Welcome to the ISSUE
100th issue of
Women’s Health
Can you
remember the
first issue back
in February
2012, with Kate
Beckinsale on
the cover? I can
picture it vividly. As obsessed with
wellness then as I am now, I felt like
I finally had a magazine that spoke
directly to me. Suddenly, health
was cool, rather than wholesome.
It’s thanks to Women’s Health
that I first heard the term ‘fitness
influencer’ and became obsessed
with an Australian trainer called
Kayla Itsines. Kayla went on to
become the most famous trainer in
the world – gracing the cover of this
very magazine four times – but
PHOTOGRAPHY: RACHELL SMITH; MATTHEW MONFREDI; STUDIO 33
you’d have read about her here first.
It’s also because of these hallowed
pages that I started to appreciate
the importance of strength training
– pivoting my cardio-heavy workout
programme to a much more holistic
approach that’s given me a stronger
and healthier body.
I watched as my favourite
magazine became the fastest-
growing female publishing brand
of the decade, while declaring
to my colleagues on the weekly
fashion title I was working on that,
one day, I would be the editor of
Women’s Health. And here I am,
at the helm of its 100th issue. It’s a
‘pinch me’ moment – and a privilege
I’ll never take for granted.
In the 10 years Women’s Health
has been on the newsstands, much
has changed in the realm of female
health. Our gynaecological health is
no longer shrouded in shame. We’re
owning our periods, along with
their potential to impact our lives,
while the peri/menopause is finally
getting the airtime it deserves. But
it’s not all good news. The UK has
the largest gender health gap in the
G20 (the world’s most developed
economies). Gynaecological waiting
lists are longer than any other area
of medicine since the pandemic and
childbirth remains significantly
riskier for Black women than white
women. On p96, senior editor
Roisín Dervish O’Kane speaks to
some of the most influential women
in female health today to ask what
lessons we should take from the
past decade into the next.
Meet your
Women’s Health
Collective Expert
Panel fitness stars
You’ll notice more features about Join the
sexual health and sexual wellness,
as it’s our annual Sex Issue. If you
squad
want to be informed, surprised and
– if you’re anything like me, left just
a little red-faced – turn to ‘We’ve For daily reads
Googled All The Sex Terms So You womenshealthmag.
Don’t Have To’ (p101). You’ll know com/uk
your edging from your xenophilia
(and much, much more) by the
end of it. And I hope you find ‘The
Sex Lives Of Others’ – in which five
women open their sex diaries (p88) Follow us
@womenshealthuk
– as fascinating as I did.
I’m hoping to be on a sunlounger
in Greece with a cocktail in hand
by the time this issue comes on
sale. Wherever this letter finds Watch us on YouTube
you, I hope your set-up is every Women’s Health UK
bit as gorgeous as mine.
Until next month…
Claire Sanderson
Editor-In-Chief
Follow me on Instagram
@clairesanderson
Let us help you be your healthiest self
with our brand-new membership
platform, Women’s Health Collective.
With training plans for every discipline,
healthy recipes, an extensive library of
workout moves to perfect your form and
a panel of experts spanning fitness,
nutrition and skincare to answer
your health questions, it’s a
complete wellness support
system, and prices start at
just £3. See p22 for more.
 Editor-In-Chief HEARST UK CONSUMER SALES
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4 | SEPTEMBER 2022
September
Know How
9 | IF YOU DO ONE
THING THIS MONTH...
10 | IN THE KNOW
News you can use, direct
from the science lab
12 | ASK WH
What should your rest-
day meal plan look like?
14 | FOOD FOR THOUGHT
With fructose being linked to
metabolic disorders, is it time
to limit your fruit intake?
15 | MOVE OF THE MONTH
Take your posture to heroic
levels with a new twist on
the traditional superman
16 | DOES IT REALLY WORK?
Could pole dancing hold the
key to body confidence? One
WH guinea pig gives it a spin
17 | SKIN DEEP
Skincare has gone south – in
a good way. Here’s everything
you need to know about the
wonderful world of vajacials
18 | WHAT HAPPENS WHEN
…I get period cravings?
19 | FIT KIT HERO
Meet the two-wheel triumph
that nails both comfortable
cruising and daily commuting
20 | ASK THE WH FIT SQUAD
Want to become a morning
workout person? Here’s how
to do it and what you’ll gain
6 | SEPTEMBER 2022
Eat Smart
33 | THE BREAKFAST CLUB
Six recipes for a stylish and
substantial start to the day
40 | WH LAB
The best low- and no-alcohol
tipples to help you do happy
hour without the headache
Strong Mind
43 | DON’T FAKE IT
#Authenticity has now
reached the bedroom.
Is faking it finished?
49 | IT’S GOOD TO TALK
We need to rethink what we
know about consent. Here
are five simple strategies
to do just that
52 | BROAD SPECTRUM
One woman describes
how society’s vast
misunderstanding of
asexuality impacted
her wellbeing
Best Body
55 | THE RIGHT DIRECTION
Try this full-body routine that
covers all movement patterns
60 | STRIKE A POSE
Yoga’s good for a lot of things,
but can it enhance your desire?
64 | EYES ARE THE PRIZE
Your essential guide to
keeping your corneas
happy and healthy
65 | HOW I GET FIT DONE
Minreet Kaur has a passion
for getting her local south
Asian community active
Wear Well
67 | GET YOUR KICKS
The inaugural WH Trainer
Awards are here. However
you choose to stay active,
these are the shoes that
you need in your life
Beauty Lab
75 | KEEP IT SIMPLE
It’s high time our skincare
routines went back to basics
80 | #SKINSHELFIE
Take a peek inside Ada
Ooi’s bathroom cabinet
82 | IT’S ONLY NATURAL
Seven big haircare myths,
debunked. You’re welcome
Features
88 | THE SEX DIARIES
Five women share intimate
COVER PHOTOGRAPHY: DANIELLA MIDENGE. STYLING: KRISTEN SALADINO. HAIR: NIKKI LEE USING GREAT LENGTHS. MAKE-UP: KELSEY DEENIHAN
details of their sex lives
96 | TIME TO CELEBRATE?
WH is 10 years old. We look
at what has – and hasn’t –
changed for female health
over the past decade
101 | A-Z OF SEX
A handy glossary of sexual
terms to help save your
blushes on Google
108 | WISDOM OF AGE
Will ‘I look old’ soon be
joining ‘I look fat’ as a
conversational no-go?
115 | YOUR BIG BREAK
Three once-in-a-lifetime trips
to add to your bucket list
122 | ROUTE TO WELLTH
Musician Rebecca Lucy
Taylor, aka Self Esteem
 24

Hilary
Duff
Two decades in Hollywood
have taught our cover star
a thing or two about caring
for her body and her mind

SEPTEMBER 2022 | 7

If you do one
thing this month
Aim
for weekly
orgasms
Make that at least four
– if you’ve not experienced
the menopause yet. A UCL
study found that women
who engage in regular
sexual activity – that is,
weekly – have a lower risk
of experiencing early
menopause – when a
woman’s periods stop
before the age of 45. The
research, published in
WORDS: VICTORIA JOY. PHOTOGRAPHY: STOCKSY
Royal Society Open
Science, is one of the
largest and most diverse
longitudinal studies into
aspects of the menopause
transition, following
nearly 3,000 women
over a 10-year period.
Participants who reported
Know How
engaging in sexual activity
weekly were 28% less
likely to experience early
menopause than women
who engaged in sexual
activity less frequently
than monthly. We’re not
just talking missionary
with a partner, though;
sexual activity includes
intercourse, oral sex,
sexual touching and
masturbation. All the fun
stuff. According to the
researchers, the theory
goes that if a woman isn’t
having sex, and there’s
no chance of pregnancy,
the body chooses not
to spend its energy on
ovulation and directs
it elsewhere. Get at it.
SEPTEMBER 2022 | 9

69
Not the position, this time,
but a percentage. Those
of us who subscribe to a
plant-based diet are 69%
more likely to be pursuing
an open relationship than
those who eat meat, fish
and dairy. That’s according
to data from the vegan
and veggie dating app
Veggly. News to share
with your matches.
S LE E P -
WA LK I N G
LU N G E S
- has shown that cuddling a cushion that
New American
Heart Association
research shows that
resistance training
can beat cardio at inducing
sleep. Different exercise routines
were given to 386 participants
who struggled with sleep for
one year. The aerobics group
notched up an extra 23 minutes
per night, but those assigned
resistance training got an extra
40. Squat till you drop (off).
SKIN IN
TH E GA M E
- Sexual Health
Researchers at the Babraham
Institute in Cambridge have done
what Cher couldn’t: they turned
back time. By exposing skin
cells to four key molecules,
they reprogrammed adult cells
into induced pluripotent stem
cells, which function like their
more juvenile selves, too. Think:
producing more collagen rather
than slamming more doors.
PENIS
F LY TR A P  yoga can be a powerful
- mental health tool.
A discovery seven
years in the making
by researchers at
Washington State
University could form the basis
of a new over-the-counter
contraceptive. The team found
that blocking a prostate-specific
antigen prevented sperm from
turning from a gel into the liquid
state that lets it swim through
the female reproductive system.
10 | SEPTEMBER 2022
NEWS YOU CAN USE
Want the latest health intel? We’ve combed
the science journals so you don’t have to
In the
know
Cushioning
the blow
New research from the University of Bristol
accurately simulates real breathing is as
effective an anxiety-reliever as a guided
meditation. The cushion reduced feelings of
anxiety among participants who were given
eight minutes to prepare for a (gulp) maths
test – a response researchers believe is
down to the way in which the cushion
encourages a slower pace of breathing.
O N E FO R
TH E ROA D
-
If you sank more Sauv
than you’re proud of
this summer, hear this:
reducing your alcohol intake
by just one drink per day could
help reduce the loss of grey and
white matter that leads to
cognitive decline. A study*,
which monitored the alcohol
consumption of 36,000 UK
adults, found the negative
effects of alcohol on the brain
to be accumulative, meaning
each drink could be more
damaging than the last.
Techniques such as mindful
drinking have been shown
to help you develop a more
intentional approach to alcohol.
S P O R TI N G
C H A N C E 
-
Athletes with perfectionist
tendencies are more likely to
burn out. After studying 250
athletes across various sports,
a team from the University of
Essex advises celebrating the
successes while reframing
failures as opportunities to learn.
TH E TO -
D O LI S T
WORDS: CELINE HEATH. PHOTOGRAPHY: ROWAN FEE. ARTWORK: PETER CROWTHER AT DEBUT ART. *UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
ENGAGE
Week, 12-18
September
Sexual wellness begins
with sexual health. To find
your nearest service and
book an appointment, visit
brook.org.uk/find-a-service/
READ
Yoga Saved My
Life by Sasha
Bates (£17.99,
Hodder & Stoughton) 
Psychotherapist and yoga
teacher Sasha Bates on why
GO
Verve Wellness
Festival, Wiltshire,
17 September
From expert talks to
wellness workshops on
breathwork, gong baths,
live music and countryside
rambles… For tickets,
see feeltheverve.com
Know How
‘Protein intake should be
kept similar, but you may
want to reduce portions of
carbohydrate at meals if
you’re doing less activity.
What should For example, a quarter of
a plate of carbs instead
I be eating of a third or half a plate on
on rest days? training days.’ Trying to
gain muscle? You’ll want
Probably not much to keep your burrito bowl
different from usual, tbh. pretty full, Stewart says.
‘I always remind my ‘Building muscle requires
clients that rest days are energy, so cutting intake
recovery days and food is counterproductive,’
shouldn’t be reduced she adds. ‘If your appetite
significantly,’ says sports is lower, focus on more
dietitian Kathryn Stewart energy-dense foods, such
(@edible_evidence). as oils, nuts, seeds and
12 | SEPTEMBER 2022
avocado.’ As well
Ask WH
as planning your
gym-free day diet,
use the time well.
‘You can use rest days
to batch-cook meals
or do food shopping
so there’s less to fit in
when you’re training,’
says Stewart, who also
points to the important
role that sleep plays in
building muscle. ‘Stress
from training can also
increase cortisol, so a
gentle walk, yoga or a good
book are all great ways to
make the most of your rest
days.’ And relax…
Now that’s a
square meal

Why do I
have trapped
wind?
From bloating to flatulence,
trapped wind certainly is a
riot of glamorous symptoms.
It occurs when gas in your
digestive tract builds up, and
ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY: MICHAEL HEDGE; GETTY IMAGES. ILLUSTRATION: TIM BRADFORD AT ILLUSTRATIONWEB.COM
WORDS: MINI SMITH; CLAUDIA CANAVAN; JAKE HENRY SMITH. PHOTOGRAPHY: ROB WHITE. FOOD STYLIST: CARA HOBDAY.
What can I
do about my
dandruff?
there are two reasons it
may happen. The first is
simple: you’re eating a tad
over-enthusiastically and
swallowing more air as a
result, which you’ll feel high
in your stomach. ‘Chew food
well before you swallow, and
exhale in between bites,’ says
Anthony Hobson, a clinical
scientist at the Functional
Gut Clinic. Avoid waiting
until you’re famished to eat,
so you can take your time.
Cause two? If your body has
to work extra hard to break
down food or if it’s not being
absorbed properly, as can be
the case when you eat foods
you’re intolerant to, you get
gas production. ‘You’ll
usually feel this just below
Fight
the flake
We’ll use its full name –
mild seborrheic dermatitis
– if you don’t mind. Affecting
around 50% of adults, it’s
thought to occur when a
yeast called Malassezia (most
of us have it) overgrows in
oily areas, often the scalp,
explains dermatologist Shilpi
Khetarpal. Hard-to-banish
flakes and itching follow.  trying, advise experts. ‘Many
Anti-dandruff shampoos
are treatments, often with
zinc, ketoconazole or
your belly button on the
right side of your body but it
can spread, and is likely to be
associated with flatulence.’
That said, if you have other
symptoms – ‘unintentional
weight loss, passing blood
when you go to the toilet or
still have pain after going to
the toilet,’ says Dr Hobson
– it’s worth a visit to the GP
for blood and stool tests to
rule out anything serious.
How to relieve trapped wind?
Short-term, taking a little
exercise, to get things moving
in your gut, may help release
some of the gas. Try going for
a walk after you eat or doing
some gentle yoga stretches.
Massaging your abdominal
area might help, too.
sulphur, that lower the level
of yeast on the scalp. They
‘cut [its] fuel source’, says
Joshua Zeichner, director
of cosmetic and clinical
research at Mount Sinai
Hospital in New York. Apply
directly to your scalp, rather
than hair; you can use the
suds to treat other flaky
skin in areas such as around
your brows and nose. Scalp
scrubbers don’t contain any
yeast-fighting ingredients
but they help by coaxing
patches off before they fall.
‘Removing the scales will
let medication get deeper,’
explains Dr Khetarpal. Use
as part of a routine – they’re
no magic bullet – and with
caution. ‘Scrubbing too hard
can cause irritation,’ she
adds. Heard the one about
coconut oil fixing dandruff?
Applying it to the scalp can
actually increase some types
of fungus, per 2021 research .
But a coconut oil derivative
called MCT oil contains
caprylic acid, which has
been shown in cell studies
to inhibit Malassezia cells.
See a doc or derm before
prescriptions we have are
generic, cheap and really
do work,’ says Dr Khetarpal.
Is plant-based
‘meat’ worse
for you?
Been going faux in your
full English for years? You
may wonder if you’re still
getting the nutritional good
stuff. A recent study by Duke
University in the US found
that meat products should
not be seen as ‘nutritionally
interchangeable’ with their
plant-based substitutes. But
that doesn’t mean either is
better, says dietitian Isabelle
Fry (diet-matters.com).
‘Plant-based alternatives
tend to be lower in fat and
saturated fat, but also lower
in protein, iron and some B
vitamins than meat. But that
doesn’t mean both can’t be
part of a nutritious vegan,
vegetarian or meat-inclusive
diet.’ It’s important, she adds,
to know the difference in the
types of animal alts. ‘Those
made with whole ingredients
such as beans, vegetables
and whole grains can boost
fibre and micronutrient
intake, but some are more
processed, such as seitan and
mycoprotein.’ The ‘realistic’
options can be great for
protein, but consider their
salt and fat content, advises
Fry. ‘I’d always recommend
whole foods over highly
processed foods, but they
can still be a valuable part of
your diet.’ Bottom line? Your
fake bangers aren’t better or
worse than the OG, just opt
for more fibre-filled kinds.
Red
‘meat’?
SEPTEMBER 2022 | 13
Know How Food for
thought

Can you linking high consumption of fructose

– a natural sugar found in fruit –
with metabolic disorders, can you
Any advice to limit sugar intake
doesn’t apply to fresh fruit, though.
That’s because the fructose found

eat too have too much of a good thing?

A quick glance at the research
would suggest so. There’s a great
in fruit is released into your
bloodstream much slower and
doesn’t spike your blood sugar like

much fruit? deal of evidence to show that high

intake of fructose is associated with
an imbalance in cholesterol levels,
a biscuit does. That fruit is also
packed with vitamins, minerals and
antioxidants only makes the case
As new research links too much high blood pressure and fatty liver for eating more of it stronger.
disease, along with other metabolic But it’s advice that comes with
fructose with metabolic disorders, disorders, such as heart disease. a caveat. Dried fruit is a more
should you cap your fruit intake? But dig into how those studies were concentrated source of fructose, so
conducted and you begin to see the recommended portion size is
With, perhaps, the why fruit is actually innocent. smaller (30g rather than 80g). And
exception of your First, such studies were the way that smoothies and fruit
nightly eight hours, observational, meaning we can’t juice are processed releases sugars
there are few health conclude with any certainty that from the cells, making them ‘free’,
targets as etched the fructose was responsible. What’s which increases their sugar content.
into our collective more, they primarily investigated It’s why you should stick to 150ml
THE EXPERT consciousness as the effects of high-fructose corn of fruit juice or smoothie a day.
Tai Ibitoye,
registered dietitian;
the five-a-day. And syrup, which is a concentrated Still struggling to find the right
taitalksnutrition.com yet, the number form of fructose and a common balance? A 2021 study* concluded
keeps on climbing, type of free (or added) sugar that splitting your five-a-day into
with recent research pointing to Too much of
found in doughnuts, cakes and two portions of fruit and three
the benefits of upping your daily a good thing? the like. It’s also one we should portions of veg is an optimal ratio.
intake of fruit and veg portions to all be reducing our intake of. Shooting for 10-a-day? Make it
seven or even 10 a day – the latter three and seven.
has been shown to help protect
against heart disease, high blood
pressure and some cancers.
There’s just one potential
snag. With studies

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES; STUDIO 33. *SOURCE: CIRCULATION

1 2
PICK OF
THE BUNCH
There’s a strong case
for including this lot in
your five-a-day plans
BLUEBERRIES
In addition to being a top
source of fibre, vitamin C
and potassium, they’re
packed with antioxidants.
Two handfuls count as
one of your five-a-day.
3
KIWIS
Vitamin C is responsible
for everything from bone
health to wound healing,
and kiwis are full of it. You’ll
need to eat two small ones
in order to make it ‘count’.
PEARS
Besides being an underrated
source of fibre, pears have an
incredibly high water content
– up to 85% – which makes
the fruit an excellent choice
as a between-meal snack.

14 | SEPTEMBER 2022
 Move of
the month

POSTURE
Back bonus PERK-UP
LEVEL
Level up the traditional superman exercise
with this fresh resistance challenge

WHY WE LOVE IT: Gain

superhero strength with this
total-body burner you can do
Relax your anywhere. The standard move
neck and targets the posterior chain (all
shoulders
those back-of-bod muscles from
the neck down to the traps,
hamstrings, glutes and beyond)
and activates the core, says PT
Kristina Earnest. Now, add the
pull-down and you put a major
emphasis on the tough-to-hit
lat muscles, which are key for
maintaining top-notch posture
and preventing lower back
pain. Super, we say.

LIE FACE DOWN, with your arms

Maintain a slight

STE P 1
Keep your gaze extended in front and your palms
straight ahead bend in your
knees and elbows facing the floor. Hold a resistance
to avoid craning
your neck
band in both hands, keeping a
slight tension in the band.

CORE AND GLUTES engaged,

STE P 2

lift your legs and arms off the

ground simultaneously.

SLOWLY BEND your elbows

STE P 3

to pull the band to your chest,

contracting your lats as you do.
Pause for at least 2 or 3 secs,
then extend your arms and lower
your legs to return to the start.
WORDS: JACQUELINE ANDRIAKOS. PHOTOGRAPHY: KATHRYN WIRSING. STYLING: ANN WANG.

Pull the band in

front of your
HAIR: MADISON SULLIVAN/HONEY ARTISTS. MAKE-UP: JENNIFER NAM/HONEY ARTISTS

body, not behind

your neck
!
WORK IT IN MODIFY IT
This move Scale back by
rocks as a lifting only the
warm-up. Aim upper body
for 2 to 3 sets or ditching
of 10 to 15 reps. the band.

Band aid
Using a mini-loop or long resistance AVOID THIS COMMON MISTAKE
band forces you to engage your It’s easy to hyperextend and strain your
lats the entire time in order to back. To prevent this, lift your limbs a max
keep constant tension on it. of six inches and maintain a strong core.

