<ul><li>In a Pride Month special, we invited <keyword id="9445997" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="vicks-mom">Vicks Mom</keyword> Gauri Sawant and Ajay Vikram, CCO- Global Clients, Publicis Singapore for a #BTSwithInsider chat. </li><li>Vikram walked us through the ideation process, execution and Sawant, on the other hand, shared her experience of becoming a star overnight. </li></ul>Since it is June, the most colourful month of the year, for last week’s episode of BTSwithInsiders, we decided to look back at an advertisement that changed the definition of motherhood in India and made us relook at our ideologies -- Vick’s Touch of Care. <br /><br />Normalising trans motherhood in India, Vicks initiated a conversation everyone else was afraid to have. It highlighted how motherhood goes beyond biological ties with transgender activist Gauri Sawant, who also runs an NGO called Sakhi Char Chowghi. It showcased her real life story of bringing up a girl. Conceptualised by Publicis Singapore for Procter &amp; Gamble, the video shows how Gayatri, at the age of 6, loses her biological mother, a sex worker, to HIV AIDS. It ends with Gayatri vowing to become a lawyer so that she can fight for equal human rights and build an equal environment for her foster mother.<br /><br />Ajay Vikram, CCO- Global Clients, Publicis Singapore walked us through the ideation process, execution and Sawant, on the other hand Vicks Mom Gauri Sawant shared her experience of becoming a star overnight. <br /><br />Here is what they said: <br /><div type="twitter" handle="admediainsider" handlename="Advertising and Media Insider India" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1268418343238635521/lelrmGKf_normal.jpg" favoritecount="3" retweetcount="3" status="#BTSwithInsiders | Ajay Vikram (@aj3v), CCO- Global Clients, @PublicisWW &amp; @PublicisIndia along with Transgender Ac… https://t.co/tq9crO8365" createdat="1592562459000" id="1273925403824893952"></div><br />

How starring in an ad helped Vicks’ mom Gauri Sawant gain overnight stardom

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Linda Vick owes $77,000 in <keyword id="11896049" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="student-debt" source="Orion">student debt</keyword>, $7,000 more than when she graduated from college in 2011. </li><li>Much of that is due to interest, despite ten years of payments. </li></ul><p>Linda Vick, 39, has had difficulty balancing work and raising her five-year-old son, who has autism, over the past few years. </p><p>"The reason I only work part-time is because we can't get childcare," she told Insider. "There's no after school programs… there's not a list of babysitters here who know how to work with special needs kids, if there is an after-school program, it's like a 6-month wait list." </p><p>Vick was laid off from her job as a mail clerk at Boston College this summer, where her husband currently works in housekeeping. Even when she was still employed, Vick's family faced a catch-22: Working meant that she wasn't around to take care of her son, and not working meant that she couldn't afford to provide him the specialized care that he needed. Her husband, Jeffrey, works full time.</p><p>Of her son's autism, Vick said, "He's not high functioning so he does require a lot of assistance. He goes to school during the day, so he gets on the bus at 8:30 and gets home at 3:30, and I have to get off work in time for him to be home." </p><p>But her family's problems shifted since she lost her job last month. </p><p>"I have to cancel all my son's activities like adaptive gymnastics, and any other programs he's in that we have to pay for," she said. "Also grocery shopping is a struggle with one income." </p><p>Compounding her family's problems is Vick's $77,000 in <keyword id="11896050" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="student-loans" source="Orion">student loans</keyword>, an amount that Insider verified via documents. When Vick graduated from the University of Phoenix in 2011 with a degree in business she owed nearly $70,000, and she's struggled to make payments on her interest over the years to offset the rising balance. Her husband makes about $32,000 a year in net pay, which Insider verified via paystubs, and Vick receives about $800 a month in unemployment. </p><p>In April, President Biden <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackfriedman/2022/04/19/how-to-qualify-for-7-billion-of-student-loan-forgiveness-if-you-have-a-disability/?sh=16963c045855">announced</a> $7 billion in <keyword id="13197558" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="student-loan-relief" source="Orion">student loan relief</keyword> for 350,000 student loan borrowers with a total and permanent <keyword id="11908895" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="disability" source="Orion">disability</keyword>, but Vick said that relief should also extend to the caretakers of people with disabilities.</p><p>"We can't buy a house because of the debt I owe," she said, adding that her son "would need a backyard that's fenced in to play outside, because he's a flight risk. It's financially holding us back from being a good family — I can't buy a house, I can't get a loan, I can't go for a master's degree when he's older... it's ruining me from furthering my life if I want to." </p><h2>'We make enough to survive and pay bills and that's it' </h2><p>Vick is not alone as a University of Phoenix graduate saddled with debt years after finishing school. For-profit institutions like Phoenix have been <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-for-profit-education-student-debt-quick-degrees-fraud-2022-5">criticized</a> for decades over allegations of misleading students about future earning potential, engaging in aggressive recruitment tactics, and pushing many to take on student debt when it was not the best option for them.