The end of one year and the beginning of the next is surrounded with many traditions involving celebrations and food. 

Perhaps you’re accustomed as I have been, to heading downtown to watch a few fireworks, or joining your family around the television to watch the ball come down in Time Square on New Year’s Eve, or a quiet dinner party with friends and a glass of bubbly and best wishes for the new year.

Or, following any of those up with a New Year’s Day dinner of pork and sauerkraut or some other dish that traditionally speaks to good luck in the new year.

An extended stay with family in Hawaii gave me a window into several cultural traditions other than those I am familiar with.

Allow me to share my sampling of experiences with you. 

How Do You Celebrate New Year’s Eve?

On the island of Oahu, fireworks, sparklers, anything that makes noise, is the order of the day. Many communities across other states in America celebrate on December 31/January 1 with fireworks. On Oahu, many families celebrate with noisemaking and bright lights in front of their home before midnight. I was told this tradition is to frighten away any bad spirits and bring good luck as we moved into the New Year.

At midnight, the sky was bright in every direction and the sound of so many fireworks was amazing. I was advised about 10 o’clock not to leave the family party until after midnight because the smoke from fireworks across the valleys would make driving difficult. 

That was good advice. As we drove to our home at two a.m., the haze continued to waft through the air. Hopefully, any bad luck was sent on its way along with the Tradewinds.

What Do You Eat at Midnight New Year’s Eve?

In Hawaii, I was introduced to a soup called ozoni. Home cooks prepare the broth, and usually it has simmered at least a day. I was told ozoni is a traditional Japanese soup and should be eaten immediately after midnight New Year’s Eve, the first food eaten as the New Year begins. It symbolizes prosperity and good health.

Every home cook has their own recipe for ozoni, but I was served clear broth that had been simmering a full day, mochi (a pounded rice), green vegetables and some seafood.

What Do You Know About Celebrating the Chinese New Year?

Staying on Oahu through mid-January, I was also given a sampling of the tradition and celebration of the Chinese New Year. 

When picking up my granddaughter from school a few weeks ago, I was greeted by a teacher and my granddaughter offering me a cup of tea. I was taught how to hold the cup with two hands, as well as a specific phrase to use in acknowledgement.

Traditionally, each younger generation serves the next older generation. When children are serving, they are generally rewarded by the older generation with a small token or gift.

As our first month of the new year is now behind us, I leave you with my smattering of experience and understanding of additional traditions that look towards a year of prosperity and well-being.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Do you celebrate any tradition that promotes good luck and prosperity in the new year? What foods are important to you as the calendar turns over another year, be it 2023 and/or the year of the rabbit?

Have you been struggling with an autoimmune condition for years? Have you seen several doctors, trying desperately to find a solution, only to end up with a 2^nd or even a 3^rd autoimmune diagnosis? Have you always wondered WHY this has happened to you, but not to your siblings or other close relatives?

Well, I’m here to tell you that you may stop blaming your mom, dad, or other familial predecessors for your autoimmune disease(s), because genetics are not the main cause of autoimmune disease! I won’t deny that genetics certainly play a role in autoimmune disease. However, just because someone has a genetic pre-disposition to an autoimmune disease, does NOT necessarily mean they will develop it.

For example, you could have a set of identical twins who both have the same genetic pre-disposition for an autoimmune disease, yet one of them might get the disease, and the other may never get it. That’s because genetics is NOT the only factor in getting an autoimmune disease.

There is always a combination of lifestyle and environmental factors that trigger the expression of those autoimmune genetics (this is called “epigenetics”).

Of course, that begs the question, “What IS the main contributor to autoimmunity?” When it comes down to it, there are really only 5 possible root cause imbalances in the body that can trigger the expression of those autoimmune genes. They are as follows and in no particular order:

Environmental Toxicities

These could include underlying mold toxicity, heavy metal toxicity, or a toxicity of any of the 100,000+ man-made chemicals in our modern industrial society. These include pesticides, plastics, flame retardants, preservatives, and much, much more.

