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

I know what you’re probably thinking right now—not another hair growth product promising “real results”—but would you believe me if I said this one’s actually worth a moment of your time? Beyond the fact that Bellisso’s Biotin Shampoo and Conditioner Set has over 13,000 five-stars and counting, it’s packed full of nutrient-rich ingredients that only stand to benefit your hair’s strength and vitality both immediately and long-term. It’s also currently on sale on Amazon during the Holiday Beauty Haul event.

The 2-in-1 set cleanses your strands and treats your scalp for healthier growth and reduced shedding. It basically acts as both your daily shampoo and conditioner and as a hair loss treatment. Through stunting DHT’s arrival (a common reason for slowed growth and increased loss in both men and women) it paves the way for fresher, thicker strands to fill in bald patches across the scalp. It also leaves your locks shinier and softer with every use. 

Amazon

Bellisso’s Biotin Shampoo and Conditioner Set

Back to those thousands of glowing reviews. Amazon shoppers can’t stop raving about the results they’ve seen; even hair growth product skeptics are singing a different tune than before. From seeing differences within a week to claiming it leaves their hair “feeling like silk,” reviewers are more than happy to have “finally” found something that works. 

RELATED: Peace Out’s New ‘Pore Perfector’ Primer Is Like Airbrushed Skin in a Bottle—& I’m Totally Hooked

“I noticed a difference in my hair softness immediately,” raved one who said their hair had grown 5 inches in just two months. “I noticed my hair isn’t falling out nearly as much as it was before, and my hair looks thicker and has grown longer! I’m very impressed! I wasn’t expecting to see these kinds of results!! Love it!!

“At age 65 my hair was thinning a bit and was not shiny. After one week using Biotin shampoo and conditioner my hair has improved drastically and very few strands [are] in the shower drain,” praised another person.

Looking for something stronger to revive your thinning locks? Pick up the Bellisso’s Biotin Shampoo and Conditioner Set while it’s currently down to $27—for two products, it’s a hard deal to pass up.

We’re
all storytellers. Was there a time years ago when you did a lot of writing or dreamed
about being a writer? Perhaps people have told you that you should write a
book.

Maybe
you want to share a family story or secret. But perhaps for one reason or
another, you’ve been silenced and were never able to express yourself. Well, now
might be the time to crack open your journal and begin writing.

Why Write Personal Stories?

Writing
your life story, including all its inherent joys and tribulations, can be a
satisfying way to preserve your legacy and also help you heal from painful memories.

The
fact is, experiences that wound us can injure us in body, mind, and in
voice. The act of writing about your experiences can help reclaim that silenced
voice. Finding your voice as a way to healing can lead to huge leaps in
transformation.

Speaking Your Truth

Each person has his or her own truth. You
can only write your truth. When writing about your experiences, it’s not
so much about what happened to you, but how an experience has affected
you and the person you’ve become as a result.

Speaking your truth is not only healthy but
can also be quite liberating, emotionally. In the end, the rewards for speaking
and writing your truth will be great. But be mindful of the fact that sometimes
what is not said can be more powerful than what is actually stated.

One thing to keep in mind when writing is
that, over time, the details of lived experiences tend to become blurred or
distorted, but that’s okay, because you’re writing from your current perspective.

What Is Your Authentic Voice?

When using your authentic voice, you’re
writing down your genuine emotional feelings. When you write with your
authentic voice, it feels as if the words flow quite easily, and the writing
feels just right.

Your inner voice is taking charge, and you’re
writing from your heart and not your head. During difficult times, your
authentic voice may become even louder.

The best way to practice writing with your
authentic voice is to do so as if you’re seated across the table from your best
friend, telling a story. You’ll see how beautifully your words flow.

When reading others’ work, you can always tell
when they’re using their authentic writing voice because what they’re saying
rings true to you.

It’s a writer’s authentic voice that makes you
want to read more of his or her work. (For the type of personal writing I
do, please check out some of my articles here: www.dianaraab.com.)