</p><p>A few years ago, Vick applied for an income-based repayment plan, which is theoretically tailored to what a debtor can afford to pay based on their income, a system that often doesn't work out practically. </p><p>"They want you to basically pay a month's worth of pay in a month, and that was out of the question, so I had to keep doing deferment," she said. "We make enough to survive and pay bills and that's it." </p><p>Vick worked at a corporate job for years after graduating, thinking that a degree in business would propel her through the ranks of her industry. (Vick declined to disclose what company she worked at.) She said that she eventually left her job because she didn't agree with the business practices of her employer, and ended up working at the post office, where she stayed until she had her son in 2017. She and her husband later started a vape business, which was shut down after Massachusetts placed a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2019/09/24/massachusetts-ban-all-vaping-product-sales-months-toughest-state-crackdown/">temporary ban</a> on the sale of vaping products in 2019. </p><p>Vick and her husband filed for bankruptcy in 2019, which her school loans weren't a part of. It's <a href="https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/blog/busting-myths-about-bankruptcy-and-private-student-loans/#:~:text=For%20too%20long%2C%20a%20myth,loans%20can%20be%20discharged%20bankruptcy.">possible</a> to discharge student loans as a part of bankruptcy, but <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamminsky/2022/02/11/will-discharging-student-loans-in-bankruptcy-get-easier-biden-administration-sends-mixed-messages/?sh=6d87a7b92795">difficult</a>.  </p><p>"A lawyer to help you file bankruptcy for school loans is super expensive," Vick said. "If I could afford a lawyer, I'd pay my school loans." </p><p>And taking care of her son became a full-time job: he was diagnosed with autism when he was nearly 2-years-old, and Vick said everything changed for her after that. Doctors told her that he needed in-home services, group therapy, and specialist care, which ate up a lot of her family's time. </p><p>"Me and my husband had to switch off at the store because one of us had to be with him, and once you tell a daycare that your kid has autism they don't want to accept him because it's too much," she said. "My husband and I never saw each other...  I would work during the day at the store and my husband would go in at night." </p><p>Vick said that the time and money-intensive role of being a parent to a child with a disability makes contending with her student debt unfeasible — and should make her eligible for some sort of relief. </p><p>"They have a program where they forgive people with disabilities, but not their parents," she said. "Their parents need to be able to take care of them." </p>

Meet a millennial mom with $77,000 in student debt who's struggling to afford groceries while caring for her son with autism

31. Bill Nye the GMO Guy

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Saying doctors don't take their <keyword id="12492173" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="cystic-acne" source="Orion">cystic acne</keyword> seriously, women are touting unproven cures on <keyword id="11894125" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="tiktok" source="Orion">TikTok</keyword>.</li><li>Apple-cider vinegar, Vicks VapoRub, and "spot stickers" are among the treatments racking up views.</li></ul><p>Sandy Singh first started experiencing cystic <keyword id="11952991" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="acne" source="Orion">acne</keyword> at 14. Over the course of the next decade, she battled the painful red pustules, which covered her cheeks and chin. She recalls avoiding dates, university classes, and most social situations because she was so embarrassed.</p><p>"When I saw myself in the mirror, I cried," she said. "I wanted it all gone."</p><p>But to her doctor, Singh said, she was just another of the hundreds of teenage girls passing through his doors. He refused to prescribe anything stronger than <a href="https://www.insider.com/twitter-reactions-kendall-jenner-proactiv-announcement-2019-1">the over-the-counter Proactiv skin system</a>, promising that her teenage pimples would "soon pass."</p><p>When a classmate called Singh "pepperoni pizza face," it was the last straw. She took her treatment into her own hands, cutting dairy from her diet and experimenting with aloe vera for the pain and scarring. The method that she said finally cleared up her skin: drinking daily shots of apple-cider vinegar. </p><p>Now 27, Singh has accumulated over 240,000 TikTok followers by sharing her <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@sangangx/video/7036465708284415279?_d=secCgwIARCbDRjEFSACKAESPgo8dZ%2B83Zsnj3aAfgbM3wTuiU%2BenGryCVRw%2FbxEWjBU%2BXRstjn1wIFpX8LT1em8OIr%2BQVw5ywlvIURCShMhGgA%3D&amp;_r=1&amp;checksum=6569fb5a915567531855f17bae1be3374d23303b632f553f3121295c51f21d76&amp;language=en&amp;preview_pb=0&amp;sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAA-rt_qn5mXfrkyQZ6ssRRoR_MBejSHsBjWF-IB2Tx3CeeNkqtxbyRn8Qte0ON9Et-&amp;share_app_id=1233&amp;share_item_id=7036465708284415279&amp;share_link_id=EC776E33-C5FC-4B6A-AA5F-50BBF932D481&amp;source=h5_m&amp;timestamp=1643843137&amp;tt_from=copy&amp;u_code=dg00bgg48lcjcd&amp;user_id=6903127816868316161&amp;utm_campaign=client_share&amp;utm_medium=ios&amp;utm_source=copy">personal journey with cystic acne</a>. She regularly advocates for apple-cider vinegar and continues to use it as a toner.</p><p>That's despite the fact that <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/apple-cider-vinegar-and-acne">there's no evidence apple-cider vinegar works to combat acne</a>, according to <a href="https://drophelia.com/">Dr. Ophelia K. Veraitch</a>, a London-based dermatologist. Veraitch describes the use of ACV as "social-media rubbish which could actually irritate the skin and aggravate the acne." Even when only ingested, the vinegar can cause nausea and loss of appetite.</p><p>Singh said she knows her ACV regime isn't recommended by <keyword id="12361127" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="dermatologists" source="Orion">dermatologists</keyword>. But as long as it works for her, she doesn't care.</p><p>"Yeah, I had a loss of appetite," said Singh, who lost weight when she started drinking the vinegar. "But I was way happier that my face was clearing up."