Our bodies were not meant to handle such an onslaught of toxins, and some people’s detox pathways are simply not strong enough to handle them. This can lead to a buildup of toxins which then activates the immune system.

Microbiome Imbalances

There are trillions of microbes that live in our gut and have been proven to directly affect our immune system function. Too many of the “bad bugs” and too few of the “good bugs” in the gut can cause an imbalanced gut microbiome.

Such imbalances can then lead to “increased intestinal permeability” (or leaky gut for short), which results in increased immune activation. Some sneaky culprits that can affect the gut microbiome balance include parasites, pathogenic bacteria like H. Pylori or C. Difficile, and pathogenic yeast like Candida Albicans, just to name a few.

Latent Infections

Whether we know it or not, many of us have been infected with viruses or bacteria throughout our lives that may or may not have made us sick at the time. Some common infections include Epstein Barr virus which causes mononucleosis, herpes viruses, Borellia and others that cause Lyme disease, and many more.

Usually, our bodies are able to clear these invaders so that we don’t experience further issues. However, sometimes the virus or bacteria remain in our bodies at a high enough level that it triggers the immune system to remain on high alert.

Something (Or Many Things) in Your Diet

The Standard American Diet (better known as the S.A.D.), is called SAD for a reason. The S.A.D. includes highly processed, highly inflammatory foods that arguably aren’t even foods at all; they’re more like “food like substances.”

These foods contribute to the epidemic of chronic inflammation that is driving nearly every chronic illness in the US. However, it’s not just these obvious, low-quality foods that can trigger the immune system.

Even natural and seemingly healthy foods like nuts, legumes, whole wheat, dairy, certain fruits and vegetables can be serious culprits for people with certain food sensitivities. Even if the food doesn’t elicit the typical GI based symptoms that you would usually attribute to a food intolerance issue, it may be triggering immune activation and chronic, low-grade inflammation.

Stress and Underlying Trauma

Almost everyone has heard that stress contributes to many illnesses and diseases, but most of us tend to brush this contributor to the side. Let’s face it, for most of us, stress seems inevitable! We need to keep in mind that stress has an extremely strong effect on our nervous systems, our brains, our hormones, the gut microbes previously discussed, and certainly on our immune systems.

Research has proven that stress is extremely adept at altering our body’s immune system function, leading to imbalances in our immune response.

What Pulls the Trigger to Autoimmunity

The myth that autoimmune disease is caused by genetics is very misleading. While genetics may load the gun for autoimmunity, it is one or many of these underlying 5 imbalances that pulls the trigger for autoimmunity and activates the immune system, leading to an attack on healthy tissues.

This idea is called epigenetics. You can think about it as your genes having switches that can be turned on and off. When your autoimmune symptoms show up, that’s when your autoimmune genetics are “turned on” by one or more of the underlying imbalances listed above.

Luckily, you can “turn off” those genes by rebalancing the underlying issues (the 5 mentioned above) that are activating your immune system and contributing to the expression of the autoimmune disease. There is ALWAYS an answer as to why your disease began, you just need to dig deep enough to find it!

Do you suffer from an autoimmune condition? How old were you when you began having symptoms? What interventions have you tried for it? Were those interventions successful? Have you ever been tested for environmental toxins, microbiome imbalances, infections, or food sensitivities? Are you interested in learning more about functional medicine lab testing?

We often think of aging as diminishing, and nothing could be further from the truth. Our spirits, hearts, minds, and skin can brighten and become more fabulous as shown in the below video with my vibrant friend Laura.

Her main complaints are a sallow complexion, a weak jawline, and bringing out her best features without looking overly made up. With that in mind, here are my top five inside secrets to brighten a sallow complexion on mature skin and look hot.

I may be a senior, but so what? I’m still hot.

—Betty White

#1 Use Vitamin C Serum

The two top ingredients every woman needs to nourish, hydrate, and brighten her skin are Retinol and Vitamin C serum. If you’re on a budget, spend the most on those two items and less on things like cleansers and moisturizers.

