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Hautpflege für Männer und Frauen: Die besten Tipps!


Zu einer optimalen Hautpflege-Routine gehören unter anderem die richtige Reinigung des Gesichts und eine optimale Feuchtigkeitszufuhr. Erfahren Sie, welche Produkte für Ihren Hauttyp geeignet sind und wie sich die Bedürfnisse von Männer- und Frauenhaut unterscheiden.

Kurzübersicht: Häufige Fragen und Antworten

Was gehört zu einer guten Hautpflege? Für alle Hauttypen sind eine regelmäßige Reinigung, Feuchtigkeitszufuhr und UV-Schutz wichtig. Darüber hinaus können eine ausgewogene Ernährung, viel Trinken und ausreichend Schlaf zu einem gesunden Hautbild beitragen.

Sollte man sich täglich eincremen? Bei trockener Haut wird das Eincremen empfohlen. Bei gesunder, gut durchfeuchteter Haut ist tägliches Eincremen jedoch nicht notwendig. Es gibt sogar Studien, die zeigen, dass der natürliche Feuchtigkeitshaushalt dadurch gestört wird und die Haut nach dem Absetzen der Pflegeprodukte zunächst trockener ist.

Welche Hautpflegeprodukte gibt es? Die Palette der Mittel ist groß. Neben Reinigungsmilch oder -wasser gibt es Waschgele und Peelings. Für die Pflege stehen unter anderem Lotionen, Cremes, Salben, Masken, Seren und Öle zur Verfügung.

Artikelinhalte im Überblick:

Gesichtsyoga: Falten mit Übungen vorbeugen

Hautpflege richtet sich nach Hauttyp

Es ist wichtig, die richtigen Produkte für den jeweiligen Hauttyp zu wählen. Denn eine überpflegte Haut, die mit mehr Feuchtigkeit oder Fett versorgt wird, als sie braucht, neigt zu Unreinheiten. Umgekehrt führt zu wenig Feuchtigkeit und Fett zu gespannter, rauer und eventuell juckender Haut – und langfristig zu frühzeitiger Faltenbildung.

Es werden vier Hauttypen unterschieden:

  • Fettige Haut: Die Haut hat eine erhöhte Talgproduktion. Sie fühlt sich oft feucht an, glänzt, neigt zu großen Poren, Pickeln und Mitessern. Sie braucht wenig oder gar kein Fett, dafür aber viel Feuchtigkeit. Regelmäßige Reinigung ist bei diesem Hauttyp sehr wichtig.

  • Mischhaut: Hier sollte die Gesichtspflege zweigeteilt sein. Denn die T-Zone – Stirn, Nase und Kinn – ist eher fettig, während die Haut an den Wangen, um die Augen und am Hals eher trocken ist.

  • Trockene Haut: Trockene Haut ist arm an Fett und Feuchtigkeit und meist empfindlich. Sie erscheint oft schuppig, matt und rau. Die Produkte zur Reinigung sollten den Säureschutzmantel der Haut bewahren, die anschließende Pflege Feuchtigkeit zuführen.

  • Normale Haut: Normale Haut ist unproblematisch, frei von Unreinheiten und Rötungen. Sie ist weder fettig noch zu trocken und hat feine Poren.

Gut zu wissen:

Der Hautzustand kann sich im Laufe des Lebens, aber auch durch äußere Einflüsse verändern. Dementsprechend muss die Hautpflege unter Umständen angepasst werden. Der individuelle Hauttyp kann in einer kosmetischen oder dermatologischen Praxis bestimmt werden.

Hautpflege: Das ist bei der Reinigung zu beachten

Ein wesentlicher Bestandteil der Körperpflege ist die Reinigung des Körpers von Schmutz, Schweiß, Kosmetikrückständen, Hautschuppen und Keimen.