SEPTEMBER 2022 | 15
Does it really work?
Pole
dancing
Like the tango, it originally
emerged from the sex
industry. Could embracing
sensual, erotic movements
be the key to building
body confidence?
Ten years ago, one
of my colleagues
affectionately gave
me the nickname
‘penguin feet’. After
a decade running
THE around London in
GUINEA PIG
Annie Scott,
skyscraper heels,
WH contributor
I had to have foot
surgery that required
me to switch to flats.
Moving felt strange
and – fair play to my
co-worker – I did walk
without grace. Suffice
to say, I’m self-conscious
about it. Walking through a train
carriage leaves me longing for an
invisibility cloak and skuttling
through an office without clutching
something makes me feel like a
drunk baby giraffe.
To challenge this, the good people
of Women’s Health dispatched me
to try… pole dancing. And if the
mainstay of ‘basic’ hen-dos and
creepy dive bars sounds like an
unlikely training ground for
building confidence, it turns out
there’s a method to this madness.  This boosts my confidence, and
A study by Poznań University of
Physical Education found women
who pole danced had higher body
confidence than those who did
not – based, at least in part,
on the physical strength it
16 | SEPTEMBER 2022
promotes. Research from the
University of Alberta found similar
results – again, partly down to the
improvement in functionality
women experienced, along with
exposure to diverse body types.
Throw in the self-esteem boost that
comes with mastering a new skill
and it seems that pole dancing
could be a one-stop shop to mind
and body nirvana. Who knew?
After a commute haunted by
images of unsmiling models in
In pole
position
Perspex heels, I arrive at Polepeople
– a pole-dancing studio close to
London’s Barbican Centre. The
class is led by Jai – a diminutive
Aussie with the kind of energy most
people possess only after a few
espressos. Despite my reservations
(read: terror), my adoration of her
is instant. Within 30 seconds, every
set of shoulders in this class – a
pleasing mix of shapes, sizes and
genders – has lowered an inch or
two. We begin with a basic hook –
swinging the outside leg in an arc
before wrapping it around the pole
– followed by a ‘fireman’s spin’. This
move – using the momentum of the
swing and hook to lift the other leg
off the floor and tuck it behind the
pole – looks instantly impressive. I
grab the pole with my left hand, step
forward, pray to the gravity gods –
and I’m flying, rotating around the
pole with surprising ease. ‘Now
drop!’ Jai calls. ‘We come up bum
first – make like you want to lick
the pole! But, erm, don’t?’ she laughs.
I’m hesitant to write this – but
it feels… freeing. Moving with no
fear of judgement is empowering.
Watching back a video of myself,
I’m struck by how awkward I looks
as I stop to ask Jai for direction. My
shoulders hunch, my feet look flat.
But moments later, I rise up, lift off
and swing – I look totally different.
In the following days, three
things happen. First, I lose the
ability to use the gear stick in
my car – the DOMs are real.
Second, I start adjusting the
way I move, feeling, suddenly, that
it’s okay to embrace my femininity.
I find myself asking for things
I want rather than dropping
hopeful hints. Third, I sign up
for a beginner’s course. Because,
frankly, I need more of this.
The verdict
Quick results
ILLUSTRATION: GETTY IMAGES
Easy to do
Confidence-boosting
Terror factor
OVERALL SCORE

Skin
deep
Do I need
a vajacial?
Lately,
skincare has
gone… south.
By which I mean
there’s been a
lot of talk about
THE EXPERT how to care for
Dr Ewoma Ukeleghe, the skin around
skincare specialist,
your most
founder of Skndoctor
private of parts,
from sheet
masks for the bikini line to
vaginal creams and… vajacials.
A vajacial is a ‘facial’ that’s
specifically designed to treat
the pubic area. The goal? To
exfoliate dead skin cells, even
out texture, extract ingrown
hairs, promote hydration and
reduce hyperpigmentation.
It will primarily focus on the
bikini line and the mons pubis
(the mound where hair usually
grows) though some will also
incorporate the outer labia, too.
The treatment typically takes
30 to 60 minutes and can be
anything from a double cleanse
to a moisturising mask. Hair
removal before treatment isn’t
required, but trimming is ideal.
This isn’t the first time we’ve
spoken about vajacials. They
had a moment in 2015, when
they were the talk of Essex,
taking over from the ‘vajazzle’
(see: TOWIE). But it’s the
uptick in interest in all things
body care that’s put them back
on the agenda. And they’re just
as controversial as they were
the first time around.
It’s important to say upfront
that a vajacial is really a futile
treatment; some skincare
professionals will go as far as
to call it ridiculous. A pubic
PHOTOGRAPHY: STOCKSY
area with bumps, grooves and
pigmentation is normal and if
Know How
you’re after this treatment out
of shame over the way you
look down there, I’d urge
you to reconsider. That
said, I’m of the view that
women should do
whatever makes them
feel happy and confident
in their own skin. And
providing you seek out
a trained professional, Getting intimate
I don’t take issue with with skincare
vajacials as a concept.
But if you don’t
wish to shell out for
a salon-sized price tag
(you can expect to pay
an average of £70,
depending on where
you live), there are
simple techniques you
can use at home, too. The
Venus for Pubic Hair and
Skin range launched in
2021, and it consists of four
products: a gentle physical
exfoliant, a cleansing shaving
gel, a specifically designed
razor for the pubic area and
a soothing serum. All are pH
balanced and free from dyes and
fragrances – vital when using
anything around your pubic area.
So if you decide to use a cleanser,
make sure it’s pH appropriate and
has been gynaecologically tested.
Don’t put anything that isn’t
water on the vulva, particularly
the internal labia; leakage of
products into the internal labia
and the vaginal canal can cause
vaginal irritation, which can lead
to vaginitis, thrush and bacterial
vaginosis. Be pH-aware and avoid
anything fragranced, astringent
(causing skin cells to contract) or
harsh in formulation; I’d also steer
clear of essential oils. Too much
hassle? May I recommend a facial
for your… face?
SEPTEMBER 2022 | 17
 What happens when…

…I get cravings
on my period
Snack budget overtaken your tampon spend? You’re in good company.
This is what goes down when your hunger hormones go up

01
Hungry,
04 Salt bae
If only Kettle Chips are
hungry cutting it, you’re not alone.
hormones The most common period
That salad just not
cravings are salty foods
cutting it? Blame your
and chocolate, explains
hormones. ‘During your
Dr Fenske. But while
period, your hormones
neither will nudge you
are out of whack, causing
closer to your five-a-day
you to crave certain
(soz), those in possession
nutrients,’ explains
of a sweet tooth can take
registered dietitian Justine
some comfort. Chocolate
Roth, referring to the dip
– specifically cocoa –
in progesterone and
is a rich source of
oestrogen that occurs
magnesium – a nutrient
when your period starts.
you tend to run low on
Tracking your cycle can
when you’re premenstrual.
give you some insight as
Choose a dark variety
to when to do a bulk buy;
to make sure it’s packed
hormonal changes begin
with sufficient levels
during ovulation (around
to meet your needs.
14 days before your period
starts), peaking at around
seven to 10 days before.

02
Sweet release
Unwrapping the
cravings mystery
05
It’s not just nutrients your
body is after. Much like Treat yo’self
you on an unremarkable Can’t fight the feeling?
Tuesday, it’s also in the Roth recommends tuning
market for a pick-me-up. into what your body
Levels of mood-regulating is telling you; advice
serotonin (aka the happy Dr Fenske is in agreement
hormone) tend to dip in with, adding that these
the run up to menstruation, urges are mostly harmless.
leaving you feeling less That said: ‘There are
WORDS: CELINE HEATH. PHOTOGRAPHY: JOBE LAWRENSON

03
than your usual dazzling certain cravings women
self and craving sweet and can have on their periods
starchy food. The reason? that are not quite normal
Consuming carbohydrates and are more related to
naturally raises serotonin (Un)usual assistant professor of anaemia,’ she says, listing
levels. Combine this with suspects     obstetrics, gynaecology dirt (yup, really) as
the heady hit of pleasure- It’s not all due to hormones: and reproductive science an example. ‘If you’re
inducing dopamine you meet endogenous opioid at New York’s Icahn craving things out of your
get from satisfying your peptides (EOPs). These School of Medicine at wheelhouse, see
cravings and you’re set amino acid bonds tend Mount Sinai. ‘We’re not your doctor to confirm
for a truly blissful bite. to increase in number 100% certain, but the there’s no underlying
during your period, which [working] theory is that cause.’ Noted.
could be to blame for with the presence of these
the sudden snack attack, EOPs, you have more
says Suzanne Fenske, cravings.’ Food for thought.

18 | SEPTEMBER 2022

Cannondale Quick
Women’s 2, £1,000
On your bike
I’ve had a few
bikes over
the years,
all acquired
second-hand
SHOPPING EDITOR: MADDY ALFORD. PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF CANNONDALE
with their own
THE
GUINEA PIG unique quirks.
Sophie Leen, Like the one that
bookings editor was mysteriously
dumped in the
front garden of my student
house, which I cherished until
it was no longer road-safe. But
since my love of cycling was
reignited during the pandemic,
I’ve felt ready to commit to a
brand new (fully functioning)
bike of my own. I wanted
something just as comfortable
for my commute as it would be
for cruising around local canals
and parks on Sundays.
The Cannondale Quick 2 fits
the bill and then some. First,
I can’t get over how light it is.
I’m fairly tall (5ft 10in), so I
chose the large size, but I can
still lift the aluminium frame
with one hand like I’m toting
a handbag. (Very handy when
living in a second-floor flat.)
It’s seriously speedy, too
(hence the name) as I learn the
first time I whizz around the
park – comfortably upright
thanks to its riding position.
Plus, the nine-speed gears help
tackle hilly roads with ease.
I love how simple it is to
incorporate your fitness goals
Know How
Fit kit
hero
MICRO TREND
PASTEL
PICNIC
Matching the
tablecloth is in,
you see – get
your sweat on in
summer’s prettiest
gingham prints
SAVE
£36.99, New Girl
Order at Zalando
Why blend into the
picnic blanket when
you can take a hike?
into cycling – a big bonus for
me as I’ve always been drawn SPEND
to outdoor exercise. Using the £52, Peloton
free Cannondale app, I paired Stay supported
during spin class with
the bike’s wheel sensor with
this cute sports bra.
my phone and voila – I can
track all my activity. If you’re a
fellow stats nerd, it includes all
the hits: your speed, distance,
calories burned. It maps out
your ride and you can save
each one with a name, too.
Another pleasing feature
on the app is the eco report,
which details all the fuel saved SPLURGE
£76, Alo Yoga
and CO2 reduced by opting
What the A-list
for your two-wheel ride. Does wear for tree pose:
it make me feel like a smug these baby blue
commuter? Yes. And I couldn’t shorts scream
be happier about it. 90s nostalgia.
SEPTEMBER 2022 | 19
Know How
WH FIT SQUAD
Want to run further, lift heavier or nail your first pull-up?
Each month, we put your questions to our team of the finest fitness
brains to give you the tools you need to make good on your goals
Q How can I become a
‘morning workout’ person
– and should I bother?
Michelle Griffith-Robinson says:
To be clear, you don’t need to
become a morning workout person,
but there are some benefits. If your
blood pressure is above the norm,
one study found that 30 minutes of
exercise in the morning, followed
by frequent breaks from sitting
throughout the day, can lower
blood pressure for up to eight
hours*. ‘Working out in the AM can
also help you fall asleep easier, as
you’ll kick-start your sleep-wake
cycle sooner in the morning, and
release melatonin (the hormone
that helps you nod off) earlier in
the evening. Exercising closer to
bedtime will increase heart rate and
body temperature, neither of which
are conducive to a solid night’s kip.
Cortisol levels are higher in the
morning, too, and exercise
can help regulate
them so you feel
less stressed
throughout the
day. Finally, the
endorphins
Power
hour
GOT A QUESTION FOR OUR SQUAD? DM us on Instagram @womenshealthuk or email us at whfitsquad@womenshealthmag.co.uk
20 | SEPTEMBER 2022
Ask the
you produce during exercise mean
a morning workout can put you in a
good mood for the rest of the day.
When it comes to getting going,
it’s all about discipline. You’ll likely
find morning workouts easier during
the warmer months, but try to stick
with the same routine year-round.
Lay out your kit the night before,
so that all you have to do is get
dressed, and reinforce your routine
by scheduling regular sessions so
that they become a habit (for
example, every Monday and Friday
I’m going to train at 7am). Making
a pact with someone else can also
work in your favour, even if you
don’t intend on training together –
you have them to hold you
accountable. A little reward, such
as buying a coffee afterwards,
or treating yourself to something
you’ve been saving up for, can
be another great motivator.
If you’ve tried morning workouts
before and struggled, the type of
exercise you’re doing could be the
problem. Finding a workout you
enjoy and look forward to will
make getting up so much easier.
Above all, ensure your chosen
time to work out is practical. When
can you, realistically, dedicate time
to exercise with the least chance of
you having to give it a miss? And at
what time does exercise make you
feel your best? Morning workouts
aren’t much use to you if you’re not
enjoying them, or they mean you’ll
spend the rest of the morning
rushed off your feet. Be
reasonable with your
expectations, and
don’t put yourself
under too much
pressure.
Meet the
squad
The team share
their favourite
stretch
Michelle Griffith-Robinson
Olympian, life coach and PT
‘Cat-cows release tension in my
back and soothe my mind, too.’
Alice Liveing
PT and bestselling author
‘Side lying windmills. They’re great for
thoracic and shoulder mobility, which
is something we all need to work on.’
Amanda Ngonyama
Athlete, sports scientist
and gymnastics coach
‘Pigeon pose, because it opens
up the hips and shoulders.’
Andy Vincent
PT and online coach
‘Flexing my big toe up, then bending
at the knee and leaning into it to
help mobilise my feet.’
AS TOLD TO SAMANTHA DE HAAS. PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES. *SOURCE: HYPERTENSION
Peter ‘PMac’ Maciver
Celebrity PT and yoga teacher
‘The splits, because they’re
so challenging and tough
on my hamstrings.’
Dr Rebecca Robinson
Consultant in sports and exercise
medicine at the Centre for Health
and Human Performance
‘Pigeon pose – it hits all
the right spots.’
 Hilary Duff

‘I love my
therapist
and I always
feel better
when I leave’

actresses are skinny,”’ she says. She struggled question. ‘Appreciating my health, doing
with the pressure, battling a year-long eating BIKINI, HUNZA G; activities that make me feel strong instead
EARRINGS,
disorder at the age of 17. ‘It was horrifying,’ PD PAOLA, of just bettering the outside of my body,’
she says. So how does she feel about her body HILARY’S OWN; she says, of the tools that have helped her.
now? ‘I’m proud of my body. I’m proud that BRACELET, ‘Spending time with people that make me
ADINA REYTER feel good and share similar views on health
it’s produced three children for me. I’ve got
to a place of being peaceful with the changes and body positivity and getting enough sleep
my body has gone through.’ and balance in my diet.’ But she suspects
Much has changed during the intervening years, motherhood has had a hand in her progress, too.
of course – not least the way we think and talk about ‘I didn’t know if I was going to have the opportunity
women’s bodies. Hilary, for one, is grateful for the vibe to have another child [after the divorce]. So, being
shift. ‘In the past 10 years, there’s been a real movement a mom again, maybe [helped]. It was a whole mix of
that beauty comes in all colours, flaws, shapes and things – of being settled and realising that I’m
sizes,’ she says. ‘[I’m grateful that we now have] a more powerful and talented and smart. All mental things.’
inclusive outlook on what beauty is.’ But she hasn’t In the months leading up to the WH shoot, Hilary
simply arrived at a peaceful place with her body, she’s started working with a new trainer, Dominic Leeder.
journeyed to get here – a hands-on approach that’s at He’d join her in her garage for hour-long workouts four
the heart of our body-image campaign, Project Body days a week. They stuck to routines that emphasised
Love, and evidenced by the way she answers our next strength and stability to concentrate on lean muscle

SEPTEMBER 2022 | 29
 Eat Smart

Strong
start We picked the brains of
nutritionists for their first-meal
formula. The verdict? Combine
protein, fibre and healthy fats,
then add fruit or veg. Incoming:
six recipes that do just that
PHOTOGRAPHY: LAURA MURRAY. FOOD STYLING: REBECCA JURKEVICH. PROP STYLING: CARLA GONZALEZ-HART

SEPTEMBER 2022 | 33
 01

Scrambled
eggs with pea
shoots and
bulgur wheat
Total: 20 mins Serves: 4 
180g bulgur wheat
85g pea shoots
1½ tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
1 tbsp fish sauce 
3 spring onions, thinly sliced 
6 large eggs
2 tsp avocado oil 
35g unsalted roasted peanuts,
crushed
Lime wedges

01. Bring 500ml water to a

boil in a large saucepan (you
want a larger surface area on
the bottom). Stir in the bulgur
wheat and simmer with a lid
on until nearly tender, for 9
mins. Remove from the heat
and let sit, covered, for 3 mins. 

02. Meanwhile, roughly chop

the bottom two-thirds of the
pea shoots from the stem
end, leaving the more tender
tops intact. Fluff the bulgur
wheat with a fork and fold in
the coconut oil, fish sauce,
chopped pea shoots and half
of the spring onions. Divide
between four shallow bowls.

03. Beat the eggs until fully

combined. Heat the avocado
oil in a large non-stick frying
pan over a medium heat,
then add the eggs and
scramble. Add to the bowls
and top with the remaining
spring onions and pea shoot
tops. Serve with peanuts
and lime wedges, if desired. 
x
Per serving: 368 cals, refi
19.5g fat (8g sat), 17g b
rfi

protein, 412mg sodium,

ou

33g carbs, 2g sugar (0g ‘Fibre gives your digestive

Get y

added sugar), 6g fibre system a little extra love,’

says Yasi Ansari, national media
spokesperson for the Academy
of Nutrition and Dietetics in the
US. Easily up your intake by
Up your grain game opting for whole grains
You can sub in quinoa or whenever possible.
chunky oats. Make the
grains (without adding in
the spring onions or pea
shoots) and they’ll keep in
the fridge for up to three
days or freezer for up to
three months. Reheat and
fold in any extras as needed.

34 | SEPTEMBER 2022
 Eat Smart
02

Seeded
buckwheat
pancakes with
smoked salmon
Total: 25 mins Serves: 4  01. In a medium bowl, whisk 3 mins. Flip and fry until
1 large egg, at room temp, together the egg yolk and it’s just cooked through,
separated  cashew milk. Stir in the flour about 1 min more. Transfer
and a pinch each of salt and to a plate and cover to keep
165ml cashew milk, or milk of pepper until just combined.   warm. Repeat with the
choice remaining batter, adding
60g buckwheat flour 02. In a second bowl, beat additional oil as necessary.  
the egg white until soft
3 tbsp sunflower seeds, toasted 
peaks form. Fold into the 04. Serve with the yoghurt,
3 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted  buckwheat mixture, along red onion, smoked salmon,
2 tsp avocado oil  with the toasted seeds, until dill and lemon wedges, and
140g Greek yoghurt just combined.  a good grind of black pepper. 
½ small red onion, very thinly
03. Rub the base of a large Per serving: 278 cals, 15g
sliced non-stick frying pan with 1 fat (2.5g sat), 20g protein,
230g smoked salmon tsp oil, then heat on medium. 477mg sodium, 16g carbs,
Pinch of dill In batches, add 30g batter 2.5g sugar (0g added
to the pan and cook until sugar), 3g fibre
Lemon wedges nearly set and the bottom
is golden brown, for about

SEPTEMBER 2022 | 35
 uce
rod
p 03
th
‘If you find yourself
wi
fatigued after waking up, it
p
Perk u
might be because you’re low
on vitamins and minerals,’ says
Valerie Agyeman, registered
dietitian and host of The Flourish
Heights podcast. ‘Replenish
your body with electrolytes,
which is as easy as eating
a piece of fruit or
a vegetable.’
Meal-prep magic
Bake a batch in advance, so you can reheat and eat it
all week if you like. Cool, then refrigerate in an airtight
container for up to four days. Microwave, covered, on
medium until warmed through, about 1 min.
36 | SEPTEMBER 2022
Baked pumpkin
porridge
Total: 1 hr Serves: 8
360g rolled oats
2 tsp baking powder
1½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp ground cinnamon
⅛ tsp ground cloves
80g pumpkin seeds
4 large eggs
1 tin (425g) of pumpkin puree
440ml cashew milk, or milk
of choice
85ml maple syrup 
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil,
plus more for dish
1 tbsp grated ginger, plus 1 tsp
1 tbsp vanilla extract
3 ripe but firm Williams pears
(about 480g), cut into 2cm
pieces
01. Heat the oven to 190°C.
In a bowl, mix together
the oats, baking powder,
nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves
and half of the pumpkin
seeds with ½ tsp salt.
02. In a large bowl, whisk
the eggs thoroughly. Add
the pumpkin puree, cashew
milk, syrup, oil, ginger and
vanilla extract. Add the dry
ingredients to the bowl and
mix until everything is just
combined. 
03. Lightly oil a 33cm x 23cm
(or thereabouts) baking dish
and scatter the pear chunks
on the base, setting aside
about 160g. Spread the batter
on top, then sprinkle with
the remaining pears and
press to poke them slightly
into the batter. Scatter the
remaining pumpkin seeds on
top and bake in the top of the
oven until fully set and the
edges begin to brown, about
40 to 50 mins. Cool for at
least 5 mins before serving.  
Per serving: 478 cals, 24g
fat (4.5g sat), 13g protein,
319mg sodium, 54g carbs,
18g sugar (8g added sugar),
8g fibre

04
Yoghurt with
avocado and
chickpea
‘granola’
Total: 20 mins Serves: 4
1 tin (425g) of chickpeas,
rinsed and roughly chopped
6 tbsp olive oil
30g almonds, sliced
2 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
½ tsp sumac
¼ tsp smoked paprika
430g Greek yoghurt
1 large avocado, sliced
Zest of 1 lemon
01. Heat the oven to 200°C.
On a lined baking tray, toss
the chickpeas with 1 tbsp oil.
Roast for 20 mins. Add the
almonds and coriander seeds
and roast until the chickpeas
are crisp and the almonds are
golden brown, about 5 mins.
Eat Smart
02. Meanwhile, add
5 tbsp oil and the garlic
to a small saucepan and
cook over a low heat,
y fats
stirring until golden brown,
alth
about 3 to 4 mins. Remove he
from the heat and stir in
ith
the sumac and smoked
atisfied w
Consider including
paprika. Leave to cool.  full-fat yoghurt, avocado,
seeds and nut butter in your
03. Divide the yoghurt and morning routine. ‘Our bodies
avocado slices between four take more time to break
ay s
plates. Top with the chickpea down these healthy fats,
granola, then spoon the which means you’ll remain
St
garlic mix on top. Sprinkle satiated for a while,’
with a pinch of salt and says Agyeman. 
some grated lemon zest.  
Per serving: 514 cals, 40g
fat (7g sat), 16g protein,
218mg sodium, 27g carbs,
7.5g sugar (0g added
sugar), 10g fibre
SEPTEMBER 2022 | 37
 05
Medames-style
broad beans
Total: 20 mins Serves: 4 
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tin (425g) of broad beans,
drained
1 tin (425g) of red kidney
beans, drained
3 tbsp roughly chopped
jalapeño pepper, (about
½ medium jalapeño)
3 garlic cloves  broad beans mixture
25g parsley
4 tbsp lemon juice
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
340g mixed-coloured cherry
tomatoes, quartered and
halved  done. Pulse in the lemon
4 slices of wholegrain bread,
toasted and cut into
triangles, if desired
1
01. Add the cumin seeds to a
medium-sized saucepan and
cook on medium, swirling
the pan until toasted, about
30 to 45 secs. Remove from
the heat, add the beans with
60ml of water and roughly
mash. Gently heat through,
about 3 mins. Adjust the
consistency with additional
water as necessary, so the
mixture is thick and saucy.  Spoon over the warm
02. In a food processor,
pulse the jalapeño, garlic
and ¼ tsp salt until finely
chopped. Add the parsley
and pulse, scraping down
the bowl until it’s finely
juice until combined.
Add the oil and pulse
once (mixture should
not be emulsified);
transfer to a bowl. 
03. Add the tomatoes
to the parsley sauce
and toss to combine.
and serve with toast. 
Per serving: 434 cals,
16.5g fat (2.5g sat), 20g
protein, 939mg sodium,
54g carbs, 3.5g sugar
(0g added sugar), 14g fibre
in
ote
r
p
he
Don’t wait until the
Pack in t
end of the day to get your
protein fix. ‘Protein takes
longer to digest and helps your
body keep a steady supply
of energy going into your
bloodstream,’ says Mary
Ellen Phipps, author of
The Easy Diabetes
Cookbook.
 Eat Smart

Get
dressed
Avocado browns 06
quickly. Turn any
leftovers into a Supercharged
dressing by blending
with lemon juice,
smoothie
Total: 10 mins Serves: 1 
parsley, basil, chives,
salt and water 60g spinach, thick stems
discarded
and combining
until smooth.  165ml kefir 
½ tsp lemon zest, plus 1 tsp
juice 
⅛ large Hass avocado, peeled
½ inch ginger, sliced 
2 tbsp coriander
1 scoop collagen, optional
¼ cucumber, cut into
half-moons and frozen
150g seedless green grapes,
frozen

01. In a blender, puree the

spinach, 165ml of water, the
kefir, lemon zest and juice,
avocado, ginger, coriander
and collagen, if using. 

02. Add the frozen cucumber

and grapes and puree until
smooth. Adjust the taste
and texture with additional
lemon juice and water. 

