20+ Animals Who Expected Nothing Good, they were Surprised by life
In septembre 2019, all the fluffy creatures (basically dozens of cats and dogs) who lived in an animal shelter in Minnesota found new homes over just one weekend. The folks from our article couldn’t stand idly on the sidelines and also got pets who were in need of love and care and their stories confirm that there’s still a place for kindness in this world.
Here, at Prizzmalife, we want to say thank you to all of these wonderful people who’ve saved animals and given them a new and happy life.
“When I adopted Ahsoka, I was told that she’d hide and avoid me. But after about 3 hours, she came to me and did this.”
“This is Artemis, a cat I have recently adopted. When I eat, she just sits near me and tries not to beg. She allows me to brush her and always guards me when I shower.”
“I just picked him up from the shelter and I’m taking him home.”
“When I first adopted Bug, he’d only sleep on the opposite end of the couch. Now, he has no concept of personal space. I’ve done everything so he could forget about how hard his life used to be.”
“This is what my ginger girl looked like when we just found her, and this is how beautiful she is now. Don’t be afraid to save a life, no matter how tiny.”
“Lily’s former owner treated her badly. This is the first time she has her own toys, so she takes very good care of them.”
“We adopted a cat today. We were ready for a couple of tough weeks of adaptation, but this is our boy 30 minutes later.”
“Yesterday, I took him from a house where another 13 cats live, and this is him today. I already can’t imagine my life without him.”
“This 14-year-old blind baby enjoying the best cat bed she has ever had in her life. I wasn’t going to adopt such an adult cat, but she was brought back to the shelter twice.”
“I’m taking Pepper to her new home.”
“The cat I saved recently saw me in the bathtub for the first time. I found him crying out in the rain and took him home.”
“He was covered in matted fur, and I had to completely shave off his fur on his back legs, sides, and his stomach.”
“5 months ago, her fur was dirty and matted. Now, she is very proud of her fur coat.”
“I just adopted her.”
“Lulu lived in a shelter for over a year since no one wanted to take her because of her health problems. My mom gave her a new home and life, and now Lulu brings her shoes to her every day.”
“My dad, who has never been a dog person, adopted this old man today. He said that he couldn’t allow this dog to stay alone at his old age.”
This cat just heard that he’s going to get a new home.
“I adopted this guy and his brother 3 weeks ago. He hid under a chair for the first couple of days, but now, he sleeps with me every night.”
“We adopted Cooper from an animal shelter in February. Just have a look at how he has changed.”
“Little Arietty patiently waiting for me to throw her a toy. I think that I might have adopted a dog.”
“This kitten was left alone and we decided to save him. As soon as we brought him home, he fell asleep in my arms.”
“We took this girl home from the shelter. Her smile says it all.”
We’re sure that, among our readers, there are heroes who weren’t afraid to take an animal from the street and give it a new life. Tell us about your rescued pets and, of course, share their photos with us.
25+ celebrity couples who through all of the glitz, glamor, and drama, managed to stand the test of time
There can be no denying that Hollywood is a place where relationships and marriages generally go to die. However, there are plenty of exceptions to the rule. We take a look at some of the celebrity couples out there who, through all of the glitz, glamor, and drama, managed to stand the test of time.
Sarah Jessica Parker & Matthew Broderick – 21 Years
While her character on Sex and The City might struggle to hold down one relationship and have some sort of stability, Sarah Jessica Parker definitely hasn’t had that problem in real life. It was Parker’s brother who introduced her to Matthew Broderick a few decades ago and it didn’t take long before they tied the knot.
“I love that he’s the father of my children,” she said. “And it’s because of him that there’s this whole other world that I love.”
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Ellen DeGeneres & Portia de Rossi – 14 Years
Ellen Degeneres and Portia de Rossi are honestly couple goals. The two have known each other for nearly 20 years and have been together for 15 of those years. The pair met in 2000 at a social gathering when same-sex relationships were still fairly taboo.
They started dating in 2004 but didn’t come out as a couple until 2005. Finally, the two tied the knot in 2008 once the same-sex marriage ban was lifted. While divorce rumors do occasionally circulate, Degeneres has said that “there’s not one ounce of truth to any of it.”
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Tom Hanks & Rita Wilson – 30 Years
While they are regarded as one of the most stable couples in all of Hollywood, Tom Hanks actually met Rita Wilson under complicated circumstances. When the two met on the set of Bosom Buddies, Hanks was already married. It seems that Hanks fell head over heels for Wilson.
After divorcing his wife in 1987, he married Wilson a year later and since then, the couple simply hasn’t looked back. “I still can’t believe my wife goes out with me,” he said.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
John Travolta & Kelly Preston – 29 Years
John Travolta and Kelly Preston met at a screen test for their 1989 comedy, The Experts. Preston was still married to actor Kevin Gage at the time, but for Travolta, it was love at first sight. When Kelly and Kevin divorced, she moved on to George Clooney – it wasn’t until 1990 that Travolta managed to sweep her off her feet.
He proposed on New Year’s Eve 1991, and Kelly hasn’t thought twice about her decision since.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Will Smith & Jada Pinkett Smith – 21 Years
There is no denying that Will and Jada Pinkett Smith aren’t your typical couple. Sure, there have been divorce rumors and even speculation that they have an open marriage. However, they’ve worked hard to make it work.
“If there is a secret I would say is that we never went into working in our relationship,” Will said. “We only ever worked on ourselves individually, and then presented ourselves to one another better than we were previously.”
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Tim McGraw & Faith Hill – 22 Years
Tim McGraw and Faith Hill first met while they were both trying to make in the business back in ’94 at the New Faces Show in Nashville, Tennessee. At that point, Hill was just coming out of a divorce from a while McGraw was involved with someone else.ADVERTISEMENT
As fate would have it, though, McGraw and Hill ultimately met again two years later when they both headlined a joint tour in ’96. Sparks flew, and it wasn’t long before McGraw proposed and Hill accepted. Twenty-three years and three kids later, the two lovebirds couldn’t be any happier.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Victoria & David Beckham – 19 Years
Despite their superstar status making them subject to constantly troubling rumors and divorce suspicions. The pop singer/fashion designer and professional footballer have been married since 1999, just two years after they began dating.
But after four beautiful children and almost twenty years of anniversaries with neverending declarations of love for each other, it’s easy to see that those rumors were simply the hopes of those who wanted the two hot young stars for themselves.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell – 37 Years
So maybe Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell aren’t married but they definitely know a thing or two about relationships. After all, they’re one of the most iconic in Hollywood, proving that just because you like it doesn’t mean you have to put a ring on it.
Although they met in 1966 when Hawn was 21 and Russell was just 16, the pair didn’t go on their first date until 1983. The two believe that the secret to a “lasting relationship isn’t about marriage. It’s about compatibility and communication. And you both need to want it to work.”
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard – 18 Years
Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard have the kind of relationship that comes along every so often — so real, so trusting, so beautiful. Being that Sarsgaard is a close friend of Maggie’s younger brother, Jake Gyllenhaal, the two lovebirds met and began a romantic relationship in 2002.
Although they tied the knot in May of 2009, Maggie gave birth to their eldest daughter, Ramona, in 2006. In 2012, Gyllenhaal and Sarsgaard welcomed their second baby girl, Gloria Ray. The family happily lives in a beautiful 4-story brownstone in Brooklyn.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr. – 20 Years
Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr. met in 1997 while they were filming the teen horror, I Know What You Did Last Summer, although they didn’t start dating until 2000. By April of 2001, they were engaged but didn’t get hitched until a year later in Mexico when they were both in their mid-twenties.
They share two children together — a daughter (born 2009) and a son (born 2012). During an interview with Us Magazine, Gellar acknowledged that marriage is work. “It’s like any relationship in your life. You have to nurture it and take time with it.”
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher – 18 Years
We know — Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher initially seem like an unexpected match…until you see them together and then you understand why they’re together. The pair met back in ’02 at a party in Sydney, Australia and immediately started dating. They got engaged by 2004 and were married just six weeks later in Paris after Fisher converted to Judaism.ADVERTISEMENT
Their wedding was intimate and small as it was “very important to me to have a beautiful ritual celebrated with my family and friends.” Today, the couple splits their time between Los Angeles and London with their two daughters and son.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Ozzy & Sharon Osbourne – 37 years
Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne may be one of Hollywood’s most controversial couples – but through thick and thin, the couple has stayed together. Sharon met Ozzy when she was 18, while working for her father, who was managing Black Sabbath at the time.
As they started dating, Sharon took over his management as a solo artist. The two were married in 1982 and have three children together, Aimee, Kelly, and Jack.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Barbra Streisand & James Brolin – 22 Years
Barbra Streisand and James Brolin are known as one of Hollywood’s greatest power couples. They first met when they were set up at a party and hit it off immediately. They went on their first date in 1996 and married in 1998.
She speaks fondly of their first date, “I met him at a dinner and expected a bearded mountain-man type, and he had cut off all his hair and was clean-shaven,” Streisand said in an interview.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Felicity Huffman & William H. Macy – 23 Years
Although these two split up for several years in the ’90s, they got back together, and when William proposed, Felicity said yes. The duo tied the knot in 1997, and William says Felicity has always been his “dream girl.” The couple had two daughters together, Sophia and Georgia.
In recent years, Felicity got herself into legal trouble when she was charged with a college admissions scandal, sure enough, William stood by her side.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Kelly Ripa & Mark Consuelos – 26 Years
Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos met in 1994 at his screen test for All My Children. Kelly was playing Hayley Vaughan, and sure enough, Consuelos was auditioning for the role of Mateo Santos, Hayley’s love interest.
Fast forward almost three decades later, and the actors are more in love than ever before. They have three children. Kelly’s key to making it through the rough patches is accepting the moments of frustration, looking at the bigger picture.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Angela Bassett & Courtney B. Vance – 13 Years
Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance have been one of Hollywood’s most gorgeous couples for years – they seem to be aging like a fine wine, both together and apart. The couple met at the Yale School of Drama, and despite their romance blossoming into one of Hollywood’s finest, it wasn’t anything close to love at first sight.
The two remained friends for years, but it didn’t turn romantic for over a decade. They began dating in 1994 and made things official when they tied the knot in 2007.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Judd Apatow & Leslie Mann – 23 Years
One of the industry’s funniest couples is living proof that comedians take love very seriously. Filmmaker Judd Apatow and actress Leslie Mann met on the set of the 1996 film, The Cable Guy. They were married a year later, and have two daughters, Maude and Iris.
The couple works together often, Mann has been featured in many of Apatow’s films such as Knocked Up and This Is 40. Both of their daughters appeared in the two movies as well, as Leslie Mann’s character’s daughters.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Catherine Zeta-Jones & Michael Douglas – 20 Years
Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas, who share the same birthday, met at the Deauville Film Festival in 1998, after being introduced by Danny DeVito. The couple got engaged in 1999 and were married in 2000. Their wedding was named “wedding of the year” by the BBC.
In 2010, Douglas was diagnosed with tongue cancer, and Zeta-Jones faced an emotionally hard time. The couple decided to live separately in 2013 but reconciled in 2014 and have stayed stronger than ever, ever since.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Michelle Pfeiffer & David E. Kelley – 26 Years
Michelle Pfeiffer and David E. Kelly met on a blind date in 1993 – believe it or not, the couple went bowling. Their story is your typical whirlwind romance – they married ten months after they began dating.
With so many Hollywood relationships that seem to start and end in the blink of an eye, it comes to somewhat of a surprise that this love story has stayed strong for more than 25 years. According to sources, it was Kelly’s support that made an impression on Michelle.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Annette Bening & Warren Beatty – 28 Years
Annette Bening and Warren Beatty have been married for what seems like an eternity. They met in 1990 when Beatty was searching for a leading lady for the mafia drama Bugsy. He fell in love with her on their first date, but the two stayed friends until just before the filming of the film was over.
Warren invited Annette to dinner, and although she had her doubts, she went with him. Twenty-six years and four kids later, the power couple is stronger than ever.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Ringo Starr & Barbara Bach – 37 Years
Ringo Starr and Barbara Bach have been together for almost four decades. Bach is widely recognized for her role as the Bond girl in The Spy Who Loved Me. Starr was the drummer for the best-selling band in history, The Beatles. The two lovebirds met on the set of Caveman back in 1980 and got married just a year later.
So, what’s their secret to a long and happy marriage? According to an interview with People, Bach spoke of her husband saying, “I love the man, and that’s it.” That’s clearly proof that ‘love is all you need…’
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Michael J. Fox & Tracy Pollan – 30 Years
Hollywood may break some people up, but it also sometimes brings people together – like Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan, who actually first met on the set of Family Ties, where they played love interests Allen and Ellen.
They even had some kissing scenes for the show, but they didn’t fall in love right away! It wasn’t until 1987 when they starred together on the film, Bright Lights, Big City, that they realized they could be the couple they kept playing in the movies.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Julia Roberts & Danny Moder – 16 Years
It’s amazing that an actress as famous and as sought-after as Julia Roberts has managed to stay in a stable marriage for as long as she has! Even after roles in movies such as Notting Hill and Pretty Woman, Roberts has no plans on breaking up with her husband Danny Moder anytime soon!
Moder, who was working as a cameraman on the set of one of her movies when they met, was actually married at the time. Despite this, she just had to be with him.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Steve Carell & Nancy Carell – 24 Years
While he has been something of a late bloomer in the world of comedy, Steve Carell has certainly been able to hold down a stable marriage for a long time. He met wife Nancy Walls in a drama class and didn’t know how to talk to her.
Apparently, Nancy said the following to Steve: “If somebody like you were to ask me out, I would definitely go out with him. If there was a person like you.”
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Viola Davis & Julius Tennon – 17 Years
Viola Davis had pretty much given up on love until meeting the love of her life, Julius Tennon. Davis prayed for Tennon, literally, and less than a month later, the couple met. He was exactly what she was looking for, an actor and former football player, that overheard Davis complaining that she didn’t know many people in Los Angeles, so he introduced himself.
The two married in 2003, and in 2011, they adopted their daughter, Genesis. Together, they focus on good parenting and putting their marriage in the center.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Mark Harmon and Pam Dawber – 30 Years
Mark Harmon and Pam Dawber, one of the hottest ‘it’ couples of the ’80s, have been married for thirty-two years. While the duo has kept their personal lives quite private over the years, we know that Harmon is completely smitten with his wife.
During an interview, he revealed that he wears a ring when he’s not shooting because “…I’m proud of who I’m married to. I’m just so proud of her.” It’s clear that this marriage is all about love and respect, which may be the very secret to their successful marriage.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Brooke Shields & Chris Henchy – 17 Years
Chris Henchy is a screenwriter and producer that married model-actress, Brooke Shields, in 2001. The two met through a mutual friend in ’99 on the Warner Bros. lot. It wasn’t long before the duo got engaged. In fact, Henchy proposed to Shields in July of 2000 when they were on vacation in Mexico.
They were married less than a year later in April of 2001. According to the actress, communication is a huge part of what makes their marriage work, as well as some space. During an interview, she revealed that “a little space is good.”
contiune reading on the nexet page:
David McCallum & Katherine Carpenter – 50 Years
David McCallum is an actor who first gained notoriety in the 1960s television series, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Today, you may know him for his role as Dr. Donald ‘Ducky’ Mallard from NCIS. McCallum and former model, Katherine Carpenter, have been married for fifty-two amazing years. McCallum might have suffered heartbreak initially when his first wife left him for actor co-star, Charles Bronson in 1967.
However, McCallum met then 21-year-old Carpenter during that same year. The two fell in love, got married, and share two beautiful children together. Things really do have a way of working out…
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Billy & Janice Crystal – 47 Years
When Harry Met Sally star, Billy Crystal, and his wife have been married for forty-nine years! This is almost unheard of considering that most Hollywood relationships crumble within a few short years…if that couple is lucky.
So what’s the secret exactly? During an interview with Us, Crystal revealed that he and Janice “laugh a lot. We’ve grown together, we’ve parented together, we’ve grand-parented together. I’m lucky that I found the person when I was 18.” Beyond that, Crystal revealed that he and his beloved wife “just keep listening to each other.”
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Tom & Lois Bergeron – 37 Years
Tom Bergeron is a television personality best known as the host for America’s Funniest Home Videos and Dancing With the Stars. He and his wife met back in the ’80s. Though they only got married in 1982, Lois had a big effect on Tom’s meditative transformation and anger management from the very beginning.
