30 Products With Shocking Before And After Results
Bruise cream because you're clumsy as heck and bruise like a peach, what a combo (samesies). If you can't make it through a day without bumping into something, dropping something on your foot, or falling, grab this. Next time you look at your leg and think *wait, where did that bruise come from?* reach for this to help calm the swelling and discoloration.
A piercing bump solution so you can help stop that little bump on your nose piercing that's tripled in size in two weeks from growing annnnyyyy more. Before you totally ditch your new piercing, let this stuff help heal and reduce the size of your keloid! I know, I know, I get 'em too and yes, they can be terrifying to look at.
A clear, bitter nail polish that tastes so bad, you'll never wanna bite your nails again. It's also great for kids three and up who can't stop putting their fingers in their mouth and end up sick, like, once a month. It's harmless! But you'll for sure rather chew on gum than your nails.
A pair of seamless Nippies silicone pasties to help conceal your areola and nipple while also providing comfort and support without the need for an *actual* bra. These are perfect for all those sheer, backless, and strapless tops you've been dying to wear this summer, and they aren't all lumpy, so they won't make your tatas look weird.
And a breathable, sweatproof boob tape kit which includes a roll of the tape, four satin boob petals, and a pair of silicone pasties so you can wear all those cute tops and dresses you thought you'd never find a bra for. Ooh! Plus, you'll get a carrying pouch so you can take your booby necessities with you *and* you'll get a test patch so you can be sure that it doesn't irritate your skin.
A trio of serums — retinol, vitamin C, and hyaluronic acid, to be exact, like the Destiny's Child of serums, freakin' powerhouse combo right there. I'm no Raven Baxter, but I def see a brighter tone, reduction of fine lines, and smoother, plumper skin in your future.
A brush-cleaning kit that'll make you look at all the dust, dirt, and grime building up on your windowsills and sliding doors and *cringe*. If you just took a peek and thought you were a filthy monster, you're not. Cuz how the heck are you supposed to clean that area? Badabing, badaboom, this miracle cleanin' kit, that's how. *Adds one to my own cart cuz gross, my windowsills are icky*.
A pack of two tongue scrapers so your breath can be extraaaaa fresh. You won't believe how clean your tongue is and how much of a difference this baby makes in helping to keep your breath smelling great. You also may be in disbelief of how much gunk it removes.
A Chom Chom pet hair roller that'll pick up fur and lock it inside the roller for an easy-peasy cleanup. And this reusable baby doesn't lose its effectiveness after use! If you gotta clean your couch every single day and you absolutely hate buying more and more lint rollers, add this to your cart and thank me later.
A Truly Beauty boob polish made of an acai and retinol concoction that'll help smooth your skin, reduce the appearance of fine lines and stretch marks, and brighten, firm, and tighten your booby skin. Bestie, I'm sure your tatas already look *absolutely amazing*, but if you've ever been intrigued by these beautiful jars at Ulta (🙋🏽♀️🙋🏽♀️🙋🏽♀️), give this a try! And if anyone compliments your boobs you can be like "oh yeah, I had 'em polished."
An Ogx leave-in conditioning cream to apply to your towel-dried hair for a magic trick. *Voila*, defined, bouncy curls that'll put a little extra pep in your step because of the way your curls bounce when you walk.
A jar of Brazilian Bum Bum body cream made with a caffeine-rich guarana extract formula to help smooth and tighten skin. People are in loooove with this stuff, and some reviewers even just use it as, like, a perfume. Yeah, it smells that good thanks to the gorgeous aroma of pistachio, salted caramel, and vanilla.
A freakin' miracle LED light therapy mask — sit back and relax while this thing works OVERTIME to help clear acne. What's cooler than being cool? This bad boy, OutKast, def this.
Good Molecules Yerba Mate Wake Up Eye Gel with a cult following cuz of how well it freakin' works. It'll help quickly minimize swelling and puffiness because, like OutKast said, "nothing lasts forever," and this gel helps that adage ring true. You'll look awake even when you're hanging on by a thread and iced coffee.