Creative individuals such as authors, poets,
musicians, and healers are often thought of as those who are in touch with
their intuition and inner voice.

Gandhi admitted that he heard an inner voice
that shared this message with him: “You are on the right track; move neither to
the left nor the right, but keep to the straight and narrow.”

How to Start Writing

When writing, whether you choose to pen an
essay, memoir, poem, or journal entry, make sure you write what you want
to write, rather than what you think others want to hear. While writing, say to
yourself, “Here is how I see it,” or “This is how I recall it.”

When you write, it’s important not to think
about pleasing those you’re writing about. Chances are, if you’re not writing
your emotional truth, then you’re probably being too careful to write in a way that
doesn’t offend others.

For your best writing to emerge, you must be
willing to take risks, and that involves expressing your inner truth. As writer
Anaïs Nin once said, “The closer a writer keeps to emotional reality, the more
alive the writing will be.”

What to Write

You
might have had many life experiences that you’d like to share, but you’re not
sure where to start. My blog in Psychology Today titled “What
Story Should You Tell?” is a good guide. Here are some questions you might
consider reflecting on before embarking on the writing process:

• What life story has energy for you now?
• What thrills you?
• What do you continually think about?
• Who are your heroes and villains?
• Where are you in your life at present?
• What kinds of stories do you enjoy reading?

So, finding your
voice is not as difficult as it might seem. Be yourself and write like yourself
and the rest will fall into place!

Let’s Have a Conversation:

What kind of
writing have you attempted to this point? Did you use your authentic voice? How
did that feel? What did you learn in the process about yourself, your
perspective, and your story? Please share in the comments below.

Incontinence is an initial warning sign that the strength of your pelvic floor is compromised in some way and no longer has the ability to hold the contents of the pelvis. The initial symptom is leaking urine but if left untreated, it can progress to the point of pelvic organ prolapse.

Pelvic health is
the conversation no one wants to have, so, unfortunately, incontinence has
become all too common.

Millions of people are suffering in silence. And with the number of incontinence products and adult diapers popping up in stores, we’ve normalized the issue. But being incontinent at any phase in your life is anything but normal. 

Incontinence has become such a major issue, it’s one of the top reasons women end up in nursing homes later in life. And it’s also a strong risk factor for future falls.

I want to stress again that
incontinence at any point during the lifespan is NOT NORMAL. The good news
is, it’s very treatable and reversible. By changing your environment and
your movement you can improve the health of your pelvis.

Here are 5 simple steps you can do
every day to strengthen your pelvis.

Wear Flat, Flexible Footwear

Wearing flat footwear is an essential first step to optimal pelvic health. The muscles that maintain pelvic integrity were designed to function best when we’re barefoot. By wearing a rigid shoe or shoe with ANY amount of heel lift, you’re causing the rest of your body to adjust to your footwear.

In order for the
muscles of the pelvis to do their job, they need to be in the right position.
The only way this happens is with footwear that is as close to barefoot as
possible. Being barefoot allows your pelvis to maintain a neutral position,
whereas wearing a heeled shoe will force your pelvis into a tucked position.

Pelvic tucking
throughout the day prevents your pelvic floor from doing its job effectively.
By taking this step alone you’re allowing the muscles of your pelvis to work
for you throughout the day, rather than you having to consciously activate them
and hope that they’ll work.

Sit on the Floor and Squat More Often

Most of the furniture we sit on day-in and day-out also prevents us from maintaining a neutral pelvic position, or from activating our core throughout the day. If you want to train your pelvic floor and core muscles to work together again, start sitting on the floor instead of in chairs as much as possible.

On a similar note,
squatting is essential to a healthy pelvis. Even resting in a supported squat
helps. Start to notice how many times you bend over to pick up items off the
floor and squat for them instead. Your core and pelvis will thank you.