The two have been married for 37 years and share two beautiful daughters together. Considering that we see very few pictures of the couple, it’s clear that they prefer to keep their personal lives under wraps, which also may be a secret to their healthy relationship.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Steven & Maureen Van Zandt – 36 Years
There is no denying that Steven Van Zandt is quite a versatile celebrity! Although he has played in Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, Van Sandt has also starred in shows such as The Sopranos!
With many strings to his bow, it’s not too surprising that the actor/musician was able to hold down a stable relationship over the years. He has been married to Maureen Santoro since 1983. Funnily enough, Santoro also played Van Zandt’s on-screen wife in The Sopranos!
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Christopher & Georgianne Walken – 49 Years
Marriage and movie-making don’t easily go together, which is why movie stars notoriously struggle with balancing their work and their personal lives. But Christopher Walken, who has a reputation for being good at everything, is here to prove that stereotype wrong.
He’s been in over 100 movies since he started his acting career in the 1950s but has spent almost 50 years of that happily married to his wife, Georgianne. Her time is also centered in Hollywood as a casting director.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Alan & Arlene Alda – 61 Years
The actor behind the role of Hawkeye Pierce in the beloved show M*A*S*H, Alda has been married to his wife Arlene since 1957. According to one CNN review, his book Never Have Your Dog Stuffed (And Other Things I’ve Learned) is quite the testament to their love. One reviewer wrote, “…he writes rapturously of meeting a woman named Arlene.
Within a few pages, they’re taking walks in Bronx Park, stealing time from Alda’s military service…and getting married. The book is 224 pages, so you wait for the other shoe to drop: petty arguments, ugly affairs, divorce … Nothing.”
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Ron & Cheryl Howard – 43 Years
Even though Ron Howard has been married to writer Cheryl Alley since 1975, today they still look as happy as ever. Out of their four beautiful children, two have even pursued acting careers of their own, just like dad – although he’s since made the switch to directing.
“I felt really lucky when we met,” he said of his wife. “It’s crazy — we were teenagers, it shouldn’t have worked. We got married young, that shouldn’t have worked either, and yet it really and truly has,” he said.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Jeff & Susan Bridges – 42 years
Just when Jeff Bridges was starting to get noticed and looking at a potentially huge career, he found himself starring in another big, romantic drama: his own relationship with the woman who would one day become his wife. While on the set of the 1975 country film Rancho Deluxe, he fell in love with a waitress named Susan.
After only a summer together, the film ended and the two had to make a big decision. Jeff wasn’t ready to get married, but he wasn’t willing to lose the girl, either – so they married in 1977, and lived with their three children happily ever after.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Jamie Lee Curtis & Christopher Guest – 35 years
Jamie Lee Curtis is known for playing all kinds of roles, from the truly moving to the truly angsty – but one of her many strengths is certainly making an audience laugh. So it’s no surprise that she’s married to mockumentary legend, Christopher Guest.
But from the day they said ‘I do’ in 1984 until today, the world has been impressed by their devotion and strength in matrimony. The way Curtis explains it is, “I’ve always put my family first and that’s just the way it is.” They have adopted two children together.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Julia Louis-Dreyfus & Brad Hall – 31 Years
Young love is always treated with skepticism, and rightly so – but Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Brad Hall made it work with flying colors. They met as college students at the prestigious Northwestern University, and 31 years later they still love each other like it was yesterday.
After her renowned success on the long-running show Seinfeld, Julia’s success trumped that of Brad’s, and many others, too – she’s won more Emmy Awards and more Screen Actors Guild Awards than any other performer. But it clearly didn’t change their love!
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Sting & Trudie Styler – 26 Years
Well, if Shakespeare isn’t romantic, nothing is. For Sting and Trudie Styler, their first taste of Shakespeare brought them together for life. They were neighbors and Sting was married at the time. They became a couple in 1982 – but they waited ten more years before officially tying the knot.
Although they waited for marriage, they didn’t wait for children. Out of their many children, only one was born after they became man and wife. Although Trudie stuck with acting for the Royal Shakespeare Company, Sting moved on to pursue his musical career as the frontman of the famous rock band, The Police.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Kirk Douglas & Anne Buydens – 64 Years
Kirk Douglas and Anne Buydens really take the wedding cake on this one. Having been married since 1954, there are few other couples in Hollywood whose relationship has lasted this long. And with both of them on the other side of 100 years now, it seems like they really will love each other til death do them part.
Between Kirk’s two more sons with Anne and his two other sons from a previous marriage, it seems like their children have caught the bug from their father: Michael Douglas is a renowned actor in his own right, with Eric also acting, and Joel and Peter as producers.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Vincent & Linda McMahon – 53 Years
When we talk about the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment), it’s impossible not to include Vince McMahon in that conversation. Despite being at the center of a lot of the show’s drama, the CEO has managed to stay married all that time.
There is no denying that Vince and wife Linda have been on a big journey over the last 30 years. Now though, they are in charge of a multi-million dollar company and even their kids Shane and Stephanie have big positions in it.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Meryl Streep & Don Gummer – 40 Years
It’s hard to see which has lasted longer, Meryl Streep’s reputation as one of the greatest actresses in the world or her marriage to Don Gummer. For the last 40+ years, the star of Mamma Mia has been joined at the hip with husband Gummer.
Streep has decided to stay fairly quiet about her long-lasting marriage. However, what we do know is that the couple has four kids together, and that’s got to mean something.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Amy Adams and Darren Le Gallo – 18 Years
It all started in 2001 when Amy Adams met her future husband, Darren Le Gallo, in acting class. Although the two didn’t begin dating until a year later — when they collaborated on a short film called Pennies — it’s clear that their love is unfaltering.
A painter and actor himself, Gallo “demanded that we go out on a date” and the rest is history. In 2010, just two years after getting engaged, the lovebirds welcomed their first child. Finally, after thirteen years of blissful love, Adams and Gallo exchanged vows during their classic spring wedding.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Seth Rogen and Lauren Miller – 16 Years
The first time they met, Seth Rogen and Lauren Miller spent their night together eating grilled cheese sandwiches and playing Scrabble until the sun came up. Their first date after that initial meeting was definitely exciting although a bit disastrous considering they had gotten into an accident on their way back from mini-golfing.
This duo may have hit a few bumps along the way, as all couples do, but we think it’s safe to say that it was love at first sight. Rogen popped the question in 2010, just six years after they initially met and started dating.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Lisa Kudrow and Michel Stern – 25+ Years
Phoebe and Mike weren’t the only ones to find love. In fact, Lisa Kudrow found her match with French advertising executive, Michel Stern. According to Kudrow herself, it was love at first sight when they met in the late eighties although Stern was already in a relationship.
Under those circumstances, Stern had to wait a bit before making a move. In 1995, just one year after Friends premiered on NBC, the couple got married. So, what’s the secret to their twenty-plus marriage? During an interview with Glamour, Kudrow revealed that they “respect each other’s independence…”
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Elizabeth Banks and Max Handelman – 27 Years
Elizabeth Banks and Max Handelman met on the first day of college at the University of Pennsylvania in the early nineties. That’s right — they were college sweethearts before tying the knot in 2003. The two have been together for twenty-seven years now, which is the thing Banks is “most proud of.”
While they’ve hit their obstacles like any other couple, Banks believes that “a little traditional when it comes to marriage” is good. The two now own Brownstone Productions together, the company responsible for all three Pitch Perfect films as well as the Charlie’s Angels reboot.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Bryan Cranston and Robin Dearden – 36 Years
Bryan Cranston met his wife, Robin Dearden, in 1984 but the pair didn’t get married until July of 1989. Nothing like his Walter ‘Heisenberg’ White character from Breaking Bad, Cranston credits therapy as an important part of his real-life marriage to Dearden.
According to the actor himself, “I see a [therapist] from time to time when I’m feeling edgy or anxiety-ridden. My wife and I go to a couples’ therapist. Our agreement is, if either of us feels like we want to go, the other can’t object.” Now, if only Walter and Skyler could have taken some notes…
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Tina Fey and Jeff Richmond – 26 Years
Comic icon, Tina Fey, began dating Jeff Richmond back in 1994 just two years after she joined Chicago’s Second City improv theater group. It wasn’t until seven years later that the two got married in a Greek Orthodox ceremony on June 3rd, 2001.
The two work together quite a lot as Richmond works as a composer and soundtrack consultant for shows like 30 Rock and The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. They live in a multi-million dollar apartment on the Upper West Side in New York City with their two daughters, Alice and Penelope Athena.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Hugh Jackman & Deborra-Lee Furness – 22 Years
This relationship might be a little one-sided, in terms of fame. However, Hugh Jackman’s marriage to Deborra-Lee Furness is one for the ages, literally. After they met on the set of the Aussie show Correlli back in 1995, the two tied the knot just a year later.
“She was the star, and I had this major crush on her,” he said. However, it turns out that Furness reciprocated the feelings and they have been together ever since.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Keith Richards & Patti Hansen – 37 years
Rocker Keith Richards met his wife, model Patti Hansen in 1979 – rumor has it that Hansen had no idea who Richards was at the time. The couple married four years later, on December 18th, 1983, Richards’s 40th birthday.
Looking at photos of the duo, their contrasts are almost as apparent as their adoration for each other. The couple has two daughters, Theodora Dupree and Alexandra Nicole. Both daughters followed in their mother’s footsteps and are now making their way into the high-fashion world.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Joel McHale & Sarah Williams – 24 Years
It’s hard being a celebrity and living your life out of the public’s eye, but Joel McHale and his wife, Sarah Williams, have managed to do it for more than 20 years. The couple met straight out of college and got married in 1996.
The couple has managed to stay out of the tabloids, they attend red carpets together and post happy photos of each other on social media. The couple has two sons together, and to be honest, we think they make the perfect family.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Matt & Luciana Damon – 15 Years
Actor Matt Damon met Argentine Luciana Barroso in 2003 while he was filming Stuck on You. Not much is known about Barroso, but she and Damon got engaged in September 2005 in a private civil ceremony in 2005 at the Manhattan Marriage Bureau.
The couple has four daughters, Isabella, Gia, and Stella from their marriage and Alexia, from Barroso’s previous marriage, whom Matt considers his own. Over the years, the Damon family have split their time between Miami, New York, and Los Angeles.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Elton John & David Furnish – 26 Years
After more than 25 years together, Elton John and David Furnish have become “couple goals.” The couple met in 1993 and were immediately attracted to each other. They met at a dinner party, hosted at Elton John’s house.
David had just turned 31, and his lifestyle was much different than Elton’s. After 12 years of dating, Elton proposed, and they married as soon as same-sex marriage became legal in the UK in 2014. In 2010, David and Elton had their son, Zachary, via surrogacy, and in 2013, they welcomed Elijah into the world.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Bono & Alison Hewson – 38 Years
Bono, the frontman of one of the world’s most successful band’s U2, married his wife, Alison, in 1982. The couple attributes the success of their marriage to the fact that they are both passionate about what they do, and they allow each other to pursue their goals.
Although they have been married for nearly 40 years, the couple did go through a strain in 1986, due to the time the band spent recording Joshua Tree. The pair managed to work it out and have been head over heels in love proving to be a rock star doesn’t mean you cannot pursue a family.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Steven Spielberg & Kate Capshaw – 29 Years
Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg met while shooting for a film he directed, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in 1984. She had been working on the soap opera The Edge of Night until then, which she ended up giving up to be a part of his film – little did they know the movie would change their lives forever.
They married in 1991 and have seven children in total, both from previous marriages and together.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Dustin Hoffman & Lisa Hoffman – 40 Years
Dustin Hoffman married Lisa in 1980, and the couple has four beautiful children together. The couple met because Dustin’s mother was friends with Lisa’s grandmother. They were childhood friends that reconnected when she was 22, and Dustin was 38.
Lisa talks openly about being very disconnected from Hollywood, stating that she “just happens to be married to an actor.” She has a law degree, and although she knew that she wouldn’t practice law, she wanted to do something for herself.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Bruce Springsteen & Patti Scialfa – 29 Years
Springsteen and his E Street Band invited Scialfa on the road as a part of their Born in the USA tour…and the rest, well the rest is history. The couple has been married for nearly 30 years and has had three children together – rumor has it that Patti had been in love with Bruce for years and that it came as no surprise when the two finally got together.
Springsteen has been writing love songs about Patti for years, and it doesn’t seem like this love is going to die down anytime soon.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Dolly Parton & Carl Dean – 52 Years
It was love at first sight for Carl and Dolly. They met when she was only 18, and he was 21, it was Parton’s first day in Nashville, they met outside of a laundromat – their love story sounds like a country song. Two years later, the couple tied the knot.
The only people that attended the wedding were Parton’s mom, the preacher, and his wife. Although the couple does not have kids, they love spoiling their nieces, and Parton’s famous goddaughter, Miley Cyrus.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Billy Ray & Tish Cyrus – 26 Years
In December of 1993, Billy Ray secretly married Tish Finley, against his record company’s advice. Tish was pregnant with their second child, Braison. Billy Ray adopted two young children Tish had brought into their marriage, Brandi and Trace, and raised them as his own.
In 2010, the couple filed for divorce for the first time, citing irreconcilable differences, in 2011 the divorce had been dropped. In 2013, Tish filed for divorce – but after months of therapy, they dropped the divorce case yet again.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Christian Bale & Sibi Blažić – 20 Years
The notoriously private couple Christian Bale and Sibi Blažić have been married for 20 years and have two children together. The former model changed the award-winning actor’s view on love before he met her he had no interest in getting married, seeing as everyone in his family had divorced.
The couple met when she was working as a personal assistant to Bale’s friend, Winona Ryder. They fell for each other quickly and eloped in January 2000. Although there is not much known about their relationship, these two are deeply in love.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Martin & Helen Scorsese – 21 Years
Hollywood legend Martin Scorsese married his fifth wife and current spouse, Helen, in 1999. They have a daughter together, Francesca, who appeared in both The Departed and The Aviator.
Before meeting the love of his life, Scorsese was married to several leading ladies, including Isabella Rossellini and Julia Cameron. The couple has been living out of the limelight, despite Scorsese being one of Hollywood’s most well-known filmmakers.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Sam Elliott & Katharine Ross – 33 Years
Sam Elliott and Katharine Ross first met back in 1969 when Ross was filming Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid alongside Paul Newman and Robert Redford. Elliott had a very small role, so it wasn’t until almost 10 years later that the two ultimately reconnected for the horror film, The Legacy.
They began dating in 1978 and tied the knot in 1984. Although this was Ross’ fifth marriage, it seemed as though she finally found the one. 37 years later and they’re still going strong, although “you’ve got to work at it [marriage],” says Elliott.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Rachel Zoe & Rodger Berman – 22 Years
Back in 1991, at the tender age of 19, Rachel Zoe met the love of her life, Rodger Berman. The future couple was both working in restaurants when they met.
“I vividly remember the first time I saw her, wearing a tight black mini dress, high-heeled pumps, stick-straight hair, and big red lips covered in M.A.C. Chili lipstick (her trademark),” he revealed. “She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.” They’ve had two kids since.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Jerry & Jessica Seinfeld – 19 Years
It’s unclear if Jessica Seinfeld’s friendship with comedian Jerry caused her previous marriage with Eric Nederlander to fall apart. Nevertheless, the two hit it off shortly after and the rest was history. Apparently, food is what has kept the two together.
“Chicken parmesan. It’s why Jerry wanted to marry me,” she said. “It remains the glue of our family.” Fast forward over two decades later, and the couple is still going strong. They have even had three kids together.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Samuel L. Jackson & LaTanya Richardson – 38 years
It’s amazing to think that at 70 years old, Samuel L. Jackson is still starring in so many huge blockbusters. Not only is he as prolific as ever in Hollywood – but he has also been married for nearly 40 years!
Ever since marrying LaTanya Richardson back in 1980, Jackson has had a loyal wife by his side. Together, they have even founded a charity in a joint effort to improve education.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Tom Selleck & Jillie Mack – 31 Years
He is often regarded as one of the most wanted men on TV. Men have wanted to be him and women have wanted to be with him! But for Tom Selleck, there is only one woman who can have his heart – Jillie Mack. The Magnum P.I. star opened about why his marriage has been so great.
“Hopefully you marry someone who you not only love but who you like as well,” he said. “I just still enjoy my wife’s company enormously.”
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Denzel and Pauletta Washington – 35 Years
After being labeled the best-looking man of 1996 by People magazine, many fans were hopeful of winning the heart of Denzel Washington.
However, they would prove to be devastated when they learned he was already married! The Training Day star met his wife Pauletta back in 1977 and six years later, they tied the knot. Since then, they have had four children and a few decades after first getting married, they renewed their vows in South Africa, of all places!