And an under-eye brightener because you aren't sure if you'll ever actually not be exhausted, but you can def stop looking like it. It's ~enriched~ with shea butter and hyaluronic acid to give your dark circles a more radiant look. The pinkish tint helps balance out the blueish tint under your eyes as if you said a spell to make your dark circles *poof* away.
A three-step cradle cap system that includes a sponge, brush, comb, and storage stand to gently but effectively get rid of the flakes on your little one's head. It's sensitive on your baby's scalp without having to compromise effectiveness.
A wart-removing gel infused with ~salicylic acid~ that'll help to dry out your lil' blemishes and get 'em outta here. This no-drip gel formula also comes with waterproof patches to keep them hidden and prevent them from spreading. People will def think you did some sort of witchcraft but whatever, at least those annoying warts will *poof* away!
A pack of 36 acne patches that'll have you shook when you wake up in the morning. These patches absorb all the gunk and speed up the pimple-healing process without picking or popping. Abracadabra, psh, what pimple?
A microwave bacon cooker because some days you're DEFINITELY not in the mood to have piping hot bacon grease popping you at 9 a.m. If you wanna cook seven to nine strips at a time and not play *dodge the scorching oil spitting at you* then 🎶 you know what to dooooo 🎶 in my Andre 3000 voice.
Joesoef's sulfur soap that'll help with some of your skincare woes, like acne, blackheads, and clogged pores. Sulfur, *a key ingredient in this lil' miracle bar*, is an antibacterial and antifungal that'll help you say hakuna matata to all of your skincare problems.
A pumice stone toilet bowl cleaner so you can ~finally~ get rid of the grime and hard water stains that build up and leave you with an unattractive ring. Oh! Anddd, you can use it on other surfaces like sinks and tubs, too!
AND a bacteria- and virus-killing Clorox Toilet Wand Starter Kit that comes with refill heads to make cleaning your porcelain throne easy peasy lemon squeezy. Pop on a sponge head, scrub-a-dub-dub your toilet, and toss the gunk and grime-filled sponge into the trash. See? Piece of cake!
A fabulous lip-plumping gloss set for some seriously luscious lips. Your pout will be juicy as heck, ooh-la-luscious.
A bottle of professional-grade callus-removing gel that'll quickly get rid of all that thick, hard skin. Holy guacamole, these results! Mind-blowing and magical.
A descaling solution cuz you're just so sick of funky-tasting espressos. Don't even think about how intensely you'll have to scrub the limescale and mineral buildup, ditch the elbow grease, and let this do all the work.
An E.l.f. color corrector that'll help camouflage discoloration, dark under-eye circles, blemishes, redness, and dark spots without caking up or creasing your flawless foundation and concealer.
A genius paw-cleaning tube so you can say goodbye to muddy paw tracks in your home ~furever~. Stop your pooch at the door, put water in this baby, dip their gross little footsies in it, and woooohooo! You won't need to scrub the carpets for the fifth time this week.
A pack of thin velvet hangers that are not only *aesthetically pleasing as heck*, but will also allow you to fit more into your closet — yay! And!! Your shirts and dresses won't slide right off like they do on other hangers.
A 20-pack of multi-surface eraser sponges that'll make grease, grime, and scuffs disappear quicker than Thanos made half the population vanish in Infinity War. Walls, floors, tubs, sinks, even cars and shoes, this thing tackles so many surfaces quickly and easily without needing to put a bunch of elbow grease into a scrub sesh.
