why hotels have cups in the bathroom? What other lies have we been told?!

Clearly I needed answers, and I wanted to go beyond TikTok to get them. I asked three dentists whether we really should be rinsing after we brush (or floss, for that matter) and, while we were at it, what other changes we should make to our dental hygiene routines. Turns out, TikTok might be on to something with this one, so let’s talk about why.

Should you rinse after brushing your teeth?

You shouldn’t rinse with water right after brushing your teeth, dentists say. Why? “Toothpaste contains fluoride, which helps remineralize and strengthen the tooth‘s enamel,” cosmetic dentist Dr. Catrise Austin of VIP Smiles tells SheKnows. “If you’re rinsing immediately after brushing, you risk washing away the fluoride before it has a chance to fully protect your teeth.”

Still, it’s understandable why rinsing after brushing is so common. “It feels good in the mouth and helps to get rid of any toothpaste residue that may not taste the best,” Dr. Shahrooz Yazdani, dentist and director of Yazdani Family Dentistry Kanata, tells SheKnows. But if you want to get the most bang for your buck when it comes to your oral hygiene routine, it’s best to skip this step.

Instead, simply spit out any excess saliva or toothpaste after brushing and leave the trace residue behind on your teeth, Dr. Jennifer Silver, dentist and owner at Macleod Trail Dental, tells SheKnows. Avoid eating or drinking for at least 10 minutes after brushing “to allow the fluoride to work its magic,” she adds.

While it’s best not to rinse at all after brushing, if you really don’t want to skip that step, “use a small amount of water and avoid swishing vigorously,” Austin says. And if you have a fluoride rinse you like to use after brushing, Yazdani recommends brushing, rinsing with a bit of water, then following up with the fluoride rinse.

Quick personal tangent: since seeing that TikTok, I decided to stop rinsing after brushing my teeth. At first, I didn’t love the half-chalky, half-slimy residue the toothpaste left behind. It was also surprisingly hard to break the habit of rinsing, something I’ve done my whole life, and a few times, I would slurp down a mouthful of water before I realized what I was doing. (This was especially common in the morning, when I was half asleep.)

But as I got used to it, the toothpaste aftertaste started bothering me less and less, and it felt more normal to spit without rinsing. Now it barely fazes me and I’ve made it a consistent part of my routine.

Should you rinse after flossing?

The time to rinse, it turns out, is actually after flossing. The idea is that rinsing after your floss “can help remove any loosened food particles and bacterial plaque from between your teeth,” Austin explains, so make a point to swish around some water and spit after you toss out your floss. Speaking of…

Should you floss before or after brushing?

While we’re talking about brushing and flossing, let’s answer this age-old question too. “It’s generally recommended to floss before brushing,” Austin says. That’s because flossing cleans the space between your tooth and your gum, so that when you do go in and brush, “this allows the fluoride from the toothpaste to reach between your teeth more effectively,” Austin says. You’re basically maximizing your “protection against cavities that form in hidden areas like between the teeth and below the gums,” she explains.

The ideal order? Floss, rinse with water, brush with fluoride toothpaste, and end with a fluoride rinse if you use one, Yazdani says. If you prefer an alcohol-based mouthwash, “use this after flossing but before brushing,” he says, “as alcohol can also remove the fluoride.”

In short: it’s best to floss before brushing and skip rinsing after brushing, but if you really prefer to rinse (or just have a hard time remembering not to), don’t stress. “If you have a habit of rinsing with water, it really is not the worst thing for your dental hygiene,” Yazdani says. The most important thing, he says, is brushing and flossing twice a day. Once you’ve got that healthy habit down, finessing your routine can help you get the absolute most out of it. (Your teeth will thank you.)

Before you go, shop our favorite skincare products for teens:

Anyone who’s ever struggled with acne knows that pimples can pop up anywhere (and at any age). The ones on your face might be the most visible, but zits, blackheads, and cysts can pop up all over your body, including your neck, back, chest, arms, and even your butt, and facial cleansers sometimes aren’t strong enough to deal with them. “Body acne can be just as frustrating, if not more, than acne on the face,” says Dr. Dendy Engelman, a board-certified cosmetic dermatologist and Mohs surgeon at Shafer Clinic in New York City.