</p><div type="image" title="Sandy Singh, a woman with cystic acne, before treatment in 2016 and after treatment in 2017." height="1587" width="2117" msid="92230301" hostid="261"></div><h2>Living with cystic acne can be painful, mentally and physically </h2><p>Painful, usually large, and deep within the skin, cystic acne is the most severe type of acne, <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21737-cystic-acne#:~:text=Cystic%20acne%20is%20a%20type,most%20severe%20type%20of%20acne.">according to the Cleveland Clinic</a>. It can be incredibly difficult to treat. </p><p>It's also more likely to affect women past their teen years, according to <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071019155627.htm">a 2007 study led by the University of Alabama</a>. That's due to hormonal conditions exclusive to people with female reproductive organs, such as <a href="https://www.insider.com/pcos-symptoms">polycystic ovarian syndrome</a>, which <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/pcos.html#:~:text=PCOS%20is%20one%20of%20the,US%20women%20of%20reproductive%20age.">the Centers for Disease Control says</a> affects somewhere between 6 and 12% of American women.</p><p>Typically, cystic acne is treated with oral antibiotics and by applying prescribed topical gels to the skin. But these treatments don't work for everybody, and the last line of defense — the prescription drug Accutane — can have <a href="https://www.insider.com/accutane-myths-facts-risks-does-it-work-2018-6">a slew of unpleasant side effects</a>, from hair loss to nosebleeds to <a href="https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/acne-and-rosacea/isotretinoin-treatment-for-severe-acne#faqs">serious birth defects</a> that require women who take the drug to avoid pregnancy. And for women who are uninsured or otherwise can't afford treatment, prescription medications are off the table. </p><p>Failing to treat acne can have serious mental-health consequences. <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/bjd.16099">A 2018 study</a> in the British Journal of Dermatology, based on a quarter-century of medical records from a UK primary-care system, found that patients diagnosed with acne were 63% more likely than those without it to develop depression in the year after their diagnosis.</p><p>Acne struggles have spawned a slew of frustrated social-media communities, from the 420,000-member <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/acne/">r/acne subreddit</a> to TikTok's #acnecures, which has more than 8 million views. There, you'll find women advocating for soaking the skin in everything from liquid chlorophyll to home cleaning products — none of which are approved by dermatologists, and some of which can seriously damage skin. </p><p>Women who've tried these techniques say they're well aware they're not recommended by doctors. But after years of tender skin, ineffective medications, and worsening mental <keyword id="11894571" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="health" source="Orion">health</keyword>, they're fed up with the establishment.</p><h2>Acne sufferers are becoming home-remedy influencers — and dermatologists say they're making others' skin worse</h2><p>Throughout her teens, Trena Reeves suffered from cystic acne. But she couldn't afford basic healthcare, let alone a dermatologist, and the acne followed her into adulthood. </p><p>"It's like I'm not put together enough to take care of myself," Reeves, a 21-year-old caregiver, said. "I put so much effort and time into my appearance, read books on skin care, watch the tutorials, do the diets, use the products."</p><p>Reeves' embarrassment about her acne caused anxiety, which led to skin picking, which led to more acne. She said she felt hopeless and desperate. </p><p>Then she saw a TikTok video in which a woman with severe cystic acne put hydrocolloid bandages on her face. The bandages are typically used to treat open wounds, which makes them useful for absorbing the fluid and pus from pimples. Some brands have adapted them into <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/beauty/best-pimple-patches">smaller "spot stickers"</a> that can be placed over a single zit, keeping acne sufferers from touching their pimples with germ-covered hands. </p><p>In <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@teenyinpink/video/6960370455014296837?_d=secCgYIASAHKAESPgo8IlHymRnDNaLlHhmD6C90YgTlz3sLu7O4RLdXvJFI5VyVPHgszuW056ymCog%2FtTZuzMzshYRhzX%2F3ZhUvGgA%3D&amp;_r=1&amp;checksum=fdc4a3f21e7c8ebd1421a044e10fa349742c386c5f39f4b0f449fca958bfa81f&amp;language=en&amp;preview_pb=0&amp;sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAADhIC7yW99-3EghZ48GYsx1yBU3nANiooXJl8q83Lz79eopuc7QCTGCptLiqVLa1p&amp;share_app_id=1233&amp;share_item_id=6960370455014296837&amp;share_link_id=FD8EA2B3-2BB3-4FB0-A6AC-646D19410C6A&amp;social_sharing=v4&amp;source=h5_m&amp;timestamp=1646232254&amp;tt_from=copy&amp;u_code=cmm790824lc63c&amp;user_id=6551826118935057408&amp;utm_campaign=client_share&amp;utm_medium=ios&amp;utm_source=copy">a TikTok video</a>, Reeves showed herself trying out the bandages. "I can't afford a dermatologist, and I can't get my acne to go away," she wrote. "Guess I gotta take care of things myself."</p><p>The video went viral, drawing hundreds of comments from fellow acne sufferers. Reeves has now become something of an influencer in the hydrocolloid-bandage space, reviewing products she receives from different brands for her followers.</p><div type="image" title="Trena Reeves, a woman with cystic acne, before treatment in 2021 and after treatment in 2022." height="1600" width="2133" msid="92230304" hostid="261"></div>Reeves said she's cautious to avoid trapped bacteria when using the stickers, making sure her hands, tools, and surfaces are clean. "They help me by preventing me from picking at my own face," she said. <p>But even with good hygiene practices, spot stickers can cause scarring and damage, Veraitch said. "Acne is caused by occlusion, which causes inflammation of the pilosebaceous unit in the skin. By putting an adhesive over spots, it is further occluding them, leading to an increase in acne bacteria, cysts, and bad scarring. I can tell by looking when a patient has been using these spot pads — the scarring gets particularly bad."