New & Notable: September Edition

I love CBD products to address a variety of needs, but I’m generally not a huge purveyor of THC. Nonetheless, I’m always open to trying something new and finding an alternative to a nightly glass of wine and the next-day headache that can occur from over-imbibing. As such, I was excited to test out Lifted Supreme Citrus over the summer. This non-alcoholic cannabis cocktail includes the maximum strength allowed by law of full-spectrum hemp extract and offers a true experience of all cannabinoids in the hemp plant, including up to the legal limit of THC. In addition to the cannabinoids, it is made from a blend of water-solubilized terpenes, such as lemon essence, pink grapefruit, mandarin orange, and lemonhead, which gives it a flavor similar to a lemon-drop shot. My husband, our friends, and I sampled this after a long day of wrangling five children under eight on the beach. We all felt relaxed and spent the evening laughing and having fun, meaningful, and clear-headed conversations. Even better, everyone woke up refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready to hit the beach early with nary a hangover among us. I’m a huge fan of this drink and am excited to test out Lifted Supreme Dark, which feels like an ideal choice for fall and winter

As a journalist with a biology degree, I’ve always been a bit of a science nerd. Unsurprisingly, I tend to geek out when I discover products that have a strong scientific base, which is why I have loved testing out Elo’s Smart Nutrition Supplement program, which offers customized supplements formulated specifically for your body’s needs. It’s really simple—the company sends out an at-home biomarker test that requires a few small drops of blood. They then analyze your sample, provide an extensive review of your results, and send a packet of daily supplements that are perfectly personalized. Even better, they have a cool app that allows you to read your test results, provides resources to help you achieve your health and wellness goals, and even connects you with your very own wellness coach to keep you focused. I’m about 30 days into a cocktail of seven daily supplements designed to address my body’s needs. And at the 90-day mark, Elo will send another biomarker test to see how the supplements are working and if there needs to be any adjustments. So far, I’m feeling great and haven’t missed a day, because the system is easy, engaging, and informative.

Although I try out a lot of different skincare products for a variety of skin conditions as part of my job, at the end of the day, my skin is sensitive and often dehydrated. As such, products designed specifically for this tend to be best for me. That’s why I was excited to try out the Soothe collection from MyChelle Dermaceuticals. I received a trio of products—Gentle Calming Cleanser ($17.99), Gentle Calming Serum ($34.99), and Gentle Calming Cream ($56). I’m happy to report that these products are ideal for my skin, and I noticed reduced redness and increased hydration just a few days after implementing the regimen. The cleanser, which is infused with strawberry fruit extract, vegan squalene, and witch hazel, had a nice texture and removed my makeup easily. I always rinsed it off after use, but rinsing is not required—you can swipe it over your face with a cotton ball and leave it, which is great for the gym or other times you aren’t near water. Next, I loved the oil texture of the serum, which is made with vegan squalene, mugwort oil, meadowfoam oil, botanical extracts, and cucumber oil. (I’m a huge fan of face oils, and this one did not disappoint). Finally, I also liked the Gentle Calming Cream, made with squalene, blue daisy flower extract, and a brightening extract. I sampled this collection at the toasty end of summer, during the sweatiest time of the year when I prefer a light daily moisturizer. This one’s a bit heavy for hot days, so I preferred to use it at night, which worked well for me. Each morning, I woke up with skin that looked and felt refreshed and renewed.

Much to many people’s surprise, I don’t drink coffee. I don’t love the taste, and I don’t like the jittery way I feel when I drink it. As such, I’ve always been more of a tea afficionado. I prefer the taste of tea, and I love to get creative with how I drink it. One of my favorites is matcha tea. However, I have yet to find an at-home matcha option that compares to the matcha lattes that I enjoy from various coffee houses. I was excited when I was invited to test out Cuzen Matcha, a lovely countertop matcha machine designed to reproduce the qualities of a traditional stone mill and bamboo whisk with much less effort. I’m happy to report it is an excellent addition to my husband’s coffee station. While he enjoys his daily fresh brewed java, I am now taking advantage of my own organic matcha drink, and we have created a nice morning ritual. I received the Matcha Maker Starter Kit ($299), which included everything I needed to make the perfect matcha. Along with the cool, modern-looking machine that stores, grinds, and whisks organic leaves for the highest-quality matcha, it also came with three, four-gram packets of the company’s Matcha Leaf Blends and a booklet with operating instructions, tips, farm information, and recipes. While this is an ideal at-home matcha solution, I think it’s also a perfect choice for spas and resorts that want to get creative with their healthy beverages. It’s already at a few locations, including Single Thread (Healdsburg, CA); Fairmont Spa Century Plaza Spa (Los Angeles), Cal-a-Vie Health Spa (Vista, CA), and Spa Montage Healdsburg (CA). I would not be surprised to see it pop up at many more locations, thanks to its cool look, ease of use, and, most importantly, delicious matcha!

This past summer was one of my absolute favorites, because my family and I spent an entire month at the beach. I very rarely unplug from work, but I went out of my way (perhaps taking inspiration from the great Brene Brown, whose team took a summer hiatus this year) to step away from work and step into a real, authentic experience with my family. We had one day of rain and 30 days of sun and beach time, and while I was very careful about sunscreen, I came home tanner than I’ve ever been in my life, something that I have strenuously avoided for the last 20 years of my life. While my soul was restored, my skin was less-than-trilled with my month of fun in the sun. It was the perfect time to sample the Dr. Dennis Gross Vitamin C Lactic Collection, which includes a 15% Vitamin C Firm & Bright Serum ($85), Firm & Bright Eye Treatment ($68), Oil-Free Radiant Moisturizer ($72), and Dewy Deep Cream ($75). Full disclosure—I’m a huge Dr. Dennis Gross fan, and I was expecting a lot from this line. It sure didn’t disappoint. In less than a week, my skin was glowing, my summer freckles were fading, and I was getting multiple compliments on how fresh and rejuvenated my skin looked. The products are intended to reduce visible signs of sun aging and prevent future signs from surfacing, and they certainly delivered. The only thing I should point out is that, like pretty much every vitamin C product I have ever tried, there is a bit of a lingering scent. I did a little research on this and found this very funny article from The Cut on the penetrating fragrance of vitamin C products. While no one seems to have discovered the true reason for this, it’s something I’ve noticed every time I use vitamin C products, and this was no different. But the results are worth it, and I’m thrilled to have found a solution for my summertime skincare blues.