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Sissy Spacek & Jack Fisk – 44 Years
Singer and award-winning actress, Sissy Spacek, has been married to Jack Fisk for nearly forty-six years. Spacek met Fisk, a production designer and art director, in 1973 on the set of Badlands in which Spacek was playing the role of a serial killer’s girlfriend.
The two got hitched just a year later on April 13th, 1974. and have been going strong ever since. During an interview with People, Sissy “never expected a lifelong relationship. In fact, we even opened a bank account and put $30 in it, because that’s how much it cost to get divorced.”
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Cobie Smulders and Taran Killian – 8 years
Cobie Smulders gain fame during her iconic in the role of Robin Scherbatsky in How I Met Your Mother. She met her husband, and after a few good pool games and listening to jazz in New York, they fell in love.
The couple has been happily married for eight years, and they have 2 daughters. Taran Killian appeared in a few episodes of How I Met Your Mother back in the day, as an anchorman for a local television.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Ru Paul and George LeBar – 3 years
Ru Paul met his husband, George LeBar, a couple of years ago in New York City. It was in a club called the Limelight on the dance floor at George’s birthday party in 1994. They decided to tie the knot in January 2017.
Ru said in an interview in 2015 to BuzzFeed that he is very pleased about George, and that he found a lovely Australian to be his husband. Ru also stated that George is a very funny and sensitive man.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Rachel Brosnahan and Jason Ralph – 4 years
Rachel Brosnahan is the star of the show The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and tied the knot with fellow actor Jason Ralph, who is one of the main characters in shows like The Magicians and Land’s Younger.
Apparently, he was very amused when the press announced their marriage because the media thought they were just married, when in fact, they were married for a few years at the time. He shared this in January, on the red carpet at Screen Actors Guild Awards.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Kerry Washington and Nnamdi Asomugha – 7 years
Kerry Washington is one of the main characters in the TV series Scandal, playing Olivia Pope’s character. She married the former San Francisco player, Nnamdi Asomugha, in 2013.
She is happily married to the former player, and they have three kids together. Kerry Washington is very protective of her personal life and doesn’t like to talk about it with the press. Who can blame her?
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Jim Parsons and Todd Spiewak – 3 years
Jim Parsons was one of the lead characters in the TV show The Big Bang Theory, which was a huge success all across the globe. Although they have been together for almost 15 years, they decided to tie the knot in March 2017.
In an interview with Stephen Colbert, Jim Parsons said that the reason why they married after such a long time was that they never cared about being married. After they married, for Jim, it was very meaningful, more than he could have ever predicted.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman – 38 years
Danny DeVito is a very well known actor in the industry, acting iconic roles in sitcoms such as Taxi in the 70s and in movies such as Batman Returns, having a very long career. About his personal life, Danny DeVito is married to the actress Rhea Perlman, with which he tied to knot in 1982.
Rhea Perlman starred in the TV series Cheers back in the 1980s. They have a lovely marriage together and 3 children.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Colin Firth and Livia Giuggioli – 23 years
Colin and Livia have been together for quite some time. They met on the set of Nostomo in 1996 and married one year later. So what is their secret to success?
We are not quite sure. Which is probably the answer – they keep their private life private. All we know is that they have stood the test of time.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman – 50 years
Like many other actors, these two actors met on the set in 1953 while performing Picnic on Broadway. It was only later when they fell in love and started dating after they starred in the movie The Long Hot Summer.
They married on January 29, 1958, and they have three daughters together (Newman already had 3 children from the previous marriage with Jaqueline Witte). Their happy marriage lasted for 50 years until Paul Newman died in 2008.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Ellen Page and Emma Portner – 2 years
When she first saw Emma Portner, Ellen Page knew that she must marry this girl. When she saw a video of her on Instagram, she saw a very talented woman in Portner, who is a Canadian choreographer.
Ellen Page told The New York Times that Emma Portner is very talented and cool, and she knew that both of them are very creative spirits. They announced their marriage in January 2018. According to Ellen Page, it was love at first sight.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Carey Mulligan and Marcus Mumford – 8 years
According to the Sun, these two knew each other since they were kids; they were childhood pen pals. An insider told the paper that they were exchanging letters through the church, but after their careers took off and things got more serious, they started talking again.
Their romance blossomed in 2012, and they tied the knot. The actress and the rock wed at a farm in Somerset, United Kingdom. They have 2 kids together.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber – 20 Years
It’s strange to think that at one point, Cindy Crawford was once married to Richard Gere. While that didn’t work out, the supermodel ended up tying the knot with somebody else – her good friend, Rande Gerber.
The couple got married in 1998 and since then, they have been inseparable. According to Gerber, the secret to their marriage is being friends, first and foremost. “We started as friends, and we remained friends,” he said. “You have to just keep that friendship and fun in the relationship.”
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Pierce Brosnan & Keely Shayne Smith – 25 Years
After tragically losing his first wife to cancer, Pierce Brosnan found love once again with Keely Shayne Smith. The couple have been together for a total of 25 years, and officially tied the knot in 2001.
The former model and actress supports her famous husband in every way. They share a joint passion for non-profit work and have 2 sons together. This couple most certainly proves that true love does exist in Hollywood.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka – 16 Years
Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka have been together for over a decade, having met each other in 2004. At the time, David Burtka was in a long-distance relationship that was on the rocks.
Though the duo began by hanging out platonically, it wasn’t soon until things turned romantic. Burtka proposed to Harris in 2007 on the street corner where they first met, and they officially tied the knot in September 2014 in Italy.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Kevin Bacon & Kyra Sedgwick – 32 years
Married for over 30 years, Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick are the Hollywood couple who we have all grown to envy. The actors met on the set of the television series, Lemon Sky when Bacon was 29, and Sedgwick was 22 and married in 1988.
They live a happy life, both have successful careers and have two children together. The couple manages to get through their struggles by not only loving one another but also liking each other as well.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Nick Offerman & Megan Mullally – 17 Years
Comedian actors Mullally and Offerman met while acting in a play in Los Angeles in 2000. Mullally had already made it big acting in Will & Grace, Offerman was still struggling to find his place in Hollywood. The dynamic duo’s secret to a successful marriage is that the couple refuses to be apart for more than two weeks.
The couple is so confident in their relationship, they recently wrote a book together, The Greatest Love Story Ever Told.
These Household Items Can Become Dangerous Once They Go Bad
Home is where the heart is. Where you live is a place where you unwind, rejuvenate, and relax. It’s common to routinely clean your home and keep things tidy, as well as dig into the occasional deep clean. But one house chore that’s probably not on your to-do list is checking the expiration dates on your household products. Skipping this step might mean that you’re taking unnecessary risks you’re not even aware of. Take a look at the household products that need to be tossed out once they’ve reached their lifespan. This can get tricky, as some don’t even have a labeled expiration date.
Disposable Razors Are For Three Shaves Only
They may be more convenient than the electric razor alternative, as you don’t have to clean them or make sure they’re charged. But disposable razors can also be a magnet for bacteria, according to research from Infection Control Today.
Supple/Unsplash
Another precaution is making sure that you don’t over-use these razors past the lifetime they’re intended for. After three shaves, you’re susceptible to skin rashes and irritation. So don’t forget to swap them out or prepare to suffer the consequences.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Toss Your Toothpaste After Two Years
Cosmetic dentist Sean Tomalty says toothpaste is something people don’t even realize can go bad. That’s a shocker because we rely on it to keep our smiles bright and our breath fresh! “After time, toothpaste will become ineffective, and the ingredients will begin to separate and crystalize,” Tomalty explains.
Roberto Machado Noa/LightRocket via Getty Images
It’s not so much of an immediate threat, as the separation usually happens after two years. If you do happen to wait to use your paste after some time, “You’ll expose yourself to oral conditions and ailments which could become larger health concerns,” says Tomalty.
Toothbrushes Don’t Have An Expiration Date, But…
What good is toothpaste without a proper toothbrush? Well, since they don’t have an expiration date, you might feel that you can use them for an extended time. However, there is a golden time frame, after which, you should be switching out your toothbrush.
Peter Bischoff/Getty Images
Shahrooz Yazdani, DDS, of Yazdani Family Dentistry, says, “Changing your toothbrush every four months or so is important, particularly if you’ve had a cold in that span because minuscule germs will have developed on the bristles of your brush.” Set a reminder on your phone to help you remember to change yours.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Old Spices Can Cause Digestive Problems
Spices can be expensive, so many of us will want to hold onto them so long as there is still some left. Maybe you bought a new spice for a specific recipe and haven’t touched it in a year. Is it still good?
amiion/unsplash
Speaking of spices, Jocelyn Nadua, RPN, care coordinator at C-Care Health Services said, “They can last for multiple years, typically in the three-to-four-year range, but after that, they lose their potency and can cause some digestive problems.” They won’t put you in the grave, but you will end up on the toilet.
Eye Drops Expire 28 Days After You Break The Seal
Sometimes, eye drops can save you from the most irritating dry eye scenario. It’s convenient to have some around the house but be wary of keeping it around longer than their expiration date recommends.
Universal Images Group via Getty Images
“Eye drops are generally formulated with a preservative that keeps the product sterile for 28 days after breaking the seal,” says Erin Nance, MD. The best practice would be to toss the bottle four weeks after you’ve opened it up. There’s a chance that it can cause a bacterial infection!
contiune reading on the nexet page:
They Might Be In A Can, But Look Out
Canned goods have a longer shelf life than produce, but these have an expiration date, too. Typically, the lifespan of canned food is between one to four years when stored properly, in a dark, cool space.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
“Many people feel canned items can last ‘forever.’ Not so!” says Lisa Lewis, MD, a pediatrician in Fort Worth, Texas. “Never used canned foods after the expiration date.” Lewis further warned that if you digest spoiled canned food, you may get food poisoning symptoms.
Boxed Wine Doesn’t Last As Long As Bottled
If you prefer your wine out of boxes, then this is for you. Wine does improve with age, but you can’t say the same about the packaged or boxed version. If it’s in a box, then it has an expiration date, usually six to eight months after purchase.
ORJAN BJORKDAHL/AFP via Getty Images
While most boxes don’t pose a threat because of the polyethylene, others contain Bisphenol (BPA). That’s a chemical which could lead to fertility problems and heart disease.
Next, another product that helps the inside of your mouth…
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Mouthwash Is Good For A Few Years
Another hygiene product that you’ll want to keep track of is mouthwash. This product doesn’t spoil after a few weeks or months, it actually can last a few years, which is a decent shelf life.
Paul Zimmerman/WireImage
Cosmetic dentist Sean Tomalty says, “Mouthwash containing alcohol is an antiseptic, but in time that can dissolve and become ineffective after two to three years.” You have plenty of time to use it all before that happens!
Up next, an item in your pantry that’s worth double checking.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Expired Vegetable Oil Is One To Watch Out For
Expired vegetable oil is one product that you want to be hyper-aware of. University of Massachusetts professor Eric Decker explains that spoiled vegetable oil develops dangerous compounds related to neurological disorders, cancer, and heart disease.
MARTIN BERNETTI/AFP via Getty Images
Generally, vegetable oil expires around six months after you open the seal, and should be tossed out. Signs of the product going bad includes a bitter smell, change in color, or becoming cloudy. It’s safer to purchase a smaller bottle if you don’t use vegetable oil regularly.
Sunscreen Has A Three-Year Life Span
The general rule of thumb is that sunscreen lasts for three years, but this doesn’t take into account how long its been sitting on a store shelf.
Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
The FDA requires that all sunscreens include an expiration date on the packaging, but sometimes it might be hard to locate. “If you’re struggling to find a date on the packaging, make a note of the month and year you bought the product,” says Daniel Atkinson, a UK-based general practitioner and clinical lead at Treated.com.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Don’t Take Your Chances With Skincare Products
Expired face products can cause infections, breakouts, or other skin reactions. “When you have a skincare product, use it consistently until you have no more so that you don’t use it later when the product has lost its effectiveness or can be harmful,” says Alain Michon, MD, medical director at Ottawa Skin Clinic.
good_citizen/unsplash
Most skincare products should be tossed out six to twelve months after opening to eliminate risk. Purchasing a smaller bottle might be the way to go.
Loofahs Should Go After 3-4 Weeks
A loofah is a sensational instrument to help clean our bodies. They’re convenient and offer a better clean than other alternatives. While that might be true, but you need to watch out for how often you swap it out for a new one.
young.organic/Instagram
“We use loofahs to exfoliate our skin, but if we don’t allow them to dry out, the dirt and dead skin cells on our bodies get stuck in the weave of the material,” says Atkinson, the UK practitioner. A study from 1994 revealed that loofas have the power to spread bacteria capable of giving you an infection! Dermatologists recommend that you throw out your loofah after three-to-four-weeks.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Eye Contact Cases Are Done After Three Months
If you don’t fancy a nice pair of glasses and prefer contacts, watch out for those cases. It’s essential to develop a habit of changing your solution every time you use your contacts.
freepik.com
Also, Mark Bowers, an optometrist at Blountville Family Eyecare, says you need to switch out your cases every three months at the bare minimum. “Bacteria can form an invisible film lining on the lenses, which is called a biofilm. This biofilm protects the bacteria from the solution, thus increasing your risk of infection,” Bowers explains.
Next, another product to watch out for involving eyes…
Prevent Eye Infections By Throwing Out Mascara
Using old mascara can be detrimental in many ways. Optometry, a medical journal, published a study in 2008 shedding light on mascara. The report found that three months after opening a new product, microbial growth contaminants 36.4 percent of the tubes.
Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Maybelline New York
The main one is Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus species, or you can also call it fungi. You can get eye infections or, in rare cases, damage your vision! It’d be best to swap your product every three months.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Sponges Are Magnets For Germs And Bacteria
A sponge spends lots of time cleaning your dirty dishes, and whatever else you decide to clean with it. Even if you’re adamant about rinsing and drying them, germs still build-up.
cdc/unsplash
Best practice would be to change them out after two weeks of regular use. A 2017 study found that a sponge can lead to an increase of bacteria, including E. coli and salmonella. That doesn’t sound like anything you want to catch because you kept a sponge longer than you needed to.
Know When Your Bleach Goes Bad (Because It Stops Working)
Bleach is a household product that families have been using for decades. It’s a favored disinfectant, but the expiration date might arrive quicker than you think. That might not what you would expect from something as powerful as bleach.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
The Scripps Research Institute says that it starts to lose its potency about six months after opening it. While that on its own isn’t dangerous, expecting it to kill the same amount of bacteria is a cause for concern. Remain mindful of when you bought it.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Pillows Get Pretty Gross
How often do you replace your pillow? If it isn’t every one to two years, then you’re not following the recommended standards. The National Sleep Foundation explains that pillows absorb our dead skin cells, hair, and body oil.
teri1123/unsplash
All of that makes for a scary breeding ground for dust mites. Dust mites are scary triggers for those who have asthma and allergies. Also, if you use one for too long, it can become bad for your back and neck as well!
A Child’s Car Seat Can Deteriorate, Lessening Its Effectiveness
A child’s car seat is critical for their safety. And while this product doesn’t have an expiration date on it, it’s important to note if the car seat materials are deteriorating.
Sharon McCuthceon
Wear and tear is the downfall of a child’s car seat. Since they’re plastic, a material that becomes brittle over time, it’s possible that the seat won’t be in proper condition over time. Luckily, you’ve got a good six years before you can expect to change it out for a new one.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Cracked Cords Should Be Trashed
With no expiration date in sight, how can electrical cords and extension cords become dangerous? Well, after some time, they get worn out or frayed, and at that point, they’re fire hazards.
DIY Photolibrary/Construction Photography/Avalon/Getty Images
Replace them at any sight of damage you might see. Wear occurs when people step on them or even when they get pinched between large pieces of your furniture. The last thing you want is a fire in your home caused by a wire you thought was safe.
Dish Detergent Expires After Three Months
Yes, dishwasher detergent helps get rid of all the grime on your dishes when you use the dishwasher, but for how long? Nancy Bock of the American Cleaning Institute says that you should replace your detergent every three months.
Illustrative image of Finish Newscast/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
If not, the enzymes degrade, and they can’t clean your dishwasher load as effectively. That means that your dishes might not be as clean and healthy to eat off of as you’d hope.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Old Medicine Should Be Disposed Of
Did you know that the bathroom is a terrible place to store medications? That’s because things tend to get damp and warm in the bathroom, which is bad for prescription and non-prescription medicine.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Doctors recommend tossing any medication past its printed expiration date. Dr. Heather Free is a spokesperson for the American Pharmacists Association and she says, “what I tell patients is to follow the true expiration dates [on packages] just to be cautious.”
