Benefits of an ice bath include better sleep, reduced muscle soreness, and a boost in energy. The post We Tried An Ice Bath For The First Time & Here’s What Beginners Should Know Before Trying appeared first on TheSmartLocal - Singapore's Leading Travel and Lifestyle Portal ..read more

Losing hair in your 30s “Girl ah, your hair is very thick you know. You want me to thin it out for you?” This was a comment often said to me whenever I would get my hair cut. Hairdressers would marvel at how much hair I had and how lucky I was to be blessed with such a luscious crown of locks. Until one day, my hairdresser said, “Girl ah, your hair is very thin now you know.” I’d noticed that I had been losing quite a bit of hair recently, but I didn’t think it was bad enough to warrant such a comment from my hairdresser. This was the wake up call I needed to finally do something about it. Her ..read more

Eczema care in Singapore’s climate The weather has been excruciatingly hot in Singapore. You can tell from the high-temp alerts on your phone, news reports about historical extremes, and pretty much just stepping outside to feel the scorching sun almost baking you, resulting in profuse sweat and major discomfort. For eczema sufferers, this agony is multiplied tenfold. As someone who has grappled with acute eczema and chronic flare-ups over the years, this surge in temperature spells bad news for my skin. In my search for effective eczema care in Singapore’s climate, Suu Balm was a brand which ..read more

Easy self-defence techniques Growing up in one of the world’s safest countries may have left some of us in a safety bubble, making us ill-prepared for the dangers out there. Although we may not encounter threatening situations commonly, it doesn’t hurt to know how to deal with them on the off chance they arise. For example, if you’re travelling solo or in a country known for petty crimes against tourists, wouldn’t it be great to know how to defend yourself? Here’s a list of easy self-defence techniques you can learn in under 3 minutes to quickly retaliate against an attack or help fizzle out a ..read more

Perm hairstyles for men In the months of Circuit Breaker and post-CB phases, men around Singapore have been learning to embrace long locks of hair. If you want to turn that into something more refined, now’s the best time to try out one of these perm hairstyles for men. There are perm hairstyles that can be pulled off perfectly with shorter and longer haircuts alike. For that Korean oppa or Cole Sprouse-like look you’ve been dying to get, a quick call to the salon and a few hours of your time is enough for this extreme makeover. 1. Short hair perm – for guys who haven’t grown out their hair I ..read more

Eczema struggles that sufferers wish others knew Eczema is something which you might have heard a friend or family member mention before. Not to be mistaken for sensitive skin, allergies, or generic rashes, eczema – AKA atopic dermatitis – is a condition where your skin’s natural barrier is weaker than usual. It also affects the body’s ability to produce moisture and repair itself, and results in ezcema struggles such as itchy and painful flare-ups.  Despite the growing prevalence of eczema in Singapore, there are many hurtful misconceptions surrounding it. Sufferers know all too well tha ..read more

Back pain remedies shared by Singaporeans in their 30s Put 1 hand up if you feel like a 30-year-old in a 60-year-old’s body. Put your other hand up if the mere action of lifting your hand made your back ache like a *@#$!^%. Sadly, many of us suffer from back pain despite our relatively young age, whether it’s from the constant hunching over laptops or poor sitting postures.  Instead of just mindlessly Googling “how to cure backaches”, we’ve compiled several tried-and-tested back pain remedies you can consider. So sit up straight, and scroll on.  1. Strengthen core muscles with no-equ ..read more

Debunking health myths With social media plastering celebs’ perfectly-chiselled bods on our FYPs and explore pages, you could be tempted to try to achieve a similar look. We don’t blame you; Blackpink’s Jennie looks amazing in those Calvin Kleins, and this writer wonders how every male contestant on Too Hot To Handle comes pre-packaged with bulging pecs.  We’re all for chasing your body goals, but there are some pitfalls you have to be aware of. Before you embark on your journey to sculpt your ideal physique, we’re here to dispel these common health myths that could hinder your progress ..read more

Health signs & symptoms to look out for Look up any health-related hashtags on TikTok and you’ll find millions of content. Everyone and their mothers are striving to look and feel better because as we all know – health is wealth. But, investing in your health is more than just chugging detox tea and eating a keto diet. Sometimes, our body gives us subtle health signs that something’s not quite right but we dismiss them as not serious enough to warrant a checkup. We’ve compiled some of the more common ones so you can spot signs of illness and get them checked before they turn into actual he ..read more

Wound care misconceptions debunked We’ve all had those moments – seeing a loved one get a cut or burn and immediately thinking, “Bring out that rubbing alcohol to clean the cut” or “Put ice on that burn”. You might have seen your parents take these actions but in actuality, some of these traditional wound care methods do more harm than good. Believe it or not, these wound care mistakes are made more commonly than you think. That being said, here are 8 wound care misconceptions that you need to be wary of when you’re caring for an injury the next time. 1. Exposing wounds to air heals them faste ..read more