Per serving: 259 cals, 6g fat

(1.5g sat), 9g protein, 212mg
sodium, 43g carbs, 35.5g
sugar (0g added sugar),
6g fibre

SEPTEMBER 2022 | 39
 LAB
2022
1 3

Drink
up 2

Welcome to the WH
Lab, where we put
health-related products
through rigorous
testing to see which
items deserve a place
in your wellness arsenal
This month, our team of
expert testers put their
drinking caps on to
determine the best no-
or low-alcohol spirit
alternatives on the market.
There are few prospects
more tempting than happy
hour without the headache;
if you’ve not already sworn
off the sauce like the millions
of other teetotallers across
the UK, then you’re no doubt
at least monitoring your
alcohol consumption in the
name of good health. And,
in answer to this new-found
thirst for booze-free choices, 01 02 03
distilleries and drinks Best vodka alt Best Aperol alt Best rum alt
brands across the globe are CleanCo Clean V Non-Alcoholic Crodino Non-Alcoholic Aperitivo, Caleño Dark & Spicy Non-
creating sober serves to Spiced Apple Spirit, 0.0%, 0.0%, £5.95 for 3 x 175ml Alcoholic Spirit, 0.0%, £15 for 50cl 
rival the taste and quality £19 for 70cl Score Score
of traditional spirits. Score
The days of lukewarm Struggling to say arrivederci to In terms of rum alternatives for
lemonade are behind you. As early pioneers, CleanCo’s aperitivo hour? Well, thanks your dark and stormy, Caleño
But with ethanol-free repertoire spans five 0.5% ABV to Crodino, you don’t have to. is hard to beat. It’s packed with
offerings increasing all the spirits, convenient pre-mixed Developed in 1965, this Italian tropical flavours of pineapple,
time, how do you know cans and, now, the 0% ABV Clean spritz has a cult following – ginger and kola nut spice, which
what’s worthy of your time V. With minerality, crisp apple and after tasting its balanced, pairs well with quality ginger
and glassware? That’s where and warming cinnamon, this bittersweet botanicals and beer, a squeeze of lime and
WH Lab comes in – our team vodka alternative was a big hit lingering citrus flavour, it’s easy a slice of fresh ginger (which
of 10 testers limbered up with our panel. Enhance it with to see why. Best served over ice is loaded with antioxidants, FYI).
their taste buds and knocked a sparkling kombucha (we love and paired with that other Also, it’s zero-sugar, gluten-free
back an array of no- and Remedy’s ginger lemon flavour) exceptional Italian export: the and vegan, meaning everyone
low-alcohol spirits – from and you’ll have a first-class margherita. Just add sunshine.  can enjoy a tropical tipple.
gin and vodka to rum and alcohol-free cocktail in no time.  The WH Lab verdict: Our worthy The WH Lab verdict: We don’t
WORDS: MILLIE WEST

Aperol alternatives, to find The WH Lab verdict: It’s what’s winner will be a mainstay in our know how they’ve done it, but
you the best bottles. on the inside that counts, but the wine fridge. While, it’s not an to bottle all that moreish fruit
frosted white glass bottle will look afternoon on the Amalfi coast, it flavour, minus any sugar or
great on your bar trolley, too. might just be the next best thing. alcohol, is worthy of applause.

40 | SEPTEMBER 2022

4 6
04
Best pink gin alt
Everleaf Mountain, 0.0%,
£18.95 for 50cl
Score
Everleaf was founded by a
biologist who has used his
adventures to inspire the brand’s
range of drinks. With a vibrant
aroma of strawberry, rosehip
and juniper, this is as complex as
they come. The silky mouthfeel
makes it easy to sip over ice,
but if you want a longer serve,
opt for a Mediterranean tonic
– the bittersweet botanicals
cut through the sweeter spirit
for a G&T of distinction.  to avoid any brand
The WH Lab verdict: Packed
with authentic berry flavour and
well-balanced bitterness for the
ideal dinner party serve.
Eat Smart
5
HOW WE
TEST
05 06
Stepping up to the, Best budget alt Best gin alt
well, bar in the Tanqueray Alcohol Free, Sea Arch Coastal Juniper
name of research, 0.0%, £15.44 for 70cl  Non-Alcoholic Distilled Spirit,
our panel of 10 Score 0.0%, £24.95 for 70cl
testers (comprised
Score
of accredited
spirits experts and Balancing the same botanicals
some discerning used in Tanqueray London Dry Our panel were intrigued by the
consumers) sipped (juniper, coriander, angelica unique combination of coastal
their way through
root and liquorice), this was the botanicals at play – think sea
21 non-alcoholic
drinks in search closest contender to a classic kelp, samphire and juniper – plus,
of spirits with the gin – so much so, you may be the chic ceramic bottle is hard to
most pleasing second-guessing after the first resist. As the name suggests, Sea
balance of sip. Like the original, this opens Arch delivers a clean, herbaceous
botanicals to serve
as the base of a with a citrus flavour, before flavour reminiscent of a day at
booze-free cocktail, mellowing into sweeter floral the seaside, with a hint of bright
G&T or aperitivo. and white pepper notes. Top with blood orange to round things out.
Testers came to your chosen tonic and a slice of Serve topped with Mediterranean
each glass blind
lime for an authentic G&T taste.  tonic and a sprig of rosemary. 
bias, focusing on The WH Lab verdict: At less than The WH Lab verdict: As cooling
flavour, aroma and £16 a bottle, it’s great value and as an ocean dip on a spring day.
overall finish. lets you experiment with new If you prefer your drinks on the
cocktails when guests arrive. savoury side, this is for you.
SEPTEMBER 2022 | 41
Strong Mind

Are you
sexually
authentic?
As a buzzword, ‘authentic’ has infiltrated everything
from Instagram to parenting. Now, sexual authenticity
is coming to the bedroom. Has faking it had its big finish?

WORDS BY GEMMA ASKHAM

SEPTEMBER 2022 | 43
For a word that claims, by definition, to be centred on the genuine,
‘authentic’ has an uncanny ability to trigger a sceptical eye-roll. Perhaps
it’s the buzzword’s comical overuse in suspiciously inauthentic situations
(see: influencers baring their souls next to a stealth #ad). Then there’s the
preach factor; authenticity pushed as the sure-fire way to raise emotionally
robust kids (authentic parenting), get ahead at work (bringing your full self
to the workplace) and create impact on social media (photo-sharing app
BeReal prohibits edits). Showing up in places prone to glossing over the
truth, authenticity is now talked about in the one remaining arena known
for fakes: the bedroom. The goal? To induce an eye-roll of a different kind.

False start
If having to authenticate your
sex life sounds like yet another
buzzword-turned-buzzkill, know
that it was studies of sexless
relationships that led to its
discovery. Two decades ago,
Jaiya Ma, who you’ll know if you
devoured Netflix’s Sex, Love &
Goop, was beginning her career
as a somatic sexologist when
she noticed patterns in couples
struggling with desire. Getting
turned on, it struck her, was far
more individual than she expected.
Graphic sexy talk drove one person
crazy, but made someone else
cringe; one person’s definition of
getting physical meant ‘genitals’,
while another wanted touch
anywhere but the bits. Despite
ingrained cultural messaging that
sex is a one-size-fits-all act, their
sexual responses were more in
line with the Myers-Briggs Type
Indicator – that is to say, when
presented with a potential turn-
on, each individual would land
somewhere on a scale of ‘hell
yes’ to pretending that they
were on their period.
Over the following years, Ma
analysed clinical and client data
to build a framework of five sexual
personality types, called Erotic
Blueprints, to help people better
understand their sexual nature,
dividing it into: Sensual (turned
on by taste, smell or setting),
Energetic (craves anticipation),
Sexual (aroused by nudity and
penetration), Kinky (enjoys
power or sensation-play) or
Shapeshifter (all of the above).
Today, more than 700,000 people
have taken the Erotic Blueprint test
(available at missjaiya.com, if you’re
so inclined) to find out who they
really are sexually – or, in other
words, their sexual authenticity.   wasn’t published until 1998. ‘Still,
If you’re surprised by the uptake,
Ian Ferguson, who co-created the
Erotic Blueprint methodology
with Ma, believes that most people
grapple with the discord between
what you think sex should look like
(conditioned via unrealistic film
scenes or porn, say) and what the
voice in your head is telling you
could feel good. ‘Most people are
having inauthentic sex,’ he says.
‘Sexual authenticity is sexual
truth-telling – it’s being real about
your sexual needs and desires rather
than hiding them due to judgement,
fear or shame. People who are
mostly truthful about their sexual
desires are outliers.’ Ask Ferguson
sexual inauthenticity and he’ll reel
off five examples: it’s not telling a
partner when sex feels painful; it’s
faking pleasure to protect someone
else’s ego; it’s allowing penetration
before your body is ready; it’s
wanting to try elements of kink but
continuing with vanilla sex so you
don’t have to risk discussing it;
it’s being curious about a same-
sex lover, but never admitting it.
As for the source of our collective
sexual fraud? You can blame that
old chestnut of patriarchal politics
and the vilification of sex, says
sexologist Madalaine Munro, who
helps people move through sexual
fears. After all, it’s only 21 years
ago that the age of consent for
homosexuality was lowered to
match that of heterosexuality,
same-sex marriage has only been
legal in England and Wales since
2014 and the first comprehensive
anatomical study of the clitoris
I can’t talk about women’s orgasms
in some countries or I risk legal
retribution,’ she says. ‘These power
controls have restricted education
and awareness of the erotic,
hindering the self-expression we
have in fashion, beauty and music.’
Deep fake
Underserved with both anatomical
information and discouraged from
sexual expression beyond a very
male-gazed heterosexual norm,
women are subconsciously directed
towards the passenger seat in sex.
A second-fiddle status that can dent
your orgasm tally and your wellbeing
in one fell swoop – starting with
self-worth. ‘If you start believing
that you aren’t worthy of having
your needs or desires met, you move
to a mindset where inauthenticity,
such as pretending to like a certain
sexual position or faking orgasms,
becomes “the best I can get”,’ says
Munro. Once stuck in a cycle of
sexually short-changing yourself
(Munro sees a correlation that
people who put social connection
above their own needs outside the
bedroom, such as people-pleasing,
will do so in the bedroom, too), this
inauthentic sex moves from being
not-that-pleasurable to dread-able.
Anna Sane, 37, a former digital
strategist, always had a satisfying
and spontaneous sex life with her
husband – until they were trying to

44 | SEPTEMBER 2022
 Strong Mind

‘Sexual
authenticity
is sexual
truth-telling –
it’s being real
about your
sexual needs
and desires
rather than
hiding them
due to
judgement’

SEPTEMBER 2022 | 45
 You don’t
suddenly have
to reveal
every fantasy
or the sex
dream you
vowed to take
to the grave in
the quest for
meaningful
intimacy

46 | SEPTEMBER 2022

conceive. ‘Before, sex was all about
desire; based on how we felt, it could
range from romantic foreplay to
quickies,’ she explains. And now?
‘Conception sex is centred around
the guy performing. The focus is the
end goal, not the journey, so female
pleasure takes a back seat because
it’s not intrinsic to the context at
hand.’ The shift in end goal from
mutually pleasurable to functional
has taken its toll on more than her
enjoyment. ‘When I realised that
our intimate life had become
inauthentic, I began to feel like a
function instead of a person. There
was too much sex on some days
of the month and then no sex on
others (which was a relief ). When
you’re relieved not to have sex, it’s
difficult to ignore the toll it can take
on you, physically and emotionally.’
While Anna’s inauthenticity was
limited to a specific event, Munro
believes that failing to address your
desires in the long-term can be
devastating, psychologically. ‘The
darker side of sexual inauthenticity
is that every time you do something
that you may not fully want to do,
you’re not in consent. I’ve worked
with people who realise they’ve
spent their lives being sexually
inauthentic, prioritising what
someone else wants. This can bring
up regret, resentment, even grief.’
Lying down
Back in Ma and Ferguson’s sexology
practice, they noticed a commonality
while talking clients through the
results of their Erotic Blueprint
tests: relief. If you’ve ever done
a personality-typing test, such as
the Myers-Briggs, you’ll know the
‘phew’ feeling when you realise that
a character trait you assumed was
a you-ism is, in fact, experienced
Strong Mind
by a huge subset of the population.
Similarly here, by discovering,
acknowledging and then engaging
with their honest sexual desires
and needs, the same response kept
coming up: ‘I’m not broken after all.’
So, where to begin to be authentic?
First, you don’t suddenly have to
reveal every fantasy or the sex dream
you vowed to take to the grave in
the quest for meaningful intimacy.
Ferguson recommends focusing
on the secrets or ‘micro lies’ that
suppress your pleasure, decrease
passion, disconnect you from your
partner or create deception – and
your body is a good judge. ‘We say,
“the body never lies”. A gripping
or tensing can be a sign that you
may be bypassing a sensation or a
thought that needs to be honoured
or expressed. If you’re avoiding
intimacy – with yourself or a lover –
this could also be a sign that you’re
being inauthentic in your sexuality.’
This inauthenticity ferments,
too. Ferguson likens it to noticing
a partner leaving the cap off the
toothpaste. If you’re not nodding
enthusiastically right now, allow us
to paint you a picture. As you watch
this behaviour over days and weeks,
you notice your frustration building.
You create stories about how they
don’t care or how you’re neurotic
for getting so upset. After all this
build-up, one day you finally let
them know that you get annoyed
by the toothpaste cap being left
off. They hear your concern, start
putting the cap on the tube and
there is a sense of relief. ‘All of that
stressful energy is freed up and
easier intimate connection is re-
established,’ Ferguson explains.
‘Sexual inauthenticities, small or
big, are like this stressful bottled-
up energy, which can either grow
into intense resentments and
negative self-talk – or be dispersed.’
For Anna, talking to her husband
about the inauthentic nature of
their conception sex helped them
emotionally – they both admitted
they felt they were failing the other
– and led to a solution. ‘We decided
to separate baby-making sex from
what we saw as our romantic sex
life,’ she shares. ‘It meant that we
didn’t feel bad about the routine or
mechanical nature of our conception
journey. It also enabled us to have
different types of sex that didn’t have
to be “evaluated” in the same way.’
Anna found it so beneficial that she
co-created a new fertility app, Tilly,
with support for couples trying to
conceive, including a guide to what
she calls ‘sex on demand’.
If the obvious win of authentic
sex is more orgasms, Munro believes
the real ‘oh yes’ moment happens
outside the bedroom. ‘From a
psychological and personal growth
point of view, cultivating sexual
authenticity will revolutionise your
whole life,’ she says. Some wider
pleasure points? Deeper self-
acceptance; stronger trust and
communication skills; increased
self-esteem, where you know you’re
worthy of having your needs listened
to. ‘If you can be open and honest
during the vulnerability of sex, how
you’re able to show up in every area
of your life is going to transform,’
she explains. ‘These changes don’t
stay in the bedroom. When you can
be authentic about who you are, then
you’re going to be happier and have
more integrity, and life is going to be
more fulfilling.’ It would be enough
to make you eye-roll – if you didn’t
think she was on to something.
Maybe the issue with authenticity
is that you got off to a false start.

How to access Chart your top three

your authentic
sexual self
Unsure what sparks your joy in
the sack? Follow these steps
PHOTOGRAPHY: STOCKSY
Jack Morin, sex therapist and
author of The Erotic Mind,
believes that a person’s sexual
personality – what he calls
your ‘core erotic theme’ – lies
in unpicking your three most
Do a tactile body scan
Take an item – a feather, fork,
Journal a wish list
‘Write down the things you’d
sleeve, fingertip – and trace it
over a body part (the neck is
like to experience sexually –
positions, the type of people
a good starting point), rating
from one to five how good it
you want to share them with
and the feelings you wish to
feels. Play with pressure and embody,’ says sex therapist

pleasurable sexual experiences.
Write each moment down
and look for common threads
between the three. These are
your sexual spark plugs.
texture, from a light touch on
an arm to running something
over your genitals (through
clothes). This body-mapping
task pinpoints your hotspots.
Kaycee Polite, part of Smile
Makers’ Vulva Talks sex-ed
portal. You can add to the list
over time, but allow yourself
to lean into your desires.

SEPTEMBER 2022 | 47
 Strong Mind

Recently, my toddler
asked me if I was okay.
I was (although that day
had been… a day), so I told
her as much. Then she
asked me if I wanted a hug.
It was sweet, but it was
also an example of her
budding understanding
of something far more
important: consent.
Adults rarely need to
ask permission – we can
go where we want, when
we want and with whom
we want. Perhaps it’s
no surprise, then, that
consent is often seen as
a one-time conversation
solely about sex.
But the reality is that
consent is a fundamental
aspect of connection –
not just because issues
such as sexual coercion
and rape do happen in
long-term partnerships,
but because consent is
about communicating
and respecting people’s
boundaries. It’s about
having autonomy to make
decisions and empowering
those around you to do
the same. ‘Having an
honest conversation about
all parts of our lives is key
for healthy relationships,’
says Angela Lee, director

What we’re
of Love Is Respect, a
project of the National
Domestic Violence
Hotline in the US.

getting wrong But sit-down, awkward,

make-you-cringe chats?
They often just scratch

about consent
It’s a crucial component of relational health. And yet, all
the surface of consent’s
true value. These five
expert-backed strategies
provide a guide for
keeping consent a part
too often, consent is written off as a one-time conversation. of the conversation,
Get it right and it offers a route to stronger connections, which in turn boosts
improved communication and better sex, too trust, confidence and
pleasure (sometimes
without saying a word).

SEPTEMBER 2022 | 49

Redefine consent
When it comes to integrating the
idea into your home life, it’s helpful
to address bigger boundary-type
consent issues first. Remember: it
can include things such as finances
or house guests. The problem is,
you may never have talked with
your partner about sharing a bank
account or discussed what counts
as TMI when chatting with family
members. Without conversation,
blow-ups are bound to happen.
An easy place to begin is by
asking your partner what things
in their family were like growing
up, says Jennifer Aull, a marriage,
family and sex therapist based in
50 | SEPTEMBER 2022
New York. Sorting through past
experiences is important when
it comes to setting up your ideal
‘now’. They shape your current
reality, so talk about what policies
with house guests looked like in
your childhood home and your
partner’s, for example. You’ll both
discover what you liked, what
you didn’t and what you want to
keep moving forwards. The same
goes with money or any tricky
topic requiring a set of boundaries.
Once you agree on a game plan?
‘Respect what your partner says,
stick to the boundary they establish
and build trust,’ says Lee.
Use a scale
It’s easy to view seeking
permission as asking a
question with a yes or no
answer, but the standard
for consent should be
‘enthusiastic consent’,
says Aull. She suggests a
technique called ‘scaling’
– rating excitement on
a scale of one to 10 – so
you can avoid doing stuff
you’re not jazzed about
and making your partner
feel rejected (both
of which can erode
relationships over time).
Not feeling it tonight?
A ‘scaled’ response might
look like this: ‘Sex is a
three for me, but taking
a shower together would
be a seven,’ or, ‘I’ve had
a long day; sex is a three,
but tomorrow morning it
could be a seven.’ Scaling
keeps the conversation
playful and open.
Talk about changes 
While there’s nothing
wrong with a routine,
falling into patterns
in a partnership can
contribute to certain
‘dances’. Think: one
person pursues, the other
distances. That can lead
to feelings of resentment,
says Aull. In reality,
relationships ebb and
flow, which is why it’s
important to describe
to each other any shifts
you pick up on. A quick,
‘Hey, have you noticed
WORDS: CASSIE SHORTSLEEVE. PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES
we used to have sex every
week, and now it seems
like that’s changed?’ or,
‘I noticed you’re telling
people how much your
pay rise was when we’ve
usually kept salaries
private,’ could spark
a conversation in which
you both feel comfortable
enough to update
guidelines around
different topics.
 Strong Mind
The limits you
set around
intimacy
can translate
to other
parts of your
relationship

Learn another
language 
‘Want to go to bed early
tonight?’ or, ‘Want to
come home for lunch
today?’ Code words might
sound naff, but creating
your own languages and
rituals around consent
can be intimate and fun,
says Zoë Peterson,
director of the Sexual
Assault Research
Initiative at Indiana
University’s Kinsey
Institute. (Plus, great
for parents.) ‘Those types
of questions wouldn’t
work with a new partner,
but in established
relationships, they can
be great ways to ask for
consent.’ Bonus idea: Do off-the-cuff check-ins 
you can even use code Mini temperature checks may is communication that’s about
words when it comes seem the opposite of sexy, but they consent, but also, hopefully, fun,’
to less spicy subjects, can be key to getting to know your says Dr Peterson. And you don’t
such as finances (saying partner better and staying current have to be in the moment to talk
‘bread’, for example, to with what works (and what doesn’t) about turn-ons (and -offs); you
signal to your partner when dealing with topics such might be more comfortable setting
that you’d like to give as intimacy. ‘Checking in during a boundary at another time. You
in and buy your toddler sexual encounters – asking things can apply this check-up approach
that toy from the shop). such as, “Does this feel good?” – to other aspects of life, too.

Model parenting
Using the correct anatomical terminology (penis
and vulva); explaining what you’re doing when
touching your child (changing a nappy); stopping
your tickling when a child tells you to; not coercing
kids to show affection (forcing goodbye hugs);
asking your partner in front of your kids if they
want a kiss. These are the building blocks of
consent, says Aull. But there are other ways to
model respect for personal boundaries, too, such as
allowing your child to put away a special toy they
don’t want to share before friends come over. ‘When
adults are respectful of children’s boundaries, it
teaches children to speak up about their own and
to honour those of others,’ adds Dr Peterson. ‘That
sets the stage for good consent communication
when they reach adolescence and adulthood.

SEPTEMBER 2022 | 51
 GOING TO COLLEGE
GAVE YASMIN THE
CHANCE TO DEFINE
HERSELF ON HER
OWN TERMS

Speaking
my mind

‘I thought being
asexual meant there
was something
repellent about me’
AS TOLD TO MINI SMITH. PHOTOGRAPHY: APOLLO FLUX

It may not get the same airtime as other sexualities, but asexuality is
as valid and complex as any other. Here, one asexual and aromantic
woman shares how her sexuality has affected her wellbeing

52 | SEPTEMBER 2022
I was in primary school
when I realised I was asexual.
I was 10 years old and off
the back of a long summer
holiday when my friends had
transformed. In the space
of those six weeks, it seemed
my peers had lost interest
in playing together. Now,
it was all about who fancied
who. The transition felt
jarring; I couldn’t work out why
I didn’t feel the same way.
I chose an all-girls secondary
school in the naïve hope that having
boys around was the problem.
Maybe if there was no ‘distraction’,
I thought, the girls wouldn’t care
about dating and sex. That wasn’t
the case, of course, and it was
obvious that I felt differently.
It was around that time that I
started to think of my feelings as
a thing, rather than an absence of
something. But it wasn’t until I
turned 15 that I found the language
to describe how I felt. One night,
after hearing the word at school, I
looked up ‘asexual’ online. I’d heard
‘aromantic’ before, but I didn’t
really understand the distinction.
Still, no one believed me when
I used the labels, so they felt pretty
pointless. And feeling different in
this way didn’t feel like a problem to
solve. As a Black girl living in a fairly
white area, who loved heavy metal
and dressing like a goth, I was used
to standing out. And it wasn’t
something that I really cared about.
I thought, ‘Why would I care about
what I’m not feeling?’ It was when
my peers started caring that the
issues really began.
It started with people trying to
work out what was ‘wrong’ with me.
Everyone (my friends included)
would come up with a theory; maybe
I was a lesbian, a covert paedophile
or perhaps I’d been traumatised
by sexual assault and had buried it
so deep that I’d forgotten all about
it. People would hurl the words
Yasmin Benoit, ‘hollow’ and ‘heartless’ at me,
26, is an asexual divining that I lacked emotional
activist, model
and writer capacity or that I was somehow
from Reading ‘stunted’ or slow. That, or simply
naïve. Otherwise, they would ask
explicit questions or do their best
to shock me with pornography. Before long,
their words lodged themselves in my brain.
To hear constantly that there was
something wrong with me, at a time when
I was still developing my sense of self,
meant I began to internalise that message.
I developed serious anxiety over doing
anything wrong – anxiety that manifested
in a toxic perfectionism, where one bad
grade would devastate me. But the anxiety
was social, too. Projecting those cruel words
back on to myself, I felt as though there was
something repellent about
me, that I was deeply flawed
in some way. I began to
‘I realised my
avoid socialising as much as
possible; there were times
voice had the
during the school holidays potential to
when I’d see no one at all.
A recurring theme in the help people’
reactions from others was
that I didn’t ‘look asexual’. They didn’t
admit as much, but I knew being Black
was the reason – our society is so used to
hypersexualising Black girls that even
though everything about me was screaming
asexual, I still wasn’t believed. Not fitting
the bill of the ‘typical’ white asexual
people I’d seen in the media meant that
community was hard to find, too.
My anxiety even grew into hypochondria.
I bombarded my doctor with the ailments I
thought would kill me. And I was constantly
worried about crime, picturing the worst
each time I walked home from school.
What helped, I think, was starting sixth
form at a boarding school miles away from
home. I still only knew a handful
of asexual people who I’d met at
my local Pride march, but starting
afresh gave me the chance to build
my confidence. For the first time,
I realised maybe I wasn’t ‘stupid’
or ‘wrong’, after all.
Still, it wasn’t until I’d finished
my master’s degree at UCL in 2019
that I began to really explore what
it meant to be asexual. By then,
I was regularly speaking about it
on social media, and I began to
receive invitations to speak on
panel talks, too. The first time
I got a message from someone
to say I’d changed the way they
thought about themselves, I
realised my voice had the potential
to help people, which inspired me
to do even more speaking.
Everyone experiences romance
and sexuality in a different way;
ask someone
what love is
and you’ll get
100 different
answers.
Just because
someone
happens to
experience
those feelings in a way that you
personally can’t relate to doesn’t
make them cold-hearted – it’s
just another variation in the way
we all experience emotions and
respond to them.
I know now that there’s nothing
inherently wrong with being
asexual or aromantic; more than
that, you can live a happy and
fulfilling life. That’s what I would
tell my younger self. And it’s
just what I intend to do now.
For more information and support,
visit the Asexual Visibility & Education
Network (AVEN) at asexuality.org

What do ‘asexual’ and How might identifying What advice would

Asexuality and ‘aromantic’ mean?
aromanticism: Asexual people don’t experience
sexual attraction towards
the expert anyone, regardless of gender. It’s
view like any other sexual orientation,
which means it’s self-identified,
Dr Silva Neves part of human sexual diversity
specialises in and a spectrum. People who
psychosexual and identify as aromantic experience
relationship therapy
a lack of romantic attraction
and issues affecting
diverse sexualities towards anyone but may
experience sexual attraction.
as asexual affect your
mental health?
It doesn’t affect mental health
per se, but society’s stigma
might. Asexual people are
often perceived as ‘broken’ or
‘immature’ because they don’t
feel desire. The same goes for
aromantic people about ‘always
being single’ or not wanting to
‘settle down’. These judgements
cause issues, not the orientation.
you offer anyone who
thinks they might be
asexual or aromantic?
Connect with others who
share your identity. Being
around people who truly
understand you can help you
feel like part of a ‘tribe’ as
opposed to feeling ‘broken’
or ‘weird’ because you don’t
fit in with the rigid rules of
society’s sexual norms.

