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Wednesday

"I make room for moments that restore my energy."

Welcome to Wednesday! Today, we're chatting about:

• Are you washing your fruit correctly?

• The link between oral health and brain health

• This whitening treatment doesn’t cause sensitivity

• Why “boring” relationships might be better

• How to keep your skin healthy

A Quick Produce Safety Tip Worth Knowing

Most of us rinse our fruits and vegetables the same way every time: a quick splash of water, maybe a soak, and call it done. Doctors say that quick rinse isn't quite enough, especially for tricky produce like leafy greens and berries.

The fix is fairly simple. Wash hands first, then rinse produce thoroughly under cool running water, even if the package says "pre-washed." Trim away any bruised spots, and give firm produce like mangoes a good scrub before cutting into it, since cutting boards can pick up whatever's on the skin. Getting food into the fridge quickly after a grocery trip helps too.

For extra peace of mind, cooking produce (rather than eating it raw) is an easy way to add another layer of protection, especially for anyone in a household with young kids, older adults, or a weakened immune system.

Your Smile Might Be Protecting Your Brain Too

Turns out your toothbrush might be doing more for you than a good smile. There's a surprising link between oral health and brain health.

Here's the gist: poor oral health, things like cavities and gum disease, is tied to more brain wear and tear over time, especially in the parts of the brain that act like wiring, carrying signals between different regions. That wiring plays a big role in memory and clear thinking.

The good news is how easy this one is to act on. Cutting back on sugar helps protect both your teeth and your brain long-term. Flossing nightly keeps the bacteria in your mouth balanced, which matters for overall health too. Some people even swear by oil pulling, swishing a spoonful of oil for a few minutes to help clear out bacteria.

The takeaway is refreshingly simple: small daily habits for your teeth might just be doing double duty for your brain too.

Are Your Teeth Yellow?

Teeth whitening is one of those things many people think about but put off. It can feel expensive, inconvenient, or not worth the sensitivity that often comes with it. Professional, in-office treatments can cost up to $1,000, and still require time, appointments, and follow-ups.

Laughland offers a more flexible, at-home alternative. Instead of a one-size-fits-all formula, you can select the right whitening solution for your teeth, helping reduce sensitivity while still delivering noticeable results.

From there, everything is designed to be simple. The routine takes just 10 minutes a day and can be done at home, whenever it fits into your schedule. Each kit includes a whitening light with phone adaptors and three customized whitening pens, so you have everything you need to get started.

Laughland was formulated by a world-renowned dentist, and is trusted by over 200,000 customers for its natural ingredients and science-backed results. It’s one of the closest things you can get to professional whitening at home, with teeth up to seven shades whiter in as little as six days, guaranteed.

This month, you can get six at-home treatments for just $39 (60% off).

Get whiter teeth today!

Thank you to Laughland for sponsoring Note To Self. 

The Surprising Case for a "Boring" Relationship

Many of us assume butterflies and a racing heart are signs of real chemistry. Turns out that feeling is often something else entirely: the nervous system reacting to a familiar pattern, not necessarily a sign of true compatibility.

Here's why that happens. When someone feels unpredictable or hard to read, the body can go on high alert, and that alert feeling can easily get mistaken for passion. Over time, this can teach the body to associate love with uncertainty. So when a relationship feels calm and steady instead, it can register as flat, even boring, simply because it feels unfamiliar.

The trick is learning to tell the difference. If someone is kind, consistent, and easy to be around, but the feeling is more quiet calm than intensity, that's usually a good sign, not a red flag. On the other hand, a genuine lack of curiosity or interest is a different story altogether.

Healthy love isn't about the absence of chemistry. It's about the absence of constant uncertainty. And once the nervous system finally gets to relax, that calm might be exactly what secure, lasting love feels like.

A body moisturizer built by longevity scientists

Starting in your 30s, skin's collagen production drops roughly 1 to 1.5% a year, and the decline isn't confined to your face. Skin is your largest organ, and the visible signs of cellular aging — crepey texture, loss of firmness — show up across your arms, chest, and legs, and are only accelerated by external stress and UV exposure. Yet 97% of your skin, everything below the neck, goes untouched by most skin longevity routines.

OS-01 BODY moisturizer goes beyond hydration. Powered by the OS-01 Peptide™ and built on over a decade of longevity science, it works where aging begins — addressing a leading driver of visible skin aging, so skin looks and feels healthier with regular use. In a double-blind 12-week clinical study, 70% of participants showed visibly smoother skin, alongside +41% barrier resilience and +38% hydration. The kind of results that make people call it a holy grail product — and mean it.

Save 15% with code BODY15

^{*Explore the claims at oneskin.co}

Wellness Round-Up

Parting Thoughts

• ✅ Did You Know: Coffee and tea stains form because of pigmented compounds called tannins that stick to tooth enamel, gradually building up in tiny grooves on the tooth surface over repeated exposure.

• 🌅 Sunset Of The Day: Sunsets are more than beautiful—they’re actually good for your mood. Got a favorite one? Reply to this email with your best sunset or sunrise photo for a chance to be featured!

• 💭 Final Self-Care Thoughts for Today: Excitement fades on its own, but the comfort of really knowing someone tends to stick around a lot longer.

Enjoying Note to Self?

Know of a great self-care tip or article you'd love to share with the community? Want to send us pictures of you completing one of your self-care rituals? Email us at [email protected]!