</p><p>Dermatologists' disdain hasn't deterred the bandage trend from spreading. The #hydrocolloid hashtag has more than 200 million TikTok views. "Riverdale" actress Lili Reinhart, who's been <a href="https://www.insider.com/riverdale-star-lili-reinhart-cystic-acne-photo-instagram-2018-4">open about her struggles with cystic acne</a>, has shared photos of herself <a href="https://www.allure.com/story/lili-reinhart-cystic-acne-squish-beauty-flower-power-acne-patches">wearing the bandages</a> with her 29 million Instagram followers. </p><p>"There are many 'skin influencers' who are not qualified to be giving the advice that they give," Veraitch said. "This is now one of the biggest challenges for dermatologists."</p><h2>Desperate acne sufferers have tried lemon juice, toothpaste, and VapoRub</h2><p>Ella Rechner, 22, struggled with her skin — and the indifference of her dermatologists — for years. She's tried spironolactone, clindamycin, birth control pills, and all of the popular over-the-counter skin-care lines for acne, including Proactiv, Curology, and Rodan &amp; Fields. </p><p>Rechner, a content-marketing specialist in Michigan, said dermatologists shrugged off her concerns. "'It's not that bad, and it could be much worse,'" she said one told her. </p><p>When her acne was at its worst, Rechner spent up to two hours a day Googling potential cures. She said COVID-19 mask requirements came as a relief, because she could hide as much of her face as possible.</p><p>Desperate for a solution, Rechner started using treatments she found online, including Vicks VapoRub and toothpaste at bedtime as a spot treatment, and lemon juice and sugar as an exfoliant. They burned and irritated her skin and didn't improve her acne. </p><div type="image" title="A close-up photo of acne on a person's cheek." height="2680" width="3573" msid="92230306" hostid="261"></div><p>"Using a cleanser that's meant for teeth can disrupt the pH balance of your skin and irritate it greatly," <a href="https://www.schweigerderm.com/providers/rachel-nazarian-m-d/">Dr. Rachel Nazarian</a>, a dermatologist at Schweiger Dermatology Group in New York City, <a href="https://www.byrdie.com/toothpaste-for-acne-4800369">told Byrdie</a>. And VapoRub has a base of petroleum jelly, which can clog pores. </p><h2>Cystic acne is especially hard on women of color, who struggle to access culturally specific treatment</h2><p>Nani Acevedo struggled with cystic acne during her teens. But being raised by a struggling single mom in a small Mexican town with no dermatologists, her only option was the Asepxia acne soap bars recommended by her local pharmacist. </p><p>"I never went out seeking medical help," she said. "I just didn't think at the time that my mother wanted to spend the little money we had on acne medication."</p><p>After trying several home remedies, Acevedo settled on her holy grail: Zote soap and brown sugar as an exfoliant. Veraitch said the latter isn't something she'd recommend: "We don't recommend using any physical exfoliants on acne, because it can cause trauma to the skin and create scarring and pigmentation." (As an alternative, she suggested a chemical exfoliant like salicylic acid.)</p><div type="image" title="A Black woman with acne on her chin." height="1414" width="1885" msid="92230307" hostid="261"></div><p>According to <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1468-3083.2010.03919.x">a 2010 study</a> led by the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, Black and Latina women are more likely to have clinical acne than white and Asian women, and significantly more likely to have hyperpigmentation and scarring. Dermatologists often don't account for these cultural differences in treatment, some women of color say. Singh, who is West Indian, said her dermatologist failed to understand her unique skin tone.</p><p>"We get so many inquiries from places halfway across the world from people saying that they don't have any professionals close to them that they trust and have found their way around Black skin, or darker skin tones," <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dija_ayodele/">Dija Ayodele</a>, a London-based aesthetician and skin-care expert, <a href="https://www.popsugar.com/beauty/dija-ayodele-black-skin-book-interview-48647613">told PopSugar</a> last year. </p><p>In 2018, Ayodele founded the <a href="https://www.blackskindirectory.com/welcome-to-bsd">Black Skin Directory</a>, which <a href="https://www.blackskindirectory.com/our-vision">aims to connect Black people</a> with medical professionals who understand their unique skin. She recently spun off the site into a book, "Black Skin," which explores treatment options for a number of skin conditions, including cystic acne. </p><h2>Experts hope women will see past the trends — but they understand why they might not</h2><p>Seemingly every week, a new acne trend hits TikTok. These days, the app is full of videos praising the wonders of <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@purekureskincare/video/7050078778566921519?_d=secCgwIARCbDRjEFSACKAESPgo8Vt5X00iC2o8JVopcClkY2nyF85pdaCrUK58LMcRD5aLa7xe1l79vAvTKYl8nLfCUVG153GZEdnR9f%2BzDGgA%3D&amp;_r=1&amp;checksum=219a6dcf7c6a4c2e8c68d3f1cdb550522ba93398fc7f7c1ded917a9b10a65c41&amp;clips_cover_ab=v4&amp;enable_clips=1&amp;language=en&amp;preview_pb=0&amp;sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAA-rt_qn5mXfrkyQZ6ssRRoR_MBejSHsBjWF-IB2Tx3CeeNkqtxbyRn8Qte0ON9Et-&amp;share_app_id=1233&amp;share_item_id=7050078778566921519&amp;share_link_id=8657063F-9980-4CCD-A4F5-41A0C30BA7F7&amp;source=h5_m&amp;timestamp=1643041783&amp;tt_from=sms&amp;u_code=dg00bgg48lcjcd&amp;user_id=6903127816868316161&amp;utm_campaign=client_share&amp;utm_medium=ios&amp;utm_source=sms">spearmint tea</a>, hemorrhoid wipes, and <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@elynnlatelyyy/video/7052133771436363054?_d=secCgwIARCbDRjEFSACKAESPgo89sntZcx3dRVCASf5xUaAOPUEJqWoWtfDBZvNGw4PEyfcSSUTD3TeuyuLmBHE2Hgs8Rhty41Y46%2FzHig4GgA%3D&amp;_r=1&amp;checksum=2fd698380df2f72b5337b7aa859f29c9220e04f297828facfa2a9f437a0fc951&amp;clips_cover_ab=v4&amp;enable_clips=1&amp;language=en&amp;preview_pb=0&amp;sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAA-rt_qn5mXfrkyQZ6ssRRoR_MBejSHsBjWF-IB2Tx3CeeNkqtxbyRn8Qte0ON9Et-&amp;share_app_id=1233&amp;share_item_id=7052133771436363054&amp;share_link_id=364387CE-2334-4F0C-B6F3-1F9F5F916A02&amp;source=h5_m&amp;timestamp=1643041680&amp;tt_from=sms&amp;u_code=dg00bgg48lcjcd&amp;user_id=6903127816868316161&amp;utm_campaign=client_share&amp;utm_medium=ios&amp;utm_source=sms">snail mucin</a>.