Luckily, you have plenty of acne body wash options to choose from, as long as you know what to look for. The key ingredients? Salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide.

Salicylic and glycolic acid: Products with salicylic and/or glycolic acid are great for unclogging the pores and clearing out blackheads, says Dr. Calvin Williams, a dermatologist at Essential Dermatology Group. These products are “usually more gentle to the skin than other acne ingredients,” he tells SheKnows. Salicylic acid in particular “is a great ingredient for people with oily and acne-prone skin, and particularly for treating and preventing comedonal acne (blackheads and whiteheads),” board-certified dermatologist Dr. Hadley King tells SheKnows.

Benzoyl peroxide: If you struggle with inflammatory types of acne — think “red papules and/or closed comedones (whiteheads),” Williams says — benzoyl peroxide products are a good choice. As an antibacterial agent, benzoyl peroxide helps reduce acne-causing bacteria like P. acnes and Staph. aureus, King adds, while also preventing and clearing out clogged pores.

When choosing an acne body wash, it’s important to remember that “everyone’s skin is different and has different sensitivities,” Engelman says. “What may work for someone else may not work for others.” So we skipped the sponsored influencer content and went straight to the experts to find out what acne body washes dermatologists love and recommend to their patients.

Best acne body washes recommended by dermatologists, at a glance:

Best overall: La Roche-Posay Effaclar Acne Face Wash with Salicylic Acid

Best for hydration: The Body Acne Wash from Nécessaire

Best for inflammatory acne: CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Wash

Best for irritated skin: CLn Acne Cleanser

Best budget option: PanOxyl Acne Treatment Bar or PanOxyl Antimicrobial Hydrating Acne Creamy Wash

Best for rough skin: Neutrogena Body Clear Acne Body Wash

Best for exfoliating: Murad Acne Control Body Wash

Best for small bumps: BeautyPie AcidEnzyme Exfoliating Face and Body Cleanser

Best for oily skin: Garnier SkinActive Clean+ Blackhead Eliminating Scrub with Charcoal

Best antioxidant cleanser: Face Reality Antioxidant Scrub

Best for clogged pores: Acne-Clearing Body Wash from Differin 

BEST OVERALL

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Acne Face Wash with Salicylic Acid

$16.49

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La Roche-Posay’s Effaclar Acne Face Wash with Salicylic Acid is a “consistent product” that’s great for blackheads and whiteheads with “minimal odor or side effects,” says Dr. David Li of Boston Derm Advocate. This gel cleanser also includes lipo-hydroxy acid (LHA) to exfoliate and renew your skin and glycerin for hydration. Overall, Li says this face wash is a “great option for general acne,” with extra bonuses coming from how easy it is to apply and lather and the pleasant “skin-tightening sensation” you get afterwards.

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BEST FOR HYDRATION

The Body Acne Wash from Nécessaire

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Cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Michele Green recommends Nécessaire’s The Body Acne Wash, which contains 2 percent salicylic acid as its active ingredient. The salicylic acid will “exfoliate the skin and clear out clogged pores,” Green says, while glycerin will help moisturize and niacinamide will “restore the skin’s natural moisture barrier.”

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BEST FOR INFLAMMATORY ACNE

CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Wash

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$16.89

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Green recommends CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Wash if you’re dealing with inflammatory body acne. It’s formulated with 10 percent benzoyl peroxide to “kill acne-causing bacteria and unclog pores,” she says, and it also contains hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and niacinamide “to hydrate the skin and prevent transepidermal water loss.” Dr. Barry Goldman of Barry Goldman Dermatology also flagged those key ingredients, calling the cream wash a “mainstay” that’s well-tolerated by many patients.