SEPTEMBER 2022 | 53
Best Body

How to
build a
workout
like a PT
If the idea of putting together your
own muscle-making plan is Ikea flat-
pack territory, worry not. With a little
guidance, you’ll be your own PT in
no time. Zero Allen keys required
WORDS: CAITLIN CARLSON
P H OTO G R A P H Y: M A RTI N R U S C H

SEPTEMBER 2022 | 55
 MOVE THIS WAY
Consider this your glossary of the main patterns every exerciser
should know. Select a move from each bucket to develop a strength
workout that nets results. Gains are just around the corner

PUSH
You push in the real world more than you think, using this
chest-dominant gesture to close drawers, doors and
cabinets, says Dr Fraboni. Or to press a barbell.
move and which muscles they
recruit. A push, for example,
primarily involves chest muscles What it works  Must-do moves
and allows you to – you guessed it Chest, shoulders, Shoulder tap to press-up,
– push a door open or do a press-up triceps dumbbell chest press, lateral
on the floor. A push movement is raise, shoulder press, chest fly
one of the four biggies, and you’ve
probably heard of the other three:
wo smart, super-fit pull, hinge and squat. 
trainers walk into an If you want to sweat like a pro
exercise conference.
Naturally, they decide to
work out together. Nope,
(meaning: do structured workouts
in the smartest way to build muscle
and strength – and change your
PULL
Spend too much time on your phone? ‘Add pull exercises to
no punchline coming – body composition while you’re at combat that forwards tendency,’ Dr Fraboni says. Yogis, take
this is a true story. When it, if that’s a goal), this is a must- note: counteract those yogic press-ups and reduce the chance
of shoulder injury with pull movements.
certified trainer Angela know approach. ‘It helps build body
Gargano and Jen Fraboni, awareness and sets the baseline
owner of docjenfit.com for a solid workout structure,’ says What it works  Must-do moves 
(@docjenfit), first met Dr Fraboni. Doing similar motions Back, biceps, forearms  Bent-over row, pull-up, chin-up
at a business event, they over and over again – in slightly
decided there was no different ways – works most, if
better time to create not all, muscle groups, which is
a fitness friendship. ultimately how you get stronger,

HINGE
In typical trainer style, Gargano points out. 
they hit the gym together What’s more, programming
and crafted a flawless a mix of patterns ensures you stay
To build hip strength and overall explosiveness, or to grow those
full-body routine that balanced and injury-free. For
glutes, you want to improve your hinge pattern, Dr Fraboni says.
targets all muscle groups. instance, when you do all hinges Exercises that fall into this category ramp up hamstring, glute
To do that, they applied and no squats, you overwork the and hip extension power – all crucial for distance running, too. 

CLOUTIER REMIX. MODEL: TASHA FRANKEN FOR DT MODELS. PRODUCTION: WONDER PARTNERS
what trainers consider rear of the lower body, Dr Fraboni
the bread-and-butter says. ‘To maximise hip strength and
STYLING: KRISTEN SALADINO. HAIR: SHERIDAN WARD. MAKE-UP: BREN ROBERTSON/
movement patterns. ‘We power, you need one, maybe two, What it works Must-do moves
knew that we wanted to heavy hinge exercises.’ Then you’d Glutes, Romanian deadlift, single-leg
do something quick and counter that work by, say, adding hamstrings deadlift, glute bridge
effective, so we made a squat to improve knee strength
sure we had the right and stability and reduce pain.
patterns in the workout,’ So, without further ado, allow us
Gargano explains.  to introduce you to the must-know
The term ‘movement
patterns’ simply refers to
a method of categorising
patterns, the most effective moves
for each and the easy ways to put
it all together for an expertly
SQUAT
Squat patterns bolster strength and stability. Runners: even
exercises based on how crafted full-body sweat. though your sport recruits a lot of quad movement, practise
they force your body to squatting to support the knees and hip flexors, so you can
go faster and further without discomfort.

What it works Must-do moves

Quads, glutes, hamstrings Goblet squat,
heels-elevated squat 

56 | SEPTEMBER 2022
 Previous spread:
Top and leggings,
both Lanston;
earrings, model’s
own (throughout)

This page:
Top, Alala;
bottoms,
Volcom; shoes,
BrandBlack

Body bonus
Get familiar with these important
add-ons that can take your
workout to the next level

LATERAL
Side-to-side patterns
CARRY
Grip strength is often
work muscles that overlooked in training
supply more power and plans. But a weak grip
control. ‘Don’t stick can keep you from
to forwards and PBs such as a heavier
backwards exercises,’ deadlift or that third
Dr Fraboni urges. pull-up. Enter: carry
patterns to reinforce
What it works palm and forearm
power.
Lateral moves hit an
impressive variety of
muscles along the side What it works
of the body, Dr Fraboni Grip, core strength
says, including the
glutes and adductors Must-do moves
(inner thighs).
Classic farmer’s carry,
overhead and
Must-do moves single-arm variations
Lateral lunge, curtsy
lunge, skater 
 This workout hits every movement

FULL-BODY
pattern and muscle group. Do it up to
three days a week. Once comfortable,
bring in other must-do moves listed
in each category to keep the gains

STRENGTH
great and the workouts fresh.
Instructions: Using a pair of medium
to heavy dumbbells, do the following
moves in order (push, pull, hinge,
squat, then bonus patterns) for 30
to 45 secs each, with 10 to 15 secs of
rest in between. Do 3 or 4 total sets. 
Exercises demoed by Ashley Reese,
founder of Reese Fitness

A
PULL
Gorilla row
HOW TO: Stand with your feet wider than hip-width apart
and place the dumbbells between your feet. Keeping your
B spine long, bend your knees and lower your hips to grasp the
dumbbells with your palms facing in, arms extended (A). Lift
one weight off the floor towards your ribs (B), then slowly
lower it back down. Repeat with the other arm.

A B

PUSH 
Shoulder tap to press-up
HOW TO: Begin in a high plank position with your hands slightly wider than
your shoulders, legs extended (A). Keeping your back flat and hips square with
the floor, tap your right hand to your left shoulder (B). Repeat on the other
side. Return to high plank, then bend your elbows and lower your chest
towards the floor (C). Press up to return to the start. 

HINGE 
Romanian
SQUAT
Goblet squat
A deadlift HOW TO: Stand with your feet slightly
wider than hip-width apart, holding a
EXERCISE PHOTOGRAPHY: PHILIP FRIEDMAN. STYLING: ANN WANG. HAIR AND MAKE-UP:
HOW TO: With your

ELOISE CHEUNG. ASHLEY WEARS: TOP, CALIA; LEGGINGS, OLD NAVY; SHOES, REEBOK
feet hip-width apart, dumbbell in both hands at chest height
hold the dumbbells (A). Bend your knees into a squat, keeping
close to your body by your chest upright (B). Pause, then drive
the hips, palms facing in through your heels and glutes to stand.
(A). Keeping your spine
long, send your hips
back with control as
you hinge forwards at
the waist. Keeping the
dumbbells close to your
body, lower the weights
to your shins, or as far
down as you can
without curving your
spine (B). Pause, then
reverse the movement
to return to the start,
engaging your glutes
and core at the top.
B
B

A
 Why this
workout?
We know you have questions.
And we have answers

Why aren’t
there any
classic abs
moves in
this plan? How much
does the

LATERAL 
Lateral lunge  this, they aren’t
HOW TO: Stand with your
feet hip-width apart, a
dumbbell in each hand,
then step your left foot out
to the left, landing with
your knee bent and in line
with your ankle, weights
on either side of your knee.
Drive through your left heel
and engage your glutes to
return to the start. Repeat
on the opposite side.
We love a fiery
core blaster. But order of the
with a plan like movement
patterns
necessary. ‘You’re really matter?
using your core in
every single one You can play
around with the
of the movements,’
Gargano says. If order a bit, just
try to space out
you want to do
more abs-focused upper- and
lower-body moves,
work, go for it.
Just know that per Gargano’s
advice. (So you
if you’re hitting
the movement don’t exhaust any
one muscle group). 
patterns here,
you’re already
doing plenty (and Can I add
more) for your
abs and the rest
in other
of your body. The exercises?
same reasoning Of course. You can
goes for, say, (and should) keep
biceps curls or in mind that you
other arm-specific don’t live life in a
movements.  contained manner.
‘We twist and
Why time, rotate even when
not reps?  walking,’ notes
Dr Fraboni. So,
Focusing on the including exercises
clock allows you with a rotational
to worry less about aspect – such
how many reps as throwing a
you’re completing medicine ball
and instead laterally against
focus on the a wall, or doing
form and feel of cable machine
the movement, wood chops – is
Gargano says.  also a great way
to mimic everyday
movement.

CARRY 
Farmer’s carry
HOW TO: Stand tall with
a dumbbell in each hand
at your sides, palms facing
in. Squeeze your shoulder Top, Aritzia;
blades together and engage shorts, Araks;
your core and glutes, then shoes, Axel Arigato
walk forwards for several
steps without letting the
weights swing. Pause, then
turn and return to the start. 
60 | SEPTEMBER 2022
 New research suggests a regular
yoga practice could lead to a more
satisfying intimate life. Here, yogi
Angie Tiwari explores the link
between poses and pleasure

SEPTEMBER 2022 | 61
There are few feelings in life that compare
with the full-body calm that comes after
a well-taught yoga class. With the exception,
perhaps, of a satisfying sexual encounter.
So it may not surprise you to learn that
researchers are connecting the dots.
A study published in The Journal Of Sexual
Medicine found that women who engaged in
a 12-week yoga programme reported higher
levels of desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm
and satisfaction, as well as lower levels of
pain. The idea has infiltrated the digital
realm, too. Last year, a TikTok video by
@yogamama_ claiming that frog pose (see
image eight, right) can improve your sex
life notched up over 14 million views.
For Laurie Mintz, a psychology professor 01
at the University of Florida and author of
Becoming Cliterate, one explanation is yoga’s
ability to keep you grounded in the moment.
‘Yoga teaches mindfulness, which is an
Go with 02

essential component for desire and arousal

– you can’t orgasm when you’re thinking
about how you look, your “performance”
or your emails,’ she explains. A 2021 study
supports this, showing positive links between
mindfulness and sexual satisfaction and
arousal in women. Consider, too, that yoga
has been shown in countless studies to reduce
stress, and that cortisol dampens desire as
effectively as long toenails, and you begin
to understand why yogic practice could be
so powerful an intervention.
That’s before you consider the physical
benefits of regular practice – from the blood-
oxygenating power of  pranayama (controlled
breathing) to the way yoga can strengthen
your pelvic floor, along with your ability
to orgasm. One study, published this year,
showed that yoga significantly improved
both the pelvic and mental health of
post-partum women in particular*.
And yet, for Cat Meffan, founder of the yoga
subscription service Soul Sanctuary, it’s the
relationship with yourself that yoga helps you
nurture that explains the link with better sex.
‘It’s true that being more mobile allows you
the flow
01
Corpse pose
(savasana) 
Here, you can find the freedom
to enjoy sexual pleasure. ‘It’s
common when you’re close to
orgasm to breathe shallowly,’
says Jamie Clements, founder
of the breathwork platform
The Breath Space. ‘This can
detract from the fullness of the
experience. Breathing deeply
creates relaxation, allowing you
a deeper sense of pleasure.’
Try it: Lie on your back, eyes
closed, legs and arms out to the
side. Turn your palms upwards,
soften your breath and stay 03
for five minutes. Refrain from Bridge pose
judgement as your mind wanders. (setu bandhasana) 
A pelvic floor and core
02 strengthener that will fire
Energising breath up your glutes and increase
(kapalabhati pranayama)  blood flow to the pelvic area
WORDS: ANGIE TIWARI (@TIWARIYOGA). PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY

to enjoy new positions, but it’s so much more Centuries ago, this tantric – all of which make the bridge
IMAGES. *SOURCE: JOURNAL OF HEALTHCARE ENGINEERING

than that,’ she says. ‘Over time, yoga teaches
you to look inwards, to delve deeper and to find
an authentic connection with yourself.’ It’s
this, she believes, that’s truly behind its ability
to let you be in your body in the way that real
pleasure requires. Ready to lean into the latest
mind-body benefits of yoga? Here, Angie
Tiwari, founder of Tiwari Yoga (tiwariyoga.
com), shares a 15-minute flow to get you
back in your body and – hopefully – guide
you towards a more satisfying intimate life.
technique was believed to delay
ejaculation. Today, these claims
are backed by science, too. A
2019 study found the technique
to ‘significantly increase duration
of the sexual act’, helping prolong
pleasure for both sexes.    apart. With your hands on the
Try it: Sit upright, eyes closed,
and forcefully exhale through
the nostrils while contracting
your stomach. Your inhale will
follow automatically.
a prime sexual-function
enhancer, according to sex
coach Rose Bonham Carter.
Try it: Lie down, bend your
knees and ground your feet
close to your glutes, hip-width
ground, lift your glutes up. As
you lift, keep your head and
shoulders grounded. Interlace
your fingers underneath to lift
higher. Hold for one minute.

62 | SEPTEMBER 2022

05
04
Happy baby pose
(ananda balasana)
This restorative hip opener
releases tension and increases
pelvic flexibility, both of which
are key components of a
satisfying orgasm.
Try it: Lie on your back, legs
up. Bend your knees and hold
your toes. Focus on bringing
your knees down, breathe deeply
and hold for two minutes. Keep
your head and neck grounded
to avoid straining your upper
back. If you feel this happening,
support yourself by popping
a folded blanket under your
head, or holding a looped
strap around your feet.  minutes, then slowly release.
03
06
04
07
08
05
Lizard pose
(utthan pristhasana)  (bhekasana)
Here, you’re stretching your
back, lengthening your spine
and opening your hips,
increasing blood flow to your
sexual organs. It’ll strengthen
your hamstrings and hips, as
well as improving your mobility.  knees, pointing your feet and
Try it: Start on all fours, placing
one foot to the front with your
hands on the inside. Either keep
your back knee down or tuck
your toes and lift. Allow your
hips to sink down and lower
your forearms while keeping
your chest lifted. Maintain
steady breathing for two
Best Body
06
Belly breathing
(adham pranayama)
Pranayama has been used for
centuries for its various health
benefits, ranging from lowering
blood pressure to improving
emotional regulation. It works
like this: deeper breath increases
blood flow, sending more
oxygen around the body to your
muscles (and your genitals).
Try it: Sit upright and inhale
through your nose for three
counts, then exhale for six counts.
As you inhale, your stomach
expands, and as you exhale
it contracts. Practise for two
minutes with closed eyes.
Observe how you feel.
07
Water hand gesture
(varun mudra) 
Connecting with your water
element – linked in yoga to the
second chakra, located in the
region of your pelvis – is thought
to enhance sexual expression.
Sceptical? Research suggests
that yoga could improve sexual
function, with the effects most
pronounced for women over 40.
Try it: Start seated and upright.
Connect your pinky finger with
your thumb, and place your hands
on your knees. Be aware of the
connection between these points.
Call your mind back if it wanders
off, holding for one minute. 
08
Frog pose
If you’re tight around your groin,
bhekasana can help to ease any
lingering tension, while increasing
blood circulation to the pelvic
area – key to facilitating arousal.
Try it: Begin on your hands and
knees outwards. Widen your
legs and push your hips back.
You’ll start to feel a stretch in
your inner thighs. Hold for a
minute, but remember to keep
breathing – it’s a strong one so
you may find yourself holding
your breath. A bit much?
Modify it by placing a folded
blanket under your knees.
SEPTEMBER 2022 | 63
Best Body

Are you seeing

comfortably?
If there’s a silver lining to our digital-first lives, it’s that it’s opened
our eyes to the health of our corneas. Here, ophthalmologist
Jerry Tsung reveals how he keeps his retinas in fine fettle

A sight for
Give your eyes sore eyes
a lunch break
The popular 20-20-20
rule says you should look
away from your screen
every 20 minutes at
something 20 feet away
for 20 seconds to relieve
digital eye strain. But if Nourish
the only counting you’re your eyes
doing is items on your I jumped on the
to-do list, try this instead. Mediterranean-diet
Close your eyes for 10 bandwagon in a serious
minutes on your lunch way when research
break and listen to a found it might reduce
meditation app. Your eyes the risk of age-related
get tired with intense use; macular degeneration
closing them is like taking (AMD) by 41%. This
a rest between sets during produce-filled diet
a workout. Headspace can help prevent the
equals eye space. inflammation that may
contribute to AMD. It’s a
cliché but I love avocado
toast for breakfast and
lunch will often be a kale
and quinoa salad.

Sweat to save
your retinas
A recent study found that
exercise can actually help
maintain good eye health.
Since reading it, I’ve been Lather your lids
doing 100 press-ups daily, Eyelid hygiene: it’s a
along with a Peloton thing. Your eyelids collect
session three times a oil all day long. After
AS TOLD TO SARAH E RICHARDS. PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES

week. Physical activity hours of screens, the oil

may stave off some of the
Ban screens
cell ageing that leads to
from the
macular degeneration – a
bedroom
I keep my phone from
degenerative condition
intruding on my night
affecting the retina, which
by disabling notifications
results in partial or total
so I don’t get woken up by
loss of vision. Being active
texts. Extra awake time
can also help prevent
means you’re doing more
diabetes, which damages
harmful things to your
the blood vessels that
eyes, such as staring
feed your retinas.
at screens. You’re also
depriving your body of
the sleep that helps your
eyes regain moisture.
Block out glands along the lashes
ultraviolet rays get clogged. Tears
I’m obsessive about
evaporate more quickly
putting on my Ray-Bans
and the eyes become
as soon as I step outside.
crusty and irritated. I put
UV light is linked to ageing
a little baby shampoo
diseases such as cataracts
on a cloth, apply it on
and macular degeneration,
my lids and rinse with
and harm can start
water. This is my version
adding up by your forties.
of a digital detox at the
Indoors, I don’t wear
end of the day.
glasses to block blue
light – I haven’t seen any
research that shows they
help with eye fatigue.

64 | SEPTEMBER 2022
 How
I get fit Best Body
done
‘Swimming
changed
my life –
now I teach
other
women’
Minreet Kaur, 41, from
west London, wants to share
the power of fitness – and
her love for it – with others in
the South Asian community

Growing up, I hated exercise,

but things changed when I turned
40. I developed a painful lump in
my neck, which a scan showed
as fatty tissue caused by weight
gain during lockdown. I was told
that the lump wasn’t dangerous,
but could cause long-term pain.
As an overweight diabetic, I was
motivated to make a change.
My parents, both in their
seventies, prioritise fitness, so
I looked to them for inspiration.
My father loves skipping and my
mother swims every day, so I began
skipping at home or swimming
at my local gym daily. I cut out
the chocolate and crisps that had
become a habit and introduced a
more nutritionally balanced diet.
I felt fitter and happier within
days of moving more and eating
more healthily, but this kind of
lifestyle change isn’t always easy
for South Asian women. In some
South Asian cultures it’s seen as
taboo for women to show their
skin in public, which can make
wearing gymwear and swimwear
difficult. What’s more, prioritising
your own health and wellbeing
as a woman above household
chores or the family’s needs is
often deemed selfish. I feel lucky
AS TOLD TO BRIDIE WILKINS
wraps within the community
where we live in Harlington.
This cultural stigma means
many South Asian women aren’t
taught to swim as children – my
mother taught me, but I was never
really comfortable going to public
pools. Knowing I was carrying
excess weight gave me the push
I needed. The first time I went
to a local leisure centre pool was
terrifying, but it was exciting, too.
Over the course of four weeks,
going four times a week, swimming
became my favourite form of
exercise. I’d swim to get fitter and
build strength in my arms and
legs, but I also wanted to prove to
other South Asian women that
showing your skin and exercising
videos on social media of myself in
swimwear and actively swimming.
I received so many comments from
Proudest PB South Asian women thanking me
I once swam and asking for more of the same
underwater for
the length of content, I began to practise in the
a 25m pool pool more often. Three months later,
I took on an even bigger challenge.
I entered a competition at my
local gym to swim five miles in 30
days, and did it within five days.
I was over the moon and shared
Dream rest day
Sitting in the the news on social media. I didn’t
garden, drinking expect what happened next. But
a cup of masala before long, I was inundated with
tea and eating
some chocolate
requests from women asking me
to teach them how to swim – and I
jumped at the chance to help them.
Now, three months later, I’m a
qualified swimming teacher and

that my father has always
encouraged my family to exercise
in ways that worked for us, but
even though my mother enjoys
swimming, she keeps it under
for your own wellbeing is nothing Can’t-live- have a waiting list of 40 women.
to be ashamed of. I felt called to without fit kit My goal is to make it accessible to
share the confidence that My Nike Pegasus everyone; if my mum can dive in
running shoes.
swimming was giving me. Running is and do tumble turns at the age
With the support of my parents, another form of of 71, anyone can do it.
I started to share pictures and fitness I enjoy

SEPTEMBER 2022 | 65
 Wear Well PHOTOGRAPHY
JEFFREY WESTBROOK

WORDS
JACQUELINE
ANDRIAKOS AND
CAITLIN CARLSON

Introducing: the WH Trainer Awards.

