At Whole Foods, you can see a Purell dispenser that says, “Free of parabens.” Those words may provide comfort to anyone who doesn’t like parabens, but they only make me wonder what those wipes contain instead of parabens. All personal care products usually have to contain preservatives, unless they’re completely water-free (since microbes need water to live)—see a list of preservative-free products here. Anyway, I guess I’ve been thinking about preservatives—and…

I just got back from a weeklong vacation in Maui, where I spent most of my nights at the Grand Wailea resort. This is a really impressive hotel—the landscaping and gardens are amazing, and once you combine all that with the ocean view, it’s simply breathtaking. Parts of the hotel felt almost Italian or European, with the terra cotta colored tiles. I’m a light packer—between the pair of us, we brought two backpacks, one carry-on roller bag, and one tote bag. Since I hate checking in…

When I was at Ricky’s the other day, a store associate happened to be passing by while I was studying the ingredients label of the Freeman mask. She said, “Not gonna lie—that mask is awesome.” Something about the way she said it made me believe her (or maybe I just wanted to buy something). Anyway, I ended up purchasing it and using it that very night. Yes, I’m heavily swayed by in-person recommendations from strangers (at least when they appear to be genuine). Today,…