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BEST FOR IRRITATED SKIN

CLn Acne Cleanser

$35.00

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If you experience irritation with acne cleansers, Williams recommends trying CLn products. “My patients often find them less irritating and more effective than the typical over the counter antimicrobial acne body washes,” he says. CLn’s acne cleanser, with 0.5 percent salicylic acid, is gentle enough to use on your face and body. You can also opt for CLn Body Wash, which doesn’t contain an active acne-fighting ingredient but can keep your skin cleansed and healthy in acne-prone areas.

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BEST BUDGET OPTION

PanOxyl Acne Treatment Bar

$9.49

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Goldman recommends PanOxyl’s acne treatment bar for people with very oily skin, while the brand’s creamy wash is better for those with sensitive skin. Both feature 10 percent benzoyl peroxide and are on the cheaper end of the spectrum — especially the bar, which is less than $10.

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BEST FOR ROUGH SKIN

Neutrogena Body Clear Acne Body Wash

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$10.29

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$8.99

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Goldman calls Neutrogena’s Body Clear Acne Body Wash a good option for those with a more “rough, bumpy” skin texture. It contains 2 percent salicylic acid to fight breakouts without drying out your skin, and is recommended for use on your back, chest, and shoulders.

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BEST FOR EXFOLIATING

Murad Acne Control Body Wash

$48.00

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If you can afford something on the pricier side, Goldman notes that Murad Acne Control Body Wash is great for exfoliating. With 1 percent salicylic acid, he describes it as a stronger option and recommends easing into a routine and using it just two to three times a week initially.

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BEST FOR SMALL BUMPS

BeautyPie AcidEnzyme Exfoliating Face and Body Cleanser

$60

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Ever noticed patches of small, rough bumps on your upper arms, thighs, cheeks, or butt? That’s called keratosis pilaris, a harmless (but, let’s be honest) annoying condition that King says this product is great at addressing (along general with body acne). BeautyPie AcidEnzyme Exfoliating Face and Body Cleanser contains 2% salicylic acid and papaya enzymes to “gently exfoliate,” she says, plus glycerin to moisturize and oat kernal extract to “soothe and support the skin barrier.”

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BEST FOR OILY SKIN

Garnier SkinActive Clean+ Blackhead Eliminating Scrub with Charcoal

$8.47

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King recommends this 2% salicylic acid product for oily skin on your body as well as your face. The charcoal in Garnier’s SkinActive Clean+ Blackhead Eliminating Scrub offers “gentle physical exfoliation,” she says, “in a base that hydrates the skin with glycerin and supports the skin barrier with jojoba oil and castor oil.”

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BEST ANTIOXIDANT CLEANSER

Face Reality Antioxidant Scrub

$31

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As the name suggests, this Antioxidant Scrub from Face Reality is “rich in antioxidants,” King says, which help protect your skin from damage and aging. A good option for non-inflamed acne that you can use on both your face and body, this scrub “contains cellulose beads to offer gentle physical exfoliation” and is “sulfate-free for sensitive skin types,” King adds.

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BEST FOR CLOGGED PORES

Differin Acne-Clearing Body Wash

$9.26 $11.99 23% off

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“I love and recommend the Acne-Clearing Body Wash from Differin to my patients,” Engelman says. It’s non-comedogenic (meaning it won’t clog your pores) and is formulated with 2% salicylic acid to “gently unclog clogged pores and clear the skin without over-drying,” she says.

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How do you use acne body wash?

Different acne body washes have different recommendations, so always make sure to consult the packaging (and your dermatologist!) for the proper way to use a product. In general, though, it’s a good idea to apply your acne body wash product onto wet or damp skin and leave it on for about a minute. Depending on your body wash, leaving it on longer might lead to irritation, Williams explains. If you have drier skin, King recommends washing the body wash off after about 30 seconds.

As for the frequency, Engelman says that “depending on the intensity of the product, acne body washes can be used anywhere from daily to two to three times a week.” Pro tip: use white towels if your acne body wash contains benzoyl peroxide, Goldman says, as it can bleach colored towels if not rinsed properly.

Can you use acne body wash on your face (or vice versa)?