Fachleute empfehlen:

  • das Gesicht zweimal täglich zu reinigen, und zwar morgens nach dem Aufstehen und abends vor dem Zubettgehen

  • kein Gesichtswasser mit Alkohol bei trockener Haut zu verwenden

  • leicht saure (pH-Wert 5), seifenfreie Syndets mit synthetischen waschaktiven Substanzen zur Reinigung zu verwenden; sie greifen den Säureschutzmantel der Haut nicht wie herkömmliche Seifen an, da sie alkalifrei sind, also keine Lauge bilden

  • am besten zu Produkten ohne Parfüm zu greifen

  • zwei- bis dreimal pro Woche zu duschen (Menschen, die viel schwitzen oder Sport treiben häufiger)

  • bei häufigerem Duschen die Zeit auf etwa fünf Minuten zu begrenzen und eine Wassertemperatur von maximal 39 Grad Celsius nicht zu überschreiten

Ein regelmäßiges Peeling einmal die Woche befreit die Haut von überflüssigen Hornschüppchen und beugt Akne oder Mitessern vor. Reagiert die Haut mit Irritationen, sollte darauf aber besser verzichtet werden.

Hautpflege: Wie wichtig ist Eincremen?

Normalerweise sorgen Fette in der obersten Hautschicht dafür, dass genügend Feuchtigkeit gebunden wird und die Haut geschmeidig bleibt. Bestimmte Faktoren wie das zunehmende Lebensalter, Kälte, oder Heizungsluft können die Haut jedoch austrocknen.

Auch Menschen mit einem trockenen Hauttyp oder Hautkrankheiten wie Neurodermitis sollten ihrer Haut ausreichend Feuchtigkeit zuführen.

Zum Eincremen können verschiedene Pflegeprodukte verwendet werden:

  • Lotionen: sind eher dünnflüssige Emulsionen, die mehr Wasser als Öl enthalten

  • Cremes: haben eine cremige Konsistenz und etwa gleiches Verhältnis von Wasser und Öl

  • Körperöle: eignen sich vor allem zur Anwendung sehr trockenen Hautstellen wie Knien oder Ellenbogen

  • Körperbutter: basieren auf festem Öl oder Fetten (etwa Sheabutter)

  • Salben: enthalten überwiegend Fette und Öle sowie pharmazeutische Wirkstoffe (etwa Wundsalbe, Zinksalbe)

  • Gele: bestehen nur aus Wasser und Quellstoffen

Bei trockener Haut werden eher reichhaltige Produkte (Wasser-in-Öl-Emulsionen) empfohlen, die mehr Öl als Wasser enthalten und die Feuchtigkeit in der Haut einschließen. Bei fettiger oder zu Unreinheiten neigender Haut sollten wasserhaltige Produkte (Öl-in-Wasser.Emulsionen) verwendet werden, die Feuchtigkeit spenden, aber nicht einschließen.

Tipp:

Unabhängig vom Hauttyp an den UV-Schutz denken: Vor allem in den Sommermonaten ist eine Tagespflege mit Lichtschutzfaktor empfehlenswert.

Antifalten-Hautpflege: Hautalterung aufhalten?

Hautpflegemittel zur Vorbeugung der Hautalterung sind sehr beliebt. Sie enthalten oft Inhaltsstoffe wie:

  • Hyaluronsäure
  • Niacinamide (Vitamin B3-Derivat)
  • Retinol (Vitaminb A)
  • Coenzym Q10
  • Kollagen

Die Stiftung Warentest hat die Wirkung verschiedener Antifaltencremes getestet. Dabei zeigte sich, dass die Produkte nicht halten, was sie versprechen. Einen gewissen Anti-Aging-Effekt konnten die Tester*innen lediglich mit speziellen Messgeräten nachweisen, nicht aber mit dem bloßen Auge erkennen. Dies gilt sowohl für spezielle Cremes gegen Augenfältchen als auch für Anti-Aging-Produkte für das gesamte Gesicht.

Sehr feine Falten können die Produkte aber durchaus verbessern. Das wird allerdings nicht auf bestimmte Antifalten-Wirkstoffe zurückgeführt, sondern auf den Feuchtigkeitsgehalt der Cremes. Dieser ist in der Lage, die Rillen in einem gewissen Maße aufzupolstern.

Welche Hautpflege benötigt Männerhaut?

Die Haut von Männern unterscheiden sich von Frauenhaut:

  • Sie ist etwa 20 Prozent dicker.
  • Männer besitzen mehr Talgdrüsen und größere Poren.
  • Männerhaut ist tendenziell fettiger, straffer und fester.
  • Die Haut altert später, dafür dann aber schneller.

Generell sollten aber auch Männer ihr Gesicht täglich reinigen, am bestens abends vor dem Schlafengehen. Auch Eincremen ist wichtig, um die Haut mit Feuchtigkeit, Fett und Nährstoffen zu versorgen. Bei der Wahl der Pflegeprodukte sollte man sich an seinem Hauttyp orientieren.