Experts Recommend Tossing Towels After Three Years
Even our trusty bathroom towels need to be reevaluated for sanitary reasons every three years. Since they’re constantly subjected to warm and wet environments, they are ideal breeding grounds for bacteria. Washing them frequently in very hot water can help, but it also wears the fabric out faster — meaning they’re less effective at drying us off.
Guido Kirchner/dpa (Photo by Guido Kirchner/picture alliance via Getty Images
The bottom line is that you should replace those towels every three years or so.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Keep An Eye On Hydrogen Peroxide And Rubbing Alcohol Expiration Dates
When it comes to first aid, you only want to use products that are fresh and effective, right? Well, that means keeping a close eye on the expiration dates of hydrogen peroxide and rubbing alcohol, both of which lose effectiveness past that all-important “use before” date.
Donat SorokinTASS via Getty Images
If you think you’ll forget, just put a calendar reminder in your phone when you first buy the products. Also, buy smaller-size bottles so you’re not wasting so much if you do have to toss it before you’ve used all the product.
Would You Ever Think To Replace Your Sunglasses?
Many people might be reluctant to trade in their costly and stylish Ray-Bans every couple of years, but that’s exactly what some experts have advised us to do. In a study published in the journal Biomedical Engineering OnLine, researchers found that sunlight exposure wears down the glasses’ lenses, making them less effective at protecting our eyes from dangerous UV rays.
Counselling/Pixabay
Therefore, these experts recommend replacing our shades every two years or so. People who live in areas with high UV indexes should do so even more frequently.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Avoid Expired Acne Medications
This might come as a surprise to many of us who rely on acne medication to keep our skin clear and healthy-looking. Acne meds need to be tossed and replaced once they’re reached their expiration dates, because they lose their effectiveness after that point.
Fairfax Media via Getty Images via Getty Images
Two of the most common acne-fighting ingredients, Benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, only have a shelf life of four to six months before they lose effectiveness!
Slippers Can Become Breeding Grounds For Foot Fungus
They’re oh-so-cozy when they’re new, but experts warn that bedroom slippers can become oh-so-gross after only about six months of use. Even if you don’t wear yours outside as in the photo, they quickly become host to a slew of germs and bacteria when we wear them on a daily basis.
Edward Berthelot/Getty Images
Because of this, experts recommend replacing your comfy slippers every month or so to be safe. After all, there’s nothing cozy about a fungal infection.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Storage Is Important For Feminine Care Products
Another surprising household item that can become dangerous if used past its expiration date: certain feminine hygiene products. Dr. Alyssa Dweck is an OB-GYN who says that storage is key for feminine care products such as tampons.
Jane Barlow/PA Images via Getty Images
“Think about cotton,” she said. “It’s susceptible to mold and bacteria,” not something ideal for a hygiene product. Using moldy products can lead to itching and irritation, so your best bet is to store these items in a dry and cool place. Tampons have a shelf life of about five years, according to Dweck.
The FDA Says To Toss Old Shampoo And Conditioner
As with most products, you can tell when a shampoo or conditioner goes “bad.” There’s usually a change in the smell, consistency, or both. The Food and Drug Administration does not require manufacturers of shampoo and conditioner to print expiration dates onto packaging, but it does recommend that consumers ditch their bottles once they’ve been open for about 18 months (earlier if you notice something weird).
Richard Levine/Corbis via Getty Images
Not only are the products less effective at cleaning and conditioning at this age, but they can also spread bacteria onto your scalp, which opens the door for infection.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Flour Can Become Moldy
Flour is a kitchen staple that many of us keep on hand and don’t think twice about. But just like lots of other foods, flour also has the capability of going bad over time, especially if not stored properly.
INA FASSBENDER/AFP via Getty Images
Fortunately, it’s pretty easy to tell when flour has turned. It will smell rancid or even contain visible mold, especially if it’s been exposed to water. According to Healthline, “[w]hile not all molds are harmful, some can produce dangerous chemicals known as mycotoxins. These compounds can trigger symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea.” Bottom line: take a good look at your flour before cooking or baking with it.
Get Your HVAC Checked Regularly
Tony Abate is the vice president and chief technical officer at AtmosAir Solutions, based out of Connecticut. According to him, it is especially important for people with respiratory problems to have their HVAC systems serviced at least twice a year to maintain good indoor air quality.
John Ewing/Portland Portland Press Herald via Getty Images
“An HVAC (heating and air conditioning) system not properly serviced at least once or twice a year can cause mold, dust, odors, bacteria, and airborne viruses due to poor air filtration and ventilation systems,” he warned.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Your Antibacterial Cleaners Might Not Be As Effective As You’d Like
If you’re taking the time to do a thorough cleaning/disinfecting of your home, then you might as well be sure that the products you’re using are still up to the task. We’ve already learned that bleach loses its effectiveness after about six months, but what about other products?
JESHOOTS/Unsplash
Good Housekeeping reports that multi-surface cleaners work pretty well for about two years, but products with antibacterial properties have a shortened shelf life of just one year. Be sure your house is as clean as you think by checking those dates!
Giant Containers Of Petroleum Jelly — Get Rid Of Them
Petroleum jelly is one of those products that’s useful for so many things around the house. But as you can imagine, giant tubs of the helpful stuff can go bad after a while. Part of the reason is that you have to dip your fingers into the tub to get the jelly out, which spreads bacteria.
Cate Gillon/Getty Images
Your best bet is to buy smaller containers and to toss any that have been hanging out in the medicine cabinet for years. Vaseline brand petroleum jelly containers do contain expiration dates, so pay attention to them!
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Batteries Have A Long Shelf Life, But…
Most batteries have a shelf life of about ten years. After this time, there’s no real threat to us healthwise if we attempt to use some (they just won’t work). However, if you need the batteries in the event of an emergency, such as for a flashlight in the case of a power outage, you could really be left in a bind.
Photofusion/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
It’s a good idea to keep a fresh stock of batteries on hand for emergencies and make sure the expiration date is clear. Replace them as needed.
Motor Oil Also Has A Shelf Life
Just because you see a bargain on motor oil at the auto supply store doesn’t mean you should stock up on the stuff! Just like so many other products, motor oil also has a shelf life. Where you store it can make a difference; experts recommend keeping it in a cool and dry place.
Roberto Machado Noa/LightRocket via Getty Images
Check the consistency of any motor oil before using it in your car — even before the expiration date. YourMechanic.com reports that “[i]f it is thick and sticky, and has solid or gel-like particles, do not use it. If you see that the additives seem to have separated from the oil, it is not safe to use.”
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Fire Extinguishers Will Stop Working Over Time
This is one household item that you don’t want to find yourself in need of. Fire extinguishers are items that we tend to buy, put under the kitchen sink, and then forget about. But experts warn that fire extinguishers do expire over time.
Peggy_Marco/Pixabay
The reason is that gas escapes from the seal over time, and once that pressure is gone, the extinguisher won’t be able to operate. According to the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, “an expiration date cannot be fully trusted and there is no foolproof way to know if an extinguisher is no longer functional. Due to the extremely destructive potential of fires and the relatively low cost of extinguishers, it is advisable to replace or recharge questionable extinguishers.”
Don’t Give Your Baby An Old Pacifier
Although it’s tempting to save money and purchase certain baby supplies second-hand, experts caution against buying used pacifiers. Some brands print an expiration date on their product packaging, but as a general rule, it’s a safe bet to change out your child’s pacifier every couple of months (especially rubber ones).
Beeki/Pixabay
According to HealthyChildren, natural rubber can break up over time, resulting in a choking hazard if a piece of the pacifier comes loose. Always keep an eye on the pacifier’s condition and note if it has any discoloration, tears, or weak spots.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Running Shoes Should Be Replaced Every 300 Miles For Maximum Support
According to the experts at Fleet Feet, running shoes have a shelf life of about 400 miles. This is because after repeated use, “[t]he outsoles begin to go bald and the cushy foam gets compressed under our weight. When shoes are on their last legs, they lose the ability to protect your feet and joints from running’s repetitive pounding, which can lead to increased soreness and injury.”
MonikaP/Pixabay
Even people who aren’t runners can benefit from changing their walking sneakers out more frequently, especially if they’re experiencing discomfort or pain in an older pair of shoes.
Next: Foods That You Don’t Actually Need To Keep In The Refrigerator
Keep Apples Out Of The Cold
Apples can last a week or two at room temperature, but they start to get mealy pretty quickly if you keep them in the fridge. Also, apples can cause other fruits to ripen faster because of the natural gas that they emit. You don’t want to trap all of that gas in your fridge with your other perishables.
Abed Rahim Khatib/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Enzymes within apples become far more active at room temperature, making the apples way more nutritious.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Avocados Do Better On The Counter
If you have some unripe avocados that you want to ripen up, the fridge is definitely not the place for them. The cold air causes avocados to ripen more slowly. Leave your avocados in a cool, dry place, like on your counter in the open air.
JOSE CASTANARES/AFP/Getty Images
But make sure to eat them before they get too ripe. There’s nothing worse than an overripe avocado. If you feel like your avocados are starting to get too ripe, you can pop them in the fridge to slow down that process.
Keep Bananas Out In The Open
Bananas hold on to their nutrients better when they are kept out of the fridge. Cold temperatures actually slow down the ripening process (as we saw with the avocados). But there is also a lot of moisture in most refrigerators which can cause bananas to turn brown or even black.
Wolfgang Kumm/picture alliance via Getty Images
If you really want to keep bananas around for a long time, slice them into small pieces and store them in plastic bags in the freezer. Frozen bananas are perfect for smoothies.
Keep reading to find out where you should be keeping your bread.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Grow Your Own Basil
You shouldn’t store basil cuttings in the fridge. Refrigerators are dark and your basil can’t get any sunlight in there. Basil has been known to wilt in the fridge.
Natasha Breen/REDA&CO/UIG via Getty Images
Instead, place any leftover basil in a cup half full of fresh water, and then place that cup by a sunny window. Your basil will last a lot longer, and it may even sprout roots, which means that you can replant it and grow infinite basil.
Don’t Dry Out Your Bread
Nothing dries out bread faster than leaving it in the refrigerator. At cold temperatures, bread will turn stale, dry, and tasteless. Also, bread acts as a kind of sponge and it will soak up whatever odors are lingering around your fridge.
Stacy Zarin Goldberg for The Washington Post via Getty Images; food styling by Bonnie Benwick
To be safe, store leftover bread in a breadbox. This closed-off box will keep moisture from escaping from your delicious bread. If you don’t have a breadbox, you can always store your bread in a microwave. Just make sure you don’t accidentally turn it on.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Save The Carrots!
Carrots can actually rot and become waterlogged and droopy if they’re left in the fridge for too long. You should store your carrots away from direct sunlight in a place with low moisture.
Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images
If you’re cutting up a bunch of carrots to serve alongside chicken wings or something, you can put them in a container of water and place that in the fridge, but only if you’re going to eat them within a few hours.
I Really Hope Nobody Keeps Cereal In The Fridge
I don’t know anybody who stores cereal in the fridge. I shouldn’t need to tell you this, but the fridge is not a place where cereal belongs. The moisture in there will cause the cereal to wilt and become much less crunchy.
Roberto Machado Noa/LightRocket via Getty Images
Cereal should always be stored in a cool dry place, like a pantry or a cupboard. Nobody likes soggy cereal. Unless you’re one of those people who like to let your cereal get soggy in the milk before you eat it…
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Chocolate Doesn’t Belong In The Fridge (Sorry)
I know a lot of people absolutely love cold chocolate, but the ideal temperature for chocolate is actually between 65 and 68°F, which is much warmer than the average refrigerator.
Mustafa Kamaci/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Only store your chocolate in the fridge if you live in a very warm part of the world and your chocolate is at risk of melting completely. If you really love freezing cold chocolate though, I’m not going to stop you from eating it that way.
Read on to learn more about why some cultures don’t keep eggs in the fridge.
Citrus Fruits Belong In The Pantry
Typically, a ripe fruit is a sweet fruit, which means that fruit that’s kept at room temperature will ripen faster and develop more sweetness. Citrus fruit can be rather sour if it’s not given enough time or space to ripen.
Miguel Candela/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Keep fruits like oranges, grapefruits, lemons, and limes out of the fridge. If you absolutely love cold oranges, store them outside of the fridge, but pop them into the fridge an hour or two before you want to eat them.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Don’t Refrigerate Your Leftover Coffee
You can actually keep coffee in the fridge as long as it’s in an airtight container. This goes for both coffee beans and leftover brewed coffee. Generally, coffee beans need to be in a cool dry place, and a fridge is cool, but not very dry.
Tristan Fewings/Getty Images
Brewed coffee can make everything else in your fridge smell like coffee, and if it’s too hot, it can actually raise the temperature of your whole fridge, which is damaging to all of the meat and dairy you have in there.
Cool As A Cucumber Is Just A Saying
Cucumbers do not do well when they’re left in the fridge. They can quickly become waterlogged and lose a lot of their flavor. Instead, store your cucumber on your counter or in a pantry. Just don’t forget that you left it there. You don’t want to find a rotten cucumber in your pantry later on.
Michael Jacobs/Art in All of Us/Corbis via Getty Images
If you want your cucumbers to be cool because you want to put them on your eyes or something, then you can leave them in the fridge momentarily or store slices of cucumber in ice water.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Eggs Aren’t Kept In The Fridge In Some Parts Of The World
In some countries, eggs aren’t kept in the refrigerator in grocery stores or in people’s homes. That’s how it’s done across the pond in the UK. A study recently uncovered there found that it actually makes no difference whether or not you store your eggs in the fridge, so you might as well save yourself some fridge space.
Donat SorokinTASS via Getty Images
Not so in the US! Please keep in mind that the FDA recommends that eggs be kept in the fridge, however. It’s best to read the full precautionary statement before quitting the fridge on this one.
Don’t Put Flour In The Fridge
I haven’t met very many people who store wheat flour in the fridge (I don’t think I’ve met any, actually), but just in case you were thinking about putting flour in the fridge, there is absolutely no reason to do so.
Artyom GeodakyanTASS via Getty Images
Flour should be stored in a dry place and in an airtight container. You can put it in the fridge if you want, but it’s just going to take up a lot of fridge space.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Most Tropical Fruits Like Tropical Environments
Tropical fruits come from tropical places where it’s warm and rainy and the sun is always shining. You don’t want to take a tropical fruit and put it in a cool, dry fridge. That’s the opposite of what it needs.
MOHAMED EL-SHAHED/AFP/Getty Images
Fruit like mangoes, plums, kiwi, apricots, and peaches actually ripen at a slower rate in the fridge and they’ll lose flavor and nutrients faster. Just leave tropical fruit in a bowl out on your table or kitchen counter. They’re so pretty to look at, too. Leave them out for everybody to see.
Keep Garlic Out Of The Fridge
Garlic is another food item that doesn’t need to be stored in the fridge. If you do keep it in the fridge, it can get rubbery and even start to sprout. It can look totally normal, but then when you cut it open, you’ll notice little green sprouts inside.
Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Leave your garlic in a specialized garlic jar, or even in a pair of breathable nylon pantyhose. You can also peel the garlic and store the peeled cloves in your freezer.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Oh Honey, Don’t Put Honey In The Fridge
It may seem obvious to you, but you really shouldn’t store honey in the refrigerator. The cold air will cause the honey to crystallize, which isn’t great. If your honey does crystallize, just put the whole jar in a warm water bath to dissolve the crystals.
Wolfgang Kumm/picture alliance via Getty Images
Honey is a natural preservative, so it doesn’t need to be kept in the fridge or freezer for it to last a long time.
Hot Sauce Likes It Hot
When it comes to any kind of hot sauce, you have to remember that these products have a pretty long shelf life. They’re full of natural preservatives like vinegar and they often don’t contain very many actual fruits or vegetables.
Kevin Schafer / Contributor
You should store hot sauce away from direct sunlight and keep it in a cool, dry place like a pantry or a cupboard. If you’re a hot sauce fanatic, you might just want to leave it on the table because you know you’re going to use it again with your next meal.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Jam Your Jam Into The Pantry
Jam is packed with preservatives, both natural and artificial, and it’s literally built to last. Keeping it in the fridge won’t make it last any longer.
Roberto Machado Noa/LightRocket via Getty Images
What will make it last longer is taking care not to contaminate your jam jar. If you’re having jam with any kind of cheese (by the way, fig jam, pictured here, goes wonderfully with brie, and basically every cheese on the planet) don’t use the same knife to spread your jam and cut your cheese. If you get any cheese in your jam jar, that will make it spoil faster.