Avoid using acne body wash on your face, Engelman says. “Since the skin on the face is a lot thinner and more sensitive than the skin on the body, facial skincare products are formulated to be more gentle while being just as effective,” she explains. “Body products are not as gentle so if they are used on the face it could lead to even more breakouts and irritation.” In a pinch, it’s OK to use acne face wash on your body, but not the other way around.

Can my acne body wash ever cause acne?

A well-formulated acne body wash (like the ones here!) shouldn’t cause acne, but there are a few ingredients you should avoid if you’re acne-prone. These include comedogenic ingredients like nut and seed oils and Ethylhexyl Palmitate, as these ingredients “are known to lead to acne and irritation,” Engelman says. She also recommends avoiding harsh and fragrant body washes, which can strip your skin of natural oils.

If you’re still noticing acne while using an acne body wash or if you’re experiencing cystic acne (painful pimples that form deep under the skin), set up an appointment with your dermatologist to determine a treatment specifically for your skin type and acne.

Before you go, shop our favorite skincare brands for teens:

In the meantime, patients and parents are wondering how exactly they’re supposed to manage. “An inability to refill ADHD medication can cause patients significant stress, not to mention periods where they may be unmedicated,” Dr. Andrew Kahn, a licensed psychologist specializing in ADHD and associate director of behavior change and expertise at Understood.org, tells SheKnows. Whether it’s you or your child suffering, the situation can be tense and difficult, especially when you’re not sure exactly how long it’s going to last. SheKnows spoke to experts to explore the reasons behind the current shortage, what you can do to get medication if you or your child needs it, and how to manage if meds aren’t an option right now.

Why is there a shortage of ADHD medication?

There are a few different reasons why ADHD medication is in short supply right now.

The government limits supply. The Drug Enforcement Administration sets a cap on the raw ingredients needed to make stimulant drugs like Adderall and other ADHD treatments. Patients and lawmakers have questioned that imposed limitation as supply has dipped, but the DEA says it increased some of those quotas in response to the shortage, while alleging that the pharmaceutical companies weren’t manufacturing up to their quotas. In 2022, that resulted in a “shortfall of 1 billion doses that could have been produced but were not made or shipped,” the DEA said in a November 2023 statement. “DEA officials are saying that most pharmaceutical companies have access to needed ingredients,” Kahn explains, “and that the companies are largely to blame.”

Pharmaceutical companies are experiencing supply chain problems. In a November 2023 statement, FDA referenced “supply chain issues, manufacturing and quality issues, and business decisions of manufacturers” as some of the reasons behind the shortage — all problems on the business end, not the government’s. “The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted global shipping and manufacturing, resulting in a shortage of several medications, including those used to treat ADHD,” Dr. Clifford Feldman, board-certified psychiatrist and medical director at Solace Treatment Center, tells SheKnows. “Additionally,” he says, “production issues at specific facilities have added to the shortage.”

More people are being diagnosed with ADHD. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, “far more people are being diagnosed with ADHD than ever before,” Kahn says, a factor the FDA also cited. “This increase in demand has taxed available medication stock, and production demands have increased.”

Patients are bearing the brunt of it, with many unable to fill prescriptions or access the same brand or type of medication they’re used to.

How can I get ADHD meds during the shortage?

Unfortunately, getting ADHD medications during a prolonged shortage isn’t as simple as switching your pharmacy. “Because stimulant medications are controlled substances, prescriptions for ADHD medications cannot be taken from one pharmacy to another,” Kahn says. Instead, physicians have to write up new prescriptions any time a pharmacy can’t fill an order — a process that’s exhausting for patients and doctors’ offices, he adds.

Kahn recommends calling pharmacies to inquire about current and incoming stock before your medication runs out, if possible. If you’re low on or out of meds, you can also talk with your doctor about alternative medications or treatments. While many generic ADHD treatments are experiencing shortages, the brand-name medications like Adderall, Vyvanse, and Concerta are all currently available, according to the FDA. However, brand-name drugs can be 80 to 85 percent more expensive than generic versions and insurance companies may not cover them, per GoodRx.