From the best shoes to ground you
beneath a barbell to a cushiony base
to save your #sundayrunday shins,
you’re about to meet your match

SEPTEMBER 2022 | 67
How we test
With the help
of seven fitness
coaches (and
one foot-health
expert), we tested
more than 100
pairs of trainers
over several
months, bolstering
our results by
poring over
countless customer
reviews to better
understand the
common themes
shared by the
women who
already own them.
Then, to narrow
down the shortlist,
we honed in on the
most innovative,
female-focused,
new trainer drops,
the tried-and-
tested favourites
of WH editors and
the most highly
rated trainers
based on detailed
customer reviews.
Now, the results
are in. Whether
you’re in the
market for shoes
to help you nail
a trail or nudge
you closer to a
parkrun PB, or
a compliment-
collecting pair
Outdoor

that will take

you from gym to
park to pub, the Saucony Women’s Nike React Pegasus
six categories Peregrine 12, £135 Trail 4, £114.95
ahead cover all Laura McLaughlin, managing These are great for trail runs and
editor of WH US, highly rates easy hikes, says PT Toni Livers.
your needs, so these trail-running shoes for Made with soft cushioning and
you can work their great treads. ‘I like that breathable mesh, they’ll keep
out comfortably I can tuck in the laces and that you comfortable while you’re
and in style. it’s a pull, not a tie,’ she says. crushing your workout.

68 | SEPTEMBER 2022

Ecco Biom 2.0, £130
These trainers are specially
designed to keep your feet
cool and dry with breathable,
moisture-managing mesh.
Plus, no socks required.
Perfect for those days when
the mercury edges up to 30.
Running
Timberland Euro
Swift Hiking
Shoe, £115
Get ready for lengthy hikes
in these sturdy, sustainably
made boots, which have steel
shanks to support your arches,
plus lightweight footbeds.
Wear Well
Xero Shoes Zelen,
£129
Not a fan of big, clunky running
shoes? This pair keeps you at
one with the road beneath
you, given its minimalist
design, barely there feel and
wide toe box that helps you
avoid scrunching your toes.
And they’re eco-friendly, too,
so you can hit your next sprint
sustainably and in style.
Brooks Hyperion
Tempo, £140
These shoes feature nitrogen-
infused foam that helps you
get more bang for your buck
when it comes to energy. Of
course, they’re still lightweight
and the materials adapt to
your stride, allowing you to run
faster and recover quicker.
What more do you need?
Adidas Ultraboost
22, £165
The latest iteration of the
Ultraboost was redesigned
and engineered by an
all-female product team
based on 1.2 million scans of
women’s feet – so you know
you’re getting a running shoe
with you in mind. It’s known
for its sock-like, springy
design that feels like you’re
wearing pillows – all while
propelling you forwards.
SEPTEMBER 2022 | 69
 Training
APL Ascend, £225
Cross
An excellent choice for all
the workout generalists out
there. A heads-up, though:
WH US health and fitness
director Jacqueline Andriakos
recommends upsizing by
half a shoe size.
70 | SEPTEMBER 2022
Nike React Infinity
Run Flyknit 3, £144.95
‘What I love most about these
shoes is that I can run, walk
my dog, strength train, teach
my fitness classes and dance
in them,’ says Jenna Matroni,
a fitness trainer and model.

Hoka Rocket X, £155
Deal with arch or heel pain
during workouts? Podiatrist
Yolanda Ragland not only
recommends these to patients,
but also wears them herself.
‘I love them, especially when I
have hours-long procedures.’
Active Life
Ryka Declare XT,
from £71.81
‘I prefer to sweat barefoot, but
these shoes help protect my
achy knees during HIIT while
still feeling comfortable,’ says
Amanda Lucci, WH US deputy
editor of content strategy.
Wear Well
On The Roger
Advantage, £130
Ah, that fresh white trainer
feel! Co-created with tennis
legend Roger Federer, these
shoes are designed to offer
the wearer comfort all day
long. Yes, they feel weighty,
but the minimal stitching
provides a clean, crisp look
wherever you are, whether
you’re hitting deuces or
the juice bar post-workout.
Allbirds Women’s
Tree Pipers, £100
‘These shoes feel broken in
from day one,’ Andriakos says.
Not enough? They’re carbon-
neutral, made from sustainable
materials such as eucalyptus
tree fibre. Don’t worry about
muddy marks, either – you can
just pop them in the washing
machine for a quick fix. Score.
Asics Lyte
Classic, £75
Fashionable yet functional,
it’s hard not to be a fan of
these bright, citrusy Asics
shoes that are made to be
worn all day long. They’re
one of Andriakos’s everyday
favourites, too, thanks to
inserts so comfy they feel
like expensive orthotics.
A great all-rounder.
SEPTEMBER 2022 | 71
 Speciality
Babolat Propulse Fury
All Court, £129.99
Forehand, backhand – whatever
shot you’re taking, know you’ll
be supported by this tennis shoe.
The grippy sole provides traction
to keep you on your feet when
you’re chasing any shot.
72 | SEPTEMBER 2022
Oofos OOmg Mesh
Low, £130
Recovery shoes are trending –
and for good reason. This pick
has thousands of good reviews,
as well as special foam, which is
designed to reduce stress on your
knees, ankles and other joints.
Rapha Classic
Shoes, £190
This road-cycling shoe, with an
average of 4.7 stars from almost
300 reviews on the Rapha site,
gets top marks for its clean
design, all-day comfort and
race-ready stiffness.
Weightlifting
APL TechLoom
Tracer, £305
‘These shoes have been my go-to
for weightlifting for years,’ says
Andriakos, who has them in five
(yes, five!) colours. ‘I have a very
narrow foot, and the knit material
feels as if it moulds to my foot.’
Reebok Legacy
Lifter II, £150
One reviewer said, ‘The raised
heel provides nice stability for
lifting and overhead squats so
I can focus on form without
being limited by my ankle
inflexibility.’ Sounds good to us.
Nike Metcon 7, £114.95
When we posted an Instagram
poll asking for people’s go-to
weightlifting shoes, the Metcons
won by a landslide. They’re great
for big lifts and cross training and
are an all-time favourite of our
editor-in-chief Claire Sanderson.
SEPTEMBER 2022 | 73

Feeling tired?
Here’s how
to get your
oomph back
A lack of energy is no fun but upping your
iron intake could have you full of beans. Literally
Do you often feel
exhausted, no matter how
much sleep you get? Do you
feel like your energy levels
are through the floor? Are
you often fatigued by the
end of the day? If so, you
could be low in iron.
‘Even a slight lack of iron
can impact your day-to-day
life,’ explains Le’Nise
Brothers, nutritionist and
author of You Can Have
a Better Period (£10.99,
Watkins). So it’s important
your diet contains enough
to safeguard against this.
74 | S E P T EM B E R 2 02 2
WH PROMOTION FOR BLU EIRON
Low iron levels affect
23% of pregnant women
and 14% of non-pregnant
women*, and can contribute
to feelings of tiredness and
fatigue. This is because iron is
a vital component of red blood
cells, which transport oxygen
to your muscles. If you’re not
getting enough, the lack of
oxygen can leave you feeling
zapped of energy.
Here, Brothers reveals the
signs that show you may be
in need of a boost – and the
steps you can take to feel
better again.
How can you tell if
you’re low in iron?
‘You may start feeling
exhausted, even though
your lifestyle hasn’t changed,’
says Brothers. ‘If you’re
concerned, ask your GP for
a blood test.’ Women are
typically lower in iron than
men due to menstruation and
pregnancy. ‘Other common
causes are poorly planned
vegan and vegetarian diets,
and digestive issues that
result in the iron not
being absorbed properly,’
adds Brothers.
How can you improve
your energy levels?
Start by addressing any
nutrient black holes in your
diet. ‘If you eat meat, make
sure it’s high-quality, organic
red meat and dark poultry,
as these are high in heme iron
– the most easily absorbed
form,’ Brothers suggests. ‘If
you’re vegetarian or vegan,
add in foods high in non-
heme iron, such as lentils,
beans, dark leafy greens and
beetroot. To get the maximum
benefit from plant sources,
consume with vitamin C
– think orange juice or fresh
fruit and vegetables – to help
increase iron absorption.’
Daily
safety net
Alongside a healthy,
balanced diet,
a supplement can
be a fuss-free way to
achieve 100% of your
recommended daily ILLUSTRATION: MAGGIE STEPHENSON. *NICE. **FOOD SUPPLEMENTS SHOULD
NOT BE USED AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR A VARIED DIET AND HEALTHY LIFESTYLE
amount of iron**. Easily
absorbed and gentle on
the stomach, BlueIron
Liquid Iron is made with
Nordic blueberries for
a delicious way to help
you hit your quota.
It’s suitable for vegans,
safe for pregnant women,
and can be taken with
or without food.
BlueIron Liquid Iron is
available at boots.com
and amazon.co.uk
Beauty Lab
The case for
skinplicity
In the confusing world of skincare, where hi-tech
ingredients and 10-step routines reign supreme,
could doing less actually do more for your skin?
Words Amelia Bell

SEPTEMBER 2022 | 75
There are certain scenarios in life where
less is definitely more. The four-day hen
do with an itinerary longer than your work
to-do list. The 12-course tasting menu that
turns out to be foam over flavour. And, as
I found out the hard way, skincare.
A few years ago, my bathroom cabinets
would have made a minimalist wince. Little
vials of vitamin C, tall essences and every
kind of acid filled the shelves. I treated
skincare like speed dating; chopping and
changing when products failed to live up
to expectation and swiping left when the
next shiny thing in skincare came along.
I’m not alone, either. A staggering 78% of
those quizzed by the Swedish beauty brand
Foreo in a 2021 global survey said they’d
expanded their skincare routine since the
start of the pandemic. #Skincare was the
top hashtag in beauty on Twitter in 2021*,
while the famed #skincareshelfie has now
amassed over a million views on TikTok.

It’s all added up to skincare

routines with more steps than an
episode of Strictly. And yet, show
me a person whose 10-step routine
has delivered on their glowy-skin
goal and I’ll show you a sceptical
eyebrow raise. For all my diligence
(I schooled up on acids, invested in
at-home facial tools and got to grips
with multi-masking), the luminous
complexion I anticipated never
DIY SOS
When I share this news with
Stefanie Williams, dermatologist
and founder of Eudelo skin clinic,
she isn’t that surprised. ‘I often
see patients who are overusing
skincare,’ she confirms. ‘Most are
over-moisturising (using too many
moisturisers or lipid-rich formulas)
or layering too many products,
*ACCORDING TO SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM SPRINKLR

arrived. A rash that no amount of causing the skin to become “bumpy”

moisturiser could manage spread
from one side of my forehead right
down to my chin; cleansers stung
my face, while toners left it tight.
Far from being in peak skin health,
my complexion was looking worse
than it ever had.
or congested with open or closed
comedones (blackheads or
whiteheads).’ Meanwhile, on the
other side of the spectrum is over-
exfoliating. ‘This refers to the use
of irritating ingredients such as
retinoids (vitamin A derivatives

76 | SEPTEMBER 2022
 Beauty Lab

that have been proven to increase

cell turnover and minimise fine
lines) or alpha hydroxy acids
(AHAs), such as glycolic and lactic
acid),’ adds Dr Williams. In excess,
both can cause redness, dryness,
itchy skin and, in severe cases,
contact dermatitis – a rash that
looks similar to eczema.
An explanation of why too
many products can cause you
issues begins with the stratum
corneum. Essentially, it’s the glue
that holds everything together
and the outermost layer of skin,
also known as your skin barrier.
Made of lipids (fats)
Layering such as ceramides, it
helps defend against
products can daily aggressors (UV
actually reduce rays, infection and
pollution, as opposed
effectiveness to that bloke who talks
over you in meetings)
and locks in moisture. ‘When
overusing active ingredients or
constantly changing formulas, your
epidermal barrier function becomes
impaired and too much water
evaporates from the skin, causing
a lowered water content in the
stratum corneum,’ explains Alexis
Face Granite, consultant dermatologist
mask for CeraVe. ‘As the skin dries out,
little cracks appear in the barrier,
which may let in irritants and
germs that can cause dermatitis
and worsen existing skin conditions
[such as acne and rosacea].’ As
per research published in the
Journal Of Clinical And Aesthetic
Dermatology, erosion of the skin
barrier is one of the biggest causes
of skin issues for dermatologists.
If an enthusiastic approach
to actives isn’t leaving your skin
visibly irritated, it could be blunting
their effectiveness due to the
way certain ingredients interact.
It’s ironic, really. While single-
ingredient options such as
hyaluronic acid and niacinamide
were designed to make evidence-
based ingredients more accessible
to the likes of you and me, DIY
skincare layering – using multiple
single-ingredient formulas – can
ultimately reduce effectiveness.
Take vitamin C and AHAs; used
simultaneously, the acids can

SEPTEMBER 2022 | 77
destabilise the pH balance of
vitamin C, which makes both
useless and can cause irritation.
Consider, too, the impact these
multistep routines are having on
the environment, and the case for
stripping them back becomes even
stronger. ‘Two decades ago, brands
launched product ranges seasonally
– now it’s weekly,’ explains Millie
Kendall, CEO of the British Beauty
Council. Not only is increased
production creating excess waste
– the cosmetics industry produces
an estimated 120 billion units of
packaging globally every year,
according to recycling company
TerraCycle – it also feeds the belief
that more steps, and therefore more
products, are the solution. As beauty
platform Skoosh Skin reported, 77%
of women in the UK buy up to 100 A good
products a year, but use fewer than concealer
10 items regularly. That equates to
over 5kg of beauty and packaging
waste in a lifetime, and a cost of
over £180,000. I’m as guilty of this
as the next person; it pains me to
think how quickly I’ve abandoned
formulas that weren’t working
when, in reality, I never gave them
the time or space to be effective.

STEP BACK
Here to help us scale back our
bulging routines is the made-
to-order movement. One brand
leading the charge is Skin + Me,
a personalised skincare service
founded on the theme of excess.
‘I experienced the worst skin of
my life in my mid-twenties,’ says
co-founder Rachel Jones. ‘I got
carried away trying every new
skincare brand and product launch,
and added so many steps, tools
and ingredients that it became a
constant process of trial and error,
which caused sensitivity, clogged
pores and breakouts.’ Jones
launched Skin + Me in 2020 to
provide an online consultation that
offers active ingredients specifically
for your skin’s needs; one formula
that dispenses just the right amount
of product every single time.
Beauty brands are responding
to the vibe shift via streamlined
products containing multitasking
formulas, designed to remove the
need for DIY, single-ingredient
layering. The Nue Co’s Barrier
Culture duo, comprising a single
cleanser and moisturiser, combines
barrier-building ingredients such as
squalane to protect the skin from
pollution and UV rays. Meanwhile,
Revolution Skincare and beauty
expert Sali Hughes have joined
forces to create a fuss-free line of
skincare staples: two cleansers, an
exfoliant, one antioxidant serum
and two moisturisers. Similarly,
Byoma launched this year to boost
the skin barrier with a line-up of
simple but hard-working formulas.
What does a scaled-back routine
look like, then? Step one, Dr
Williams tells me, is to understand
your skin’s needs. Get clear on
what you want to achieve, be that
reducing breakouts, minimising the
appearance of fine lines or fortifying
your skin’s barrier. Then visit a
qualified expert if skin concerns
such as rosacea, sensitivity and
acne persist. If you can’t do that,
there are now online marketplaces
such as Skindays and Match2Me
from Trinny London, where you

78 | SEPTEMBER 2022
 retinol once a week, building to
a few times a week after several MEET THE
weeks. Want to add another step?
You can, but do so one product at
MULTITASKERS
a time – waiting two to four weeks Want products that work
before introducing the next one. To harder than you do the
fortify the skin barrier, Dr Williams week before your annual
also points to hyaluronic acid to leave? Look no further
help hydrate your skin and stabilise
the epidermal barrier function
SkinCeuticals C E
without causing congestion.
Ferulic Vitamin C
Consider any superfluous steps, Antioxidant Serum
too. Do you really need a facial £145,
scrub and retinol? Perhaps not. lookfantastic.com
‘If you’re already using a chemical This triple-antioxidant
exfoliant such as a retinoid, there’s formula features
usually no need to add a mechanical vitamin C to protect
exfoliant such as a scrub,’ confirms against daily
Dr Williams. This could lead to pollution, improve
over-exfoliating your skin and, you fine lines and boost
guessed it, an impaired skin barrier. tired-looking skin. 
Another contentious topic: eye
cream. It should be an additional
CeraVe Facial
consideration only if your eye area
Moisturising
is a particular concern, confirms Dr Lotion SPF50
Granite. And as for the toner? Skip £15,
it, apparently. ‘Most people really lookfantastic.com
don’t need toner unless they have From brightening
very oily skin,’ Dr Granite says. niacinamide to
‘Toners can be quite stripping barrier-boosting
and if you have chosen a cleanser ceramides and vitamin
suitable for your skin type, E, this combines your
it shouldn’t be necessary.’ moisturiser and
Oh, and if it ain’t broke? Don’t sunscreen in one go.
fix it. If your existing multistep
routine is working for you, by all Lixirskin Universal
means, stick with it. Skin health Emulsion
looks different for everyone and £45,
what works for one person may lookfantastic.com
not work for someone else. But if, Day cream, night serum
like me, your multistep routine is and primer. You can use
delivering more grief than glow, this on your face, neck
there’s a strong case for stripping it and even your hands as
receive product back. For me, that looks a do-it-all skincare hero
suggestions based
on your concerns
‘Most people like a hard-working
(albeit gentle) cleanser
for soft and supple skin.

and skin type. don’t need toner (CeraVe Hydrating

U Beauty The Barrier
Next, start
a simple but unless they have Cleanser, £10), an
antioxidant serum
Bioactive Treatment
£186, cultbeauty.co.uk
considered
routine – then
very oily skin’ (SkinCeuticals C E
Ferulic Antioxidant
Founded on the
idea of simplicity,
stick with it. ‘I’d start with products, Vitamin C Serum, see right) and this overnight
rather than ingredients,’ adds Dr an SPF and moisturiser (CeraVe
PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES; STOCKSY

treatment does all

Granite. ‘The essential building Facial Moisturising Lotion SPF50, the hard work for
blocks include a cleanser, see right), with the addition of you to help repair
moisturiser and sunscreen. Then, retinol (Murad Retinol Youth and strengthen
in the evening, after cleansing, you Renewal Night Cream, £70) the all-important
can apply a retinoid.’ Note that if in the evening. As for that hen skin barrier while
you are introducing the latter, it’s do? I’m afraid you’re on your you slumber.
important to do so gradually to own there...
avoid irritation. Start by using

SEPTEMBER 2022 | 79
 06

05

#SKINSHELFIE

01

10

07

02

04 09

03

08

80 | SEPTEMBER 2022
 Ada Ooi
She’s the woman celebrities and royalty flock to for a skin reset. Here,
the founder of 001 Skincare London reveals her non-negotiables

A typical day
I wake up at 8am, feed my Day 05 Mood-
cats and go to my office ESTEE LAUDER boosting
in Chiswick or my clinic 01 REVITALIZING make-up
on Harley Street. Once KIEHL’S CUCUMBER SUPREME+ SOFT
I arrive at the office, I hop HERBAL ALCOHOL-FREE EMULSION, £75 08
on calls with colleagues TONER, £19.50 I discovered this SENSAI 380C
to catch up on product This is ultra mild, great product in Singapore MASCARA, £26
THE EXPERT
AS TOLD TO CHLOE BURCHAM. PHOTOGRAPHY: PIXELEYES. PROPS: DESSERT PLATE, YOY LIVING DESIGN AT WOLFANDBADGER.COM; LARGE PLATE, SMITH & GOAT AT WOLFANDBADGER.COM; FLOWERS COURTESY OF MAHAL KITA FLOWERS

Ada Ooi, 41: facialist, development and business for dry or sensitive airport, and I haven’t The most natural-
licensed Chinese performance, review any
skin. I pat on several looked back. It’s looking mascara. It
Medicine practitioner formulation samples from
and 001 Skincare layers, which leaves very lightweight helps to lengthen and
our lab and write up any
London founder me with that glowing, but still extremely separate the lashes,
expert advice and quotes
translucent look. hydrating without and doesn’t clump or
for press. If I’m treating
clients in clinic, I fit in a morning feeling tacky. I pat smudge all day. It
02 and press it into the keeps lashes feathery
workout at Amp Fit [a gym in
London’s Marylebone] – post- 001 SKINCARE LONDON skin before applying soft, with no breakage
lockdown, my focus is on retraining SEBUM & REDNESS moisturiser and it when I take it off.
core strength to realign my posture. NEUTRALISING helps to plump and Perfect for every day.
Client appointments can be back to SHIELD, £78 firm my skin up.
This cooling gel cream 09
back, but I find some time to review
deeply hydrates skin, 06 NARS PURE RADIANT
products sent by brands and shoot
social content. I love to make balances sebum and FRESH ROSE TINTED MOISTURISER
warming food in the evening, like calms inflammation. DEEP HYDRATION SPF30, £34
noodles in soup, congee and steamed It’s formulated with MOISTURISER, £37 I’ve re-purchased
fish with rice. On the weekends, I like mint, rosemary and I was gifted this and this countless times.
to slow-cook broths with ingredients aloe vera. I use it as instantly fell in love It’s the easiest
that are suited to the season and my a moisturiser in with it. It gives lasting ‘foundation’ I’ve ever
constitution. Before I fall asleep at the day and as an hydration and feels used as it’s hydrating,
11pm, I quietly soothe myself with overnight mask. very cocooning, with natural-looking and
a sticky rice oolong tea. an addictive scent. I blendable. Most
03 apply it, then massage days I take a small,
Skincare philosophy
‘To treat from within’ is my MURAD ESSENTIAL-C from face to bust. pea-sized amount
mantra. The skin reflects DAY MOISTURE BROAD and apply it to the
internal wellbeing; issues such SPECTRUM SPF30, £65 centre of the face
as dryness, acne and sensitivity are This chemical Signature to even out my
signals of excess or deficiency within sunscreen is easy to scent complexion, but it’s
the body’s systems. Adjust your diet use, with an ultra- also easily buildable
permeable, non-greasy 07 for higher coverage.
and exercise, and prioritise physical
and mental rest above everything. texture, and doesn’t GUERLAIN SHALIMAR
mess up my make-up. EAU DE PARFUM, £59 10

Skincare non-negotiable I collect vintage CHANEL BAUME

Take time to apply products perfume bottles ESSENTIEL STICK, £35
and massage them into the Night so my favourite A make-up artist used
skin, enjoying the process; it fragrances usually this on me, and I love
04 resonate with the how it creates a subtle
feeds the skin and the mind, helping
to release tension in the face. 001 SKINCARE LONDON classic oriental radiance on the skin.
ALPHA-PARADISE heady, musky and It enhances the
Main skincare concern? CLEANSING DEW, £42 powdery notes. My overall ‘dew’ and feels
I’m fortunate to have good Containing jasmine, all-time favourite ultra buttery on the
skin, which I believe is down neroli and ylang ylang, is Shalimar from skin. I use the shade
to a combination of family this is like an exotic Guerlain, which was ‘Transparent’, which
genes and diligence in my skincare bouquet in a bottle. It the first oriental has a pearly rose
routine. I have a fairly round face; I cleanses my skin deeply perfume in history. colour so it’s versatile
don’t have wrinkles, but my jaw area without stripping it [of It’s rich in bergamot, as a highlighter, blush
has sagged showing a tiny double chin. its natural oils]. iris and vanilla notes. and lip balm.