Das Rasieren des Bartes ist eine Besonderheit, die die Haut des Mannes strapaziert. Nach der Rasur ist eine beruhigende Gesichtspflege wichtig.

Hautkrankheiten mit diesen Bildern erkennen



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Accessibility for sexual wellness products in NSW still behind closed doors


By providing easier access to products that support a healthy sex life, we can create a more inclusive and accepting environment for everyone, Hugh Crothers, founder of sexual wellbeing brand drip, says.

For centuries, the topic of sex has been shrouded in stigma and shame. Yet, in the last few years, we’ve witnessed a transition as it starts to be viewed as part of overall wellbeing – shout out to Gwyneth for that one.

Gone are the days of conversations around sex only being chaired by Carrie Bradshaw as she discussed her relationships with Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda. Sex toys, lubes and adjacent products are now designed to sit proudly on your bedside table next to your face cream, as opposed to hidden in shame in your bottom nightstand drawer.

One could be forgiven for thinking that the sexual revolution has come and gone. Yet it seems we’re a good deal more prudish as a people than we care to admit, thanks to the archaic nature of laws in some Australian states surrounding where sexual wellness products can be sold.

Don’t even get me started about how this category is policed by tech giants on the internet. And so, I couldn’t help but wonder... are we as evolved as we think we are when it comes to sex?

7 exercises to improve your sex life

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As was reported in the ABC just last week, displaying or advertising sexual wellness products like vibrators at department stores or pharmacies in New South Wales, can carry a jail sentence of up to one year. Despite other states allowing their sales in this setting, in NSW, the sale of sexual wellness products is limited to adult stores only, banning mainstream retailers – who stock sexual wellness products nationally – from selling them.  

When products that support and promote a healthy sex life are limited to adult stores where red tape exists aplenty, it continues to send the message that sex is something to be ashamed of. And, this can cause a myriad of other issues such as depression, poor mental health, body shaming, self-hostility and even sexual addiction.

With the sexual wellness industry forecast to reach around AU$172 million by 2030 globally, the growth opportunity for retailers and sexual wellness brands in Australia is immense. Clearly, there’s a demand for it and so you’d think governments would be wanting to support a burgeoning industry – especially when the nation’s economic growth is anticipated to slow in the coming years.

Let’s talk about sex

My generation is the first to openly talk about sex positively and honestly, albeit largely in heteronormative narratives. For the first time, women’s pleasure isn’t being seen as secondary, with sex more broadly spoken about on Netflix, podcasts and really all media formats – from long-form articles to TikTok.

While the narrative has certainly improved from non-existence when my parents were growing up, we still have a way to go in normalising sexual practices and sexual orientations into the conversation.

We do owe Carrie somewhat for empowering women to talk more openly about sex, pleasure, and masturbation, but as a nation, we haven’t exactly nailed sexual discourse and consent, particularly with how we broach it in institutions such as schools, clubs and groups. 

Our sex ed nationally is woeful with four in five Aussies saying the sex ed they received in school did not prepare them for real life. Knowing that sexual assault is on the rise, it’s quite shocking that it was only this year that consent education became mandatory in schools.

Where the government has fallen short, brands like The Sex Ed and books like Welcome to Sex by Melissa King and Yumi Stynes, alongside the media have carried the torch providing much-needed resources – especially for young people to learn what a positive and consenting sex life can entail.  We still have a lot of work to do when it comes to advocating for all to have a healthy sex life — and it starts with accessibility.

Access is an ongoing issue

When sexual wellness products do make it to the shelves of grocery stores or pharmacies, they’re often locked behind glass, visually showcasing the lack of accessibility consumers have to our products. That or they’re lumped in with ‚family planning‘ which makes a rather arrogant assumption about one’s sexual intentions and proclivities. I’ve never planned a family when having sex, nor have a lot of consenting young people in today’s society.   

When thinking about accessibility, in NSW, the government’s restrictions do not allow sexual wellness products to be on the ground floor of stores which limits access for the nearly four million Australians living with a physical disability to access products that are integral to sexual wellness in real life.

With restrictions around products being sold in proximity to primary schools and churches in NSW as well, we’re further censoring and stigmatising the access to these products, and in turn, limiting the ways in which we can speak of them.