Adderall and ADHD med shortage: What to do if you can’t get meds

If you or your child can’t access ADHD medication, Kahn recommends trying other kinds of treatment, including:

It’s crucial to stay in contact with your or your child’s doctor throughout the shortage to determine whether changing your current regimen “may reduce the likelihood of medications being unavailable,” Kahn adds. Those changes might include trying a different medication, scheduling “medication holidays” (taking a break from the drug for a set amount of time), or reducing your dosage. Kahn emphasizes that “none of these options should be attempted or considered without qualified medical advice.”

When will the ADHD medication shortage end?

The short and frustrating answer is, we don’t know. Though the FDA provides expected dates for when specific medications are likely to be restocked, pharmaceutical companies have “consistently provided unreliable estimates” of when the shortage as a whole will end, Kahn says. “Parents need to know that this shortage is likely to affect their child’s care and, in turn, how they function at school, at home, and in the community.”

It’s important to stay in close contact with your medical provider while the shortage continues and to stay flexible and open to other kinds of treatments, even if they aren’t as effective as the preferred medication. Having an alternative management plan can help you cope with your or your child’s symptoms until the shortage is resolved.

Before you go, check out our favorite mental health apps that won’t break the bank:

Meditating is one of those habits that makes me feel good, that I know is good for me, and that I actually enjoy — a truly rare combination. Somehow, though, I still have trouble committing to it. Back in 2021, I actually challenged myself to meditate every day, no matter how short the session, no matter if I did it first thing in the morning or as I was falling asleep. It made a huge difference in my mental health… and then I stopped. Fast forward three years and I’m wondering if the Superhuman app for affirmations and meditation can get me back on track.

Superhuman offers a vast library of audio tracks the brand calls “activations”, which it describes as a mix between meditation, visualization, motivational podcast, and inspiring music. It’s an intriguing and, honestly, slightly confusing description. When I think of meditation, I think of calm and peace, sitting in silence and quieting my mind; when I think of podcasts, I think of the opposite. (I mean that in a good way! I love podcasts, but the ones I listen to are not relaxing.) So what exactly are these activations like?

I got the chance to try out Superhuman and I can say that this meditation-visualization-podcast hybrid isn’t like anything I’ve experienced to before. Here’s my honest review of the Superhuman app for activations.

Superhuman App – Yearly Subscription

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Superhuman activations app review

The first thing I noticed about Superhuman is the sheer amount of activations available — 600+, according to the brand, and with plenty of variety. There are activations with more expected themes, like sleep, self-care, stress, and energy, and activations pegged for certain times of day. But there are also options to listen to while you work out, get ready in the morning, travel, journal, cook, clean, or even run errands. That’s a big change from the meditations I’m used to doing, which always instruct me to sit or lie down, close my eyes, and generally remain still and quiet.

That’s not a requirement with Superhuman. Over the week or so that I tried out the app, I tried activations while sitting still (meditation-style), some while falling asleep, and others while getting ready in the morning and even mid-afternoon when I needed a little pick-me-up at work. As a consummate multi-tasker, I really liked the idea of being able to listen to the activations while accomplishing other things, and I generally found that they delivered when I needed them to.

One of my favorite activations was involved setting goals while getting ready in the morning. I tried it one slow, sleepy Wednesday morning, while I was dragging my feet as I got dressed and put on makeup for the day. The activation — narrated by the same clear, relaxing female voice as the other activations on the app — prompted me to start thinking about my day and the goals I wanted to achieve: three big ones, three small ones. It may not sound like a big ask, but honestly, thinking about my day is usually the last thing I want to do in the morning. I usually just power through my routine and get out the door as quickly as possible.

I noticed a definite difference in my mindset the rest of that day. I felt more centered, more productive, and by the end of the day, I realized I actually had accomplished all three of my “big” goals that day — all the way down to cooking dinner at home that night instead of going out, which was the one I really didn’t think I’d get to. I wasn’t actively thinking about the activation while I went about my day, but it felt like it gave me more energy and focus as I moved from task to task.