Ketchup Doesn’t Need To Be In The Fridge
Contrary to popular belief, ketchup doesn’t actually need to be stored in the fridge, even after the bottle is open. That’s why all of those diners can just leave glass bottles of Heinz ketchup out on the tables for hours at a time.
Igor Golovniov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
This stuff is chock-full of preservatives. As long as you don’t contaminate it, ketchup can last for a really long time. Now you don’t need to worry when you’re slathering it onto your burger.
Keep reading to see how mustard fares outside of the fridge.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Melons Don’t Need To Be Refrigerated
There is nothing better than a cool slice of watermelon on a hot summer day, but you really shouldn’t be storing your watermelon in the fridge. When kept at room temperature, melons will keep their natural antioxidant levels balanced.
Valery MatytsinTASS via Getty Images
If you want that delicious cold melon, store the melons at room temp, slice them up about an hour before you’re ready to eat them, put those slices in the fridge, and enjoy an hour later.
Leave Olive Oil In The Pantry
You probably have always stored your olive oil in the pantry, which is definitely where it belongs. The fridge is no place for an expensive bottle of olive oil (the king of all oils, by the way. Coconut oil is getting some good press lately, but olive oil is still the king).
Miguel Candela/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
The cool temperatures in your refrigerator will only cause the oil to harden and form something resembling butter. That’s not what anybody wants.
Next: These Foods Stay Fresh Beyond Their ‘Best By’ Date
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Dry Pasta Remains Good Two Years Past The Printed Date
According to the US Department of Health & Human services, dry pasta remains fresh for two years in the pantry. If you’ve already opened the package, you should consume it within one year. Eat By Date offers the same estimate.
Chapeaux Marc/AGF/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Because fresh pasta often contains eggs, it only lasts one to two days in the fridge. Cooked pasta, whether dry or fresh, lasts up to a week in the fridge. If you want it to last longer, you can keep it in the freezer for six to eight months.
Cook Eggs Within Three To Five Weeks
Packaging expiration dates reflect food quality, not safety. This rule is especially true for eggs, which can last in the refrigerator for three to five weeks. As a general rule, you can safely eat your eggs two to three weeks beyond the “sell by” date.
Donat SorokinTASS via Getty Images
The US Department of Agriculture offers a more detailed method. “This three-digit code indicates the date of packaging, starting with January 1 as 001 and ending with December 31 as 365…You can store fresh shell eggs in their cartons in the refrigerator for four to five weeks beyond this date.”
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Raw Meat And Poultry Last A Long Time In The Freezer
Although meat only lasts a couple of days in the fridge, it can stay fresh long after the expiration date in the freezer. According to FoodSafety.gov, whole meat can last up to one year in the freezer, while ground meat can last three to four months.
Sergei BobylevTASS via Getty Images
“Food poisoning bacteria does not grow in the freezer,” reports the US Department of Agriculture, “so no matter how long the food is frozen, it is safe to eat. Foods that have been in the freezer for months may be dry, or may not taste as good, but they will be safe to eat.”
Do spices last forever? Learn whether you should replace your spice rack.
Coffee Creamers Stay Fresh For Weeks
Since most coffee creamers contain a lot of preservatives, they usually last weeks after their expiration date. Liquid creamers usually last two to three weeks after opening, regardless of the printed date. The USDA recommends tossing it out after three weeks.
Sergei SavostyanovTASS via Getty Images
Half and half is one of the freshest creamers out there, so it only stays fresh for three to four days. However, you can keep it in the freezer for up to four months. Non-dairy creamer can last up to two years if they are stored at room temperature. Once you open it, store it in the fridge for one to two weeks.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Throw Away Spices After A Certain Amount Of Time
Although many people think their spices are indefinite, that isn’t always the case. McCormick & Company, an American spice seller, says that the only indefinite spices are salt and vanilla extract. Other extracts will become rancid after two to three years.
Carlos Chavez/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Although old spices won’t harm you, they will grow stale. Ground spices last up to three years beyond the “best by” date, while whole spices (such as whole peppercorns and bay leaves) last for up to four years. You can revive the flavor of some spices by cooking them in hot oil or gently toasting them on a skillet.
Coming up: how to tell if your cooking oils have spoiled.
Vegetables Last For Weeks Beyond Their ‘Best By’ Date
Not all vegetables come with an expiration date, and these usually last around one to two weeks in the fridge. Those that have a date — like carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, celery, and spinach — often last longer than their date suggests.
Getty Images
Once vegetables go bad, they develop a slimy texture, brown spots, and rotten smell. Many don’t reach this point until a couple of weeks beyond the “best by” date. However, prepackaged greens often go bad around their expiration date since they’re chopped.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Cooking Oils Will Remain Safe For Years
While there are several different types of cooking oil, they all have similar shelf lives. The USDA agrees that most cooking oils are safe to use for up to one year after opening. Coconut oil will remain fresh for up to three years.
Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Storing cooking oils in a cool, dark pantry is the best way to keep them fresh. Since oxidation causes the oil to decay, tightly seal the lid after each use. If the oil smells or tastes rancid, it’s gone bad. Some oils also grow dark and flavorless once they’ve expired.
Next up, see how long dairy products actually last.
Bad Cheese Relies More On Smell Than The Package Date
Because cheese is made through molding, it often lasts beyond its expiration date. The USDA claims that soft cheese lasts one to two weeks in the fridge, while hard cheese can be consumed up to six months in the fridge unopened. If you’ve opened the package, it’ll last three to four weeks.
ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images
In general, you can tell when your cheese goes bad through smell. If some areas have molded, you can cut them off and eat the rest safely. Some mold colors, such as orange, blue, and green, are not edible.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
You Can Safely Drink Milk Beyond Its Printed Date
Milk’s life span depends on its fat content. In general, most dairy milk can last five days beyond its printed date. Non-fat milk stays fresh up to ten days, while whole milk can last up to a week. If the milk looks discolored or smells rotten, it’s spoiled.
Ron Bull/Toronto Star via Getty Images
While non-dairy milks keep up to a month if they’re unopened, they usually last around a week after opening, according to FoodSafety.gov. Spoiled non-dairy milks will taste sour and have a thicker texture than fresh milk.
Continue on to learn the truth about storing condiments…
Alcohol Does Go Bad After A While
Contrary to popular belief, most alcohol won’t last forever on your shelf. According to researchers at Bacardi, glass bottles make alcohol more prone to spoiling. While this research isn’t peer-reviewed, it does suggest that light, warmth, and air accelerate alcohol’s decay rate.
VINCENZO PINTO/AFP/Getty Images
According to FoodSafety.gov, white and red wines remain fresh for one to two years. Beer only stays good for six to nine months after its expiration date. Hard liquors, such as whiskey, tequila, vodka, and brandy, will last for many more years. Once you open the bottle of any alcohol, it’ll only stay fresh for a couple of days.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Raw Fish Lasts Longer Than Cooked Seafood
How long fish stays fresh depends on the type of seafood and how it was prepared. In general, raw fish lasts longer in the freezer but less long in the fridge. Raw cod, salmon, and halibut stay fresh one to two days in the fridge and six to nine months in the freezer. Smoked fish can stay in the fridge for five to seven days, but only three to six months in the freezer.
Edwin Remsberg/VW PICS/UIG via Getty Image
Some canned fish, like tuna, can last two to five years past its printed date. And air-packed smoked fish can last two to three weeks in the fridge, according to FoodSafety.gov
Some Condiments Can Last A Year Or Two If Unopened
While most labels recommend refrigerating condiments, you can keep them in the pantry, according to the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. Similarly, the expiration date on these condiments is only quality-based. How long they stay fresh depends on the condiment.
Ben McCanna/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images
Mustard can stay fresh up to one year after opening, while relish remains good for nine months. Ketchup and chili sauces remain edible for six months after opening. You can safely eat commercial mayonnaise and horseradish within two to three months after opening.
Do chocolate bars go bad? Find out soon.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Butter’s Expiration Date Depends On How You Store It
Butter can last beyond it’s “best by” date if you store it correctly. If you keep butter at room temperature, it’ll only stay fresh for one to two days, according to the USDA. When the butter is anywhere above 40 degrees Fahrenheit, the oils inside of it begin to decay.
Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Keep your butter in the fridge, and you can enjoy it up to one month later. In the freezer, it’ll last for six to nine months. Fortunately, you can easily tell when butter goes bad; it becomes too soft, too hard, or develops mold.
Chocolate With White Film Is Still Fresh
According to Eat By Date, chocolate lasts for months beyond the printed date. In the pantry, chocolate chips and bars last two to four months, and they last for six to eight months in the fridge. Truffles and Belgian chocolate stay fresh for one to two months after the expiration date.
BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
If you see a white film on your chocolate, don’t fret. That’s called “chocolate bloom,” when the cocoa butter melts and re-solidifies. You can still eat it. If you see white dots on the edge of your chocolate, that means it’s getting old. However, you can still use the bar in cooking.
Coming up: how long yogurt lasts beyond its “best by” date.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
You Can Store Nut Butters For A Long Time
Whether or not it’s refrigerated, nut butter can last up to a year unopened. Commercial peanut butters will last longer; you can eat some peanut butter up to two years after buying it. Natural butter, such as natural peanut, almond, or cashew butter, last up to three months after opening.
Pinterest/Bloglovin
You’ll know when your nut butter goes bad when it tastes rancid. To keep them fresh, store your nut butters in a cool area such as a shaded pantry or fridge. Contrary to other butter types, Nutella only stays fresh around two to three months after the printed date.
Cereal Lasts Six To Eight Months Unopened
If you keep your cereal box unopened, it’ll last for six to twelve months on the shelf, according to FoodSafety.gov. After you open it, you can keep it for two to three months. Breakfast cereals don’t go bad in the same way that fresh foods do.
FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images
“There is not that much of a quality issue,” Emily Broad Leib, director of Harvard Food Law & Policy Clinic, told TIME. “If you leave your cereal box open, it can get stale, but you are not going to get sick from it.”
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Yogurt Can Be Eaten Past Its “Best By” Date
Yogurt doesn’t go bad as quickly as other dairy products do. Both Greek yogurt and low-fat yogurt last around one to two weeks in the fridge, regardless of the printed date. If you freeze yogurt, you can eat it for up to two months later, according to Eat By Date.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Drinkable yogurts and yogurt with fruit don’t last as long. Both will stay fresh for up to two weeks. If your yogurt produces extra liquid, develops mold, or smells sour, throw it out.
Do canned and frozen foods last forever? Discover how long you should keep these products…
You Can Safely Store Canned Goods For Years
If you store your canned food in a cool, dark location, it will last years beyond it’s “best by” date. Cans containing meat, vegetables, or potatoes will are safe to eat two to five years in the pantry. Highly-acidic canned foods (such as pickles, tomato soup, and sauerkraut) last for a year and a half.
Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
If a food can appears rusted, dented, or swollen, it’s gone bad. And after you open them, they’ll only stay fresh for a couple of days in the fridge. Acidic food remains ripe for a week, while canned meat and vegetables stay fresh for up to four days in the fridge.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Frozen Fruits And Vegetables Go Bad Within The Year
Most of us tend to toss food into the freezer and forget about it. But some frozen treats, such as fruit and vegetables, will go bad within the year. Regardless of its “best by” date, frozen fruit will last for six to nine months. Frozen vegetables remain safe to eat for eight to ten months.
FRED TANNEAU/AFP/Getty Images
To tell if frozen produce has gone bad, wash off the ice crystals. If the fruit or vegetable maintains its color and texture, then it’s safe to eat. Spoiled frozen produce can also shrivel or lose color.
For Frozen Dinners, Breakfasts, And Desserts
How long food lasts in the freezer depends on what it is and whether it’s cooked. Most pre-made meals are already cooked, so they’ll go stale within three months. However, frozen food never produces a health risk as long as it’s kept frozen. After a while, the flavor will disappear.
Getty Images
Frozen dairy products like ice cream usually last two to four months. Grain-based dishes, like pancakes and waffles, stay fresh for two months. Most TV dinners will remain tasty for up to three months in the freezer.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Salsa Can Last For Weeks
Have you ever found a bottle of salsa shoved way to the back of the fridge and wondered what to do with it? Maybe you’re preparing Mexican food, or maybe you’re throwing a party and just need some dip. In any event, relying on the best-by date isn’t always best.
Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
When it comes to salsa, you can safely eat it up to two weeks after the best-by date. However, the greatest sign is the appearance. If it seems to have a film on it, throw it out.
Salsa’s counterpart also lasts a while.
Don’t Open The Chips!
Unopened, chips can last for months. Once the chips are opened, they still can last for a very long time. The issue is whether or not they are kept in a truly air-tight environment. Chips that haven’t been opened are less likely to be exposed to oxygen, which enables bacteria to grow.
mark peterson/Corbis via Getty Images
However, since chips are often doused in salt, the likelihood of them developing a substance that can harm you is slim. The real issue is simply quality. They’ll eventually get stale.
This Mother Of Three Took A DNA Test, But The Results Showed The Children Weren’t Hers
YouTube/Real Stories
Surreal barely even begins to cover it. In the process of a breakup, Lydia Fairchild was struggling to keep her head above water. She had two children to take care of, and another one on the way. But when she sought government funding to help her family, she was denied — and became the subject of a criminal investigation.
After receiving strange and conflicting DNA test results, it was claimed that Lydia was not her children’s real mother. She knew she had given birth to them, so how was that possible? The answer would send ripples through the scientific community.
1. Restructuring Life
Everything was changing for 26-year-old Washington state resident Lydia Fairchild, in 2002 when she found herself in the process of separating from her partner, Jamie Townsend. It was a difficult, tangled situation for the young mother of two. While Lydia and Jamie had broken up several times in the past, the timing this time was particularly precarious.
YouTube/Real Stories
As they sought to restructure their lives apart from one another, Lydia was pregnant with the couple’s third child. She would need to take steps to ensure a proper livelihood and the ability to take care of the children in the future. What she was about to soon discover, however, would threaten her ability to keep them all.
2. Looking Out For Her Children
As the couple went their separate ways, what had previously been their combined income was no longer enough. In order to get financial assistance towards child support to take care of her two small children and the third one on the way, Lydia needed to fill out the application for government funding.
YouTube/Real Stories
As a required part of the application for aid, both she and Jamie would have to provide samples for a DNA test, just a formality to prove their link to the children for whom they were requesting financial assistance. It seemed routine enough — but what it would uncover would shake their world to its foundations.
3. After The DNA Test
Both parents submitted their DNA test samples prior to getting their application for financial assistance accepted. They did so without any concerns, knowing the children in question were theirs. After a short while, Jamie’s lab results came back proving he was the children’s father, not that there had been any doubt.
YouTube/Real Stories
However, an extra step was added for Lydia that Jamie had not needed to go through. After Lydia had completed all the formalities of the application for government assistance, in December 2002, she was told to come into the office of the Washington state prosecutor so as to go over the results. What on Earth could that mean?
4. A Strange Meeting
Lydia entered the prosecutor’s office, assuming she was going into a routine session with a government social worker. She thought it was just another prerequisite, part of her responsibility to her children. But something about the representatives’ demeanor seemed off. She sat down, and they shut the door.
YouTube/Real Stories
Then, the representatives of the prosecutor’s office sat with her and peppered her with questions, asking her who she was, as though they did not understand the information that they had been given. It was not at all a session with a social worker — instead, it was an interrogation. Why were they treating her like this?
5. Being Interrogated
At the Department of Social Services, it suddenly dawned on Lydia that they did not believe her application, wherein she stated that she was the mother of her children. The agency officials were drilling her with questions in a hostile manner, and she felt ill at ease. It was at first unclear why they would react to her in this way.
YouTube/Real Stories
They suspected she had been actively trying to fool the system in a greedy attempt at grabbing money for herself. Frauding the government was a criminal offense. She couldn’t grasp why they had gone down this train of thought. But it appeared that there had been one part of her application that was shockingly out of line.
6. Weird Science
The DNA test had proven that Jamie was the genetic father of the two children, but in a frighteningly bizarre twist, Lydia herself did not show up as their biological parent. It boggled the mind: as the person who had given birth to them, how could there be any doubt as to the truth of her claim?
YouTube/Real Stories
She asked the investigators if perhaps something had gone wrong in the lab. Surely there had been a mistake. But they were having none of it, rebuffing Lydia and telling her point blank that DNA test results simply don’t lie. As far as they were concerned, she was not her own children’s mother.
7. A Nightmarish Scenario
The situation that Lydia was suddenly forced to confront was nothing short of incomprehensible. It was almost like they were asking of her to go against her own memory, let alone her sanity. Lydia had no doubt whatsoever that she herself had not only naturally conceived her children, but had carried them to term and had given birth to them.