With access to information in the real world being limited by these restrictions, the online world is an even tougher nut to crack.  As the founder of a sexual wellbeing brand, we have never been able to reap the benefits of social media and search advertising. The strict censorship policies around sexual content on social media platforms have made it extremely challenging to reach our audience.

When I launched drip in 2021, I naively thought we would be an online brand, yet censorship, coupled with the pay-to-play model that dominates the digital world has made that reality all but impossible. While I’m all for advocating for adult content to be treated with care – particularly when it comes to minors – there’s a big difference in the ways misogynistic pornography, and a brand pushing for more positive, honest and open conversations about sex, should be treated, restricted and banned. 

If there’s one thing that prohibition has taught us, it’s that hiding things behind closed doors doesn’t work. By promoting more honest and open conversations about sex and providing access to products that support a healthy sex life, we can help foster better relationships, improve sexual health for all, and create a more inclusive and accepting environment for everyone. 

Hugh Crothers is the founder of drip, a sexual wellbeing brand he started in 2020 catering to people who are curious and diverse when it comes to sex. 



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Healthy-Ish podcast: the 30 30 30 routine


Each Friday, host Felicity Harley and Body + Soul’s digital editor Ashleigh Austin chat through three stories that made them spit-out – or guzzle – their wine (not green juice). This week, they chat about the 30-30-30 morning routine (see story here); how much exercise to offset sitting all day (see study here); top dating acronyms (see story here). 

WANT MORE BODY + SOUL? 

Online: Head to bodyandsoul.com.au for your daily digital dose of health and wellness.

On social: Via Instagram at @bodyandsoul_au or Facebook. Or, TikTok here. Got an idea for an episode? DM host Felicity Harley on Instagram @felicityharley

On YouTube: Watch Body + Soul TV here.

In print: Each Sunday, grab Body+Soul inside The Sunday Telegraph (NSW), the Sunday Herald Sun (Victoria), The Sunday Mail (Queensland), Sunday Mail (SA) and Sunday Tasmanian (Tasmania). 





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Extra Healthy-Ish podcast: what it takes to be a professional female surfer


Big wave surfer Felicity Palmateer shares what it takes to ride those monstrous waves – from her fitness regime, to nutrition, breathwork and mindset.

WANT MORE FROM FELICITY?

Follow Felicity @felicitypalmateer or see her TikTok here

WANT MORE BODY + SOUL? 

Online: Head to bodyandsoul.com.au for your daily digital dose of health and wellness.

On social: Via Instagram at @bodyandsoul_au or Facebook. Or, TikTok here. Got an idea for an episode? DM host Felicity Harley on Instagram @felicityharley

In print: Each Sunday, grab Body+Soul inside The Sunday Telegraph (NSW), the Sunday Herald Sun (Victoria), The Sunday Mail (Queensland), Sunday Mail (SA) and Sunday Tasmanian (Tasmania). 





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Healthy-Ish podcast: how to build a morning routine


If there’s anyone who knows how to nail a morning routine it’s a surfer. Big wave pro Felicity Palmateer shares how she wins each morning and how you can, too. 

WANT MORE FROM FELICITY?

To hear today’s full interview, where she chats about what it takes to be a big wave surfer…search for Extra Healthy-ish wherever you get your pods.

Follow Felicity @felicitypalmateer or see her TikTok here

WANT MORE BODY + SOUL? 

Online: Head to bodyandsoul.com.au for your daily digital dose of health and wellness.

On social: Via Instagram at @bodyandsoul_au or Facebook. Or, TikTok here. Got an idea for an episode? DM host Felicity Harley on Instagram @felicityharley

In print: Each Sunday, grab Body+Soul inside The Sunday Telegraph (NSW), the Sunday Herald Sun (Victoria), The Sunday Mail (Queensland), Sunday Mail (SA) and Sunday Tasmanian (Tasmania). 





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Research reveals elective surgery waitlist longer than ever


If you find yourself in need of an elective surgical procedure, strap yourself in for a long game of waiting. As the newest data shows, Australia’s public hospitals are in the midst of a surgical backlog crisis. 

The triage floor of a public hospital is a place of perfect polarity, with scenes of chaotic action and mundane waiting separated by just a single door. 