I also loved the app’s popular Golden Energy and Romanticize Your Life activations, and its “Just Music” section — a library of long-form tracks using frequencies that, the brand says, have “proven benefits for the mind and body.”

The activations felt like they clarified and focused my mind while relaxing and centering my body — a rare combination that, until now, I’ve only found in meditation and exercise. And, unlike meditation and exercise, I can listen to these manifestations while I’m going about the rest of my day, which is huge if you’re always looking to free up time like I am.

The brand says that with consistent use, the activations can help you earn more, become healthier, experience more fulfilling relationships, and generally feel happier on a daily basis. I haven’t used it long enough to experience results that dramatic, but the activations definitely changed my mindset on a daily basis when I used them, and I’d recommend Superhuman to anyone who needs an extra mental health boost. A yearly subscription to the app is currently 60 percent off (plus a 14-day free trial), a deal the brand is offering as its only sale of the year, so if you’re interested, now is definitely the time to try.

Before you go, check out these life-changing books on manifestation:

Renowned OB-GYN and menopause advocate Dr. Sharon Malone, M.D., credits her dear friend, former First Lady Michelle Obama, for helping her put menopause on the map. “She and I did a podcast about three and a half years ago,” she says. “She’s one of the first people who admitted to having menopausal symptoms.”

Dr. Malone’s work, together with the help of other key menopause advocates, has brought us to where we are today: More providers than ever are finally talking about menopause and sharing information, women are pushing for relief of their symptoms, and a growing force of people are fighting for change. Advocates are calling for more medical research so that menopause — and the many ways it impacts women’s health — is better understood.

In our latest episode of Asking for a Friend, we sat down with Dr. Malone, who is Chief Medical Advisor of menopause telehealth company Alloy Women’s Health and author of the upcoming book Grown Woman Talk: Your Guide to Getting and Staying Healthy, to discuss menopause care. From how to heat things up in the bedroom (when the only thing heating up are your hot flashes) to navigating medical gaslighting, and why there doesn’t quite seem to be enough information out there on perimenopause and menopause, we asked her all the tough questions. Read the highlights here and watch our full conversation above.

Things have gone south in the bedroom during perimenopause — what can I do?

“If you have vaginal dryness, painful intercourse, or haven’t had a good night’s sleep in the past three years, these are things that are not going to enhance your libido,” Dr. Malone says. “The simplest thing to do is to realize what are the things getting in the way of making you not be your best self. Let’s address those hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and let’s make sure you get a good night’s sleep.”

How do I navigate medial gaslighting?

“If you have the luxury of being in a place where there are other doctors to choose from, then look for another doctor or get recommendations from a friend, or go to the website menopause.org, which has listed menopause specialists in your area.” Dr. Malone also notes that this would be a good opportunity to try telemedicine as there are several online companies making menopause treatment more accessible.

Why is so hard to get information about perimenopause and menopause?

“Unfortunately, mothers don’t typically talk to their daughters about menopause and perimenopause,” says Dr. Malone, who points out how helpful this kind of guidance can be. Black women, for example, often experience menopause symptoms earlier and for a longer period of time than white women.

“This is in contrast to what happens in puberty…even pregnancies are discussed, but when it comes to perimenopause, unfortunately, there’s a lot of shame,” she adds. “It’s associated with getting older and no one likes to admit that, particularly for women in this culture. Not having that intergenerational conversation is the first reason why.”

The second reason as Dr. Malone notes is that a doctor may not be aware of it. “That started about 20 years ago with a lot of the misinformation that came out of the Women’s Health Initiative, leaving us with a generation of doctors who have not been trained in perimenopause and menopausal care.” Again, finding a menopause specialist that can help can be the first step toward getting the care you need.

It’s possible to spend between seven and 14 years of your life in the menopausal transition. That’s a big chunk of time that might involve symptoms like heightened anxiety, vasomotor symptoms including hot flashes and night sweats, trouble sleeping, pain during sex, and more. 

