H E A LT H
N E W S A N D N OT E S
A CONCIERGE FOR THE COSMICALLY CURIOUS
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e could all use recalibrating and rebalancing after 2020. Luckily, newly launched LA-based wellness concierge Altyr is offering both virtual and in-home services designed to help clients relax, recenter, and recharge. After Camrin Agin experienced her own transformation from a holistic healing session, she founded Altyr with the intention of making wellness experiences approachable yet intimate. Clients can conveniently book customized treatments with world-class healers and practitioners (such as Jenny Deveau and Seth Misterka of Dynasty Electrik and yogi Rony Ghoraishy), within as little as 24 hours’ notice. From sound bath sessions to an invigorating sensory journey, Altyr’s menu of services offers an array of options including energy healing, yoga nidra, breathwork/meditation, space clearing, intuitive card readings, and spiritual ceremonies that are intended to help pave a positive path forward. Individual, in-person sessions from $175, remote sessions from $125; thealtyr.com — S A R A S M O L A
GLOW ON
TOP: COURTESY OF ALTYR; BOTTOM LEFT: COURTESY OF FACILE
Constant mask wearing, pandemic-related stress, and stay-at-home orders have made maintaining a healthy complexion a challenge. Here, Dr. Nancy Samolitis, boardcertified dermatologist and co-founder and medical director of Facile Dermatology + Boutique (facileskin.com) on S. Lake Avenue, answers our questions about at-home skin care.
> What’s the biggest mistake people have been making with skin care during the pandemic? Forgetting about sunblock. I recommend applying an SPF of 30 or higher daily (make sure it has zinc or titanium), even if you aren’t planning on spending much time outdoors. Getting UV light through windows and blue light from screens can contribute to signs of
skin aging. > What do you suggest for those who don’t feel safe leaving home to get a facial? It’s not as strong as an in-office medical-grade peel, but we just launched an at-home peel kit ($300) that’s safe for any skin type. Regularly exfoliating skin stimulates skin cells to turnover faster and repair damaged cells, leading to smoother texture, fewer clogged pores and breakouts, and lightening of dark spots. > What treatments should be left to the professionals? I absolutely do not recommend any kind of athome microneedle device. It is impossible to know if the needles are appropriately sharp or properly sterilized, leading to damaging skin and possibly spreading infection. — S . S .
SUPERFOOD When it comes to most meal-delivery systems, eating what’s best for you doesn’t always equate to what’s best for the planet. Enter Green Chef, a USDA-certified organic meal kit delivery service that uses organic and sustainably sourced ingredients, all the while doing the heavy lifting to ensure minimal effort on your end. Meals come with premeasured ingredients, premade sauces, and pre-chopped vegetables so you can make restaurant-quality meals in about 30 minutes or less. Aligning with its eco-focused ethics, Green Chef produces a carbon footprint that is 25% lower than that of meals made with store-bought groceries, prioritizes the use of recyclable packaging, and is the only meal delivery service committed to offsetting 100% of the direct carbon emissions and plastic packaging from every box sold. Meal plans from $11.99; greenchef.com — S . S .
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