</p><p>Veraitch said she understands the appeal of a home remedy, especially for those who can't access a dermatologist for affordability reasons. And she's sensitive to the fact that not all doctors recognize acne's mental-health impacts. </p><p>"For a lot of people, I think that they feel misunderstood, because of the extent of the impact that this condition can actually have on their lives, both physically and mentally," she said. </p><p>If you're feeling dismissed by your dermatologist, Veraitch said, don't be afraid to push back. Make it clear that your acne has mental-health consequences. A good dermatologist "will want to know," she said, "and this information might affect the treatment plan they suggest."</p><p>If that fails, seek a second opinion from a dermatologist with proven qualifications. In the UK, Veraitch recommends the General Medical Council's <a href="https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/the-medical-register">specialist register</a>; in the US, the American Academy of Dermatology's <a href="https://www.aad.org/public/fad">website</a> lists board-certified doctors. The AAD also <a href="https://www.aad.org/public/public-health/skin-cancer-screenings/medical-care-without-health-insurance">offers a page</a> with suggestions on how to get treated if you don't have insurance. </p>

Women with cystic acne say doctors aren't taking their pain seriously, so they're turning to unproven cures on TikTok — and dermatologists are alarmed

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Steam therapy is a common non-pharmacologic treatment to help clear mucus and open up the nasal passages, throat, and lungs.</li><li>Warm steam inhalation before bedtime may also help relax and increase deep sleep and improve quality for people with mild sleep issues and anxiety.</li><li>Thyme, mint, eucalyptus, basil, and rosemary can all add to the benefits of herbal steam therapy.</li><li>This article was <strong><a href="https://www.insider.com/insider-medical-review-board" target="_blank" rel="noopener">medically reviewed</a></strong> by <a href="https://nyulangone.org/doctors/1598924243/tania-mucci-elliott">Tania Elliott</a>, MD, who specializes in infectious diseases related to allergies and immunology for internal medicine at <a href="https://nyulangone.org/">NYU Langone Health</a>. </li></ul><p>Steam inhalation, also known as steam therapy, has been around since ancient times. The Egyptians were the <a href="http://ispub.com/IJH/9/1/7338" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first known users</a> of inhalation therapy and often included dry plants and minerals in their preparations.</p><p>Today, steam therapy is still a common non-pharmacologic treatment to help clear mucus and open up the nasal passages, throat, and lungs.</p><p>There are several ways to inhale steam, which is created by boiling water with various herbs and then breathing in the steam it releases. Learn more about steam inhalation and which herbs are best for a variety of ailments.</p><h2>Steam inhalation techniques </h2><p>The most common method of steam inhalation is a do-it-yourself treatment. <a href="https://www.csh.umn.edu/bio/center-for-spirituality-and-he/lynn-gershan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lynn Gershan, MD</a>, a pediatrician and assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Minnesota Medical School who is certified in medical herbalism, shares her 6-step DIY process:</p><ol><li>Put two quarts of water in a pot.</li><li>Heat the water until it's not quite boiling, just steamy.</li><li>Put two handfuls of herbs in the water, and let steep for 10 minutes.</li><li>Create a tent with a towel over your head to inhale the steam.</li><li>Inhale the steam for no more than 10 minutes.</li><li>Keep the decoction, or extract, of water and herbs on your counter for a few hours after you're finished. At that point, the herbs have become more concentrated, and the chemicals they release into the air from their essential oils can be left to dissipate in the air, where they can continue to help refresh you and your environment. You can toss the liquid after a few hours.</li></ol><p>Gershan does not recommend this type of steam inhalation for children 12 and under. "Kids don't like it, and the risks outweigh the benefits," she says. </p><p>Several studies have shown that children may get <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7228710/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scalded and burned using steam therapy</a>, often by accidentally spilling boiling water on themselves or inhaling steam that can burn the delicate lining of their nose, mouth, and airways. </p><p>Additional steam therapy methods include inhaling steam from baths, showers, and steam rooms. In recent years, portable steam inhalers, also known as vaporizers, have become popular.</p><p>"I recommend them to many of my patients, and you can pick one up inexpensively on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/VAPORIZER-WARM-STEAM-2100-INCORPORATED/dp/B004JCD5EI/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&amp;keywords=kaz+vaporizer&amp;qid=1602859654&amp;sr=8-44&amp;sr=8-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amazon</a>," says <a href="http://jacquelinejonesent.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jacqueline Jones, MD</a>, an ENT specialist, and head and neck surgeon. </p> <p>To use a vaporizer, fill the chamber to the fill line with water (filtered water is a good choice), plug it in, and turn it on. The water is heated slowly until it boils, and the steam that is created goes through the hole in the vaporizer, where it can be inhaled. </p><p>Some vaporizers have special chambers for essential oils, or you can add the oil to the water. Jones suggests starting with two drops of essential oils and stopping after you're able to smell them in the steam. After steam therapy, she also recommends using a sterile <a href="https://www.insider.com/how-to-use-nasal-spray" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nasal saline solution</a> to rinse out the loosened secretions.