YouTube/Real Stories
What’s more, as a consequence of her skewed test results, her now-former partner Jamie was summoned for his own interrogation. Jamie was accused by the state of having sired children with another woman, in accordance with what the DNA test showed. In light of the whole ordeal, Lydia turned to someone who would know the truth: her obstetrician.
8. Professional Opinion
Sure enough, Lydia’s obstetrician, Dr. Leonard Dreisbach, certainly had an opinion about this bizarre chain of events his patient was facing, flabbergasted as he was. He told Lydia, with bitter irony, that he had been in his profession long enough to know when a woman is giving birth before his eyes.
YouTube/Real Stories
The doctor vowed to Lydia that as the witness to the birth of her first two children, he was prepared to testify on her behalf in court, if it should come to that. Now, the baffled mother had to get a lawyer. The government still did not believe her — and the repercussions could be severe.
9. Searching To Be Believed
Lydia Fairchild found a lawyer willing to take on her case, Alan Tindell. Yet because of the extremely unusual circumstances, even he was skeptical of her at first. Although he had agreed to help her in court, he nonetheless examined her closely on their first meeting, just to make sure.
YouTube/Real Stories
To rule out any other possibilities, he asked if she was certain these weren’t, in fact, her sister’s children, or her brother’s children, nor had she abducted them from anyone and attempted to pass them off as her own. He saw how insistent she was. There was no lie in her eyes. He believed her — but what had gone on with the DNA test?
10. Falling Apart
Lydia Fairchild was in an awful situation. She was alone trying to parent her two children, heavily pregnant, looking for help, and now she was being called a liar and a fraud, accused of trying to swindle the government. She received a summons in the mail, saying she had to appear in court.
YouTube/Real Stories
Lydia was now in full danger of losing custody of all her children, based on the accusations lodged against her that had been raised by the inexplicable DNA test results. Her stomach knotted up, and she dissolved into tears. She called her family, filled with fear. How would she prove she wasn’t lying?
11. Emotional Toll
The entire situation was almost too much for Lydia to bear. At meals with her children, as she sat for dinner she would burst into tears. As they rushed to hug her, they didn’t know what was wrong. She tried to shield them from the processes happening behind the scenes that threatened to tear them apart.
YouTube/Real Stories
She was terrified at the very real prospects of losing everything and everyone she held dear. The frustration of knowing she was not lying, but not being believed by the authorities, was excruciating. What’s more, her baby was on its way — and with the impending birth came new questions demanding answers.
12. An Unusual Birth
Once Lydia and Jamie’s third child was born, the judge ordered that they take the infant’s blood samples. The birthing room was far from ordinary, filled with doctors, a special investigation team, and policemen. Far from being a joyous occasion, it was more like the treatment a suspected criminal might receive.
YouTube/Real Stories
It was the most frightening scenario for a young mother, the most uncomfortable environment for an already painful and stressful moment. Despite all the witnesses to the birth, the blood samples showed that once again, she was not the genetic mother of the child. It was now clear to all parties involved that something was terribly awry.
13. Even More Tests
As the paranoia and fear consumed her, not knowing what would happen to her or her children, Lydia was subjected to yet another round of testing. She had to do a blood test, and provide tissue samples from her hair, skin, and organs. Still, nothing indicated relation to her children.
YouTube/Real Stories
The emotional toll would have broken anyone, and Lydia struggled to keep strong in light of the allegations and the endless barrage of stress. Her appetite crashed, and she began to withdraw from society, torn apart by this twisted situation. But something happened that allowed her a ray of light.
14. Somehow Related
As the search for answers widened, Lydia’s own mother agreed to also provide a DNA sample for testing. To her family’s relief, the DNA test results from her offered a breakthrough in the case. They showed that there absolutely was a genetic link between the grandmother and Lydia’s own kids.
YouTube/Real Stories
That meant that whoever their ‘real’ genetic mother was, she couldn’t be far off from Lydia. This could well have been the medical proof that Lydia needed in order to convince the courts of her relation to her children. But her lawyer was about to stumble across a medical finding that would cast a whole new light on everything.
15. A Medical Anomaly
Across the country, in Boston, a medical anomaly had just been solved. A 52-year-old woman named Karen Keegan had undergone a genetic test in search of a kidney donor, and the exam had somehow showed no link between her and two of her own children. However, the third one did show up as being related.
YouTube/Real Stories
Because of that one genetic link, doctors pushed forward to do more testing on this patient. Over several years of research utilizing samples from different parts of her body — they discovered something about her that made the New England Journal of Medicine. Lydia’s resourceful lawyer had read the article, and reached out.
16. Forging Links
Karen Keegan’s case had some intriguing elements in it that matched the confusion surrounding Lydia’s parentage claims. After consulting with Karen about her highly unusual story, Lydia Fairchild’s attorney Alan Tindell came to his client with a possible lead on something. It could well have been that she had the same medical curiosity.
YouTube/Real Stories
Even though she was obviously exhausted by the amount of scrutiny paid to her, Lydia decided that she should undergo one last test: a cervical screening test. If Alan Tindell’s theory was right, her case might match Karen Keegan’s in Boston — and she might be able to prove everyone wrong.
17. Bad Publicity
Nothing happens in a vacuum, particularly to a person accused of committing fraud against the Washington state government. As Lydia’s situation got more and more out of hand, unfortunately, the press caught wind of what was going on. The newspapers began to lambaste her, parading her as a criminal deserving of punishment.
YouTube/Real Stories
Some elements of the press even went so far as to claim that she had kidnapped her former partner Jamie’s children, assumed to not be biologically her own, and that she was trying to manipulate government officials in order to support herself. But what they were about to find would stun everyone.
18. How Many More Times
The mother of three was prepared to do anything for the children she knew were hers, both for their safety and for the right to retain them under her custody. Her final medical screening test would hopefully be the last test that Lydia would have to undergo as a part of this whole whirlwind ordeal.
YouTube/Real Stories
After a slew of tests that had taken samples from various parts and materials of her body, the results still didn’t yield any results that showed she was the genetic mother of the three children she had given birth to. But hiding inside her was a condition so rare, it would place her in the textbooks.
19. The Missing Piece
At the bare minimum, Lydia had been able to prove a link between her own mother and the children that she herself had given birth to. The DNA test results from Lydia’s cervical screening came back. For the very first time, they demonstrated a direct, undeniable genetic link between Lydia and her children.
YouTube/Real Stories
At long last, Lydia could feel vindicated. It was an enormous relief, a watershed moment. After an unimaginable gauntlet, everyone could see she had not been lying. But even if she finally had the proof she needed, how could it be that every other test result had stated the opposite? The answer was astounding.
20. Exceptionally Rare
There was an unusual reason the perplexing DNA test results for Lydia Fairchild and Karen Keegan had not detected their respective genetic links to their children. Both of the women bore a genetic syndrome almost completely unheard of in humans: chimerism. Chimerism has less than 40 documented cases in humans across the globe, making it exceptionally rare.
YouTube/Real Stories
Chimerism had caused all of the DNA tests to be fooled, except the last one. The key to understanding the condition lay in the gestation period in the womb just after conception, far before these women had been born. As it turned out, there was technically more than one genome providing genetic material in their bodies.
21. The Lost Twin
For humans and animals, the processes behind chimerism are the same. In the womb, chimeras begin as twins. But at a certain point during the early stages of the pregnancy, one of the twins is absorbed by the other. This occurs far before the pregnant mother becomes aware that she was originally going to have twins.
YouTube/Real Stories
However, the cells of the absorbed twin do not leave the mother’s body. Rather than going away entirely, a portion of them are not fully able to merge with those of the surviving twin. This was the key to understanding what had happened to Lydia. Would it be enough to convince the court?
22. Hiding A Secret
In chimerism, the cells of the previously existing twin do not dissipate, but rather they mass in one specific area within the body of their sibling. In Karen Keegan’s case, a nodule with her twin’s genetic DNA was extracted from her thyroid, and its data matched that of her first two children.
YouTube/Real Stories
What’s more, the genetic test showed that the DNA in Karen’s thyroid was totally different from that in her hair, blood, and other cells. For Lydia Fairchild, the DNA of her twin had amassed in her womb, which was why her children had not shown up as her own on tests. Finally with some answers, Lydia headed to court.
23. Victory At Last
After 16 months of waiting in vain, wondering what reality she was in where the children she had given birth to were declared to not be genetically her own, the legal case against Lydia Fairchild was at long last dismissed. The judge apologized for having doubted her in the past.
YouTube/Real Stories
She would be granted the federal assistance she had requested in order to support herself and her three children — children bearing the DNA of her long-lost twin, but were, for all intents and purposes, decidedly hers. To make matters even better, she and Jamie decided once again to give their relationship a try. An enormous weight was lifted off her shoulders. But even Lydia’s case isn’t the most unusual example when it comes to the condition.
24. The Mysteries Of Science
Chimerism was named after the chimera, a mythological Greek monster composed of a lion, a goat, and a serpent, heralding ill fortune for those who witness it. In Lydia and Karen’s cases, their chimerism did not demonstrate any external markings, and was only detectable by way of genetic testing.
YouTube/Real Stories
But a chimera from a pair of male and female twins can become a hermaphrodite. In the event that a chimera is born that had originally been a set of twins of the same sex, they can on occasion possess a patch of skin or even an eye that is a different color. In animals, however, this can be more extreme.
25. Unique Creations
Modern science is still seeking to further understand the phenomenon of chimerism. In 2017, scientists at the Salk Institute in San Jose, California managed to create a true chimera, that is to say, a hybrid between species. They edited the DNA of a day-old pig embryo, deleting one of its organs, and replacing it with human stem cells.
Irene Souto/Flickr
The fetus grew with a human organ. Scientists hope to be able to use this method in stem-cell research to grow human organs, both for cruelty-free testing as well as donors. For now, even if Lydia’s chimerism had brought her an unbelievable amount of stress, doubt, and external scrutiny, she can now be counted as one of the most unique humans on the planet.
Sources: Coolimba, YouTube – Real Stories
These Vintage Hygiene Tips Are Downright Disgusting
We’ve come a long way as a society when it comes to personal hygiene but it hasn’t always been that way. The generations before us had to get pretty crafty when it came to keeping clean and staying healthy.
Just think about it. Before we had fancy face wash infused with kale extract, our ancestors had to try out some pretty gross ways to keep their face clean, like using their own urine (ew!). Check out some of the most disgusting—and sometimes dangerous—ways our ancient ancestors kept clean.
You might not hate using 2-ply when you find out what humans used to use as toilet paper.
Entire Families Reused The Same Bath Water
In the Middle Ages, bathing was emphasized by Christianity as a way to show off your cleanliness. While the upper class could afford to heat a bathtub of water every night, the lower class couldn’t. Families would instead end up sharing the same bathwater.
BSIP/UIG/Getty Images
They often bathed from oldest to youngest, so if you were the baby of your family you ended up in some pretty dirty water. Bathing has evolved a lot over time, but it used to be a pretty gross affair.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Balding Men Would Rub Chicken Poop On Their Head
History has a lot of strange medical remedies but none as weird as using chicken feces to cure baldness. A 17th-century medical book titled “The Path-Way To Health” advised men to mix chicken manure (known back then as Culver-dung) with Lye and wash their scalps with it.
WAVE: The Museums, Galleries and Archives of Wolverhampton/Getty Images
We’re not so sure about the chicken dung but considering the fact Lye is a poisonous alkaline solution, we doubt any hair was growing back with that remedy.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
The King Has His Own Butt-Wiper
The Groom of the Stool was a position in the English court who’s job was to, well, wipe the King’s butt after he used the washroom. It sounds like a disgusting job but it came with a surprising amount of privileges.
Lloyd Yearwood/Three Lions/Getty Images
The Groom of the Stool would become one of the most intimate and trusted hands of the English King. The male servant was often a confidant for the King and knew some of the most scandalous royal secrets.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Egyptian Women Used Crocodile Dung As A Contraceptive
Women have tried a lot of things over the years to prevent unwanted pregnancies, but Ancient Egyptians take the cake. Scrolls that date back to 1850 BC show that women were taking crocodile dung, turning it into small pellets, and inserting it into their genitalia.
Fritz POLKING/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images
It might sound crazy but modern science has proved that this ancient family planning technique may have actually worked. Crocodile poop has a similar makeup as alkaline and other modern-day spermicides.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Noble Women Painted Their Faces With Lead
While having sun-kissed skin is all the rage today for much of history being pale was much more fashionable. That’s because it proved that you didn’t have to work in the fields. Both noble women and men would paint their faces white to look even fairer.
Leemage/Corbis/Getty Images
The problem is that the white paint was made of pure lead that was poisonous and would eat away at the wearer’s skin. Then they’d have to wear more makeup and the vicious cycle continued.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Rotten Teeth Was A Symbol Of Wealth
During the Elizabethan era, refined sugar was only available to the upper class and wealthy members of society. Therefore, if you had teeth that were rotten, covered in gingivitis, and falling out, it was actually a sign of extreme wealth. Some peasants even went so far as to fake gingivitis so they could look richer.
Education Images/UIG/Getty Images
The upper echelon may have been rich but they clearly weren’t rich enough to afford a visit to the dentist.
Keep reading to find out all the crazy things people used instead of toilet paper.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Most People Had Four Outfits…For The Entire Year
Fashion in the 19th century wasn’t about looking good. It was about being practical and saving money. Only the upper class had a different outfit for every day. The rest of society had to make do with one outfit for an entire season. And yes, the same rule applied to undergarments.
DEA Picture Library/Getty Images
The clothes might get washed once every few weeks but don’t expect it. The only reason you might get a fifth outfit is if you had somewhere formal to go.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Shoe Polish Was Basically Pure Poison
In the early 20th century, most shoe polishes were made with an ingredient called nitrobenzene. It had the incredible ability to make shoes extra shiny and slick, but it also could make you faint in an instant if you inhaled the toxins.
Adoc-photos/Corbis/Getty Images
If frequent fainting wasn’t dangerous enough, mixing nitrobenzene with alcohol was practically a death sentence. Even modern shoe polish can be deadly if it is ingested in high quantities.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Toilet Paper Is A Very Recent Invention
The Chinese were the first to use paper for sanitary purposes, but the widespread use of toilet paper didn’t occur until 1857. Before that, most people used things like leaves, rags, a wet cloth on a stick, or even their hands.
Mac Gramlich/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Just the thought of going No. 2 without toilet paper probably makes a lot of people queasy. That’s why it’s important to count your blessings and remember that humans survived for a long time without proper sanitary cloths.
Next, this is why noble women used their own urine as a face wash.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Hair Care Was Awful
To achieve the trendy hairstyles of the 1920s, women in effect, destroyed their hair health. Ladies began experimenting by making their own curling irons, using round iron shafts with wood handles, heated over coals. This method lacked temperature control and women’s hair was often burned because of it.
Sasha/Getty Images
If burning hair smell wasn’t bad enough, women used petroleum jelly to design their curls, which smelled like glue. One you achieved the perfect look, you wouldn’t want to wash it right away, either…
What was snail slime used for?
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Urine Was A Popular Face Wash
If you walked into a 17th century Sephora, you’d see shelves and shelves of skin care products that all included human urine as the main ingredient. Noblewomen of the time would wash their faces every day with urine because they believed in the antiseptic abilities.
Universal Images Group/Getty Images
Not only did urine do a surprisingly good job of keeping a noble woman’s face clean, but many believed it had anti-aging properties and would keep your skin feeling firm.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Lysol Was Originally A Feminine Hygiene Product
Yes, we’re talking about the same Lysol that you probably use as a kitchen cleaner and that kills 99.99% of germs. Lysol was first invented in 1889 and became a popular disinfectant during the 1918 Spanish flu outbreak.
Roberto Machado Noa/LightRocket/Getty Images
For some reason, Lysol tried to re-brand in the 1920s to become a feminine hygiene product. It was advertised as both a cleaning agent for women and as a birth control agent. It was later discouraged by the medical community because it was too strong of a disinfectant.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
You Can Thank The Dead For Your Dentures
Back before wooden carved teeth became standard in dentures, anyone looking for a new set of teeth had to find someone who didn’t need theirs anymore. Unsurprisingly, the only people who were “willing” to give their teeth up were the dead.
SSPL/Getty Images
During the 18th century, most of the dentures at the time were made from the teeth of dead soldiers. It might sound morbid but people from the time didn’t seem to mind all that much.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Snail Slime Was A Sore Throat Solution
Nowadays we might brew a pot of tea and add some honey to cure a sore throat. Back in the day, doctors did something a little different and instead chose to combine one pound of snail slime with one pound of sugar. It would create a sweet syrup that would coat your throat and cure your cough.
