Good Ideas + Beautiful Objects | June Edition
An irresistible object, more skincare, and a powerful tool for an instant mood shifts.
One big idea, a good idea and a beautiful object that’ll last the test of time.
The Beautiful Object: This Tiny Shell Pillbox
Some things in nature can’t be improved upon—a miraculously swirly conch shell is among them. Though it may be perfect in it’s natural form, this sterling silver version is a whole lot more useful and for that, I’ll endure the replica.
If you’re eyes are falling out of your head at the beauty of this tiny little silver box, act quickly: it sells out over and over.
Handmade in Mexico and offered by the vintage and contemporary curators at the Casa Shop, pack this pillbox out to lunch with your digestive enzymes or on vacation with your astaxanthin.
The Good Idea: Still thinking about this beauty ingredient.
Earlier this month, I mentioned the trust-worthy skincare recommendation below. I’m still thinking about it, and so are many of you—a super-popular click.
Volufiline—Better Than OTC Retinol? | While we’re waiting on Dr. Sinclair to reverse the age of our skin, I’m shopping based on this recent claim by Sandra of Lanshin. In the linked Reel, Sandra argues that trending beauty ingredient Volufiline performs better than OTC retinol in her clinical observations.
This caught my interest because retinol is the anti-aging GOAT, but has to be handled with such care, especially when it comes to sun exposure. This has always irritated me—pun intended. The idea that a non-sensitizing, easy-to-use plumping ingredient like Volufiline could replace it would be a big win to me. The ingredient comes from a plant with deep roots in Traditional Chinese Medicine (Anemarrhena asphodeloides root), of which Sandra is a trusted expert. Her product of choice: CAVIPLLA+O2® Advanced Volumizing Serum. Watch her full take in the video above.
Truth be told, I’m trying another combo of products from Sandra’s arsenal before I get to the volufiline: these strange, but compelling creams from Adipeau. The brand had already been in touch and wanted to send and they are too intriguing to resist—stay tuned for a bit of coverage around that innovative skincare as well.
The Big Idea: Heart-Brain Coherence - A Simple Explanation
One of the most fascinating discoveries in human physiology is that the heart and brain are in constant conversation.
We know of the brain as the command center of the body, but that role may be far more collaborative than most of us realize.
The heart sends a surprising amount of information to the brain through the nervous system, shaping everything from cognitive performance to stress responses and hormone release.
When the rhythms of the heart are steady, smooth, and ordered, the brain receives a different signal than it does during stress, anxiety, or overwhelm.
This state is known as heart-brain coherence.
In simple terms, coherence is what happens when your thoughts, emotions, and physiology are synchronized.
In stress, our internal systems become more erratic—stress hormones rise, our body chemistry shifts and our thinking becomes less clear.
Coherence shifts the body out of a chronic stress response and into a state where multiple systems—cardiovascular, nervous, hormonal, and immune—can communicate more effectively.
It’s a physiological state that can be cultivated over time.
Learning to get—and stay—in coherence is a powerful practice and the quickest way to get there is surprisingly simple:
Our hearts and brains synchronize through breath—slow, deep ones to be specific—and emotion: gratitude, to be most specific.
Slow your breathing and bring your attention to your heart. With slowed, steady breaths, conjur an intentional sense of gratitude, peace, love, calm focus or connection (Having trouble? Try this: think of the sweetest animal you know—boom, you’re in.) Hold the state for a few minutes.
What’s happening meanwhile?
Heart-brain coherence.
You are generating a genuine emotional state that the body can feel.
The brain is receiving signals associated with safety and stability, allowing the body’s systems to work together more efficiently.
Researchers (mainly The HeartMath Institute) have found that, in coherence, the mind and body function more efficiently as a whole:
Improved nervous system resilience
Lower levels of stress hormones (such as cortisol)
Improved cardiovascular function
Greater cognitive flexibility and enhanced creativity
Improved cognitive performance and attention
Enhanced decision-making under pressure
Improved sleep quality and recovery
Try this simple practice a few times before bed or return to it when you’re overwhelmed or under stress.
Like all the most powerful health practices, heart-brain coherence is so simple that it is easy to neglect. Think drinking water or touching grass.
Let yourself get hooked on the feeling—however ‘woo-woo’ you may feel. It’s really not that deep.
Dive deeper on heart-brain coherence at the HeartMath Institute. You don’t need a gadget, but if you like a tool—they also make one that you can work with.
Shop the Story | Object: Conch Shell Pillbox $375 | Good Idea: CAVIPLLA+O2® $90 | Big Idea: The HeartMath Solution $25