</p><p>Make sure to clean portable steam inhalers after each use. Otherwise, there's a chance they might get moldy, which can aggravate noses, throats, and lungs. If not cleaned properly they can also harbor bacteria and viruses which could lead to infection.</p><h2>Illnesses and conditions steam inhalation treats</h2><p>"I recommend steam inhalation for my patients who have blocked nasal passages and nasal congestion. The flu, seasonal colds, sinus infections, and allergies are typically the trigger," says <a href="https://www.iheruc.com/meet-the-team/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jay Woody, MD</a>, emergency room physician, and the chief medical officer of Intuitive <keyword id="6354750" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="health">Health</keyword>.</p> <p>In addition to helping clear the nose and throat, steam therapy is sometimes used to help with chest congestion.</p><p>For example, in a <a href="https://www.hilarispublisher.com/open-access/the-effects-of-a-warmed-steam-inhalation-on-patients-with-chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease-a-crosssectional-controlled-study-2161-105X-1000471.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2018 study</a> on steam therapy with a small group of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), some participants experienced decreased respiratory rate and easier breathing. </p><p>However, more studies are needed to determine the effects of steam therapy on people with lung issues. Gershan also warns that in people with respiratory challenges, steam therapy should not take the place of prescribed medications. Some people may be sensitive to the herbals, and it could trigger airway problems. </p><p>Steam therapy may also help people sleep. A <a href="https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2019/2453483/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2019 study</a> showed that warm steam inhalation before bedtime helped participants relax and increased deep sleep, which led to improved sleep quality in adult men with mild sleep issues and anxiety.</p><p>One thing steam therapy doesn't cure: COVID-19. While inhaling steam may help <a href="https://www.umms.org/coronavirus/what-to-know/treat-covid-at-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ease some coronavirus symptoms</a>, there is no evidence that <a href="https://digitalmedic.stanford.edu/myth/myth-inhaling-steam-is-an-effective-covid-19-treatment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">steam kills the virus</a>.</p><h2>Herbs most beneficial for steam inhalation:</h2><p>Many herbs can help increase the beneficial effects of steam therapy. Here are five popular choices:  </p><ul><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4391421/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Thyme:</strong></a><strong> </strong>This herb is an expectorant (helps loosen mucus) and has antibacterial properties. "It's my favorite essential oil for steam therapy because it has great benefits, and it's not an irritant like some stronger oils can be," says Jones. </li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4171855/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mint:</strong></a><strong> </strong>Gershan likes to use mint leaves in steam therapy decoctions. "It has a nice scent, and it helps loosen mucus and is also antibacterial," she says, but cautions against using peppermint essential oil for steam therapy, as it is very strong. Spearmint oil used in vaporizers may be a better choice.</li><li><a href="http://cms.herbalgram.org/expandedE/Eucalyptusleaf.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Eucalyptus:</strong></a><strong> </strong>Remember when your Mom rubbed Vicks VapoRub on your chest as a kid? That smell you remember is eucalyptus. It's great for loosening mucus, but use it in small doses, as it can be overpowering.</li><li><a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324085682_Basil_A_Brief_Summary_of_Potential_Health_Benefits" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Basil:</strong></a><strong> </strong>This is another favorite of Gershan's. It's a decongestant and is naturally antiseptic and antibacterial.</li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6325740/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Rosemary:</strong></a><strong> </strong>This herb has antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties, says Gershan.  </li></ul><p>The best part of using these herbs? They are readily available locally, or even in your own indoor or outdoor herb garden. </p> <p>Gershan says to add only the leaves of the plants, as some other parts are not safe to use. And, if you're trying a DIY method, you can even mix some of the herbs together.</p><p>You can also find these herbs in <a href="https://www.insider.com/how-to-use-diffuse-essential-oils-2018-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">essential oil</a> form to use in a vaporizer at your local Whole Foods, health stores, and online, including <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Thyme-Essential-Oil-Therapeutic-Grade/dp/B00QJCT6LW" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amazon</a>.</p><p>How do you decide which herbs to include? While you may love the smell of basil, eucalyptus might turn you off. Choose an herb or mixture of herbs with a scent you enjoy. After all, if you don't like it, you won't want to use it.</p><h2>Takeaways  </h2><p>Herbal steam therapy is a long-time remedy that continues to offer health benefits. Like most homeopathic treatments, steam inhalation works for some and not for others. If you're congested or have trouble sleeping, it's certainly worth a try.</p><h2 id="related-articles-from-our-health-reference-library:">Related articles from <a href="https://www.insider.com/health-reference" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Health Reference</a>:</h2><ul><li><strong><a href="https://www.insider.com/vitamins-for-eye-health" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The 4 best vitamins for eye health and which foods — besides carrots — may improve vision</a></strong></li><li><strong><a href="https://www.insider.com/can-you-take-too-much-vitamin-d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yes, you can take too much vitamin D — especially if you're taking supplements for it</a></strong></li><li><strong><a href="https://www.insider.com/what-is-magnesium-good-for" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Magnesium benefits: Why it's great for bone, muscle, and brain health</a></strong></li><li><strong><a href="https://www.insider.com/aloe-vera-benefits" target="_blank" rel="noopener">5 health benefits of aloe vera, from healing sunburn and reducing acne to helping with digestion</a></strong></li><li><strong><a href="https://www.insider.com/green-tea-benefits" target="_blank" rel="noopener">5 benefits of green tea and how it can help your memory, skin, and bones</a></strong></li></ul>