Auscape/UIG/Getty Images
When you think about it, it’s really not that different than having a spoonful of honey but it’s still pretty gross.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Dying People Turned Their Body Into Edible Medicine
The process of mellification was an old Arabic process that consisted of a dying person turning their body into a mummified candy bar for the living to eat. It began when the person was still alive. They would decide to donate their body and begin an all-honey diet. After their death, the body is placed in a stone coffin filled with honey for up to a century.
Anthony Asael/Art In All Of Us/Getty Images
Eventually, the “mellified man” was unearthed and consumed by the living as a treatment for several ailments. The process was so popular that people in 16th century China also began doing it.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Early Toothpaste Wasn’t Exactly Minty Fresh
Toothpaste is a relatively modern invention but people still needed something to brush their teeth with. Toothpaste from the Middle Ages was made of burnt herbs like rosemary and mint, so it really wasn’t that bad. Toothpaste from the Roman era was much worse though. The Romans reportedly used to brush their teeth with pureed mouse brains.
Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images
Other gross kinds of toothpaste included crushed oysters from the Ancient Greeks and crushed pepper and salt from the Ancient Egyptians.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Using Urine As Mouthwash Was Commonplace
When it comes to cleaning clothes and ridding your mouth of bacteria, people didn’t always have Tide Pods and Listerine. They had to come up with their own anti-bacterial solution and luckily, they were full of it. People used to use their own urine to wash their clothes and their mouths.
May Tse/South China Morning Post/Getty Images
Human urine is sterile when boiled and contains ammonia, which many modern cleaning products also contain. The process may sound gross but even Bear Grylls suggests doing it when you’re in a pinch.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Tall Hairstyles Would Attract All Sorts Of Creepy Crawlies
Those ultra-high hairstyles of the 18th century may have looked prim and proper but they were a breeding ground for bacteria. The hairstyles were a mix of wigs and real hair that were built up using lard. Since the style took so much work, the hair was not washed for weeks.
DeAgostini/Getty Images
That means that during those weeks all sorts of vermin like bugs and small animals would find their way in and make themselves at home.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
People Just Didn’t Wash Their Clothes During Winter
Do you know how people only had four outfits? Well, they also just never washed them in the winter. For most people, it was simply too cold to take your clothes off so they just kept them on. Washing your clothes meant having to heat up water, wait for the clothes to dry, and do it all while being stark naked.
Universal History Archive/UIG/Getty Images
At least if it was cold they probably didn’t sweat as much, and hopefully, their clothes didn’t smell too bad.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Teeth Lacquering Caused Serious Damage
An ancient beauty trend that makes no sense today is teeth blackening. The tradition was common in Japanese and Vietnamese cultures and they believe black teeth was a symbol of maturity and civilization.
@ComedyCake/Twitter
The process involved using a mixture of chemicals to corrode away teeth enamel and give them a glossy black finish. While the chemicals technically kept the teeth from decaying, they also cause serious irreversible damage. The tradition has mostly disappeared since the colonial era.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Ancient Tampons Weren’t Exactly Comfortable
For women living in ancient societies, it was basically “anything goes” when it came to preventing leaks in public. Tampons were said to have originated in Egypt where women would mix dirt and honey then wrap it in linen. Ancient Greek women used a similar technique.
Richard Levine/Corbis/Getty Images
The women of Ancient India would use a mixture of rock salt and oil that doubled as a contraceptive. Japanese women were ahead of their time using paper tampons but they didn’t absorb much and apparently had to be changed 12 times a day.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Body Hair Was Removed With X-Rays
Using X-rays to remove body hair in the early 20th century was seen as a permanent solution to shaving. Why worry about grabbing your razor and foam on a busy morning but you could radiate the problem away?
Aytug Can Sencar/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
The only problem with this treatment for hair removal was that many patients got cancer. This is because in order to remove all the hair they wanted to permanently, they would have to be exposed to radiation for more than 20 hours!
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Radium Was Used To Battle Grey Hair
When we say radium was used to battle grey hair we use the word “battle” loosely. Getting rid of unwanted faded hair this way was 100 percent effective. They only problem was it would also cause a person’s hair to fall out.
Hunter Martin/Getty Images
Thank goodness today we have actual hair dyes that are safe to use in the battle of grey. You could also go all into to the look. The more mature shade has become surprisingly trendy in the 21st century!
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Cannibalism Was Part Of A Healthy Diet
You already read about what they used to do to mummified bodies in Egypt, but that was the only culture that consumed the dead. Wealthy people in the 17th century believed that flesh, human fat, and blood could be used to maintain health.
Bettmann/Getty Images
Thankfully today we know that none of those things are true. Excuse us while take a walk around the block to get the image out of our heads! Okay, onto the next slide!
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Beaver Parts Were Considered Birth Control
There’s unfortunately no real way to sugarcoat this one. If you thought using reptile dung was gross, then you definitely won’t enjoy this. In the 16th century, male beavers special parts were taken and turned into a birth control potion.
Roberto Machado Noa/LightRocket via Getty Images
Women then drank this potion and were supposedly protected from getting pregnant. We’re going to go ahead and guess that this didn’t work since it’s not something still used today. And let’s all be thankful for that!
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Silphium Is Extinct It Was Used So Much
Here’s a birth control tactic that won’t make you cringe. Ancient Romans used the silphium plant as a natural form of born control. To use it, they would simply eat it. That plant was so popular, in fact, that it didn’t survive the Roman era.
Carlo Hermann/KONTROLAB/KONTROLAB /LightRocket via Getty Images
These people valued the plant so highly that they placed its image on their money. It really must have been some kind of wonder plant. Too bad we’ll never know just how great it was today.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Teeth Were Pulled To Cure Toothaches
If you had a toothache back in the day and needed to get rid of it, there was one solution that always worked; pulling out your teeth. This painful practice was done in barbershops, since barbers were licensed to perform minor surgery at the time.
GraphicaArtis/Getty Images
Of course, this was only done to rotting teeth that were going to need to be removed anyway. The lesson here: take care of your teeth, because they don’t grow back.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Use Sulfur To Get Rid Of Those Unwanted Freckles
Freckles today are considered a beautiful thing. In the past, however, they were considered less than desirable. The solution for anyone cursed with freckles was to rub sulfur on them to make them disappear.
Valery MatytsinTASS via Getty Images
This seems pretty unfair to us. Having freckles makes a person unique. By taking away those markings, you are destroying a part who they are. Sadly, the past was a much less accepting place to live than the present. And cover-up hadn’t been invented yet, either.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Flowers Masked Unwanted Odors
Today, we can shower every day, wear deodorant and perfume, and reapply as necessary. In the past, none of these options existed. Well, people could shower every day, but it would have been seen as a huge waste of water.
Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
In order to make themselves smell better, people would carry flowers around them to mask their own scent. Flowers were so popular that the term “nosegay for a small bouquet” was even coined. Now you’ll think about flowers differently when someone tries to offer you some!
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Eagle Dung Was A Painkiller
Women had it rough in the past. Not only was old birth control questionable at best, but so were painkillers used during labor. To help quell labor pains, women were given eagle dung mixed with oil and vinegar to consumer.
Dan Goodrich/Newsday via Getty Images
The times have definitely changed. Women are much taken care of during labor now. Pain can be managed easily enough if they choose, or they can opt for a natural birth. Either way, their breathe won’t be effected at all.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Never Swim In A Castle Moat
A castle moat might look like fun (as long as there are no alligators swimming around), but the truth is you would never want to step foot in one. Castle keepers often used the water around the home to dump leftover food and human waste.
Bettmann/Getty Images
Now when you watch a movie where someone falls into a moat, you’ll know just how awful it really would have been. Remember, just because something is filled with water doesn’t mean there aren’t other things beneath the surface.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Floors Were Made Of Straw
One solution to having a bathroom in medieval times was this; cover the floor with straw. At least we’re assuming that’s why people used to do it. The really gross part is many people reportedly didn’t remove the old straw before adding a new layer in.
Joaquin Gomez Sastre/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Hopefully, medieval people weren’t walking around their houses barefeet. They had to wear some kind of protection, right? No wonder so many people became so easily sick back then. There was literally nowhere to hide!
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Everything Was Finger Food
Fun fact; medieval people didn’t have silverware. If you’re ever watching a movie and villagers are eating with spoons, don’t be fooled. They ate with their hands, the only tools that were available for them to eat with.
Tobias Hase/picture alliance via Getty Images
Sometimes they would use bread as a utensil, but then they would obviously eat the delicious carbohydrate. Did we mention no one washed their hands in those days either? Nothing like a little extra season on your stew beef!
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Surgery Was Non-Sterile
Until the 1800s, people had no idea that germs existed. Sure, people would get sick, but no one really knew why. That meant that whenever someone was so sick they needed surgery, the equipment used was not sterilized.
Sergei MalgavkoTASS via Getty Images
Amazingly, records of surgery being performed date back hundreds of years ago, long before we knew about germs. Skeletal records even show that ancient civilizations like the Mayans performed highly advanced operations such as brain surgery. Just, you know, without sanitized medical equipment.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Mercury Was A Failed Cold Sore Cure
Is there anything they wouldn’t try as a miracle cure in the past? Apparently, mercury, the liquid metal found in thermometers, was used to cure cold sores. The person suffering just had to let the toxic metal touch the wound.
QAI Publishing/UIG via Getty Images
This “miracle cure,” like so many others, didn’t work and probably left people worse than when they started. The good news today is that cold sores aren’t lethal; just incredibly annoying. An we Carmex now to help deal with them, too.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
You Probably Know About The Lead Problem
Sadly, lead is still a problem we deal with in our water supply today, although it was much worse in the past. When water systems and bathtubs were originally built, lead was used. No one knew at the time how dangerous the metal was.
VCG/VCG via Getty Images
Today, our water supply is still tainted with lead, although we have filters and various other tools to keep it as clean as possible. This has resulted in far fewer people getting sink from drinking or bathing in tap water.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Wounds Were Burned Closed
There’s an old myth that says it’s okay to close wounds by cauterizing (burning) them. The origins of this myth lay in medieval times, when that was exactly what they did. The thought process was simple enough; by burning the wound, the bleeding stops.
Rolf Vennenbernd/picture alliance via Getty Images
The bigger issue was that cauterized wounds get infected very easily. Burning the wound closed basically exposed the wounded soldier or person to greater risk. Of course, when your options are die now or later; most people would probably pick later
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Graham Crackers Were Invested To Fight Off Lust
You right that correctly. When graham crackers were invented, they were supposed to fight off feelings of lust. Not just any lust, though. The inventor believed the crackers were so bland that after eating them you wouldn’t even be able to lust after yourself.
Thomas Yau/South China Morning Post via Getty Images
Really? We have no idea what the science behind this is, but obviously people bought his lies. Graham crackers are still incredibly popular today. We just add things like chocolate and marshmallows!
contiune reading on the nexet page:
The Invention Of Deodorant
In 1888, a beautiful thing happened; deodorant was invented! People finally got tired or walking around with flowers and found a new way to mask their hideous odors. Perfume was also an option.
Christian Charisius/picture alliance via Getty Images
What’s really important is that with along with the rise in deodorant, there was not a decrease in showers. People liked smelling good, and this was a cheap and effective way to make sure you smelled good all day long. We can all be grateful for that!
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Kerosene Kept Bugs Out Of Beds
It turns out bed bugs were just as annoying in the past as they are today. To deal with these tiny creepy crawlers, people would douse their beds in kerosene. Guess what; it didn’t keep the bed bugs away.
Bettmann/Getty Images
Kerosene also made people’s beds smell terrible. And it’s a highly flammable liquid. If you have bed bugs, definitely do not try this. Like we said, it was 100 percent ineffective against bed bugs and there are perfectly good products you can buy at the store.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
This Is Where The Term “Feminine Hygiene” Came From
Starting in 1973, birth control was illegal to advertise in the United States. To be clear, the products were not illegal to use, but they could not be marketed as what they actually were.
Jan Sochor/Getty Images
To get around this, companies began branding their products using the terms “feminine hygiene” and “male hygiene.” No one was fooled, but the use of words was enough to get around the conservative laws. Decades later, and these terms are still used on thousands of products.
Don’t Harm Your Body With These Bad (But Common) Shower Habits
Have you ever considered the “right” and “wrong” ways to shower? Dermatologists have, and they’ve warned people about common–yet unhealthy–shower habits. These practices can dry out your skin, damage your hair, and even spread diseases.
If you enjoy a long shower, you’ll want to keep reading. Biologists and dermatologists have identified health concerns in everyday habits, such as keeping your loofah in the shower. Become the perfect shower-er when you learn how to correct these mistakes.
Stay tuned for why you shouldn’t shower every day.
It’s The Worst Place To Wash Your Face
Although washing your face in the shower saves time, most dermatologists advise against it. In short, showers are too hot, too pressurized, and just too much water. According to dermatologist Hadley King, the skin on our faces will dry out if it’s in water for too long. Remember, facial skin is more sensitive than body skin.
Facebook/DeWeissEugna
On top of that, most showers are hot enough to aggravate the skin. Overly-hot water can dilate blood vessels or even break them. If you turn down the temperature and the pressure, you can wash your face in the shower, says Dr. King.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Don’t Rub Dry
Are you drying your body too harshly? If you can describe your routine as “rubbing a towel,” you are. Drying the body should be more of a gentle pat. Hurriedly rubbing yourself dry may aggravate your skin, which will dry it out.
Godong/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
When you step out of the shower, don’t scrub, rub, or wipe yourself dry. Use a towel to gently pat your body. Doing so will keep the moisture on your skin without irritating it. The same goes for your hair; if you dry your hair in a rush, the fragile strands could break off.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
How Long Is Too Long?
Few things are more relaxing than a long, hot shower. But the longer your shower takes, the more your skin will suffer. Why? Because the cells that defend your skin, keratinocytes, are the same that produce your skin’s oil. While it’s good to wash away some of this bacteria-ridden oil, washing it for too long will irritate your skin, making you feel itchy and dry.
Godong/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
But how long is too long? Dermatologists told Insider that an ideal shower lasts between five and fifteen minutes. In general, the longer your shower, the more damage your skin could receive.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
You Don’t Need To Shower Every Day
Showering more makes you cleaner–right? Dr. Elaine Larson, an infectious disease expert, asserts that showering every day could actually make you sick. Over-showering dries out the skin by ripping away natural oils, and bacteria easily slip into those tiny cracks. To prevent disease, washing your hands is mostly adequate, says Larson.
Peter Bischoff/Getty Images
“I think most people over-bathe,” Dr. C. Brandon Mitchell, a professor of dermatology, told Time. “Your body is a naturally well-oiled machine. A daily shower isn’t necessary.” If you want to shower daily, lather your armpits and groin, but avoid the rest. Over-soaping your body will dry it out.
Coming up: why shower temperature matters.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
“Squeaky Clean” Is Too Clean
“Squeaky clean” is a good standard for counters and floors–not our skin. If your skin feels “squeaky clean,” you’re likely over-washing it. According to aesthetician Athena Hewett, this could create dry, flaky, red, and rashy skin. After all, over-washing strips the skin’s protective oils.
Universal Images Group via Getty Images
This problem is even worse for those with oily skin. Dermatologist Loretta Ciraldo said that this irritated, “squeaky clean” feeling can come from the wrong cleanser. “I see this a lot with acne cleansers,” she told Allure. If you think you’re over-washing your face, reduce the scrubbing time, or double-check your cleanser.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Moisturize Immediately
If you wait between drying off and applying lotion, you’re making a mistake. Despite feeling wet, your skin will be dried out after a long while in a hot shower. Also, there’s a benefit to immediately lathering on lotion: your body will absorb it more effectively.
Sina Schuldt/picture alliance via Getty Images
“Anything you apply after a shower will be more rapidly absorbed,” says director of cosmetic dermatology Heidi Waldorf. The Mount Sinai Hospital director recommends not putting any product that could irritate your skin. Instead, use an unscented lotion to keep your skin hydrated for longer.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Turn Down The Temperature
If you like your showers scalding hot, you’ll be disappointed by this news. Hot showers are not healthy for your skin. According to dermatologist Erum Ilyas, hot water literally strips the natural oils off of your skin. Since these oils usually guard your skin, your body may feel itchy or dry after a hot shower.
Pinterest/Walk in Shower Ideas | Wilfred Weihe
The problem becomes more significant with age, Dr. Ilyas told Insider. As our skin thins, it becomes more sensitive to hot water. Lower your water temperature to warm. If that’s too cold for you, limit the time you spend in a hot shower.