SEPTEMBER 2022 | 81
82 | SEPTEMBER 2022
 t
e How often

x
should you
really wash
your hair? Are
oils and butters
essential? The
answers might

t talk
just surprise you

u
r
If you’re used to sporting your natural texture,
a lot of what you’ve learned about taking care of
your curls has probably centred on dreadfully
long wash days and rigid haircare rules that are
specific to your hair type. But what if someone told
you it doesn’t have to be that way – that washing,
detangling and styling your hair needn’t take hours,
nor involve a mini arm workout? And what if you
learned that some of the most common practices
you’ve believed to be rooted in fact are actually
based on fiction? Yes, it’s time to rethink everything.
Because there’s a better, different path. ‘I want
women to know that natural haircare can be simple,’
says Aeleise Ollarvia, curl educator and co-founder
of Black Girl Curls. ‘[It’s] not necessarily easy, but
if you just cleanse, condition and style at regular
intervals with high-quality products and receive
maintenance cuts on schedule, that’s all you need.’
Ahead, a handful of misconceptions – and the habits
to adopt instead for better hair (and scalp) health. 

1
Myth
Your routine is
dictated by your
curl pattern
~ Raw oils – such as coconut and olive
There’s no such thing as a product that
works best for a specific curl pattern or
hair type. For the uninitiated, hair types
are broken into four groups, which
describe the texture of the hair, from
straight to coily. Each group is divided
into three categories – A, B and C
– which describe the shape of your
strands. But ‘those letters shouldn’t
limit how we approach haircare’, says
hairstylist Anita Wilson. Simply put,
hair is hair, and it’s not necessary to
purchase products marketed solely
for curls when styling and treating
your textured strands.  raw stuff, use a product with oil in it.
2
Myth
Oils will moisturise
your hair
~
– are thought to be great hair and scalp
moisturisers, but they may just cause
more problems. ‘I don’t recommend
heavy products for the scalp as they can
weigh down the hair and cause product
build-up,’ says dermatologist Jeanine
Downie. The moisture your hair needs
comes from water. ‘This means proper
cleansing to remove build-up, sebum
and environmental debris so the hair
can absorb water,’ says Ollarvia. Your
conditioner (when used regularly)
should do a lot of this work for you.
Can’t quit those oils? Instead of the
 

84 | SEPTEMBER 2022
 3 Myth
Protective
styles will
give you
stronger,
longer hair
~
Unless you have a
condition, such as
alopecia, that prevents
hair growth, your hair
will grow on its own –
the way you wear it
won’t change that.
Additionally, protective
styles such as braids
and weaves aren’t
always as protective
as the name implies,
and wearing them too
often or for too long
can harm the hair. ‘The
longer you keep curls
extended outside of
FYI their natural curl, the
FYI more potential for
Hair worn damage,’ Wilson says.
in protective ‘That impacts your curl
styles should pattern and prevents
be washed you from getting
weekly or regular definition.’
fortnightly Wilson recommends
you wear ‘alternative
styles’ for no longer
than four to six weeks.

SEPTEMBER 2022 | 85

4
Myth
Topical products can
make your hair grow
~ ~
 Again, despite the thousands of
products out there that claim to
stimulate hair growth, the truth is
that hair grows on its own because
it’s, well, hair. ‘Hair growth is genetic,’
Ollarvia says. ‘Nothing applied to
the scalp or taken orally [such as a
supplement] can speed up growth or
allow you to grow two inches of hair
in a few weeks.’ In fact, the average
rate of hair growth is half an inch per
month. However, it’s worth noting
that while these products might
not be able to make your hair grow
more speedily, some of them can
play a big role in the overall health
of your hair – a very good thing.  why routinely cleansing your hair is
6
86 | SEPTEMBER 2022
7
5
Myth
You should shampoo
once or twice a month
For Wilson, not washing your hair
regularly is almost like not brushing
your teeth or washing your face every
day. How often you shampoo depends
on your lifestyle – if you exercise
regularly, you should probably wash
your hair more often – but a general
rule of thumb is that you should
shampoo and saturate hair with
water at least every seven to 10 days.
‘If you wash your hair less frequently Myth
than once a week, you may have
breakage, shedding, seborrhoeic Kitchen
dermatitis – which is an angry case ingredients
of dandruff – or psoriasis flare-ups can nourish
in the scalp,’ says Dr Downie. That’s hair
~
the best way to avoid scalp conditions.  Ever made a DIY hair
mask using things like
avocados and bananas?
Know that putting
produce on your hair
isn’t doing what you
think. ‘Hairs do not
have a digestive system,’
Ollarvia says. ‘They
cannot break down and
process the fats, proteins,
minerals and vitamins
Myth in food to make them
beneficial for your scalp
Cleansing and hair.’ Even when you
conditioners can throw them in a blender,
replace shampoo the molecules aren’t
~ small enough to
Because some shampoos can be permeate. You’re better
drying, cleansing conditioners (or off using a conditioning
‘co-washes’) are common alternatives product featuring those
that people turn to when they want same ingredients
to wash their hair without stripping processed in a way that
it. But these shouldn’t be used to makes them useful. 
replace your shampoo entirely.
‘Imagine cleansing your body with
lotion,’ Wilson says. ‘No one would
stand for that, but for some reason
we accept it in terms of our hair.’ Rock a
While co-washing won’t cleanse your protective
hair and scalp, you can do it between style once or
weekly washes if you’re looking to twice a year
extend your style for a few more (don’t go
days. And if you think your shampoo overboard)
is drying out your hair, consider
switching to a less harsh formula.
 Curl
power
Cantu Detangle
Sturdy Wash Day
Brush, £8, and
Sturdy Detangle
Comb, £4
A stress-free wash day (and beyond) Longer bristles and
awaits with these go-to picks an easy-grip handle
on the brush make
detangling less of a
chore, and expect
Camille Rose Curl the comb to glide
Love Moisture Milk, through notoriously
£11.99 knotty curls.
Featuring a delicious
line-up of ingredients,
with macadamia,
organic avocado and JVN Haircare
green tea front and Complete Pre-Wash
centre, this formula Scalp Oil, £24
feeds hair with The hero ingredient in
hydration. Use it this oil, hemisqualane,
on wash day as mimics the moisture-
a conditioning rich squalene found
cream or refresh naturally in the skin,
curls in between ridding your scalp of
to leave dry ends dryness or flakiness
looking revived. and reducing hair
breakage over time.

Windle Lab Curl

Enhancer, £13.50
Whether you want
to control a halo
of flyaways, define
your curls or protect
them against
humidity, this 100%
vegan formula
Bouclème Protein enhances the look
WORDS: DANIELLE JACKSON. PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES; STOCKSY; STUDIO 33

Booster, £26 of curls, coils and

Like a protein waves while adding
shake for your ends, serious shine. Apply
this helps improve a pea-size amount Living Proof
shine, texture and and distribute evenly Curl Shampoo, £31
hydration levels by from roots to ends. This shampoo’s claim
strengthening the to fame is making
protein structures curls stronger after
of the hair shaft. just one wash,
Suitable for all thanks to a blend
curl types, add of biopolymer
a few drops to film-formers
your shampoo and moisturising
or conditioner to ingredients, while
supercharge your conditioning agents
haircare routine. work together to
eliminate frizz.

SEPTEMBER 2022 | 87
Th s x liv s
of oth rs
With the exception of the odd loose-lipped conversation with
friends, the frequency, pleasure and logistics that represent our
intimate lives remains behind closed doors. But there’s more to be
gained from opening up than satisfying our collective curiosity.
From enjoying a pleasurable sex life with a chronic pain condition to
trying to conceive, five women share the most intimate details of
the most personal part of their lives in the name of transparency
As told to Paisley Gilmour
 ‘Since taking HRT, I’ve been
masturbating more than ever’
Rebecca, 46, a wellbeing
coach, hypnotherapist
and author from
Nottingham, has a
four-year-old daughter
and has been single for
six years. A year ago,
she started experiencing
perimenopause symptoms,
including migraines, hot
flushes and extreme
tiredness. She has
recently started
hormone replacement
therapy (HRT).
Week 1: Wednesday, 3pm
This morning, I’m called upon
to give my expertise on sex and
intimacy to the media, which
I really enjoy doing. I often write
about sex toys for work, too. Today,
as soon as my mind goes there,
I head to my bedroom – which
is a real perk of working from
home and being my own boss.
Then, I take out my laptop, start
to load up my go-to lesbian
90 | SEPTEMBER 2022
porn site and reach for my
Doxy wand massager.
When my perimenopausal
symptoms first started, I didn’t
have an ounce of energy and I felt
so negative. As for my approach
to pleasure, the idea of having
more than one orgasm seemed
like too much effort. But after
hearing Davina McCall talking
about hormone replacement
therapy, I decided to give it a go.
Everything changed almost
overnight. I got my focus back and,
with it, my desire. In fact, since
I started taking HRT six months
ago, I’ve been masturbating more
than ever. But I’ve also found
myself staying in a state of high
arousal for longer, which makes
for long, pleasurable solo sessions.
Today, soon after finishing, I decide
to go again before I have to go
back to work. I don’t know what
the menopause is going to bring,
but for the moment, I’m just
focusing on the here and now.
Week 2: Saturday, 12am
During the lockdowns, I promised
myself that when it was all over,
I’d visit a fetish or sex club –
something I’ve always wanted
to do. Today, I made good on
that promise. I’m in London
and on my way to Klub Verboten
– an LGBTQ+ fetish club. I’m not
interested in one-night stands
these days; I want a connection
with someone. So I love the
idea of dressing up (or down –
as there’s a strict dress code, I’m
topless apart from nipple pasties),
meeting like-minded people and
then having sex if it feels right.
As soon as I enter, I’m greeted
by a wall of smoke and very loud
techno – not exactly the plush
experience I’d imagined, but I try
to make the most of it. Before long,
I get chatting to a lovely couple from
Sheffield who seem interested in
me. But my boots are killing me
and there’s nowhere to sit down.
By 2am, I’m knackered and I
decide to head back to my hotel.
It turns out that this club night
wasn’t quite right for me, but I’m
still excited to explore this part
of my sexuality. I set my sights
on [the sex club] Killing Kittens
for my next attempt.

Divya*, 29, a PR consultant
from London, has been
married to Max* for five
years. They started trying
to get pregnant three
months ago and are using
a fertility app to track
when Divya is ovulating
to help them conceive.
Week 1: Thursday, 9pm
As I’m in my fertile window, we’d
already planned to have sex
tonight. But Max is adamant that
‘We won’t
let trying
to conceive
dampen
our desire’
we shouldn’t have sex just for
conception, so we’ve agreed
to prioritise our pleasure to
stop it feeling transactional.
This has taken the pressure
off ‘conception sex’ for us,
and now we’re having more
sex than ever – about three
timesa week, even on days
when I’m not ovulating.
As it’s a weeknight, we’re
both feeling knackered. We
always start with foreplay, but
tonight Max is especially slow
and soft. We’ve never been that
experimental with positions,
The sex diaries
but we’re lucky that missionary
always makes us both orgasm.
It’s quick, satisfying and we still
manage to get an early night.
Week 1: Friday, 11pm
One of the things I love most
about our relationship is that
we both really value the intimacy
we get from things other than
intercourse, such as spending
quality time together. So even
though we happen to be having
a lot of sex right now, we still
make sure to schedule regular
date nights, too.
Tonight, we have dinner at
a fancy new restaurant. We’re
not big drinkers anyway, but
I’m off alcohol since we’re trying
to get pregnant. Before we
started trying, sex after a big
boozy meal always felt like an
effort. But the portion sizes are
small and we’re sober, so Max
and I are both feeling up for sex
when we get home.
We get into bed, undress and
take it in turns to give each
other oral sex; it takes a lot of
communication (and laughter)
to make sure he doesn’t orgasm
while I’m down there. We end
up in missionary again, and
afterwards we lie in bed, imagining
how different our lives might
look a year from now. It’s a
daunting feeling, but it makes
the sex feel all the more special.
Week 1: Saturday, 11am
We’ve always loved morning sex,
but weekends are our only real
opportunity to do it these days.
We don’t have plans today, so
Max takes his time going down
on me. I love not feeling rushed,
and eventually I’m so turned on
that I climb on top of him and
move gently until I bring myself
to orgasm. As I get my breath
back, he moves behind me until
he’s finished and we collapse
together on the bed.
A lot of my friends are trying
to conceive, too, and when we
talk about it, they all say the
same thing: the fun and romance
of sex has evaporated. It’s so
important to us that this doesn’t
happen, but we’re only at the
start of this journey. Who knows
how we might feel if we’re still
trying this time next year…
SEPTEMBER 2022 | 91
The sex diaries

Grace*, 32, a freelancer is fine and totally normal for me

from the Midlands, during a quick session. Afterwards,
works from home full we cuddle for a few minutes before
time – as does her I reluctantly disentangle and get
partner of seven years, ready for my next Zoom meeting.
The first few times we had
Alex*. Amy and Alex midday sex, I felt really guilty for
live together and are taking time off work. But I soon
consensually non- realised that instead of my work
monogamous. While suffering, it was actually improving
Alex has always from the break that sex provided.
worked from home,
Amy only began Week 1: Thursday, 9pm
Alex is working late in his office, so
after finding herself I spend the evening sexting my
unemployed during play partner – what I call the other
the pandemic. person I’m sleeping with at the
moment. They live a couple of
hours away, so I only get to see them
Week 1: Monday, 10pm a few times a year, but we chat most
Alex and I have different sleeping days. We exchange progressively
rhythms (he’s a night owl, I’m raunchy messages about what we’d
shattered by 10pm) so working like to do next time we meet up.
from home has given us a greater It’s part negotiation, exploring our
window of opportunity where we’re boundaries and limits, and part
both awake and alert enough for foreplay. We play dominant/
sex. Tonight, though, I just want submissive games together, so I ask
some alone time and an early night. permission to touch myself and to
I’m not exactly horny because it’s orgasm. It’s hot, fun and a great
been a stressful day, but I know way to connect when we don’t see
a quick orgasm will help me sleep. each other as often as we’d like.
I get into bed and reach for my
clitoral vibrator (the Exposed Week 1: Friday, 2pm
Nocturnal Bullet) and pull up I find myself distracted with
Literotica — a site for sex stories raunchy thoughts during the
and erotic audio — on my phone. working day. I push them aside
This is what I call my ‘self-care for long enough to finish a few
wank’. I orgasm quickly and tasks and then decide to take
I’m asleep within minutes. a few minutes out to masturbate.
I scroll back through some
Week 1: Tuesday, 12pm sexy texts for ‘inspiration’ and
While we’re working, Alex texts me lock my office door.
from the next room asking if I want
to have sex. I immediately strip off Week 1: Saturday, 10am
and join him in bed. Alex and I sleep in late and both
During lockdown, we had loads of want lazy morning sex when we
spontaneous sex, but bereavements wake up. We have penetrative
and a bout of Covid forced these sex until he gets off, and then he
sessions to take a back seat. It’s only goes down on me until I orgasm.
now, all these months on, that we’re Though I enjoy the mid-week
starting to feel like ourselves again. quickies, I still prefer these longer
I go down on him for a few sex sessions where work doesn’t
minutes and then we switch to get in the way and we can really
vaginal sex. I don’t orgasm, which take our time with each other.

92 | SEPTEMBER 2022
‘I’m a lark, he’s a night owl
– but working f rom home
means we can have sex
during the day’

SEPTEMBER 2022 | 93
The sex diaries
Sonia*, 32, a housing
officer from Norfolk, has
been with her partner
Claire* for five years.
They got engaged in
2019 and plan to marry
next year. Sonia has
arthritis in the base of
her spine and nerve
damage that causes her
severe pain. The pain has
become manageable, but
when it flares up, she can
find it difficult to walk, sit,
stand up and climb stairs.
Week 1: Monday, 2pm
Claire and I have the week off work.
We’re hanging out when Claire
suggests we go into the bedroom.
Afternoon sex followed by a nap is
one of our favourite things to do, so
I know exactly what her intentions
are. We start kissing and touching
each other, and then I go down on
her. I love giving her oral. I couldn’t
do it for months; even lying on my
back was painful, let alone twisting
my body into a crouching position.
This was as hard emotionally as it
was physically; I felt let-down and
betrayed by my body.
I’ve lost count of the number of
times I’ve sat in a physio or doctor’s
office and cried about it. But we’ve
learned there are other ways for
me to make her feel good (let’s just
say that I’ve become very good with
my hands…) Plus, I can now mostly
predict when I’ll have an attack.
Being off work – like I am this week
– means I’m much more relaxed
and in less pain.
After Claire orgasms, she suggests
using a toy on me. It feels like a bit
of a faff, especially when I love how
it feels when she uses her hands.
So I ask her to do that instead. I’m
glad I did – we both finish satisfied,
and promptly fall asleep.
Week 2: Saturday, 9am
Claire gets up early for work, but
it’s my day off. After she leaves,
I make the most of my lie-in
and grab my vibrator for a hit
of pleasure. Before I was able to
manage my pain, I was constantly
exhausted – both emotionally
and physically. But the exhaustion
left me feeling angry, too – and I
took it out on those closest to me.
Masturbation that leads to orgasm
has really helped me manage the
pain; it relaxes me both physically
in my body and emotionally, too.
Week 2: Sunday, 7pm
I realise that Claire and I haven’t
had sex since our week off, but
I’m not worried. Sure, we don’t
do it as much as we did when we
first met, but I’m happier and
more in love now. We don’t put
any pressure on each other and we
understand that if a month goes
by without sex, it doesn’t mean
anything. Every day, we kiss, hold
hands, cuddle or do something nice
for each other. That connection,
that contact – that’s what intimacy
is about for us; there’s so much
more to our physical relationship
than just sex.

‘I felt like
my body
betrayed me –
then I learned
other ways
to pleasure
my partner’

94 | SEPTEMBER 2022
 Becky, 36, a former
teacher from Sheffield,
was told she was
‘Sex is better with
HIV-positive in 2015.
The diagnosis came
while she was dating
someone who knows
someone new, just
a few months after
divorcing her partner
my HIV status’
of 10 years. Since the
diagnosis, Becky has
become an activist and
a full-time HIV service
coordinator. She is a
single mum to her
eight-year-old daughter.

Week 1: Saturday, 4pm

My daughter is at her dad’s, so I
arrange a hook-up with a guy I’ve
been chatting to via an app called
Fab Swingers. When he arrives, we
don’t waste much time getting to
know each other. After a glass of
wine, we move into my bedroom
and take off our clothes.
Like with most people I meet on
the site, I don’t tell him about my
HIV status because I already know
it’s only going to be a one-time
thing. I’m taking medication and my
viral load is so low it’s undetectable,
meaning the virus can’t be passed
on even if I have unprotected sex.
This is known as ‘U=U’, which
means undetectable equals
untransmittable. Still, as it’s my
first time having sex with him,
I ask him to use a condom to reduce
the risk of getting other STIs.
PHOTOGRAPHY: STOCKSY; UNSPLASH; JOAO MARQUES; AARON DURALL.*NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED

I enjoy hook-ups and find it quite

easy to pleasure a man, so after a bit,
this one feels pretty formulaic. We
take turns giving oral before we
have penetrative sex. The sexual
experience is average, but he’s good
company. Before he gets too
comfortable, I ask him to leave –
I prefer having my bed to myself.
Week 2: Saturday, 11pm
My daughter’s here this weekend
and I have plans with friends, so
there will be no gentleman callers
for me. But when I get home from
the pub, I feel a wave of desire. I text
David*, a guy I’ve had sex with a few
times since we met on OkCupid. He’s
kinky and bisexual – 100% my type.
We stay up late texting and plan
to hang out next weekend. I decide
now is a good time to tell him I’m
HIV-positive. I direct him to my
Instagram where I talk publicly
about my HIV status, and say,
‘Have a look at that. Message me
if you have questions, and if you’re
still interested.’
His reply is basically the text
version of a shrug. He isn’t remotely
bothered and still wants to see me.
I’m shocked. It’s very rare that
someone actually knows about HIV
and the U=U message. It makes me
happy that the work I do is not in
vain. We set a date for next Friday.
Week 3: Friday, 7pm
David’s coming over tonight and
before he sets off, he texts me
saying he’s going to bring some
sex toys. He arrives with a
wheely suitcase in tow. ‘I didn’t
know what to bring, so I just
bought… everything,’ he laughs.
He doesn’t leave until 3am.
As I’m nodding off, I start
thinking about how sex is usually
better when I’m with people
who already know about my HIV
status. Whether that’s because
I tend to like those people more
as we’re already practising open
communication, or just because
it’s freeing not to be subconsciously
holding something back while
I’m in the moment, I don’t know.
Either way, I know it’s definitely
become ‘A Thing’.

SEPTEMBER 2022 | 95
 Don’t forget to
make a wish

96 | SEPTEMBER 2022
 Female health:
is there anything
to celebrate?
This month marks the 100th issue of Women’s Health. But while the
experience of existing in a female body has gone from hushed up to headline
news in the 10 years this magazine has been on the newsstands, are women
any better off? From heavy periods to HRT, Roisín Dervish-O’Kane
reflects back on a pivotal decade

ast your mind back,
if you will, to 2012.
Perhaps you were
posting a picture
of your Starbucks
‘skinny’ Frappuccino to your 12
followers on this new app called
Instagram. Or maybe you were
sporting Primark leggings and
an ex’s hoodie to slog it out on
the cross trainer at your local
LA Fitness. If you were, there’s
a strong chance you were doing
it in an attempt to ‘burn off’ that
lower-abdominal bloat that
lingered for 10 days every month.
Oh, and we suspect you’d rather
have double-dosed on Feminax
than actually talk about your
crippling period pain.
It was into this era that Women’s
Health magazine first landed on
newsstands and doormats up and
down the country. And while much
has changed during the decade
we’ve been decorating coffee tables,
bedside tables and gym receptions,
much more… hasn’t. From the
research published about the way
our bodies operate, to the services
we engage with to stay healthy and
the way in which we converse about
our illness and wellness, we’ve
rooted through the archives and
recruited some of the key figures in
female health to ask: what’s shifted
for the better? Has anything got
worse? And what lessons can we
learn from the past decade to help
women live happier and healthier
lives in the next?
Open season
‘I have women coming to me in their
forties and fifties who’ve been living
with debilitating heavy periods for
years, and now they’re finally seeking
help,’ says GP Adwoa Danso-Boamah
(@theclinicdiaries) from her east
London consulting room. A decade
ago, she was a junior doctor and, the
way she sees it, a major win from
then to now has been an increase in
assertiveness among women when
it comes to addressing their health
issues. ‘Many of my friends are taking
ownership of their health and are able
to advocate for themselves, thanks
to positive educational material on
social media. It’s been life-changing.’
Maisie Hill, bestselling author,
women’s health practitioner and
coach has seen a similar trajectory
among her own clients. A decade
ago, she was a reproductive health
practitioner, who used tools such
as acupuncture, massage and
reflexology alongside her work
as a birth doula. ‘My work was all
about hormones, menstrual cycles,
fertility, pregnancy and birth,’ she
recalls, adding that clients were
typically coming to her as a ‘last-
ditch attempt’. In the decade since,
she has authored two bestselling
books – 2018’s Period Power and
2021’s Perimenopause Power (both
£14.99, Bloomsbury Green Tree);
amassed over 58,000 social media
followers; and founded waitlisted
membership platform The Flow
Collective, where she helps women
of all ages and stages work with their
cycles. She sees the direction of travel
like Dr Danso-Boamah. ‘Women
are realising that they don’t have to
“put up” with these issues any more;
there are treatment strategies that
can help, which means clients are
coming to me far earlier on [in their
journey],’ she shares. ‘The power of
the menstrual cycle to affect your
mood, energy and behaviour – and
therefore everything in your life,
personally and professionally – is
increasingly being accepted in a way

