Blog Posts by Redbook

Forget about spending big bucks on scary, doctor's office procedures. Celebrity dermatologist and Skin Rules author Deborah Jaliman, M.D. reveals how to erase the years at home and on the cheap. By Ava Feuer, REDBOOK.

Use a retinol
Dark spots and uneven texture are dead giveaways to your true age. Keep fooling folks by applying an at-home retinol every night. "It's one of the few things that reverses sun damage," says Jaliman. "It will lighten brown spots, improve texture, and make skin smoother. You can see a difference in weeks." By stimulating collagen production, the inexpensive remedies cause dead skin to slough off faster, eliminating signs of ware and dullness. But be aware that retinols make skin particularly sensitive to sunlight, so after applying one at night, be extra-sure to wear at least SPF 30 the next morning. Jaliman likes Neutrogena's Rapid Wrinkle Repair Night Moisturizer ($20.99).

Get your vitamin B
You likely get your necessary supply of B3, a vitamin

It's not about trying to look 20 when you're 40, but rather a matter of nourishing yourself inside and out. Try these real world tricks to stay youthful no matter how many candles are on your birthday cake. By Holly Corbett, REDBOOK.

1. Celebrate your milestones
"Embrace birthdays by reveling in how far you've come and all of the experiences you've had," says Wendy Ferguson, 45. "I went to Antarctica for my 40th because I love travel and want to see the world. But celebrating doesn't have to be anything grandiose - just do something that's meaningful to you. It took years and experience in order for me to feel more comfortable in my own skin, but I've earned every laugh line and gray hair. And I think celebrating my age - rather than lying about it - has helped me grow older more gracefully."

2. Age-proof your eyes - at home
Try this cheap, at-home trick from Shelly Rush, CEO of Bella Semplice, a company that creates at-home facial and under-eye masks: Soak two cotton balls in a

From grand romantic gestures to being a rock during tough times, REDBOOK readers on Facebook have some beautiful stories about love - and the many ways to show it.

"He runs to meet me! Example: I'll call him on my way home from work and ask him to meet me for dinner at our local diner. I'll sit in the window and watch him run down the block from our house." - Rebecca I.

"I did a 100-mile bike ride last fall, and he tracked my phone and showed up on the side of the road with a smile and a dry erase board with words of encouragement throughout the day!" - Renee N.

"I haven't put gas in my car since we've been together, and we are going on 10-plus years. He makes sure that my car is filled up and clean for me. He will get up in the middle of the night - no matter the weather - and get gas for me so I don't have to do it. I know it sounds simple, but it's his way of taking care of our family. I so appreciate him for this. The little things make all the difference in a marriage." - Lee

By Sarah Smith, REDBOOK.

Would you redshirt your kid? That is, would you hold him or her back a year before starting kindergarten, because he's not quite ready academically, socially, or physically? (Or, for the true, thinking-scarily-ahead redshirters, so that he'll be the biggest, toughest football player in the senior class 12 years from now? Does anyone really do that? Let's hope not.)

Related: 50 Ways to Stay Bonded with Your Kids

It's been in the news lately because New York City, where I live, isn't going to allow the practice anymore. If your kid is five years old in 2013, he is going to kindergarten this fall (or first grade next year - no more waiting). But every school district has a cut-off date, and when kids' birthdays fall near it, parents start to wonder: Is my child really ready, just because an administrator or school board picked August or November 1 as the date he needs to turn five by? Since the start of the 2013-2014 school year is less than half a year away,

While some celebs go to great lengths to straighten, process, and keratin their bodacious manes, others embrace their ringlets with these stunning hairdos. By Alyson Penn, REDBOOK.

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By Lauren Le Vine, REDBOOK.

With the advent of smart phones, it's now harder than ever to disconnect from work. You have your phone with you at all times, and your email is on your phone, so what's the big deal about glancing at it from time to time? Unfortunately, those "I'll just see if anyone emailed" checks turn into "I'll just quickly respond to this; it seems urgent" matters in no time flat. We already know that spending more and more time buried in a screen decreases your vagal tone, which in turn alters our ability to empathize and connect with one another. That chronic stress of being plugged in 24/7 has hazardous effects on your health, too.

Related: 25 Lazy Ways to Save Money

A recent study done by the Mayo Clinic showed that being under constant pressure effects our body's natural fight-or-flight response to threats, which is only supposed to be for short-term, immediate stressors. If the stress-response system persistently remains active, it disrupts the body's natural

By Lauren Le Vine, REDBOOK.

As someone who took an actual stretching class last night, I was somewhat dismayed to see Gretchen Reynold's latest "Reasons Not to Stretch" Well blog post (yes, there have been multiple). How can something that feels so good and relieving have a case against it?

Related: 31 Days of Snacks for Grown-Ups

Well (pun intended), it turns out Reynolds is being a tad hyperbolic in her lead. The two studies she's citing only measured the effect of static stretching - think reaching for your toes and holding it for 90 seconds - before exercises that require immediate high-intensity muscle action. Participants in one study lifted less weight - and felt "wobblier" - after performing static stretches. The second study revealed that static stretching actually reduced strength and explosive muscular performance.

Related: 26 Ways to Feel Younger Now

Here's the kicker, though: Most of us aren't stretching pre-workout because we need to burst from a starting block or do

You don't need to carve out time for a romantic getaway to refresh your marriage. Instead, try one of these small bonding secrets each day to give your love a big boost. By Holly Corbett, REDBOOK.

Send him lexts (love texts)
When we focus on something, we tend to see it show up more often. So try sending him a text every day this month that acknowledges something you appreciate about him, such as "I love that you get me peanut M&Ms when I have PMS." "My husband did a text appreciation month for me after he forgot to get me a Valentine's Day card one year, and I was surprised that he found something new to write every single day - it made me feel so cherished," says Orna Walters, who co-founded Creating Love on Purpose, a relationship coaching service, with her husband, Matthew.

Use this excuse to hang those old pics
Research confirms that experiences rather than things increase your happiness levels, and recounting shared moments in your relationship can also boost marital