I recommend starting with a low dose of these active ingredients and work your way into tolerating a higher quantity, quality, and cost. With C serum, a good drug store brand for beginners is Vichy LiftActiv Vitamin C Serum 15%. This product uses L-Ascorbic Acid (a water soluble, common, and inexpensive form of topical Vitamin C) and Vitamin E for greater hydration. It is very affordable, so if you have a reaction, you can have a glass of wine and call it good.

If you want to step-up on your skin care, try Image MD Restoring Youth Serum with 20% Tetrahexydecyl Ascorbate, a higher value and less irritating form of Vitamin C than L-Ascorbic Acid. In nearly every instance, the more effective forms of Vitamin C are pricier, and the higher on the ingredient deck the ingredient shows up, the greater the efficacy.

Speaking of quality, if you want the more aggressive anti-aging big daddy of C serum, try Transdermal C Serum with 80% lipophilic (oil soluble) Vitamin C. It’s pricier because it’s a top form of vitamin C, and the quantity is the one of the highest on the market.

#2 Sheer to Medium Foundation

I’ve had on-camera talent walk into the makeup room with foundation the color they want to be, not the color they are, and it’s an absolute pain in the neck to correct it without completely removing all their makeup. Match your foundation to your neck, and then color correct with point number 3, but more on that in a minute.

Using a sheer to medium coverage foundation means that your skin will look like skin, and you won’t have the dreaded settling of foundation in your fine lines. To cover your problem areas like age spots, pigmentation issues, redness, or anything else you don’t like, use a good concealer. That way, your skin looks pretty and with an even texture and not like you hit the wine early.

#3 The Game Changer: Blue Tint

Skin tints are a little-known magical secret to brighten and highlight your skin. For example, to brighten sallow skin, use a blue tint, to diminish red skin like rosacea and sunburn, use a green tint, and to bring out areas like cheekbones, brow bones, and under eyes (as long as your under eye isn’t a browny shade), use a pink tint appropriate for your skin color.

In the video, I applied the Makeup Forever Blue Tint after foundation, but you can just as easily apply it with your fingers before foundation. Makeup Forever is a professional brand, so if you’re interested in checking this item out, look into NYX Blue Tint on Amazon. It’s an easy and noticeable way to brighten sallow skin.

#4 Use Rosy Lipstick and Blush

My friend in the video, Laura, was surprised when I reached for a rosy lipstick and blush, having used warmer tones thinking it blended better with her complexion. The truth is, using more rosy shades can really pop on sallow skin depending on the usage.

For example, I went for a browny-rose blush, as a bright pink blush would be garish. However, on her lipstick, I dove into a lovely raspberry color to bring out her smile, which is her best feature. This is not to say you can’t use warm tones on sallow skin, but in general, a rosy shade will work well and counteract your sallow undertones.

#5 Rosy Highlight

I love highlight, and use it to bring out certain features. What’s the difference between highlight and concealer, you ask? Concealer is made to cover things like dark circles, spots, and discoloration. Highlight is made to bounce the light. For example, once you’ve concealed under your eyes, adding highlight can make that area stand out more, thus enhancing cheekbones, browbones, and inner eye area. On Laura, I added it to all those areas and it’s gorgeous!

I know this is a lot of information about the color theory of makeup, so if you are confused, just have some wine and it will all make sense. Just remember Betty White’s words, that being a senior doesn’t mean your not hot! In fact, we are hotter than ever, even if that includes hot flashes, but then who cares. It’s all in the swagger.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

What do you do about sallow skin? Have you considered using blue tint? What is your favorite technique to conceal sallow skin?

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, STYLECASTER may receive an affiliate commission.