SEPTEMBER 2022 | 97
What women want
that doesn’t hold women back, but
empowers them. And that’s huge.’
The pushback against the shame
and silence that’s long surrounded
menstrual cycles initially came, as
you might expect, from younger
women – be that by ‘free bleeding’
on to their trousers or successfully
campaigning to stop women and girls
paying VAT on sanitary products, in
the case of activist Amika George,
then 17. But as the decade moved on,
older cohorts of women experienced
their own ‘nope!’ moment. If one
image captures just how far the
no-longer-putting-up-or-shutting-up
sentiment has come, it’s a woman in
her early fifties standing outside the 1
Houses of Parliament in a ‘#Make
Menopause Matter’ T-shirt with a
megaphone in her hand. The woman The ‘Davina effect’ (coined after
is Davina McCall; the mission is
to reduce the prohibitive charge
of paying for multiple hormone
replacement therapy (HRT)
prescriptions by making it available
via one annual cost, which is part
of a private member’s bill brought
by Carolyn Harris, Labour MP
for Swansea East.
While Harris emphasises her
frustrations about the ‘success’ of
the legislation (how elements of the Every unspoken ailment – from
bill have been chiselled away; the
fact that it’s going to be over a year cramps – has been identified as a
until the changes will take effect;
the ‘entirely preventable’ HRT
supply crisis unfolding right now),
she agrees that the past 18 months
have been a major
cultural turning The UK has
point. ‘Women –
especially older
the largest
women who are gender
working, running gap in the G20 2013 and 2018;
busy households,
trying to keep all the spinning
plates in the air – are notoriously
bad at self-diagnosing and [good at]
minimising health concerns,’ she
tells WH. ‘I’m 61 and in my own
group of friends, we never spoke
about the menopause. One had a
bad back, another had creaky joints
and I struggled with my mental
health to the extent that I’d been on
a high dose of antidepressants for
over a decade. But we just thought
these were individual issues that
were part and parcel of getting
older. Until two years ago, most
women didn’t have the awareness
to connect the dots.’
98 | SEPTEMBER 2022
Test and invest
the success of her Channel 4
documentary Sex, Myths And The
Menopause) has no doubt played
a role in this shift. So, too, has the
doctors-becoming-influencers
trend and the specific brand of
candour that millennials brought
with them into their professional,
personal and digital circles as they
came of age. But solving women’s
problems has become big business.
a weak pelvic floor to menstrual
fertile gap in the market. And now,
technological solutions to meet
those needs have bloomed into a
sector so lucrative that it’s got its
own portmanteau.
Investment in
‘femtech’ increased
sevenfold in the
health five years between
at last count, the
market was valued at £4.3 billion,
and is expected to reach £10.9 billion
by 2030. Pleasingly, 92% of femtech
start-ups are headed by women.
Yet, might the past decade being
a boom time for female-oriented
biotech indicate something about
how adequately health services are
meeting women’s needs? It’s not
Major 2012
moments Women’s Health comes
Key developments in to the UK – the most
women’s health over successful women’s
the past decade mag launch in a decade.
2
too grand a reach. ‘Women’s health
has typically been seen as the poor
sibling when it comes to attracting
funding [from the government],’
says consultant gynaecologist
Christine Ekechi. ‘It isn’t necessarily
a medical issue, but a societal one;
it’s about how much importance
leaders attach to issues that solely
affect women.’ A report compiled
in 2014 by the UK Clinical Research
Collaboration noted that less than
2.5% of publicly funded research
was dedicated solely to reproductive
health, despite one in three women
suffering from a reproductive or
gynaecological health problem
during their life. And the situation
has only marginally improved,
exacerbated by the pandemic.
But this isn’t just a research issue.
The UK has the largest gender health
gap in the G20 (the world’s most
2013
Leading femtech brand
Elvie is launched by Tania
Boler to ‘bring women’s
tech out of the dark ages’.
 ‘This isn’t just a maternity issue;
such inequalities exist throughout
women’s lives,’ notes Dr Ekechi,
who is co-chair of the Royal College
of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’
Race Equality Taskforce. ‘Black
women often mention they don’t
feel they’re treated as individuals
in their interactions with the health
service.’ Dr Danso-Boamah agrees,
‘There is institutional racism within
the NHS and people from ethnic
minority backgrounds have been
failed by the health system. This
isn’t new; it’s just only recently
garnered mainstream attention.’

developed economies) and the 12th
largest globally. By several metrics,
things have become worse in this
decade. Much was made earlier
this year of a BMJ study revealing
that gynaecology waiting lists were
greater than any other area of
medicine after the pandemic, with
more than 570,000 women left
waiting for procedures. But the
pandemic’s pressures didn’t create
a new problem, they intensified an
existing one; gynaecology waiting
lists had outstripped those for
other specialities since April 2018.
Mend the gap
Not that the chronic ‘deprioritisation’
of women’s health affects us equally.
‘The gap between the haves and have
nots has widened in the past 10 years,’
says Dame Lesley Regan, consultant
gynaecologist at Imperial College,
who spoke to WH before she was
appointed as the government’s first
Women’s Health Ambassador. It’s
a point hammered home by Office
for National Statistics (ONS) data in
April that revealed female healthy
life expectancy at birth in the most
deprived areas was 19.3 years less
than in the least deprived areas
between 2018 and 2020. Black
women’s experiences of the health
service had overdue attention after
2020’s racial reckoning. Notably the
spotlighting of the statistic that Black
women are four times more likely to
die in pregnancy or labour, and twice
as likely as white women to have a
severe pregnancy complication.
Research published by Five X
More – a grassroots organisation
committed to highlighting and
changing Black women’s maternal
health outcomes in the UK – adds
further detail to an already bleak
picture: 43% of women surveyed
reported feeling discriminated
against during their maternity care;
that same percentage reported not
having pain relief options explained
to them. The report contains galling
anecdotes of Black women being
denied epidurals, which stacks with
previous research showing Black
women are routinely denied pain
relief compared with white women.
Future-proof
It all adds up to a scenario in which
the word ‘progress’ in the context
of female health feels premature.
Women of all ages are increasingly
hormonally literate; better able to
advocate for themselves, too. But it’s
3 a shift born of necessity. Though the
biotech sector represents a solution
1. to issues many women assumed
Black women they had to put up with, it’s only a
are four times
more likely to solution for those who can afford
die in childbirth the products; this could lead to an
than white even greater disparity in the health
women
outcomes between the most and
2. least wealthy. And in the context of
Menopausal a cost-of-living crisis, it’s a troubling
women take trend. So, where do we go from here?
back control
No one is hiding from the fact
3. that women’s healthcare has failed
Davina McCall those it’s meant to serve. Maria
(right) fights to
cut HRT costs Caulfield MP, in the freshly minted
role as Minister for Women’s Health,
4. recognises this in communications
Covid vaccine
trials excluded
that tease the government’s coming
those pregnant Women’s Health Strategy (not yet
published at the time of writing).
5. But it remains to be seen if the
Maria Caulfield
MP, Minister for ‘ambitious’ change signalled by
Women’s Health the language may not be reflected
in the size and scope of reform. By
Professor Regan’s measure, to mend
the crisis in women’s health over the
next decade requires a system-wide
restructure. ‘The majority of women
accessing [the NHS] aren’t ill, they’re
in fact trying to access maintenance
services to help them stay healthy,’

2015 2016 2017 2018

European health approval The term ‘femtech’ Pelvic mesh implants NHS research shows that the
bodies are filmed saying mesh is coined by Ida Tin, are found to have proportion of NHS doctors
fruit packaging would be co-founder of Clue, injured thousands who are women has grown
approved for use in surgeries. a period tracker app. of women. every year since 2009.

SEPTEMBER 2022 | 99
What women want
5 she says, caveating that any
she explains. She would like to see
women’s health hubs where you can
go for everything from a smear to an
HRT prescription, with the caveat
that this will require a mindset shift
from those who control the purse
strings. ‘But there’s evidence that
wrapping services around women’s
needs will be much more cost-
effective,’ she adds.
For Dr Ekechi, the most important
learning from the past decade to
improve women’s health outcomes
is to really listen to women. She cites
the 2017 pelvic mesh scandal as a
clear example where one treatment
option was recommended to patients
(only for investigations to reveal
failures of quality compliance in
medical device manufacturers)
without other alternatives being
presented. ‘The early decision
to exclude pregnant women from
2019 2021
The MBRRACE report finds The government agrees to reduce
that Black women are five the cost of HRT prescriptions and
times more likely to die in launch a women’s health strategy
childbirth than white women. with Carolyn Harris MP as co-chair.
100 | SEPTEMBER 2022
Covid vaccine trials to “protect”
the foetus is another more recent
example,’ she adds. What followed
was vaccine hesitancy and the
hospitalisation of pregnant women
who caught Covid, leading to poor
outcomes for them and their babies.
‘We need to move away from the
top-down paternalistic approach
that’s dominated medicine – and
see each patient as an individual,’
warm-worded ambition for change
will be rendered null and void if it’s
not met with adequate funding. ‘If
you’re expected to deliver
high-quality care with ‘We
fewer resources to more
patients, the first thing away from the affordable
that’ll go is your empathy
and listening skills; you
just don’t have the time.’
And that’s where women’s
voices go unheard – and
health needs go unmet.
Be the change
Just as lawmakers and clinicians
have their place in helping women
to maintain their health, so do we.
‘It’s important to appreciate that
things don’t simply improve with
time,’ says Professor Regan, adding
that it’s vital for women to remember
this in the context of reproductive
healthcare rights. And while the
2022
Gynaecology has the worst
waiting lists in the UK, while
the US supreme court votes
to overturn Roe v Wade.
overturning of Roe v Wade – the
landmark ruling that legalised
abortion at a country-wide level
in the US – doesn’t directly affect
the reproductive rights of women
in the UK, ‘it’s vital that people who
believe in a woman’s right to choose
– as I do – try to keep advocating for
it. Safe, legal abortion is essential
women’s healthcare; no rights are
guaranteed’, she says. Whatever
element of female health matters
most to you, remember you can
keep it on the parliamentary agenda
by lobbying your MP – and vote
with your health in mind.
Advocacy can be on an individual
4 level, too – the first step is checking
your body and understanding your
normal, so you can spot any warning
signs and raise them with your GP.
If you struggle to assert yourself in
a clinical setting, there are online
communities to assist you. Finally?
Know that you can build on the
standout success of the past decade
– smashing stigma and shame around
the messier aspects of our biology
– by talking. Keep normalising; keep
calling body parts by their actual
name; keep sharing what’s helped
you (but appreciate an alternative
strategy may better suit others).
While millions of women will
benefit from her fight
must move to help them access
PHOTOGRAPHY: ROWAN FEE; GETTY IMAGES; STOCKSY; TED S WARREN/AP/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK
HRT, it’s
this last piece of the
paternalistic puzzle that really made
approach to the difference for MP
medicine’ Carolyn Harris. ‘Outside
parliament last October,
Davina asked how I was
finding HRT. I told her I wasn’t on
it and, knowing my symptoms, she
asked, “Why on earth aren’t you on
it?”’ she recalls. Harris made a GP
appointment and, not even a year on,
she’s significantly reduced her daily
antidepressant dose. ‘I want us to
get to a place where women’s health
is prioritised to the extent we’re not
finding solutions through chats and
chance encounters,’ she shares. ‘Until
then, it’s vital to keep talking.’
 We googled
all the sex
terms so you
don’t have to
We also interviewed researchers,
therapists and a tantric sex coach to
bring you an alphabetised intimacy
explainer. Consider this your
ultimate guide
Words: Celine Heath and Olivia Gilbert
Illustrations: Fabio Buonocore at Synergy Art
A
is for ANORGASMIA
Granted, orgasms can be as
elusive as a sunny bank holiday.
But if reaching your pleasurable
peak is proving to be a consistent
challenge, there could be another
explanation. ‘Anorgasmia is
difficulty reaching orgasm after
is for
BIMBOFICATION
The term began as a
fetish in which 'plain'
women altered their
looks to conform to
a sex object aesthetic
(think: Jessica Rabbit).
However, over time,
misogynists and incels
– an online community
of men who are
involuntarily celibate
– began using the phrase
to mourn the ‘loss’ of
ample sexual stimulation,’ says ‘respectable’ women
Belinda Griffiths, GP at Fleet and shame those who
Street Clinic. Causes vary, but embraced femininity.
certain medications, hormonal By 2022, bimbofication
has had yet another
flux, psychological crises and
rebrand, becoming
gynaecological issues are all a way of reclaiming
chief offenders. If you suspect hyper-femininity and
anorgasmia, your GP should be female sexuality outside
your first port of call, says Dr of the male gaze.
Griffiths. And if you get the all-
clear but you still can’t climax?
Sex coaching and therapy is the
next step. Expect a combination
of CBT to address psychological
barriers and guidance on
pleasure, masturbation and
partnered sex positions.

is for DIGISEXUALITY

is for Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, porn: tech is for EDGING

CLITORIS
Ah, the clitoris. Small but mighty
thanks to its 8,000 nerve endings,
it’s the only organ with pleasure as
its main function. Yet, historic bias in
scientific research that prioritises the
male anatomy means we still don’t
really understand how it works. Dr
Griffiths defines the clitoris as ‘a small
organ situated in the vulva between
the labia minora’. But the glans clitoris
(the part you see) is just the tip of
the nice-berg. The internal clitoris
comprises the clitoral body, vestibular
bulbs and the crura, which, like their
external counterparts, are made up
of erectile tissue. No wonder it’s one
of the body’s most sensitive zones.
and sex are compatible bedfellows.
But going online to get your kicks
does not make you a digisexual.
‘What distinguishes digisexual as a
sexual identity is that they find their
connection with technology to be
very close to the connections we
would make with human partners,’
says Neil McArthur, a sexual identity
researcher. With tech developments
making it easier than ever to omit
real-world relationships (think: VR
porn, AI partners, sex robots), the
future for digisexuals is looking
(ahem) fully charged.
Sure, it sounds counter-intuitive, but
pushing the pause button before
orgasm – AKA ‘edging’ – can offer
serious benefits. Delaying orgasm
can combat premature ejaculation,
extend the duration of sexual activity
and increase the intensity of the
orgasm*. In fact, research by Indiana
University and sex education platform
OmgYes found that 65.5% of women
said edging led to longer and more
intense orgasms. ‘It’s a good way to
understand how your body works
and what you really want,’ says Aysha
Bell, transformational sex and tantra
coach. ‘This makes intimacy with
partners easier to navigate because
you feel better connected to your
own wants and desires.’

102 | SEPTEMBER 2022


is for
FLIBANSERIN
‘Flibanserin is a new
drug advised for use on
premenopausal women
with decreased sexual
desire,’ says Dr Griffiths.
It raises dopamine and
noradrenaline levels
(both are important
for sexual arousal and
desire) and lowers
serotonin levels. Unlike
Viagra, flibanserin has
to be taken every day.
But it's no silver bullet.
A study* found that
only 10% of women
reported a ‘much
improved’ status after
taking flibanserin.
is for ISD
Inhibited sexual desire
(ISD) is a condition with
only one symptom: low
libido. While it affects
both men and women,
studies suggest that it
disproportionally affects
women – with 22%
experiencing chronic
sexual disinterest
compared with only
5% of men*. A libido
that ebbs and flows
is nothing out of the
ordinary, but if a lack
of sexual interest is
negatively affecting
your relationships and
mental health, consult
a GP. ‘ISD is mainly
psychological and
caused by stress. It’s
usually treated with
psychosexual therapy,’
explains Dr Griffiths.
is for
is for HPV
GREYSEXUAL
Think HPV is just
As the name suggests, genital warts? Well,
greysexuality is in a ‘grey think again. ‘HPV
area’ between the usual is a contagious and
black-and-white binaries, common virus that
sitting somewhere along the can affect the mouth,
spectrum of asexuality. ‘The throat or genital area,’
vagueness of the term helps to explains Dr Griffiths.
include many people who don’t Any genital skin-to-skin
necessarily fit into the usual contact can expose
boxes ascribed to sexuality,’ you to the virus. Most
says Annabelle Knight, a sex strains are harmless,
and relationships expert. but high-risk strains
are linked to cervical,
Characteristics include seeing
vaginal and vulval
sex acts as unnecessary, showing
cancer. ‘High-risk HPV
love and affection in non-sexual
does not usually cause
ways and having infrequent symptoms – that’s why
bouts of sexual attraction, cervical screenings are
explains Knight. vital,’ warns Dr Griffiths.
rJ
OI
is fo
Not to be confused with the
kind elicited from a banging
orgasm, ‘JOI is an abbreviation
of jerk off instruction’, says
Bell. The premise? Someone
gives you specific instructions
on how to pleasure yourself
through audio, video or IRL.
Historically aimed at men,
JOI for women does exist –
it’s just been given a more
grown-up rebrand. Google
‘guided masturbation’ and
you’ll find it. You’re welcome.
SEPTEMBER 2022 | 103
 is for
NON-MONOGAMY

is for LABIA is for

is for KEGEL
TRAINER
While you won’t find
this piece of kit in the
gym, it’s still a crucial
part of any strength
training regime. The
muscle it targets?
Your pelvic floor –
a hammock-shaped
group of muscles that
supports your pelvic
organs. Strengthening
it will not only support
your pelvic organs – key
for good bladder control
– but also improve sex
and intensify orgasms.
Sold? Try an electronic
Kegel trainer, which
acts like your very own
pelvic PT by tracking
your muscle movement
and detecting incorrect
contractions to identify
any weaknesses.
Your labia are the MITTELSCHMERZ
lips between your
legs, and you have With a name worthy
two sets. ‘The labia of a Bond villain and the
pain-inflicting capabilities
majora are the
to boot, mittelschmerz is
outer fold and are
also known as ovulation
larger and thicker
pain. Occurring in the
than the labia
middle of the cycle, it’s
minora, which are usually felt on one side
smaller,’ says Dr of the lower abdomen,
Griffiths. Starting depending on which
at the top of the ovary is releasing the
clitoris and ending egg. Much like the dull
under the vaginal cramps you get on your
opening, the labia period, the pain can be
protects the vagina sent packing with some
and urethra. When paracetamol. But if it’s
aroused, both sets lingering, it could be
swell up as blood a sign of an underlying
rushes there, which condition. Both STIs and
boosts sensitivity. endometriosis cause pain
No two labia are that could be dismissed
alike, and they’re as mittelschmerz or
rarely symmetrical. menstrual cramps, so
go to see your GP if
the pain persists.
‘A non-monogamous
relationship is one that
doesn’t involve sexual or
emotional exclusivity,’ says
Callisto Adams, a dating and
relationship expert at HeTexted.
‘It allows multiple connections
with romantic, emotional and
sexual involvement at a time.’
A study from sex toy brand
Lelo shows that Gen Z are the
keenest on the concept, with
38% of 18 to 24-year-olds
saying they’d consider it.
What that looks like varies:
having a primary partner
and dating others; romantic
relationships of equal
importance; or sex with
multiple people.

is for
ORGASM
GAP is for
PANSEXUAL
In 2018, ‘pansexual’ was
online dictionary Merriam-
Webster’s most searched
word of the day after singer
Janelle Monae defined her
sexuality using the term. The
Like the pay gap, but for pleasure. ‘The term LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall
describes the difference in climax rates between defines a pansexual person
partners,’ says Knight. Results from two YouGov as someone of ‘any gender
surveys found that only 30% of women say they who experiences romantic
orgasm every time they have sex, compared with and/or sexual attraction to
61% of men. And while women orgasm more people regardless of their
frequently with another woman, they climax on gender identity’. Numbers
average 15% less than gay and bisexual men. The are on the rise: last year, a
prioritisation of penetration is to blame, says survey found that 1% of the
Isabelle Uren, sex expert for sex toy site BedBible. global population identify
‘Sex education has perpetuated the idea that sex as pansexual* – and for
equals penetrative sex, but many women also context, that’s about
need clitoral stimulation to climax.’ 78 million people.

104 | SEPTEMBER 2022

is for QUEEF is for RIMMING
The awkward fart-like Put simply, rimming is
sound your vagina pleasuring your partner’s
makes during or after anus orally – penetration
optional. While some use
sex when trapped air
it to prepare for anal sex,
is released. Queefs may it’s a source of pleasure
make you cringe, but
in itself (hello, sensitive
they’re very common. nerve endings). In fact,
The only time they it’s possible to orgasm
from rimming alone –
would be trumpeting
a message to see a GP? although it’s not quite
as likely as with genital
If they’re happening a
stimulation. ‘But there
lot post-partum, or are
are several risks through
accompanied by painful
rimming, including STIs
sex, UTIs, diarrhoea or – gonorrhoea, chlamydia,
discharge. Help prevent syphilis, herpes, hepatitis
them by strengthening A and B, and HIV,’ shares
your pelvic floor (see Dr Griffiths. Keep things
clean and consider using
K) and switching up
a dam. ‘This is a plastic
your sexual activity – or flexible square used to
think: less in and out, cover the anus to try to
more of the other stuff. stop infection,’ she adds.
is for SHIGELLA
An extremely antibiotic-
resistant infection, shigella
causes severe stomach
pain, diarrhoea and a
fever – and cases tripled
between September 2021
and January this year. It’s
caused by the bacteria
found in faeces, making
it easily passed on during
certain bedroom antics
– anal sex, fisting and oral
sex after anal. Symptoms
begin a day or two after
infection and you could
be infectious for up to a
month, so seek help from
a GP and avoid sex if you
think you have it. The
best course of action is
prevention: wash hands
and toys after sex, wear
condoms for anal and
shower after your session.
is for TANTRA
With roots dating back more than
5,000 years to ancient India, tantric
sex is the merging of sexuality and
spirituality, says Jennifer Surch,
founder of the Academy of Modern
Tantra. ‘The breathing techniques
and body postures used in neotantra
encourage the brain to release
serotonin, oxytocin and dopamine,’
she explains. ‘Tantric sex transforms
the intimacy between two lovers
into a deep, profound connection.’
While the end goal is more about
creating a connection than achieving
orgasm, the mind-blowing ones it
does give you are pretty epic. In
other words, it's a win-win.

V
is for
VAGINISMUS
‘Vaginismus is when the
vagina tightens up when
you insert something into
it, causing extreme pain,’
says Jo Bailey, consultant
gynaecologist at Bristol’s
St Michael’s Hospital. ‘A
is fear of pain or pregnancy,
fo
rU relationship problems
NIC or traumatic life events
ORN
can all be emotional
triggers.’ Physical triggers
such as infections,
It seems three is not a crowd. ‘Unicorns are people who join a childbirth, menopause
couple without a preference for their gender identity or sexual and endometriosis could
orientation,’ says Dr Adams. The couples searching for a unicorn also be to blame. The
are called ‘unicorn hunters’ – not to be confused with Steve good news? It’s treatable.
Wozniak’s Dragons' Den-style reality show. As to what unicorns Try psychosexual
want? ‘Anything from one-night stands to short-term therapy, relaxation
commitment in sexual activities and even long-term bonds.’ techniques and pelvic
Rainbow, glitter and horn outfit, optional. floor exercises.