Do you need to wash your hair every day? Learn the answer soon.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Don’t Leave Your Loofah Hanging
Do you leave your loofah, washcloth, or sponge in the shower between rinses? If so, stop. Bacteria thrive in moist, warm environments. Dermatologists J. Matthew Knight says that leaving loofahs in the shower sets up an environment for mold, yeast, and bacteria.
Reddit/NoNoWhyWhy
According to a study in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology, an average loofah hosts dangerous bacteria such as E. coli. These germs are more likely to infect cleanly-shaved skin. To be safe, dry your loofah or washcloth outside of the shower, or simply wash with your hands.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
You Probably Need To Clean Your Washcloth
Speaking of loofahs and washcloths, when’s the last time you washed yours? Is it more than a couple of weeks? If so you’ll want to take action. Despite all the soap, your loofahs and washcloths get dirty quickly. According to dermatologist Sejal Shah, dead skin cells stick to washcloths, loofahs, and sponges. They stay on and host more bacteria.
Pinterest/sala8
In general, aim to wash your shower tools every couple of weeks. You can run washcloths and sponges through the laundry, and wring a loofah with soap. Researchers recommend using diluted bleach in safe quantities. When in doubt, replace any old shower tools.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Ditch The Soap Dish
Although soap dishes come standard in almost every shower, they don’t help skin health. Elaine Larson, an associate dean of epidemiology at Columbia University, warns people about germ-infested soap. According to her, leaving the soap bar in the shower is the worst thing you could do.
MyLoupe/UIG Via Getty Images
Bacteria thrive on soap’s slimy coating, which they usually develop on a dish. The good news is that these bacteria won’t harm you unless you have a compromised immune system. Still, you may want to store your soap bar in a dry place.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Don’t Wash Your Hair Every Day
Although everyone’s hair is different, most people don’t need to wash their hair every day. Yes, shampooing removes harmful bacteria, but it also destroys healthy bacteria. Dr. Dominic Burg, a hair biologist, trichologist, and microbiologist, advises against washing your hair every day. Instead, clean your hair just twice or three times a week.
Wodicka/ullstein bild via Getty Images
According to Burg, healthy bacteria create a microbiome that regulates the pH of your hair. When over-washing strips this biome, it clears the way for harmful bacteria to cause inflammation, scalp irritation, and fungi. If your hair feels oily every day even though you’re washing it, you could be using the wrong shampoo, says Burg.
The right away to use conditioner (without skin damage) is coming soon.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Enjoy A Blast Of Cold Water
Cold shower. The phrase is enough to make many people shudder. Even so, research shows that cold showers can strengthen the immune system. During a 2016 study in PLoS One, people who took cold showers were 29% less likely to get sick. And participants only turned the shower cold for 30 to 90 seconds.
Twitter/source4business
A blast of cold water could also improve your mood. According to research in Medical Hypotheses, these showers make neurotransmitters more sensitive to endorphins. Potentially, this response could help people with depression. Remember, just 30 seconds makes a difference.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Don’t Leave Your Razor In The Shower
Just as washcloths gather bacteria in the shower, razors do as well. “By storing your razor in the shower, you’re increasing the frequency in which you’ll need to change your blade refill,” says Venus dermatologist Jody Levine. Warm, wet environments cause razors to rust more quickly.
David Mareuil/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Plus, damp razors are breeding grounds for bacteria. When you shave, you open pores in your skin, making infection far more likely. To prevent this, dry your razors after you use them. Store them upright outside of the shower. They’ll last longer and won’t harm your skin.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
The Danger Of Wrapping Your Hair In A Towel
The American Academy of Dermatology warns that wrapping your hair in a towel after showering can damage it. How? Because hair is fragile when it’s wet. If done incorrectly, hair wraps can tug on your hairs and break them.
Unsplash/@curology
If you want to wrap up your hair, try to do so without twisting too tightly. Using a thin, delicate towel can reduce damage. Waiting for your hair to dry a bit and combing your hair beforehand will also decrease the potential damage.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
The Right Way To Use Conditioner
Many people pour conditioner on their scalp and work their way down. However, applying conditioner above your crown line may irritate your skin. Colorist Meri Kate O’Connor says that doing so makes your skin oily. Since oil gathers at the crown of your head, adding more oils makes it greasy.
Amandine Wanert/BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
That said, the American Academy of Dermatology recommends conditioning your hair after every shampoo session. O’Connor recommends starting with the bottom of your hair–the oldest, driest part of your hair. Gradually work your way up to prevent an oily scalp.
Coming up: a shaving habit that could get you sick.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Are You Exfoliating Too Much?
Exfoliating cleansers and face masks have become common, and they may trick people into exfoliating every day. But this will damage your skin over time. Dr. Aanand Geria of Geria Dermatology recommends exfoliating once or twice a week. Any more will irritate your skin, especially on the face.
BSIP/UIG Via Getty Images
By exfoliating sparingly, you give your skin time to produce natural oils that help your skin. When you over-exfoliate, your skin might feel waxy or sensitive, according to Dr. Geria. Redness, peeling, and burning are sure signs that you should drop the exfoliator.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Wash Your Towels More Often
Most people understand that they should wash their shower towels. But according to the American Cleaning Institute, towels should be washed after three to four uses. According to Dr. Mehmet Oz of NSF International, shower towels develop mold, yeast, and bacteria from the warm moisture.
Godong/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
The frequency depends on how well your towels dry. If you throw them on the floor, they won’t dry fully, which allows more bacteria to fester. If you’re sick, you may want to wash your shower towel after each use.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Avoid The Loofah After You Shave
As you shave, your skin opens up tiny holes. These are perfect for infectious bacteria to sneak into. Since loofahs are bacteria breeding grounds, they aren’t ideal for a post-shave wash. Dermatologist Melissa Piliang advises against using loofahs or washcloths for a couple of days after shaving.
Reddit/roaringspider
Dr. Piliang recommends only using your loofah once or twice a week. Your hands are enough to lather soap across your body, she says. Examine your loofah occasionally; if it smells or starts to mold, replace it.
Stay tuned to learn how your shower water could be harming your skin and hair.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Clean Your Bathtub Frequently
When is the last time you cleaned your bathtub? Despite all the soap, showers and tubs become dirty very quickly. Microbiologist Jason Tetro says that harmful bacteria such as E. coli thrive in the shower. TODAY Home adds that the shower’s damp environment accelerates mold growth.
BSIP/UIG Via Getty Images
Tetro recommends cleaning your tub every two weeks and disinfecting your shower curtains weekly. After cleaning, leave the shower door or curtains open. You’ll want enough airflow to dry the bathroom fully, so leave your restroom door open, too.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Why You Should Shower After Exercising
A post-workout shower isn’t just for the odor. It also prevents potential infections. According to women’s health director Holly Phillips, the leftover sweat allows bacteria to breed. In the best-case scenario, this could cause rashes and acne. In the worst case, it could lead to a staph infection.
Zoran Milich/Getty Images
That said, your skin won’t suffer from the occasional skipped shower. Changing into dry clothes and patting on some baby powder may help if you need to skip a rinse. When you do take a shower, all you need is a five-minute wash.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Stop Using Hard Water
Unlike soft water, hard water contains high amounts of calcium and magnesium. According to the USGS, 85% of the water in the United States is hard. These chemicals can interact with your soaps and shampoos. When calcium and magnesium react with the fatty acids in soap, they make the soap ineffective.
Unsplash/@chanphoto
Hard water can also build up in your hair, making it tangled or limp. If your hair has ever felt different after showering at a gym or hotel, it’s because water’s hardness varies by location. To prevent hard water, you can buy a water softener.
Coming up: using the wrong towel could have dire consequences.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Wash Your Feet!
Dripping soap isn’t enough to wash your feet. And, yes, you need to scrub your feet. “Your feet are covered with bacteria,” disease expert Dr. Amesh Adalja told SELF. “Said bacteria just so happen to cause foot odor.” Do you want those bacteria to stay on your feet and potentially cause infections?
Twitter/@pipersweetfeet
The best way to clean your feet, according to Dr. Adalja, is to brush them. Exfoliating your feet with a sponge, washcloth, or loofah will effectively remove the bacteria. If you don’t do this regularly, you could get staph infections, warts, or athlete’s foot.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Keep Body Wash Off Your Face
Using body wash on your face might be convenient, but this soap isn’t made for your face. Your facial skin is thinner and more tender than other parts of your body. According to dermatologist Rachel Nazarian, body soap and throw off the pH of your skin. Its harsh oils can also deteriorate all of your skin’s natural oils.
Twitter/@OneMommaSavingM
The rest is dry, irritated, and possibly red skin. Separate facial cleansers are made for a reason. Aim for a fragrance-free cleanser, since artificial scents may bother your skin. And if you have to use body wash, remember to moisturize afterward.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Ditch The Old Razor
After multiple drags across your skin, razors accumulate dead skin cells and bacteria. Don’t use a dull or rusted razor; it could nick you more, create little red bumps, and potentially spread infection. Dermatologist Whitney Bowe recommends replacing your razor blade after a few uses.
Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Fortunately, Bowe has tips for keeping your razor sharper for longer. Rinse your razor after each use, since traces of soap and shaving cream will cause it to rust. Dry it with a towel, and store it in a dry area such as a medicine cabinet.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Why Regular Towels Aren’t As Good As Bath Towels
Have you ever wondered why bath towels feel softer than regular towels? It’s not just for comfort; it’s for your hair health. According to celebrity hairstylist Monae Everett, the rough texture of standard towels may damage your hair.
JOKER/Gudrun Petersen/ullstein bild via Getty Images
When hair is wet, it’s more fragile. Wringing your hair with a rough towel may create damages along the hair shaft, which leads to tangles and frizz, says Everett. If you’re out of bath towels, use a microfiber towel or t-shirt. And when you pat your hair dry, be gentle.
Should you replace your showerhead? Learn the answer soon.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Don’t Leave Hair In The Drain
Yes, wet hair in the drain is gross. But if you let hair build up in your shower, the drain could clog. This will create problems for both your plumbing and your health. A clogged drain leads to stagnant water, which allows bacteria to gather more quickly. From a monetary perspective, stagnant water can create mold and even warp your shower floor.
Twitter/@AlfCurtis
A drain cover can prevent hair from tangling in your drain. Remove leftover hair after your shower is over. Although it seems gross now, it’ll only get worse over time. If your drain does clog, buy a drain cleaner.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Don’t Face The Showerhead When You Turn It On
In 2009, researchers from the University of Colorado examined showerheads across three states. They discovered that over 80% of showerheads contain the infectious pathogen Mycobacterium, which could cause pulmonary disease. If you’re facing the shower when you turn on the water, you may get a face full of bacteria.
Jonathan Wood/Getty Images
The good news is that these germs won’t affect those with a strong immune system. But immunocompromised people, children, pregnant women, and the elderly may struggle to fight it off. Clean your showerhead frequently, and let the water run for a bit before you hop in.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Replace That Plastic Showerhead
Plastic showerheads are worse than metal ones, at least when it comes to health. In an interview with NPR, Dr. Norman Pace, a professor of molecular, cellular, and developmental biology, described the difference. He said that plastic showerheads build up bio-film more than metal, which also gathers more bacteria.
Twitter/@WMUR9
It’s no wonder that scientists from the University of Colorado found more germs on plastic showerheads than on metal ones. You can tell what your showerhead is made of based on the connection material. If it’s a screw-on instead of a secure bolt, it’s likely plastic.
Now that you know what bad shower habits you need to leave behind, let’s get a little more specific and reveal some bad hair habits!
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Don’t Skip Your Breakfast
We understand that it can be challenging to find time for breakfast in the morning, but hear us out on this one. When you don’t grub on something in the morning, your body will run on fumes, and your hair won’t get the proper nutrients it needs.
eva_jasmin/Instagram
Whatever nutrients and minerals you consume in the morning go to more vital bodily functions before reaching your hair. If you skip this, it can lead to shedding and slower growth, so eat something before work!
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Stay On Schedule With your Hairdresser
There may come a point when you try to grow out your hair if you haven’t tried already. When you’re doing so, the first thing you need to do is schedule an appointment with your hairdresser.
William Connors/Condé Nast via Getty Images
If you have split-ends, they’ll travel up your hair shaft, ruining your beautiful locks you’ve been working so hard on. To best deal with this and avoid other damages, schedule an appointment with the dresser every two months for more complete and healthy hair. It’s not a science; it’s facts.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Please, Don’t Tie Too Tight!
When you’re having a bad hair day, putting your flowing hair into a ponytail is a quick and easy fix. You must be cautious not to tie it up too tightly and frequently, or you may cause some damage to your roots.
republicofpigtails/Instagram
You also want to avoid thin, tight hair ties because they can cause breakage and irritation when you tie too tightly. That’s why you need to find ties that are thick and covered in fabric – avoid nylon at all costs. Bobby pins as hair clips are good alternatives to get your hair out of the way, too.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
If It Isn’t Clean, Don’t Let It In Your Hair
If you aren’t about to use a clean styling tool, then don’t use it at all. Unclean brushes and combs have dead skin, germs, and other unwanted residues that you don’t want your hair touching.
ghostinkyrie/Twitter
That doesn’t mean you have to throw them out and buy a new one regularly. Simply soak the combs or brushes in baking soda and water for one minute and allow them to air dry before using them again. It’s as easy as that.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Choose Your Shampoo Based On Hair Type
Seldom do people ever keep the same type of hair their whole lives. It’s okay to switch things up, but you must watch how what you do after the change because it can affect your hair.
dagmar.sterzenbach/Instagram
Whenever you get a perm or even dye your precious strands, you can’t keep using the same shampoo. The new style will last longer and look healthier with the proper shampoo and conditioner, so do your research and find the best fit!
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Consume Your Proteins
Were you aware that your hair is made up of the protein keratin? Don’t worry, not many know that fact. What you need to know is that you should be consuming a fair amount of protein to keep your hair happy.
Peter Bischoff/Getty Images
If you aren’t, then your body can’t grow healthy hair. Always be sure to incorporate some nuts, beans, fish, or chicken in your diet to help your hair grow and remain strong. No proteins mean no flowing hair on your head.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Style When Your Hair Is Dry
This next tip doesn’t apply to every type of hair, but it’s an excellent rule for the majority. Due to your hair becoming more fragile when it’s wet, it’s better to style and comb when it’s dry.
Arun Nevader/Getty Images for Art Hearts Fashion
You can still detangle it when it’s wet, but use a wide-toothed comb and the proper brushing technique (the one we taught you earlier) to ensure you limit breakage. There’s a cost you have to pay to have your hair looking sensational.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Opt For Silk Or Satin Pillowcases
Of course, the standard pillowcase to use is cotton due to its softness and durability, but there are issues with that material. The friction you create when you rub your hair against it can cause split-ends and frizz, two things you don’t need.
tinaf78/Instagram
Instead, one should opt for silk or satin pillowcases for healthier hair. Besides, satin and silk feel sensational after you’ve had a long day, and it’s time to rest for the night.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Don’t Fall Victim To All The Products
With so many hair products on the shelves and a ton of people and websites making suggestions about which ones to use, it can be tough deciding which to put in your hair. One too many screams and sprays can weigh down your hair or make it oily.
maggiejeninga/Instagram
The three that you can consider necessary are shine serums, heat protectors, and dry shampoo, especially if you style your look every day. You need to remember that less is more when figuring what goes on your head.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Watch That Bleach…
We know that brunettes want to see what the blonde life is like, but bleaching your hair isn’t the safest thing to do. While you might’ve already had a feeling that applying bleach to your hair isn’t safe, you might not have known why.
Rich Fury/WireImage
When you add bleach to the equation, it infuses your hair cuticles with chemicals. This process damages your strands, making them appear dry and brittle. Do you want those features being prevalent with your hair?
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Heat Applied To Your Hair Isn’t That Great
Making sure your hair gets dry as soon as possible is a high priority when you’re getting ready, but be careful with how high you turn that heat up on your blow dryer!
Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images
Also, straightening your hair every day dehydrates it, leaving it prone to damage and dullness. You can dry it every other time you wash it, using the heated drying tools on the medium setting. We’re trying to save your hair here, so trust us.
contiune reading on the nexet page:
Relax On All The Treatments
While many of the tips we’ve provided thus far can help the health of your hair, we can’t stress this one enough. Repetitively relaxing, coloring, and perming exposes your hair to too many chemicals.
ghostinkyrie/Twitter
Naturally, this isn’t great for any part of your body, but it can lead to drier and weaker hair. You need to always inform your stylist of any previous treatment you’ve received so that they can best choose how to work on your hair.