That said, you or anyone you love going through perimenopause or menopause is going to need some extra TLC. The Flow team used our expertise to compile some of the best self-care and wellness menopause gifts, from luscious body butters to nourish dry, tired skin, to a cozy heated neck wrap for sore muscles. There are even some sexual wellness items and sweet eats that made the list, if you really feel like treating yourself. 

Here’s our menopause gift guide for pick-me-ups any time of the year: Grab something for your sister, best friend, hair stylist, and most importantly, don’t forget yourself. 

Bathroom show-and-tell sessions on FaceTime. Poop buckets. A toilet that won’t flush. Poop in shoes. Diarrhea at a party after you just saw your ex and his new girlfriend.  

Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson never shied away from a potty joke on Broad City — and five years after the series wrapped, they reunited to take on constipation and the ‘Gut Gap’ as part of a new campaign with Miralax.

Flow talked to the comedians about their work on the campaign, what they hope changes as we have more conversations about our health, and how many of their friends are carrying Miralax packets around in their bags.

Behind the Scenes

It was two women at Miralax who pushed for Jacobson and Glazer to be part of the campaign. “These women… knew how much of a kick we would get out of it, but how much it would resonate with audiences,” Glazer shared with Flow. “And they were right. And we were so excited to see that kind of artistic integrity in this context.”

After signing on, Jacobson and Glazer wrote the Miralax spot — in which they meet up for lunch at one of their favorite spots (obviously), get to talking about constipation (as one does), and then explore the unfair consequences of a sexist society on our mental and digestive health (what else are we talking about these days?). If it felt familiar, that’s because it made use of a tried-and-true set of ingredients from Broad City: an uncomfortable topic, a bold way to take it on, and two conflicting personalities that somehow both remind us of ourselves. 

“I always felt like a part of ‘Broad City’ and the relationship between Abbi and Ilana was like, Ilana feels comfortable talking about most things, and Abbi doesn’t,” Jacobson explained. “That is what I felt in meeting Ilana. It was like, Oh my God, this person is not ashamed of a lot of these things and can talk about them and is pulling me outside of my discomfort.”

“As we were writing this piece and shaping it, we were talking, ourselves, casually, about the product, about our relationship with our digestion, and we’re just naturally cracking up about it,” Glazer recalled. “It’s so funny, reflecting now, to think back on how we found this shape: A thing that’s stigmatized that Ilana is comfortable with, Abbi doesn’t want to talk about, but then it’s always so rewarding to see Abbi blossom and bloom… and that same recipe seems to really resonate here.”

“Kudos to the Miralax team,” Jacobson said. “When they came to us I was like: This is smart. This is really fun. Doing this really makes sense.”

The Bigger Picture

Jacobson and Glazer agreed to do the campaign after reflecting on whether and how it might be a fit for them, with surprising results. “When I was considering it, I did a poll with some friends about who was using the product,” Jacobson said, “and it was an overwhelming amount of people.” Glazer did the same, and found the same.

Jacobson and Glazer are hoping that in the wake of their Miralax spot, these kinds of conversations come more easily, both between friends and on a much larger scale. 

“I’m so proud that Abbi and I can represent women talking to each other,” Glazer said, “but it’s important that in the culture, we’re talking about our bodies more.” 

“We should all be talking about this,” Jacobson echoed. “There’s helpful things that can come from talking about our shared issues. That might mean helping to ease the pain of whatever you’re going through, but also just knowing you’re not alone in going through it.”

Anyone who watched Broad City experienced the feminist praxis of women poking fun at the stuff many of us suffer and shudder through in silence — from period stains on their pants to condoms coming out when they pee. And episode after episode, the show brought us back to a split-screen take on the duo in separate bathrooms, sometimes on the phone with each other and sometimes just quietly eating a box of chocolates. 