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Newsweek
9 hours ago
- Newsweek
Alzheimer's: Scientists Discover What Sparks Disease
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Lithium deficiency in the brain could be a cause of Alzheimer's disease—and a new potential target for treatment. Ten years in the making, this is the finding of researchers at Harvard Medical School who have revealed how lithium plays an essential role in brain function and may provide resistance against brain aging and Alzheimer's. Lithium is a chemical element, currently used as medicine to treat mood disorders like mania and bipolar disorder. "Most people associate lithium with psychiatric treatment. Our study shows, for the first time, that naturally occurring lithium plays a crucial role in maintaining brain health during aging—even at concentrations far below those used in clinical psychiatry," study authors Bruce Yankner and Liviu Aron told Newsweek. The findings are based on a series of experiments in mice and on analyses of human brain tissue and blood samples from individuals in various stages of cognitive health. Lithium carbonate tablet bottles on shelf. Lithium carbonate tablet bottles on shelf. Getty Images "We found that lithium is uniquely depleted in the brains of people with mild cognitive impairment—a precursor to Alzheimer's. This makes lithium deficiency one of the earliest biochemical signs of the disease, possibly years before clinical symptoms appear," the duo explained. "We also saw that higher endogenous lithium levels were associated with preserved cognitive function even in individuals without Alzheimer's. So, this isn't just about preventing disease—it's about supporting healthy brain aging in general. The new revelation helps to explain why some people with Alzheimer's-like abnormalities in the brain don't go on to develop the disease. While genetic and environmental factors play a role, scientists also haven't been able to suggest why some people with the same risk factors might develop it and others don't—until now. The scientists unearthed that lithium loss in the human brain is one of the earliest changes leading to Alzheimer's. In mice, meanwhile, similar lithium depletion accelerated brain pathology (disease or abnormality) and memory decline. They also found reduced lithium levels stemmed from binding to amyloid plaques (misfolded proteins found between nerve cells found in the brains of people with Alzheimer's) and impaired uptake in the brain. One pair of boxes shows fewer green amyloid clusters on the left and more on the right. Another pair of boxes shows a dim arc of purple and red tau on the left and a... One pair of boxes shows fewer green amyloid clusters on the left and more on the right. Another pair of boxes shows a dim arc of purple and red tau on the left and a brighter arc on the right. More Yankner Lab In their final set of experiments, they found a new lithium compound that avoids "capture" by amyloid plaques restored memory in mice. "In people that start experiencing memory loss, the so-called mild cognitive impairment, lithium gets trapped by amyloid plaques—reducing its availability just when it's most needed to protect against inflammation and neurodegeneration," Yankner and Aron explained. "This creates a self-perpetuating feedback loop of worsening pathology and accelerating disease progression and memory loss." This all ties together decades-long observations in patients and provides a new theory of the disease and strategy for early diagnosis, prevention and treatment, according to the researchers. Recently developed treatments that target amyloid beta (a key component of the amyloid plaques) typically don't reverse memory loss and only modestly reduce the rate of decline. "The idea that lithium deficiency could be a cause of Alzheimer's disease is new and suggests a different therapeutic approach," said Yankner in a statement. Researchers had previously found lithium to be the only metal that had markedly different levels across people with and without Alzheimer's at different stages. But Yankner added in a statement, "Lithium turns out to be like other nutrients we get from the environment, such as iron and vitamin C. "It's the first time anyone's shown that lithium exists at a natural level that's biologically meaningful without giving it as a drug." Previous population studies have shown that higher lithium levels in the environment, including in drinking water, tracked with lower rates of dementia. Woman hugging her elderly mother. Woman hugging her elderly mother. PIKSEL/Getty Images Yankner's team demonstrated in mice that lithium depletion isn't just linked to Alzheimer's, it actually helps drive it. This raises hope that one day lithium could be used to treat the disease in its entirety rather than focusing on a single factor like amyloid beta or tau (another Alzheimer's-associated protein), Yankner said. Crucially, the researchers discovered that as amyloid beta begins to form deposits in the early stages of dementia in both humans and mouse models, it binds to lithium, reducing lithium's function in the brain. The reduced levels of lithium affect all major brain cell types and, in mice, lead to changes similar to those seen in Alzheimer's disease, including memory loss. Treating mice with the most potent amyloid-evading compound, called lithium orotate, reversed Alzheimer's pathology, prevented brain cell damage and restored memory. While the findings need to be confirmed in humans through clinical trials, they suggest that measuring lithium levels could help screen for early Alzheimer's. They also highlight the importance of testing amyloid-evading lithium compounds for treatment or prevention. While other lithium compounds are already used to treat bipolar disorder and clinical depression, they are given at much higher concentrations that can be toxic to some people, the researchers flag. Yankner's team discovered lithium orotate is effective at one-thousandth that dose— enough to mimic the natural level of lithium in the brain. Mice treated for nearly their entire adult lives showed no evidence of toxicity, the study found. If further studies confirm these findings, the researchers say lithium screening through routine blood tests may one day offer a way to identify individuals at risk for Alzheimer's who would benefit from treatment to prevent or delay disease onset. "Our study adds to growing evidence that Alzheimer's may be preventable—with something as simple as keeping brain lithium at healthy levels as we age," said Yankner and Aron. "Clinical trials [on humans] could test the impact of low-dose supplementation on cognitive health and dementia risk." Before lithium is proved to be safe and effective in protecting against neurodegeneration in humans, Yankner emphasized that people should not take lithium compounds on their own. Do you have a health story to share with Newsweek? Do you have a question about Alzheimer's? Let us know via health@ Reference Aron, L., Ngian, Z. K., Qiu, C., Choi, J., Liang, M., Drake, D. M., Hamplova, S. E., Lacey, E. K., Roche, P., Yuan, M., Hazaveh, S. S., Lee, E. A., Bennett, D. A., & Yankner, B. A. (2025). Lithium deficiency and the onset of Alzheimer's disease. Nature.