Check-in with Your Pelvis and Ribcage

Above I mentioned
maintaining a neutral pelvis to keep the muscles of your pelvic floor in an
optimal position to promote function. Another important component to improving
the function of your core and pelvic floor is to keep your ribcage dropped.

The function of
your abdominal, pelvic, and breathing muscles depends on the relationship
between your ribcage and pelvis.

Due to being told for most of our lives to “stand with good posture,” most of us have the habit of ribcage thrusting. This is an excellent example of how focusing on “good” posture can lead to dysfunctional alignment, which doesn’t promote great muscle function over time.

Check-in with your
ribcage by placing a hand on your lower front ribs. If you feel them pushing
forward let them drop down toward your pelvis until you no longer feel them
pushing forward. Keep checking in with this position throughout the day and
remind yourself to drop your ribs.

Stretch the Backs of Your Legs

Like wearing flat shoes, stretching your calves and hamstrings on a daily basis will allow you to keep a neutral pelvis throughout the day. If the backs of your legs are tight, the muscles will pull your pelvis into a tucked position. So, make this an important part of your daily routine.

Walk Often

Walking is one of
the best activities you can do to promote a strong pelvic floor, especially
walking in flat shoes. Aim for 3 to 5 miles per day, and better yet if that
distance is spaced out throughout the day.

Walking gives your pelvic floor an opportunity to work and strengthen with each and every step you take, as long as you are able to keep a neutral pelvic position. If you do the above step and stretch BEFORE you walk, you’ll get more strengthening out of your walk.

By taking these simple steps you can
both reverse incontinence and set yourself up for a healthy pelvis throughout
your life! Better yet, these steps are simple and require little to no equipment
investment to get started. So, there’s no excuse to wait. Where can you get
started today?

Let’s Have a Conversation:

What
do you do to keep your pelvis strong? Do you do daily stretches? What about a
walking routine? Which of the five steps mentioned above seems easiest – or
most difficult – to do? Why? Please share with our community.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice. Please consult with your doctor to get specific medical advice for your situation.

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

We know — it feels a little too early for holiday shopping. But love it or hate it, the holidays and gift-giving season are right around the corner. Luckily, Amazon’s Holiday Beauty Haul preview sale is already live and the deals are seriously good, so good you’ll want to buy a few products for friends, family and yourself. There’s a ton of skincare, some makeup, nail polish and tools, fragrances, men’s products and so much more on sale. It can be overwhelming to choose from all the offerings so I’m helping you narrow it down, below.

I’ve been waiting about beauty and products for more than a decade so when I say I’ve tried it all, I mean it. I never recommend products without trying them myself, which my skin doesn’t love but keeps me honest. I dug through the pages and pages of Amazon Holiday Beauty Haul deals and found what I would purchase myself over and over again. Shop them all, below.

Elizabeth Arden.

Elizabeth Arden Miracle Balm, 8-Hour Cream

Use this cult-fave skin balm to hydrate and soothe any areas of the face and body. It rarely goes on sale.

Elemis.

Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel

Exfoliate and remove dead skin cells in just 10-15 minutes with this at-home peel that’s actually gentle on the skin.

T3.

T3 AireBrush Duo

Some of the best deals are on hair tools, like this blow-dry brush for a whopping $57 off. Shiny, frizz-free blowouts are in your future.

Perricone MD.

Perricone MD Vitamin C Ester Citrus Brightening Cleanser

This non-drying face wash brightens with vitamin C without stripping the skin.

EltaMd.

EltaMD Skin Recovery Night Face Mask

Celebs (and non-celebs like me) swear by EltaMD’s sunscreen. It’s other skincare is stellar too, like this antioxidant-rich, hydrating face mask.

Alterna.

Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging Multiplying Volume Shampoo

This volumizing shampoo is gentle and hydrating for more fine hair types.

Makeup Eraser.

Makeup Eraser Mushroom 7-Day Set

I’m obsessed with removing my makeup with reusable, machine washable, microfiber cloths. These are seriously too cute with mushroom designs and a free hair clip set.