Steam inhalation: How to use fresh herbs to make your own home remedy for congestion relief

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/554b634069beddf950fbd14b-1200-924/mohamed-el-erian-maria-bartiromo-1.jpg" alt="mohamed el-erian maria bartiromo" border="0"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Fred Prouser</span></p><p class="caption">Maria Bartiromo.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div>Fox Business Network's Maria Bartiromo likes to use her own on-air earpiece, so she keeps her personal piece, which is molded to her ear, in her bag.</p><p>The markets editor <a href="http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/maria-bartiromo-whats-in-my-bag-201575">let Us Weekly take a look</a> inside her Prada tote.</p><p>In addition to the ear piece, they found Harman Kardon headphones, Vicks menthol cough drops, a handful of pens and highlighters in a Ziploc bag, and a special red ribbon tied in a bow that her mother gave her for good luck.</p><p>"I never take it out because it's from my mom," she told Us Weekly.</p><p><a href="http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/maria-bartiromo-whats-in-my-bag-201575">Take a look at her Prada bag and its contents over at Us Weekly »</a></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/gentlemens-guide-taking-fashion-risks-ties-bowties-pocket-square-accessories-2015-2">The fashion risks every modern gentleman should take</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="I4N2ttczp8gWF8hyVcsv6M16P2XrYTtz" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'I4N2ttczp8gWF8hyVcsv6M16P2XrYTtz',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

Maria Bartiromo carries around a custom-made on-air earpiece in her bag 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-live-updates-latest-news">novel coronavirus</a> outbreak began in Wuhan, China in December. The first known case in the US was reported January 21. </li><li>Some Americans think they had the disease in December or earlier in January, though, and are questioning what that would mean if they're right. </li><li>Experts say there's no evidence COVID-19, the disease caused by the <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> was in the US earlier than reported, and that people likely had a <keyword id="6363126" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Cold">cold</keyword>, the <keyword id="43544" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Flu">flu</keyword>, or another coronavirus strain. </li><li>There's no way to know if you already had COVID-19 until there's a widely available antibody test, but that won't tell you when you were exposed. </li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul><p>Scott Ware and his fiancée spend a long afternoon in San Francisco's Chinatown on December 12, 2019.</p><p>Within a few days, fatigue, fever, a dry cough, and "very oddly restrictive breathing" set in. "I couldn't explain it well then, but it was like something was trying to stop me from breathing," the 35-year-old technology product developer in Seattle told Business Insider.</p><p>As he began to recover, the health of his fiancée, who has asthma, declined. "She complained of how it felt that her chest was caving in, that she could barely catch her breath, and over and over nightly she said she felt like she could've died in her sleep," Ware said. "I didn't know how serious to take it." </p><p>Now, he thinks "it" was COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.</p><p>"We never connected the dots until I read an article stating that some people in the US who experienced flu-like symptoms in November and December may have contracted COVID-19," said Ware, who, like his fiancée, has completely recovered. "All of a sudden, I realized how we immersed ourselves in Chinatown for a full day, and that it was within days of being there that we both became ill." </p><p>The US didn't identify its <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-live-updates-latest-news">first COVID-19 case until January 21</a>, when it was found in Washington state. But like Ware, many Americans are looking back at their December and early January illnesses with COVID-19 vision, and wondering if — and, in some cases, declaring that — they had the virus before it was detected in the US or their areas. </p><p>But experts say there's no evidence the illness was in the US earlier this winter and that similar symptoms are likely coincidental. Even if people did have the virus, there's no way to know — even antibody testing, when it becomes widely available, may not be 100% accurate and won't reveal the date of infection. </p><p><div type="image" title="work sick" height="3826" width="5100" msid="75308025" hostid="261"></div></p><h2>COVID-19 or coincidence? </h2><p>Bonnie Haymaker's daughter came from Seattle to visit her mom in Boise, Idaho, for Christmas, and brought along her sickness.