Blog Posts by Oprah.com

An estimated 15 million Americans are active in the "swinger" lifestyle. From house parties in suburban Arizona to swingers' clubs in Nashville and workshops in LA, explore what's at stake when couples test their sexual boundaries and learn to swing.

Swinging expert Reid Mihalko's safe swinging workshop where couples learn how to test their boundaries and explore sexual relationships with other people.

Photo: ThinkstockBy Kate Rockwood

The Background
Nutritionists have historically lumped coconut oil into the same category as cream, butter, and lard--namely, "off-limits"--because it consists largely of saturated fat, the kind linked to a higher risk of heart disease.

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The Claim
Current science indicates that not every type of saturated fat is evil: The crucial question is whether it consists of "medium-chain" or "long-chain" fatty acids, says Marie-Pierre St-Onge, PhD, a scientist at the New York Obesity Research Center. Medium-chain fatty acids--such as lauric acid, which makes up about 50 percent of coconut oil--can be metabolized faster than the long-chain variety. They're also readily absorbed in the small intestine along with other nutrients, meaning they don't enter the lymphatic system and are less likely to get deposited in the stomach as fat.

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A study published in the

Photo: Marko MetzingerClinique Even Better Eyes Dark Circle Corrector
A remedy for under-eye shadows: Vitamin C helps minimize pigmentation, caffeine and green tea soothe irritation, whey protein temporarily plumps the skin. ($40, clinique.com)

RELATED: 4 Different Approaches to Aging Gorgeously

Nars Skin Double Refining Exfoliators
Mild fruit acids gently buff away dead cells to reveal the glowy skin beneath. ($34, saksfifthavenue.com)

Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser
Packed with moisturizing glycerin, this foaming liquid leaves skin clean and soft. ($9, drugstores)

RELATED: What Are Your Skin Treatment Options?

Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference Skin Balancing Lotion SPF 15
Your daily moisturizer should contain sunscreen. This overachiever also softens rough spots and smooths fine lines. ($40, elizabetharden.com)

Chanel Le Blanc Targeted Brightening Spot Corrector
This silky serum contains a molecule (tranexamic acid cetyl ester hydrochloride) that inhibits melanin production, which causes

Photo: ThinkstockBy Corrie Pikul

These medical experts explain the didn't-know-it-could-do-that double lives of products we usually have on hand.

Nasal Spray

Standard use: Clearing up your nasal passages.

Surprise use: Calming down the pimple on your nose.

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Most allergy doctors will warn against using OTC nasal sprays for more than three days, because your nasal tissues can become accustomed to the decongestant and begin to overcompensate. Here's one way to use the leftover liquid: dab it on a pimple. "Products like Afrin or Dristan contain oxymetazoline, which constricts blood vessels under the skin and takes away redness on top of it," says Maria Marzella Mantione, an associate clinical professor at St. John's University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and a national spokeswoman for the American Pharmacists Association.

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Vaginal Yeast Infection Cream

Photo: ThinkstockBy Lynn Andriani

Mayonnaise: Olive Oil vs. Regular

Our choice: Olive oil

Why: Even though mayo made with olive oil (such as Hellmann's Mayonnaise Dressing with Olive Oil) still contains some soybean oil, which is the primary oil in most regular mayos, it has about 40 percent less fat and calories than the standard spread. It's a nice compromise between full-fat and light mayo, which has about half the fat and calories of the olive oil version-but tastes like it.

The only drawback: Some may notice a difference in taste (the olive oil adds a slight tang).

RELATED: The Best Non-Diet Diet Tip We've Ever Heard

Lobster vs. Monkfish

Our choice: Lobster

Why: Once upon a time, lobster was a luxury item, something you'd eat on a special occasion at the height of summer. Monkfish, often dubbed the poor man's lobster, was considered a middling alternative. These days, though, the Maine lobster population has exploded, with lobstermen hauling in record

Photo: ThinkstockBy Nathalie Gorman

Cleaning Products

How much you can save: $35
How to do it: Even the tidiest and most budget-vigilant person on our staff was surprised to hear that the average family spends $46 a month on cleaning supplies. As it turns out, much of that is unnecessary, because there's one little tool that you can clean almost anything with: a microfiber cloth. "It lasts forever," says Donna Smallin, author of Cleaning Plain & Simple and The One-Minute Cleaner Plain & Simple. "You wash it when you're done. You don't dry it; you just hang it and use it instead of buying paper towels or disposable wipes." Smallin says that the cloths are so effective that you can generally use them with nothing but water and scrub everything from wine stains in carpet (we were skeptical, too, but check out this video--with a clean white cloth, it's absolutely possible) to wood floors. For a greasy countertop, Smallin recommends sticking with an all-purpose cleaner, but if someone's tracked

Photo: ThinkstockMakeup artists and skin experts share their most treasured pieces of beauty wisdom.

Celebrate What You Have

"I was an insecure teenager: overweight, braces, freckles. My grandmother Jean pulled me aside one day and said, 'You only have one life--don't waste it worrying over what you don't like about yourself. Celebrate what you have that is beautiful.' Every time I get down on myself, her words come flooding back to me, crystal clear."

--Carmindy, makeup artist

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Own It

"'Own what you are.' I am very petite, but my dad taught me that standing tall, with confidence, is beautiful. With his wise words in my head, sometimes I even feel 5'4"."

--5'1.5"-tall Boston dermatologist Ranella Hirsch, MD

RELATED: The Key to a Well-Lived Life: Lighten Up!

Give Your Neck Some TLC

"A woman at a cosmetics counter told me in my teens: 'Every treatment you do to your face, do to your neck as