For weeks, I'd been eying these spiky succulent leaves at Berkeley Bowl. I always knew that aloe vera came from this common plant, but never thought I would actually need or want the opportunity to work with it myself. And then there's the whole issue of cooking with it and how to harvest it. It's popular in coconut water these days, but other than that, ingesting it is somewhat uncommon. But Read more

Allow me to take some attention off coconut water for a moment, and shed light on another healing tonic — aloe vera juice. When I was growing up, we used aloe vera leaves on burns since the sap acts as a pain reliever and reduced inflammation. But drinking actual aloe vera juice? I had noticed it in health food stores, but had never actually tried it before. After reading about aloe vera's Read more

Spent a little too much time in the sun? If you're nursing a lobster-red sunburn, here's how to soothe your skin. Find out what to do — and get the scoop on the surprisingly cheap product that delivers relief. (No, it's not Rolaids.) Watch now! Read more

So, you've been spritzing your favorite fragrance on your hair to get a scent that wafts through the air with every hair flip. And while perfume can mask smoke and other unwanted odors, the question remains: Is it safe for your strands? It turns out, there are a couple things you should ask yourself before you turn your body spray into a hair mist. What's in this? Eau de parfums usually contain Read more

YouTube star and beauty guru Michelle Phan always has a new tip or two for making life easier. It happens to the best of us, even with the best of intentions, and this week, Michelle tells us how we can alleviate a painful sunburn: Hi everyone, Each day it's getting a little sunnier and little warmer outside. It's nice to spend this time outdoors, and while it's also nice to get a little Read more

Making your own breadsticks is easier than you think Worried that Hostess Brands may fold? Then make your own Hostess treats Learn how to cook with fresh aloe vera You can make time for a satisfying breakfast — here's how This wedding season, make your glass of bubbly even fancier From kabocha squash to lentil, five creative and contemporary twists on hummus Read more

The medicine cabinet is a part of the home that no one really thinks about . . . until you need something from it. And when you finally do, you might find yourself wading through the items that should have been discarded to get to the medication you need. Or perhaps you're missing the needed item because you never noticed you were low on it because of the mess. Take some time to organize your Read more

YouTube star and beauty guru Michelle Phan always has a new tip or two for making life a little easier. This week, Michelle tells us how we can create our own natural makeup remover: Hi everyone, Makeup remover doesn’t have to be expensive or come with a label. In fact, I actually prefer this gentle version that you can make at home on the cheap. It’s non-irritating, easy to make, Read more