While not a second is wasted in an emergency ward (or any ward), with doctors and nurses pushing the boundaries of multitasking at every opportunity, the plastic seats of a waiting room can hold the same bodies for hours on end. 

Now, as new research from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) reveals, the waiting game for patients in line for elective surgeries goes far beyond that. According to the data, the average waiting time for non-emergency surgery is at its highest level in 20 years. 

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The most recent collected data has seen the number of patients undergoing elective surgery increase by 18 per cent compared to the previous year, so why are our waiting lists still so long?

Unfortunately, the extensive waiting lists are a long-lasting repercussion of the global pandemic that first tore through our public health system in 2020. The disruption caused by years of lockdowns, Covid patient admissions and shifted priorities has left almost every sector of the industry reeling. 

“Public hospitals made concerted efforts during 2020 to 2021 and 2022 to 2023 to work through procedures earlier delayed when non-urgent surgeries were suspended,” explains AIHW spokesperson Clara Jellie. “But because of these earlier delays, overall waiting times for people admitted for care have increased.”

What does the data reveal?

According to the newly released national statistics, the number of admissions to hospitals from public elective surgery waiting lists rose from 623,000 to 735,500 over the past year. 

Half of all patients admitted from a public elective surgery waiting list were done so within 49 days. This number has increased from the year before, with patients in 2021 to 2022 being admitted for their elective procedure within 40 days. The percentage of patients who waited longer than 365 days to be admitted for surgery was 9.6 per cent, a notable increase from the pre-pandemic levels (2.1 per cent). 

The extended waiting periods explored in the recent data strictly refer to patients seeking elective surgery, with the majority of urgent care patients receiving an admission within 30 days. Statistically speaking, 33 per cent of all patients admitted for care from an elective surgery waiting list were considered to be within the most urgent category.

Overall, public hospital emergency departments saw a slight increase in presentations over the past year, from 8.97 million to 8.8 million, with 29 per cent of these patients being admitted to hospital for further care. 

What is the gold standard for admissions?

In order to prioritise resources, public hospitals abide by an admissions grading system, used to determine the urgency of each presenting patient. For elective surgeries, patients are assigned to one of three clinical urgency categories and placed on a waiting list. 

Graded as either most urgent, urgent or semi-urgent, patients are recommended to receive treatment within 30, 90 or 365 days respectively. Overall in the past year, 17 per cent of patients were categorised as ‘most urgent’, meaning their conditions require resuscitation or emergency intervention, while 76 per cent of presenting elective surgical patients were categorised as urgent or semi-urgent.

The data reveals only 65 per cent of patients received treatment within the recommended timeframe for their category, a number that has slightly decreased from 67 per cent the year before. Regardless, almost all patients in the most urgent category (requiring resuscitation) were seen immediately.

Which states will wait the longest?

While this data explores public hospital waiting periods as a whole, research published earlier this year revealed the states with the longest wait times and elective surgery backlog. 

According to the data, Victorians will experience the most tedious wait for elective surgery, with a state average of 281 days. Next, sits Queensland with an average of 273 days, while New South Wales residents will generally need to wait 224 days. 



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Extra Healthy-Ish podcast: mums carrying mental load and domestic load


Is your mental load out of control? You’re not alone. Tech entrepreneur and mum of three Kate Morgan discusses the mental load, her learnings and how it led her to launch an app, Eggy. 

WANT MORE FROM KATE?

Find out more about Kate’s app Eggy @eggy.app or via their site here

WANT MORE BODY + SOUL? 

Online: Head to bodyandsoul.com.au for your daily digital dose of health and wellness.

On social: Via Instagram at @bodyandsoul_au or Facebook. Or, TikTok here. Got an idea for an episode? DM host Felicity Harley on Instagram @felicityharley

In print: Each Sunday, grab Body+Soul inside The Sunday Telegraph (NSW), the Sunday Herald Sun (Victoria), The Sunday Mail (Queensland), Sunday Mail (SA) and Sunday Tasmanian (Tasmania). 





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Healthy-Ish podcast: how to stay on top of life admin


To-do lists, life admin, Christmas lists – it’s all bananas at this time of year. Tech entrepreneur and mum of three Kate Morgan shares tips on how to take control of…life right now.  

WANT MORE FROM KATE?

To hear today’s full interview, where she discusses how to manage the mental load…search for Extra Healthy-ish wherever you get your pods.