Boston Globe
9 hours ago
- Boston Globe
New hope for Alzheimer's: Groundbreaking Harvard study finds lithium reverses brain aging
The research suggests a new approach to preventing and treating the mind-robbing disease. Advertisement 'It seems to somehow turn back the clock,' said the team's senior author, Dr. The findings come amid a rising tide of Alzheimer's and growing urgency to pinpoint an effective treatment for the For years, researchers believed the buildup of sticky clumps of protein, known as amyloid plaques, fueled the devastating cascade of brain degeneration in Alzheimer's. But Advertisement Yankner now believes that may be a lithium deficiency. Dr. Bruce Yankner sat in his office at Harvard Medical School next to a photograph of a brain with Alzheimers on Monday, Aug. 4. Heather Diehl/For The Boston Globe Lithium has long been used to treat mental health conditions, particularly bi-polar disorder. But the form of lithium typically used for such treatments, lithium carbonate, is different than the one used by the Yankner team, which employed lithium orotate . His team studied brain tissue donated from about 400 people post mortem, as well as blood samples and a battery of memory tests performed yearly before their death. The participants ranged from cognitively healthy at the time of their death to having full-blown Alzheimer's. The scientists found higher levels of lithium in cognitively healthy people. But as amyloid began forming in the early stages of dementia, in both humans and in mice, the amyloid bound to the lithium, restraining it and reducing its availability to surrounding brain cells. That depleted the lithium even in parts of the brain that were amyloid free, essentially reducing lithium's protective function. To test whether lithium depletion was driving the disease or simply a byproduct of it, they fed healthy mice a lithium-restricted diet, draining their lithium levels. This appeared to accelerate their brain aging process, creating inflammation and reducing the ability of nerve cells to communicate. That spurred memory loss in the mice, as measured by their diminished performance in several laboratory memory tests. The researchers then fed a restricted-lithium diet to mice that were genetically engineered to develop Alzheimer's-like amyloid plaques and abnormal tangles of another protein, called tau, and witnessed a dramatic acceleration of the disease. Advertisement These images show what happens to the brains of Alzheimer's mice when they are placed on a lithium deficient diet. It shows that lithium deficiency markedly increases the number of amyloid plaques and the number of tangle-like structures in the brain, resembling advanced Alzheimer's disease in humans. Yankner Lab But they were able to reverse the disease-related damage and restore memory function, even in older mice with advanced disease, by returning lithium to their diet. (Lithium orotate, the compound the scientists used, can evade capture by Alzheimer's amyloid plaques). These images show that treatment of the Alzheimer mice with a very low dose of lithium orotate almost completely abolishes both the plaques and the tangle-like structures. Yankner Lab Other scientists not involved in the research said the findings create a new approach to designing medications to treat and prevent Alzheimer's. 'This study is looking at it from a novel angle,' said 'I didn't expect that the lithium level [in our body] would be this critical,' she said. 'I just hadn't thought about it this way.' The amount of lithium in medications used for mental health conditions is very high and can be toxic to elderly patients. But the amount of lithium used by Yankner's team was one-thousandth the level, essentially mimicking the amount naturally found in the brain. Indeed, mice fed tiny amounts throughout their adult life showed no signs of toxicity. Earlier research has suggested a link between sustained intake of lithium and lower levels of dementia. Notably, Advertisement 'When we're thinking about the therapeutics of a replacement, if you're lowering something, you just have to replace it back to the natural levels,' he said. 