PMS Relievers

It’s the week before your period and your year-end recital. You’re cramping like crazy and feeling super bloated, but you have to get through dress rehearsal tomorrow. Try these prescription-free tips to reduce your PMS pains. You’ll feel performance-perfect in no time.

Make Smart Food Choices

By eating a diet high in B vitamins, calcium and zinc, and limiting your intake of salt, sugar and caffeine, you can lessen the severity of your cramps and reduce bloating. Bananas, milk and peanuts are packed with cramp-busting nutrients.

Find your body’s perfect temp

A heating pad or an ice pack placed on your stomach or lower back can alleviate period-related discomfort. Try switching between hot and cold until you find the temperature that offers the greatest relief.

Soak in a Warm Bath

Settle into a steamy bath and feel all your pains float away. Adding a few drops of lavender essential oil will help you unwind, and when you relax your cramps will, too.

Get Some Exercise

It may seem like the last thing you want to do, but breaking a sweat can help relieve your cramping, since working out burns up cramp-inducing chemicals. So get off the couch and get moving!

 

Bruise Be Gone

After months of rehearsals, you deserve a night out with the girls. But as you slip into your fave LBD, you find you’re covered in bruises from tough floor work—not so hot. Try applying a little arnica cream to your bruises and  your legs will be looking great in no time. It’s a pain-relieving anti-inflammatory that also reduces skin discoloration.

Our pick: Boiron Arnicare Cream

 

Makeup Mayhem

Mascara, blush, bronzer, lipstick, glitter—recitals mean lots of makeup. But before passing your cosmetic bag around the dressing room, be sure to set aside your liquid-based products and applicators (brushes and sponges). They spread germs easily, and you definitely don’t want conjunctivitis (pink eye), cold sores or the flu floating around!

Share: blush, stick foundation, eye shadow, face powder

Don’t Share: mascara, eyeliner, lipstick, lip gloss

 

Did You Know?

Sewing moleskin to the inside edges of your bedazzled costume will help you avoid the dreaded “sequin itch.” That’s right: no more scratching or chafing. Take that, sequins!

 

By laughing just 10 to 15 minutes each day (not all at once), you can burn 10 to 40 calories. So crack a joke and get giggling!