Find out more about Kate’s app Eggy @eggy.app or via their site here

WANT MORE BODY + SOUL? 

Online: Head to bodyandsoul.com.au for your daily digital dose of health and wellness.

On social: Via Instagram at @bodyandsoul_au or Facebook. Or, TikTok here. Got an idea for an episode? DM host Felicity Harley on Instagram @felicityharley

In print: Each Sunday, grab Body+Soul inside The Sunday Telegraph (NSW), the Sunday Herald Sun (Victoria), The Sunday Mail (Queensland), Sunday Mail (SA) and Sunday Tasmanian (Tasmania). 





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Olive oil could be the cure for constipation


Experiencing a bit of a blockage? Rather than turning to coffee, studies show olive oil could be the key to reducing constipation. 

For anyone who’s ever experienced it, constipation is no doubt one of the most uncomfortable feelings. 

Characterised by fewer than three stools passed per week, abdominal pain and hardened stools, constipation is often caused by a lack of fibre, not drinking enough fluids or a sedentary lifestyle. 

Research shows that it can be strongly correlated with your diet too, particularly when it changes in a way that unbalances the delicate equilibrium in your gut. 

Unsurprisingly then, changing it in other ways is often the cure to these poo predicaments. 

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For years, research has shown that a Mediterranean diet is one of the best in the world, and is rich with “healthy fats, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds,” per the Mayo Clinic

Aside from the fact that a diet à la Med is a well-balanced one that includes lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, there’s also a lot of healthy oils, particularly extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). 

It’s known for its anti-inflammatory properties, and for improving heart health, cholesterol and blood pressure, but a lesser-known benefit of EVOO is softened stool, which can help ease constipation. 

After Starbucks started selling olive oil lattes in the US earlier this year, dubbed Oleato drinks, which led to a high volume of pooping, TikTok caught wind of the secondary properties of EVOO. 

Now, it’s taken flight online, with people shilling olive oil as a natural constipation remedy you can take at home. And apparently, there’s actually some fact to back it up. 

Does olive oil reduce constipation?

Ingesting enough healthy fat, i.e. olive oil, has a two-part effect on your health, which can lead to decreased constipation. 

For one, when you’re eating a healthy diet, you will need to poo a healthy amount, which is once or twice a day. 

“Good quality EVOO has unique properties that improve the health of your microbiome,” performance dietitian Peta Carige tells Body+Soul. And “a healthy gut equals healthy poo.

But on the other hand, olive oil itself can also have a “mild laxative effect on the colon,” says gastroenterologist Dr Priyanka Singh, in conversation with Well+Good.

“It lubricates the colon walls and holds water within stools, helping to soften them. This helps stool move more easily through the colon and promotes bowel movements.”

In one study, per Well+Good, “One study found that olive oil relieved symptoms of constipation just as well as mineral oil—a known laxative—in patients on dialysis when it was taken daily for four weeks.” 

How much olive oil reduces constipation?

To reap the benefits of softened stool and a regular cadence in trips to the toilet, Carige tells Body+Soul that ingesting 30g of olive oil per day (1.5 tablespoons) is a good way to go. 

“This can be achieved by a drizzle on your avocado toast, a touch in your salad dressing and using it in your cooking at dinner easily,” she says. 

Not only will this make the most of its laxative properties, and soften the stool so it can actually, you know, pass, but it will “improve your microbiome,” says Carige, which promotes a healthy pooping routine. 

According to Medical News Today, „One tablespoon of olive oil, taken on an empty stomach in the morning, may relieve constipation for many healthy adults.“ 

They also note that babies and children with constipation should not take olive oil, and as per the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), should try apple or pear juice, Karo syrup, or pureed prunes for relief instead. 

Too much of a good thing 

A word of warning – you don’t want to overdo it on the olive oil. 

For one, while your diet may be suffering from a lack of olive oil if you’re constipated, you can send things in the other direction if you consume too much. Think far too regular trips to the bathroom and a very upset stomach – as many buyers of the Starbucks latte discovered. 

But it will also send your diet out of balance, particularly if you’re still getting your dose of healthy fats from other sources too. 

“If you are consuming your healthy fats from EVOO and quality food sources such as nuts and fish, it’s important to not exceed your energy requirements by also consuming other fat sources such as pastries and biscuits,” says Carige. 