'That seems a lot safer than introducing something that our body is not used to, or doesn't already need in order to function. ' 'That's a really good rationale for pursuing it,' he said. A number of factors are linked through research to a higher risk of Alzheimer's and dementia including advanced age, family history, and genetics, as well as several modifiable factors such as diet, smoking, hypertension and diabetes. Liviu Aron, first author of the study that links lithium deficiency to Alzheimer's disease, looked at samples of human and mouse brains in the Harvard lab on Aug. 4. Heather Diehl/For The Boston Globe Many foods already touted for their health benefits naturally contain higher amounts of lithium — But Kaeberlein and other researchers said the real test of the Harvard team's findings would be a large clinical trial in people, with half of the participants receiving small doses of lithium orotate and the others a sham substance, to compare the findings. Kaeberlein said the safety track record of this form of lithium, which showed no toxicity in animals, may help speed trials in people. Advertisement The Harvard findings 'line up with a lot of earlier work, both in the brain and in normal aging,' Kaeberlein said. And he added something rarely heard from scientists when discussing cutting-edge research and a potential medication that may fundamentally change the course of a dreaded disease. This work, he said, 'feeds my optimism that this will lead to potential therapeutics.' But one obstacle to advancing the research is the freeze on Kay Lazar can be reached at
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Newsweek
Nearly 17 Million Young Americans Could Benefit From Ozempic-like Drugs
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Nearly 17 million young Americans could be eligible for GLP-1RAs—a class of medications used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity—including Ozempic and Wegovy. This is based on estimations from Yale School of Medicine researchers who have assessed how many adolescents and young adults in the US are eligible for the drugs and how many can realistically access them. Despite millions being eligible, one in five young adults who meet the criteria are uninsured and one-third denied having a routine place for healthcare. The researchers describe this as "a barrier to identifying, treating, and preventing cardio-kidney-metabolic diseases". The prevalence of type 2 diabetes and obesity continues to increase in youth across the country, hence the need for improved intervention. "Assuming that all individuals who were appropriate candidates for these medications could receive them after shared-decision making with their clinician, we could see substantial progress made in treating and preventing obesity-related diseases in US youth, such as dyslipidemia and hypertension," paper author Ashwin K. Chetty told Newsweek. This, he explained, "could lead to the prevention of severe complications of obesity into adulthood, such as strokes and heart attacks." Hand holding Ozempic-like injection pens on dark background. Hand holding Ozempic-like injection pens on dark said the GLP-1RA eligibility criteria they used covered indications for semaglutide (Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy), liraglutide (Saxenda and Victoza), Bydureon BCise (exenatide), Trulicity (dulaglutide) and tirzepatide (Zepbound and Mounjaro). While some medications contain the same ingredient under a different brand name, the drugs are licensed in different ways. In the U.S., Ozempic, for example, is approved for use in people with type 2 diabetes, while Wegovy is approved for those with obesity or who are overweight and have related health problems. Wegovy and Ozempic mimic a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1—hence 'GLP-1'—which targets areas of the brain that regulate appetite. "Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) are approved to treat pediatric obesity and T2D, and a small but growing number of adolescents and young adults receive GLP-1RAs, which are largely covered through private insurance or Medicaid," the researchers wrote. "Insurance status, access to care and clinical profile of the broader population of youth eligible for GLP-1RAs are unclear but important for policy development. We characterized demographic, clinical, and socioeconomic characteristics of US adolescents and young adults eligible for any GLP-1RA." To inform the estimations, the cross-sectional study pooled publicly available data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) January 2017–March 2020 and August 2021–August 2023. They included US adolescents aged 12–17 and young adults aged 18–25 who met U.S. Food and Drug Administration criteria for GLP-1RA treatment. Over-the-shoulder view of a person in bed checking a smartphone. Over-the-shoulder view of a person in bed checking a adolescents, GLP-1RA indications included type 2 diabetes or obesity defined either as BMI in the 95th percentile or higher for age