Have you ever wondered what the secret is to sleek and glossy hair? Well, the key is high-quality hair care products. With so many different options on the market, it can be hard to tell which ones are not only actually good for your hair, but also work. However, Jennifer Lopez was recently spotted on the red carpet at the Shotgun Wedding movie premiere in Los Angeles with her hair pulled back into a glossy updo that left everyone’s jaws on the floors. Whether you’re looking to attend a formal event or simply want classic sleek hair for date night, you’re going to want to check out the $14 hair spray J.Lo uses.

The professional-grade Andrew Fitzsimons Prism Shine Invisible Shine Hair Spray is vegan and cruelty-free and transforms dull hair into a shiny, glossy look—and no, that doesn’t mean greasy or sticky like traditional hair spray. It’s formulated with hyaluronic acid and avocado oil to replenish strands and leaves hair smelling nice and fresh thanks to notes of raspberry, vanilla cream and candied violets, to name a few. 

Additionally, the super fine mist not only styles hair, but also provides UV protection when using hot tools for straightening, curling, etc. And it’s free from parabens, mineral oil, SLS, SLES and phthalates so you can feel confident using it on your hair.

If you’ve been dying to try a sleek hairstyle, grab this spray as soon as you can. It costs only $14 at Ulta, which means you don’t even need to break the bank to achieve J.Lo-level strands.

RELATED: Shoppers Are Ditching Their Flat Irons For This $20 J.Lo-Approved, Anti-Frizz Spray

Photo: Andrew Fitzsimons.

For optimal results, the brand recommends spraying all over your dry hair to finish off a look. The spray is conducive to helping achieve straight and flowy hair or more chic updos similar to the one J-Lo wore to the movie premiere. 

With an overall rating of 4.4 stars and use by one of Hollywood’s biggest names, it’s safe to say you’ll want to add this hair spray to your cart ASAP.

One Ulta shopper wrote, “It gave me what I was looking for—shiny, healthy-looking hair.” They added, “I love the shine it gives and doesn’t weigh down my hair when I curl it.” 

Another five-star reviewer said that they’re surprised it’s “not sticky at all.” They added, “This adds a nice touch to my hair after styling. I can run my fingers through my hair and I have found that it is long-lasting and adds a nice shine.” 

The celeb-approved Andrew Fitzsimons’ Prism Shine Invisible Shine Hair Spray is available now for $14 at Ulta.

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, STYLECASTER may receive an affiliate commission.

If you or someone you know has dealt with hair loss, they’ve likely tried Vegamour. Fans swear by its hair serum and GRO+ collection. I’ve been more of a fan of the brand’s nourishing shampoo and conditioner options, though I’ve always been hoping for a line specifically for dry hair. Well, I guess what you put into the universe does come back because today Vegamour launched its HYDR-8 Collection for dry and parched hair and let me tell you, my hair loves it.

I haven’t always been kind to my hair. Well, that’s an understatement. I bleach and straighten my naturally wavy hair, using hot tools way too often and usually using a heat protectant. It’s puffy, damaged and craving moisture. Luckily now, this new hydrating line is here to help. I’ve been using the shampoo, conditioner and mask for about a month and I’ve noticed much smoother strands with way less frizz.

Vegamour.

Here’s why it works. Products feature magnolia-bark extract to calm and soothe the scalp, aloe vera to condition hair and “Karmatin,” the brand’s vegan silk alternative to keratin and silicone that helps reduce the appearance of damaged hair.

Vegamour.

So, it’s not only softening your hair and making it look better but also strengthening it as you use it. Of course, not only dry haired folks will want to try this nourishing and repairing line. Maybe you’ve seen your hair become duller and brittle in the cold winter months or your hair is really just never felt very strong. This line will help.

Vegamour.

And if you are dealing with any hair loss or thinning, be sure to add in GRO Hair Serum ($58 at Vegamour) and/or the GRO Complete Kit ($208 at Vegamour), which includes GRO Foam, GRO Hair Serum, GRO Shampoo, GRO Conditioner, GRO Detoxifying Scalp Serum, GRO Dry Shampoo, GRO Biotin Gummies (2 bottles). Phew! Your hair will thank you.