In short, add a tablespoon of olive oil to your diet if you’re not ingesting any already, but aim to reduce other sources of fat so you don’t overdo it.



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What is the optimal time to stop birth control for pregnancy planning


Whether you’re taking the contraceptive pill or have an IUD or implant, this is when you should stop using it to maximise your chances of falling pregnant.

If you’re thinking about having a baby but you’re using birth control, you’ve no doubt also wondered about when to stop using it.

Sure, we’ve all heard the stories of people falling pregnant as soon as they stopped taking contraception, but is it really that simple? 

To better understand this, we asked Dr Kirsty Wallace-Hor, a GP at Kin Fertility, about when is the best time to come off birth control if you’re trying to get pregnant.

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First, make sure you’re ready

“Many people assume that it takes a while for their fertility to return to normal after stopping a hormone-based contraceptive. While it’s true that it can take a few months for your body’s hormones to go back to what’s normal for you, you can potentially fall pregnant very quickly,” Dr Wallace-Hor tells Body+Soul.

“I therefore don’t recommend that you stop your contraceptive until you’re prepared to fall pregnant. I’ve had more than a few patients fall pregnant earlier than planned because they assumed it would take a long time for their body to adjust to being off contraception.

“Waiting until you’re ready to fall pregnant before you stop your contraceptive is helpful for a few reasons. For example, it gives you adequate time to start a prenatal multivitamin. For most people, it is recommended to take a 0.4-0.5mg/day supplement of folic acid for at least one month before falling pregnant, as well as an iodine supplement of 150μg each day. 

“It also gives you a chance to see your GP before falling pregnant to see whether you would benefit from other supplements (for example, if you’re iron or vitamin D deficient, or are vegan or vegetarian), ensure you have adequate insurance cover if you’d like private obstetric care, optimise your lifestyle and consider genetic carrier screening.”

When does fertility return?

The answer to this question will vary from woman to woman and it will depend on the type of birth control you’re using.

  • Contraceptive pill: “It usually takes about two months for someone’s usual level of fertility to return after stopping the combined pill, some people may ovulate and fall pregnant before their next period.”
  • Shot. “It can take up to 18 months for your fertility to return to your usual level.”
  • IUDs. With hormonal IUDs, fertility usually returns shortly after removal and with copper IUDs, it often returns within the first menstrual cycle.
  • Vaginal ring and contraceptive implant. Some women resume regular ovulation soon after removal, while others may experience a delay.

Things to consider when going off birth control

“If you’d like to track your natural cycles before you actively start trying for a baby, you can stop your hormonal contraceptive and switch to condoms until you’re ready. Tracking your cycle can help identify when you’re ovulating and help you time intercourse to optimise your chances of falling pregnant,” Dr Wallace-Hor explains.

“Even if you plan to start trying straight away, it can be helpful to track your period as this will help estimate your due date if you do fall pregnant and confirm whether your periods are regular.”

Your diet is another important piece of the puzzle and you want to make sure you’re consuming key nutrients for reproductive health – think folic acid, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids. A good prenatal vitamin can be beneficial here.

Improving your diet, keeping your stress levels under check, exercising regularly, and avoiding excessive alcohol and caffeine intake, are all simple, yet effective ways of leading a fertility-friendly lifestyle.

Finally, having the right people by your side can make a huge difference – and one of those people should be your doctor. Booking a preconception check-up and getting your fertility tested can be a good idea, as you’ll get access to personalised insights about your reproductive health, so you can manage your expectations and make informed decisions that are right for your body.

When to seek professional help

“If your periods are regular and you haven’t fallen pregnant despite having regular intercourse, you should see your GP after 12 months if you’re 35 years or younger, after 6 months if you’re over 35, or earlier if you’re concerned,” Dr Wallace-Hor recommends.

Additionally, consider booking an appointment if:

  • You’re experiencing irregular menstrual cycles months after stopping birth control
  • You’re not experiencing signs of ovulation, like changes in cervical mucus or breast tenderness
  • You have a history of gynecological issues, like PCOS or endometriosis
  • Your partner has known fertility concerns

Most importantly, be patient and kind to yourself and prioritise your wellbeing during this time. While it is natural to feel overwhelmed, stress and fertility are not a good mix. So, try to find healthy ways to deal with potential stressors and, if needed, seek support from a healthcare professional.



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