and sex or body weight greater than 60kg and BMI corresponding to 30 for adults by international cutoffs. For young adults, GLP-1RA indications included type 2 diabetes, obesity (a BMI greater than 30) or a BMI of 27 or higher with a weight-related condition (dyslipidemia, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, or type 2 diabetes). The sample included 572 adolescents and 590 young adults eligible for GLP-1RA treatment, representing an estimated 5.8 million adolescents and 11.1 million young adults. Adolescents eligible for the drugs included 40.3 percent insured by Medicaid, 40.5 percent privately insured and 7.2 percent uninsured. Eligible young adults included 20.8 percent insured by Medicaid, 49 percent privately insured and 19.4 percent uninsured. While 92.2 percent of adolescents reported having a routine place for healthcare, 68.1 percent of young adults reported the same, according to the study. Among both groups, cardio-kidney-metabolic risk factors (dyslipidemia, impaired kidney function, hypertension and prediabetes) were prevalent. "Of note, some indications for young adults were fully encompassed by other indications and were not analyzed separately," said Chetty. For example, the indication of type 2 diabetes may include having also a cardiovascular disease. The analysis also did not include people aged 10–11 years with type 2 diabetes as there were too few participants in their sample in that age group with the condition. "While Medicare is not allowed to cover anti-obesity medications that are indicated only for obesity, Medicaid can cover anti-obesity medications, though only a fraction of state Medicaid programs do," said Chetty. The researchers say their findings indicate broad Medicaid coverage could increase access to GLP-1RAs for a large portion of U.S. youth who may benefit from them. "This could look like state-level formulary changes that include anti-obesity medications or federal policy changes that foster coverage for these therapies," said Chetty. "Beyond expanding insurance coverage, improving access also involves ensuring these individuals have access to general healthcare and clinician appointments, which we show in this study is a particularly significant concern for young adults." Why are we seeing rising rates of metabolic diseases in America's youth? Paper author and pediatric nephrologist Dr. James Nugent told Newsweek: "Changes in lifestyle behaviors and structural factors like increased screen time, decreased physical activity, poor sleep, and consumption of ultra-processed foods and sugar-sweetened beverages are important contributors to obesity in youth. "The COVID-19 pandemic has further accelerated the rise in obesity due to its effect on these lifestyle behaviors. Chronic stress, food insecurity, poverty, and adverse childhood experiences are also strongly associated with obesity in youth. Additionally, in utero exposure to maternal obesity and diabetes are risk factors for obesity and type 2 diabetes in childhood." The authors said study limitations include self-reported data subject to recall bias and potential misclassification of the type of diabetes. They also flagged GLP-1RAs should be considered alongside intensive health behavior and lifestyle treatment (and surgery where applicable). And while expanded insurance coverage may substantially increase access, uninsurance and lack of routine care are barriers to this therapy. How can we ensure young people receive holistic care too? "Improving access to comprehensive obesity treatment will involve ensuring that individuals receive access to healthcare with regular follow-ups and support to engage in health behavior and lifestyle treatment, such as specific programs tailored to providing intensive health behavior and lifestyle treatment," said Chetty. "As Dr. Mona Sharifi, a co-author of this paper, has shown, intensive health behavior and lifestyle treatment programs can be cost-effective but inadequate funding is the main barrier to implementing and sustaining these programs." What's next? "Given the size and clinical characteristics of the U.S. youth population eligible for GLP-1RAs, there should be greater discussion of how to improve access to GLP-1RAs and other anti-obesity interventions among this population." Do you have a tip on a health story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about GLP-1 drugs? Let us know via health@ Reference Chetty, A. K., Sharifi, M., & Nugent, J. T. (2025). Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist eligibility among US adolescents and young adults. JAMA Pediatrics.