SEPTEMBER 2022 | 105

is for WATER-BASED
LUBRICANT
is for
Dry chat alert: almost one
in five people experience
XENOPHILIA
problems with vaginal
dryness during sex. A decent
lube can certainly help, but
picking the right one can be
a minefield. ‘While oil-based
lubricants provide better
coverage, they can make
condoms more difficult to
remove,’ says Dr Griffiths. Defined as an
‘A water-based lubricant attraction to
has less effect on the actual foreign things,
condom, making it a safer xenophilia can be a
contraception option.’ sexual fetish, too. ‘It
represents a person’s
sexual attraction/
arousal to particular
people with particular
cultures, languages,
mannerisms, and
backgrounds that
are foreign,’ says
Dr Adams. Basically,
is for YCT529 if hearing someone
speak seductively
Sounds like a cyborg, but
about l’amour makes
it’s likely to do a lot more for
you want to rip off
your sex life than Star Wars.
their beret and whisk
YCT529 is the name of the them to the bedroom,
compound recently found to you’re a xenophile.
be effective as a male birth
control in mice. Retinoic acid

*SOURCES: INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR SEXUAL MEDICINE; PHARMACY AND THERAPEUTICS;

receptor alpha (or RARa, for

LAURA VOWELS, SEX AND RELATIONSHIPS RESEARCHER; LGBT+ PRIDE 2021 GLOBAL SURVEY
short) is a protein that plays
a key role in sperm formation
and cell growth; YCT529
blocks it. After administering is for ZELOPHILE
it orally for four weeks,
The green-eyed monster isn’t usually
researchers found that the
touted as a positive. But for zelophiles,
compound notably reduced
jealousy is key to sexual satisfaction.
sperm counts and was
99% effective in preventing ‘Explained from a perspective of it being
pregnancies. Even better, a sexual kink, zelophilia stands for the
YCT529 showed no signs of sexual arousal caused by (or as a product
the defects associated with of) jealousy,’ says Dr Adams. ‘A person who
other male birth control pills resonates with zelophilia is easily turned on
under trial, such as weight when they become jealous of their partner
gain, fatigue, depression and or the person they’re sharing a particular
high cholesterol. The ultimate connection with – it doesn’t necessarily
coming-soon trend might have to identify as a romantic connection.’
actually be coming soon. Talk about healthy competition…

106 | SEPTEMBER 2022

 Is ‘I look
old’ the new
‘I look fat’? When once the first rule of Botox was ‘don’t talk
about Botox’, now we’re in a new era of conversational
transparency. But, asks one tweakment-curious writer,
for the sake of our collective self-esteem, should
we think before we speak?
Words: Roisín Dervish-O’Kane

I
t’s 4pm on a sunny Saturday
afternoon and I’m surrounded by
six of my favourite women in a West
Country beer garden. What was
originally ‘Ibiza 2020’ is now ‘Airbnb
outside Bristol 2022’. But 24 hours into our
trip, and the pandemic-rusted wheels of our
12-year-strong shorthand greased, I wouldn’t
change a thing. We’ve already covered new
homes, new jobs, new boyfriends and old
jokes when into this millennial female
conviviality I drop... my face. Specifically,
the two vertical lines that have recently made
themselves known between my eyebrows.
I know I shouldn’t care, I say, but I do. In
fact, I’m considering pressing pause on the
process via an injection and a few hundred
quid. I get the nagging sense that I’m being
annoying; that I’m on slightly dicey ground
– but with curiosity outweighing my caution,
I press on. I’m quite intrigued to know who in
my friends’ respective circles have attended
to their fine lines with injectables – and if my
people are toying with the idea, too. It isn’t
long before the genie’s out of the bottle. But
amid the shared anecdotes and insecurities,
I sense mild frustration. No one eye-rolls or
throws their head back, exasperatedly. But,
I reflect on the train home, could I have
blamed them if they had?
Here’s the thing: it’s 2022, and bemoaning
the circumference of your thighs or the
fleshiness of your upper arms feels like you’re
crossing some sort of conversational red line;
in some circles, it’s a cancellable offence. But
while dropping the F-word (‘fat’) into an
otherwise effervescent conversation might
elicit a visible eye-roll and a call of ‘can we
not?’, lamenting your lines seems almost fair
game. What effect, I wonder, is this age-related
self-scrutiny having on us? And should we
all be learning lessons from the work we’ve
already done? In short, when it comes to ageing,
should we all be minding our language?

108 | SEPTEMBER 2022

FACE FACTS
The velocity of 31st birthdays hitting
my calendar right now might have
something to do with my current
curiosity towards the aesthetic
impact of ageing, but I’m not alone;
western culture is, right now, at a
particularly intolerant place with
skin ageing. Back in 2012, fewer
than 20% of US women aged 18 to
24 considered anti-ageing skincare
to be important, according to
market research company NPD
Group. Fast-forward to 2018 and
over half of women in the same age
bracket in one survey expressed
a wish to add wrinkle-defying
products to their skincare routine.
Meanwhile, Google searches for
‘baby Botox’ – small doses of Botox
injected into your face – doubled
between 2017 and 2022, reaching
their peak in January this year. It’s
thought the age at which women
first turn to Botox is decreasing,
too; according to the latest data,
while the majority of users (60%)
are women aged between 45 and
54, 20% are in their thirties like me.
‘Younger people becoming
interested in Botox is definitely
a thing,’ says award-winning
aesthetic doctor Sophie Shotter,
whose long client list reflects this
trend. It might not surprise you
that, as one of London’s most
sought-after injectors (in part
because, WH’s beauty editor Perdita
Nouril informs me, ‘she does the
bare minimum’), she believes this
demographic shift and an increased
openness to be ‘a good thing’ –
but she’s talking beyond her own
business bottom line. ‘Skin ageing
doesn’t always marry up to
biological ageing,’ she explains.
‘The perfect time to start is when
you can see where your lines will
be, and the
beginnings of ‘I’m fixating
them, but you
can’t see them at on other
rest. That can be
different times for people’s
different people
– I’ve treated
foreheads’
someone at 23 (who smoked and
used sunbeds) for skin in this state,
then you have women at 39 with
barely any wrinkles.’
Dr Shotter sees this greater
transparency as a positive in terms
of the way women think about their
skin’s ageing in relation to others,
110 | SEPTEMBER 2022
too. ‘Historically, there’s been this
thing where people want to look
naturally brilliant and don’t want
to talk about what they’ve had
done,’ she explains. ‘But that
creates pressure and unrealistic
expectations. The more people are
open about the things they do to
look great – saying “I’ve had this
treatment; this is who I went to”
– that’s really helpful.’
Ellie Austin-Williams, 30, is in
agreement. The financial coach
(@thisgirltalksmoney) got heavily
into skincare during the first
lockdown, and her friendship group
love to chat about Botox: whether
that’s their experiences of the
procedure or discussing the relative
merits of getting it in the future.
‘I’m grateful that my friends who’ve
had Botox have talked about it,’
she says. ‘If some didn’t develop
any lines, then that would leave me
feeling insecure or thinking, maybe
I was missing a trick with my
skincare – whereas knowing that
a couple of my friends look
noticeably young and fresh because
they’ve had Botox is reassuring.’
Of course, not everyone is so
optimistic about this shift. The
situation is more complicated for
36-year-old marketing executive
and mum-of-two Jessica Yale*.
She describes the topic as
conversational ‘forbidden fruit’
among her friendship group. ‘I
know it’s not the most important
– or helpful – topic to be discussing;
that’s almost what makes it so
tantalising,’ she admits. While she
always thought having anything
injected into her face was a big
no-no, seeing more and more
examples of light-touch work on
the faces of women in her wider
circle is making her question
her position. But
she’s conflicted –
especially because
the more cognisant
she is that more
people are getting
Botox, the more
she’s homing in on
what they have that she doesn’t.
‘I’m fixating on other people’s
line-free foreheads in the way I
used to envy toned arms and slim
legs,’ Jessica sighs. ‘It’s taken nearly
two decades of adulthood to finally
be at peace with my body, but now
I’m unhappy with my face.’
 Even Dr Shotter – positive as
she is about the brakes coming
off Botox chat – is aware of the
unintended consequences,
especially when she’s with her own
friends. ‘I’m very careful, especially
because of what I do, because I
don’t want all my friends thinking
I’m looking at their wrinkles when
we’re having dinner,’ she shares.
‘I don’t want to give people new
confidence issues.’ I didn’t expect
the most uncomfortably resonant
bit of reporting this piece to come
mid-chat with an aesthetic doctor,
but that last sentence landed in
my gut with a dull thud. In one
sentence, Dr Shotter summed up
why I’m uneasy about my own
eagerness to spark a conversation
about ageing, insecurities and
cognitive conflicts about them
both. It’s uncomfortable because
I’ve been here before.

TALK THE LINE

Just turned 19 and reeling,
physically and mentally, from
a 10-day stint in the ICU after
developing sepsis, retaining my
sickness-shrunken size became a
fixation. Eating very little lasted
only so long before the bingeing
and purging followed. I feel sick
when I think about myself –
American Apparel jersey clinging
to my borderline-emaciated body
– commenting on my own size,
asking for reassurance from friends
who were all, to varying extents, in
bigger bodies than my own. You
know when people say about their
former selves, ‘Oh, if I could go back
to that girl, I’d give her a hug and
tell her everything is okay’? Well,
if I could go back to that girl, I’d
grab her by the shoulders and beg
that she please shut up.
This heaviness is still hanging
around when I contact Nadia
Craddock, research fellow at the
Centre for Appearance Research
at the University of the West of
England, to ask for her take on this.
‘Voicing your dissatisfaction with
your appearance, whether it’s your
thighs or your brow area, can be a
way to bond and build connection
with others, to the point of feeling
like a rite of passage [for women],’
she tells me. ‘It often stems from
a place of insecurity, thanks to
society’s warped beauty standards,
but it can also feel like an easy way

SEPTEMBER 2022 | 111

to fit in or belong because these
conversations are so normalised.’
While I’m grateful for the reminder
not to needlessly self-flagellate
about mistakes I made 11 years ago,
I want to understand if my new
probably-shouldn’t-but-can’t-
resist conversation topic of choice
has the potential to damage my
own relationship with myself and
those around me as much as its
body-focused predecessor did.
As per my request, Dr Craddock
then gives it to me straight.
‘Conversations focused on your
appearance – particularly
highlighting areas of dissatisfaction
and/or ways you would like to
change it in line with societal
beauty standards – have the
potential to leave every participant
in that conversation feeling “less
than”.’ Oh. Not only do such chats
encourage self-scrutiny, she adds,
‘they also reinforce unrealistic
appearance standards, along with
the idea that a woman’s value lies
principally in her appearance’.
The situation gets messier still
when you factor in the way society
views female ageing. ‘[These
conversations] confront us with
our loss of capital – our loss of for many, requires a bit of vocal when I occasionally catch sight
value, worth and desirability as grappling with. Especially if your of myself in the mirror.’
women in a patriarchal society, personal timeline doesn’t align It was tempting for me, too. So
where women over a certain age neatly with society’s ideal. tempting that, while reporting for
become almost invisible,’ she ‘My friends don’t really talk this piece, I decided to go for it. I
explains. And for this reason, she about ageing and wouldn’t humour write to you having recently had
continues, it’s possible that signs me if I brought up getting Botox,’ 5ml of Botox injected into my brow
of ageing – and discussions about admits Florence*, who suspects it’s by Dr Shotter in a bid to prevent
signs of ageing – confront women not really on their minds because my ‘strong frown’ from intensifying
with reminders of their own they’ve all hit certain mid-thirties without inhibiting my many
mortality, more than men. As is ‘milestones’ (mortgages, marriages, (many) facial expressions. And…
often the case when asking ‘why’ offspring, etc). ‘When you’re I loved it. Still, with the words
with beauty, it really is that deep. operating from a of Dr Shotter and Dr Craddock
different vantage ringing in my ears, I made a pact
ON YOUR MARKS point, especially Ageing can with myself: I would only talk about
But is it realistic to expect people
to stop airing their thoughts and
when still looking
to meet your
confront us the treatment if someone either
noticed I looked different or
feelings about their physical selves
with their peers? Not necessarily,
long-term partner,
those visible
with our own explicitly asked for my thoughts
on Botox (or asked me to write
acknowledges Dr Craddock. reminders that mortality about it in a national magazine).
Indeed, when we polled Women’s you’re getting older As it happened, no one noticed;
PHOTOGRAPHY: STOCKSY. *NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED

Health’s Instagram followers on the
topic, the proportion who said they
would talk about bothersome signs
of facial skin ageing with their
friends (‘because it’s interesting to
share and hear their feelings’) was
eight times higher than the number
who wouldn’t. It makes sense:
ageing – your journey through life’s
stages, as well as how it manifests
on your face – is something that,
can sting a little more,’ the
32-year-old consultant muses.
Florence is increasingly fixated
on her forehead, but on the fence
about actually going there with
injectables. ‘I wouldn’t be expecting
it to drastically alter my self-image
– I’m a confident, competent and
pretty successful person – but it’s
tempting to do something that
might prevent that jolt of stress
but when asked, in my gang’s group
chat, where I’d landed on the issue,
I told them. I’d describe the reaction
as 50% curious, 50% bemused.
Suffice to say that when it comes
to navigating the choppy waters
of female ageing, treatment
transparency, conversational
discretion – and, of course, not
being annoying – I’m not sure
I’ve found the formula.

112 | SEPTEMBER 2022

 Enjoy a slice
of Caribbean
paradise
01
Antigua
What: Yoga and meditation in
a Caribbean paradise
Where: Carlisle Bay, Antigua
Who: Nikki Osman, executive
editor (print)
How much: Three-night
all-inclusive wellness retreat:
$2,968 (around £2,423) per room
(double occupancy) or $1,972
(around £1,610) per room (single
occupancy). From 7-10 October;
4-7 November; 9-12 December.
See carlisle-bay.com
Cat-cows in the Caribbean?
I’m listening… You will be. When
the soundscape to your savasana
is the Caribbean sea lapping the
shoreline, it’s enough to silence
even the most unrelenting of
internal monologues. When
116 | SEPTEMBER 2022
I touched down at Antigua airport
Nikki on a guided
on a Friday lunchtime, I was four
days into a new role at Women’s
rainforest hike to
Antigua’s Signal Hill
Health, with a brain busier than
an out-of-office inbox. But a few
days under the considered care
of Carlisle Bay and the talented
tutelage of their resident yogi,
Tara O’Rourke, returned me
to myself in a way that usually
requires two weeks’ annual leave
and a phone on airplane mode.
Tell me more about the yoga…
An hour after arriving in Antigua,
I found myself moving through a
jet lag-easing gentle flow beneath
the wooden beams of Carlisle
Bay’s dedicated yoga pavilion. The
structure, nestled amid the palm
trees, is a bio-phile’s dream. But it
isn’t the architecture that makes
this retreat so magical. I’m half a
year into a resolution-mandated
weekly yoga practice, and while

I’ve got a few favourites among
the various teachers at the east
London studio I frequent, Tara’s
generous, compassionate approach,
it turns out, is actually the one
that I’ve been missing. From
how to move into a downward
dog with perfect form to the
science that’s behind engaging
your vagus nerve during chanting,
her expertise (Tara is a 500-hour
certified Yoga Alliance teacher) is
sure to elevate your yoga practice,
regardless of the level that you’re
currently at. Over four days, in
daily and twice-daily sessions,
each of which lasted between
60 and 90 minutes, we practised
a combination of hatha and
kum nye Tibetan yoga that
was interspersed with periods
of mindful meditation and
intention setting.
Travel Well
And when you’re not saluting
the Caribbean sun? You’ll be
looking out for lizards on a
guided rainforest hike, spotting
sea turtles from a speedboat and
snorkelling along a coral reef.
But my personal pinch-me
moment came the morning
after we arrived. When jet leg
stirred me from my sleep at an
hour that would be best described
as ‘unsociable’, I decided to take
myself off for a solitary stroll
along the bay’s white-sand beach,
eventually finding a perch on
the dock. As the cry of the local
cockerel echoed across the bay,
a lone turtle popped its head up
and surveyed the scene before
disappearing back under the Meditating for
headspace in
water once more. I’ll never the dedicated
think of ‘turtle pose’ in the yoga pavilion
same way again.
Nestled among
lush foliage
SEPTEMBER 2022 | 117
 02
California
What: Forest bathing and road-
tripping down California’s iconic
Highway One
Where: The west coast of America
Who: Amanda Statham,
contributing travel editor
How much: Flights and car hire
from £1,001 per person, flying
into San Francisco and out of Los
Angeles (britishairways.com).
For accommodation options,
see visitcalifornia.com/uk
So where does this trip actually
begin? Technically, Highway One
runs 656 miles from Dana Point
north to Legget. But the famous bit
is the stretch linking San Francisco
to Los Angeles, with spots such as
Monterey, Santa Barbara and Big
Sur in between. My friend Cathy
and I flew into San Francisco and
spent two days sightseeing and
recovering from the 10-hour flight
and eight-hour time difference
before picking up our hire car
(a fancy Toyota Corolla). Spoiler:
the most nail-biting bit of the
entire 381-mile drive was getting
out of San Fran’s vertiginous, busy
roads in an automatic car on the
wrong (right) side of the road.
Eeek. Is this bucket list or death
wish? A valid question, but it’s
well worth the heart-in-mouth
moments. America’s highways
tend to be wide, open and have
several lanes, which means that
driving outside of cities proved
to be pretty chill for the most
part. The moment we popped
our playlist on and the familiar
118 | SEPTEMBER 2022
chords of The OC’s theme tune
kicked in (yep, we went there) as
we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge
and hit the highway, we relaxed.
Forest bathing, you say? Yes,
and if heading south from San
Francisco wasn’t enough to calm
our cortisol, it was nothing a few
hours beneath the redwoods
couldn’t fix. Forest bathing –
the practice of parking yourself
beneath a canopy of trees to reap
the mind-body benefits of nature
– has been scientifically proven
to reduce the physiological signs
of anxiety. And you’ll struggle
to find a more fitting forest
to bathe in than this one. The
trees in Armstrong Redwoods
State Natural Reserve are the
tallest on Earth and hiking
among them is an experience
unlike any other.
Level with me, will I see any
celebs? You can certainly give
it a go. From tucking into delicious
clam chowder at Paluca Trattoria
in Monterey, where Reese and co
hang out in Big Little Lies,
Bathe your soul
beneath the
giant redwoods
to dinner at Ventana Big Sur
– a restaurant and hotel that
Taylor Swift and Anna Kendrick
use to escape La La Land and
relax by fire pits beneath the
stars – the opportunities for
A-list celeb spotting abound,
particularly in Santa Barbara.
The two of us couldn’t resist
taking a cruise around the
nearby Montecito, Meghan
and Prince Harry’s new hood
(no, we didn’t spy the family
on a leisurely stroll with their
neighbour, Oprah).
And where will I stay?
I’d recommend breaking up
the journey with stop-offs
in cute little roadside motels
along the way, such as Glen
Oaks (glenoaksbigsur.com)
in Big Sur, where we stayed
in wood cabins surrounded
by the imposing redwoods,
and Lavender Inn by the
Sea (sbhotels.com) in Santa
Barbara, which had a pool
and a free daily happy hour
at 5pm in the hotel’s reception.
You are on holiday, after all.

03
Santorini,
Greece
What? Sunsets and body scrubs
Where: Oia, Santorini
Who: Megan Hess,
WH contributor
How much? From £394.82
per night (andronis.com)
Santorini… it’s for loved-up
couples, right? Granted, the
snogging stats are above average
COMPILED BY AMANDA STATHAM. PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES; ALAMY; UNSPLASH
on this idyllic isle. But you don’t
need to be a newly-wed to book
a holiday here. After a four-hour
flight, I checked into the Andronis
Arcadia hotel in the north. By day,
it’s a tranquil escape with a side of
wellness, by night a resident DJ
brings the beach-club vibes.
So, I can expect sun, sea and…?
Sensational views. The all-suite
hotel is a short stroll from Oia,
with its famous white and blue
buildings. But its secluded, cliff-
edge location means uninterrupted
views of the sparkling Aegean Sea
and some of the best sunsets I’ve
seen. I stayed in an aptly named
Sunset Suite – a wood and white
dream with a private infinity pool
– and, at the risk of getting gushy,
leaning on the edge and gazing at
the forget-me-not-coloured sky
blending into the sea was one of the
most memorable moments of my life.
And when I’m not banking
bucket-list views? Expect quality
pampering at Evexia Spa, with a
handful of treatment rooms and a
terrace for morning yoga. I tried The
Water Path, which involved walking
between two Kneipp pools (one hot,
one cold) after being covered in
cryotherapy wraps and a clay mask
– the hot and cold helps to improve
circulation. The lymphatic drainage
massage to end made me feel light as
a feather. Want more? The on-site
doctor offers a wellbeing plan, which
includes dietary advice, based on hair
profile screening (analysing a strand
of hair to determine what vitamins
and minerals you’re lacking).
Anything else I should know?
The food’s as stunning as Santorini.
Open-air Opson has tasting menus
inspired by local ingredients, such
as sea urchin tart, red mullet
Travel Well
Your camera roll
needs this pic
Drink in the
Aegean flavoured with saffron, and pork
seascape with truffles and quince. Not
feeling 10 courses? Try Pacman
Sunset – not an 1980s arcade
game-themed diner but an
alfresco eatery serving up grilled
octopus and salt-baked sea bass.
And if you want to leave the
hotel, there’s an option to eat
at Arcadia’s sister hotel Adronis
Luxury Suites’ famous restaurant
Lycabettus in Oia, where you’ll
find more panoramic views and
the kind of dishes you’ll still be
talking about in 10 years’ time
(frankly, my friends are sick of
hearing about the grouper in
champagne sauce).
SEPTEMBER 2022 | 119
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The Sheffield-born musician (real name Rebecca Lucy Taylor) talks
body acceptance, living with PMDD and the sex toy she’d recommend
to anyone else looking to prioritise their sexual pleasure
REDEFINE
At 32, I hadn’t hit society’s
‘successful woman’
milestones – buying a
house, marriage, babies –
and I felt... relief. Realising
I could ask myself what I
really want has made my
career. I now choose which
projects I commit to and
define success on my own
terms. I don’t feel the need
to hide parts of me to meet
others’ desires or goals.
EMBRACE
I’ve struggled with
disordered eating, as have
most of the women that I
know. It was a depressing
reality that in my old band
[indie-folk duo Slow Club]
the skinnier I was, the
more opportunities we’d
get. With Self Esteem, I
have full creative control,
and it’s been important
to me to celebrate my
body: it’s not plus size;
it’s not small; it may go
up or down a stone. It’s
a healthy size 14 and, for
some reason,
that feels
radical.
CARE
I spent the
majority of my
twenties hating
myself and rejecting
self-love. Now, at 35, I’ve
had weekly therapy for
several years. I’ve also
done yoga, reiki, sound
baths – anything to try to
122 | SEPTEMBER 2022
ROUTE TO WELLTH
Self Esteem
find peace and happiness
within. I’m also a believer
in manifesting – as long
as what you’re trying to
manifest can come true.
FALTER
The insecurity is still
there, and it roars at
times. Prepping for
the Prioritise Pleasure
video was hopefully
my finale of disordered
eating. I drank celery
juice all week and, after
filming, full-on shit myself
in my living room. Stood in
my bath afterwards, I was
like, ‘What are you doing
this for?’ Since then, it’s
been important for me to
treat my body with respect.
PACE
I recently took a much-
needed holiday – and
spent most of the time
feeling ill. I pushed myself
too hard and experienced
what burnout feels like:
that sense of total fatigue
and disconnection, and
disinterest from the things
you love. I’m now putting
boundaries in place with
my work, so that I have
time to eat nourishing
meals, watch telly, read
books and do my washing.
I’ve also committed to
restarting the PT sessions
that have slipped as work
opportunities increased.
My motivation is enabling
my body – and brain – to
perform as I need them to.
STATS
AGE: 35
JOB: Singer and composer
WORKOUT MO:
PT sessions
WIND-DOWN SECRET:
Telly + sofa
INVESTIGATE
I was diagnosed
with premenstrual
dysphoric disorder
post-lockdown, when life’s
consistency let me track
symptoms. For 10 days,
I can’t make decisions or
retain information and
I loathe myself: it’s like
I’m someone else. I’ve
paid for a specialist to
see what’s going on;
I just want some relief.
RELEASE
I’m bisexual, and my
relationships with women
have brought me so much.
There’s an intimacy that
makes it easier to say what
you like sexually. It’s helped
me stress less about my
biological clock. My last
relationship was with
a woman. I realised
that we’d need
intervention from
science if we were
to have a child.
ENHANCE
If you’re looking
to enhance sexual
pleasure – alone
or partnered – I
can’t recommend
Naked Grapefruit’s
First Base vibrator
enough. Seriously. I’ve
AS TOLD TO ROISÍN DERVISH-O’KANE. PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES
gone through about nine
of them – try setting four.
If I’m having sex with a
man and don’t come, I’ll
reach for one; the only
reason I wouldn’t have
done that historically
would be to try to look
cool. But sexual pleasure
is fucking cool – and
so is asking for it.
Follow Rebecca on IG
@selfesteemselfesteem