“We have been systematically separated from our own bodies and our own minds—women in particular, Black and brown people in particular, trans people, gender fluid people,” Glazer explained. “Talking about our physical health… is so important for people to reunite with their own sense of self, reclaim their bodies, and to not find any part of your body gross. Even the parts that leave your body are not gross! They come from you, and they’re part of a process. And, certainly, laughing about it softens the blow. No pun intended.”

“I was really excited to be a part of something that was sharing information that a lot of people might feel shame around,” Jacobson said. “It felt really informative and helpful—in my personal life and to be spreading this awareness and destigmatize constipation, and why women are more prone to be.”

What is the ‘Gut Gap?’

Miralax coined the term “The Gut Gap” after a brand-commissioned survey found that women are facing both a stress epidemic and a constipation epidemic — and that they’re likely connected, since the gut is where 90 percent of serotonin is created, and the digestive system is connected to the brain. (They’re sharing their key findings at TheGutGap.com.)

You may be tempted to ask: “Even my gut is sexist?” Not quite — but the world is. And minor and major stressors put on women due to gender imbalances and gendered pressures are causing a lot of discomfort, physically and mentally.

“The link between mind and body has been well documented,” Dr. Jessica Clemons, a board-certified psychiatrist who was also a medical consultant for the campaign, said in a press release. “Stress activates the body’s fight or flight response, which can disrupt the digestive system, leading to constipation, among other issues. Women, in part due to societal pressures and burdens, but also hormones, are particularly susceptible to stress-induced constipation.”

According to the data, 85 percent of women are routinely stressed: nearly half are stressed on a daily basis, and 84 percent are stressed at least once a week. Compared to men, women are also twice as likely than men to experience constipation, and one in three women reported being constipated on a weekly basis, and 13 percent of women reported pooping less than three times a week.

“It doesn’t surprise me that women take on more stress and that it impacts our bodies more,” Glazer said. “But working with the brand and actually writing this piece with Abbi, and thinking about it as a real lived-in experience in our bodies, it actually did surprise me that women take on stress, and it impacts our physical health in tangible ways.”

Miralax’s data was collected from Millennial women — it was based on responses from 2,000 Americans between ages 27 and 42 — but broader data bears out the notion of a gender stress gap. Women respondents to the APA’s October 2023 Stress in America survey reported experiencing a higher average level of stress than men and being less likely to be able to quickly recover from it, and research also finds that women are more likely to internalize their stress, which can impact their physical and mental health, and more likely to experience chronic stress. 

Hormones are tied up with women’s experiences with stress, too — women in menopause, for example, may feel more stressed and anxious due to low estrogen levels, and chronic stress can trigger hormone imbalances. 

Stress Relief

The women Miralax surveyed reported that some of their favorite ways to relieve stress were listening to music, exercising, watching television, talking with friends and family, and laughing. (In other words: Watching that Miralax ad each day may just keep the Miralax packet away.) 

Dr. Kellyann Niotis, a preventative neurologist at Early Medical, also recommends taking a trip — ideally, one longer than three days — to break the stress cycle.

And of course, if you’re constipated, we know one company that’s ready to help.

Hair loss in women can be caused by a number of factors, but what it comes down to is stress. “Changes like delivery, breastfeeding, sleep deprivation and hormones place a stress on the body,” dermatologist Dr. Lindsey Bordone told SheKnows previously. “In response, the body works to conserve energy and resources from areas of low priority, such as hair growth, in favor of supporting other more critical changes taking place.” When that happens, the body starts shifting hairs in to the “shed phase” of the hair cycle, Bordone explains. Autoimmune disorders like alopecia, intense illnesses like COVID, and even simple genetics also come into play when it comes to female hair loss.

No matter the cause of hair loss, we know one thing for sure: With lush heads of hair or not, everyone is beautiful, and these celebrities are here to prove that. Though there are a lot of ways to combat hair loss, from hair products and treatments to over-the-counter medications like minoxidil, sometimes it’s unavoidable and genetic — and sometimes those options are too costly or inconvenient anyway. To inform yourself about hair loss, we collected 21 empowering stories from female celebrities who experienced and opened up about their hair loss.

A version of this story was originally posted February 2018.