</p><p>On December 30, Haymaker fell ill with congestion, coughing, and a sore throat. On January 2, her doctor diagnosed her with a viral upper respiratory tract infection. She now thinks it was COVID-19. </p><p>Plenty of others have taken to social media with similar declarations. </p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fjohn.denicola%2Fposts%2F10216834239829276&amp;width=500" width="500" height="502" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe><p>Despite the eerie similarity of many Americans' reported symptoms to the novel coronavirus, experts say their experiences were most likely a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-symptoms-compared-to-flu-common-cold-and-allergies-2020-3">cold, flu, or another strain of the coronavirus</a>, all of which peak in winter months and can have the same symptoms of COVID-19.  </p><p>"The challenge with COVID is the symptoms overlap with a lot of other respiratory illnesses," <a href="https://publichealth.nyu.edu/faculty/danielle-ompad">Danielle Ompad</a>, an epidemiologist at NYU's School of Global Public Health, told Business Insider. "People may have been sick but it may not have been COVID."</p><p>Researchers have also looked at whether there were any abnormal peaks in "mystery respiratory illnesses" in the early part of the season, and have come up empty. </p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/trvrb" target="_blank" title="https://twitter.com/trvrb" rel="noopener">One of them, Trevor Bedford</a>, a <a href="https://bedford.io/" target="_blank" title="https://bedford.io/" rel="noopener">Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center scientist</a>, said his research with the <a href="https://seattleflu.org/scan" target="_blank" title="https://seattleflu.org/scan" rel="noopener">Seattle Flu Study</a> confirms there was no outbreak in the US before January or February, despite rumors it had been spreading around California as early as November. </p><p>His team had already tested 3,600 people for flu and other respiratory ailments over the fall and winter, and has since retested the samples for COVID-19. They found no positives among the samples collected in January and 10 positives in February. </p><p>"There is no chance of confusion between these in our assay," Bedford tweeted. "It's empirically true that the Seattle flu season in Oct through Jan was not the result of COVID-19. We would have seen it in these data. Given travel connections between WA and CA there is no way that COVID-19 was widely circulating in CA, but we see zero cases in WA."</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Trevor Bedford  (@trvrb) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1249414291297464321?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2020</a></blockquote><h2>When the virus entered certain US communities is still unclear </h2><p>When the virus entered various US communities after January 21, though, has been tougher to nail down. One <a href="https://news.umich.edu/common-coronaviruses-are-highly-seasonal-with-most-cases-peaking-in-winter-months/">ongoing study in Michigan</a>, where the first cases were reported March 10, so far finds "no evidence that the novel coronavirus was present in the community before March." </p><p>But <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-york-coronavirus-outbreak-mainly-came-from-travelers-from-europe-2020-4">research in New York</a> has suggested the virus was circulating as early as mid-February, even though the first case wasn't reported until March 1. </p><p>Pro soccer player Carli Lloyd, who's based in neighboring New Jersey, suspects she and her husband fell victim back then. "I think my husband and I had the Coronavirus back in mid-February. A sickness we have never felt before," she <a href="https://twitter.com/CarliLloyd/status/1241037389990170627">tweeted </a>on March 20.</p><p>Joyce, a 55-year-old in Maryland, suspects the virus also came to her community, well before the state's first reported cases March 5. After a shopping trip in Virginia on what she recalls was January 18, she shared an UberPool with a woman who'd recently returned from China, and had just completed her 14th day of self-quarantine. </p><p>Days later, symptoms — including coughing, body aches, a fever, and tight chest — hit. "Some of the symptoms I  have never felt before," Joyce, who asked to use her first name only for privacy reasons, told Business Insider. "Particularly the jab in my joints. It felt like someone was stabbing my joints with glass and tightening my chest." </p><p>Joyce spent the next five days in her basement, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-outbreak-what-to-do-test-positive-for-covid-19-2020-3">flushing her system with hot tea and lemon</a>, and inhaling steam spiked with Vick's VapoRub — a family remedy that goes back generations. She quickly recovered and only later began to think what she had could have been COVID-19.</p><p><div type="image" title="antibody test" height="1198" width="1800" msid="75308026" hostid="261"></div></p><h2>There's no way to know if your past illness was COVID-19 </h2><p>While the precise dates that the virus entered the US and certain communities will be important public health knowledge for the history books, they won't affect the trajectory of the pandemic now, Ompad said. </p><p>There's also no way to know if your winter sickness was indeed COVID-19 if you didn't get tested for it at the time.</p><p>"Just because you have a positive <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-antibody-test-g7-leaders-accuracy-covid-19-immunity-passports-2020-4">antibody test</a> doesn't mean you were infected in December," Ompad said. All it means is you were exposed to the virus at some point, and it may not have even caused symptoms. </p><p>Because it's still not clear whether or not having COVID-19 makes you immune, people who think or know they had it should take the same precautions as people who haven't yet gotten sick: stay inside as much as possible, wash your hands and high-touch surfaces frequently, and wait. </p>Read the original article on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/did-i-already-have-the-coronavirus-in-december-or-january-2020-4">Business Insider</a>

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Steam inhalation: How to use fresh herbs to make your own home remedy for congestion relief

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Maria Bartiromo carries around a custom-made on-air earpiece in her bag

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Some Americans are convinced they had the coronavirus in December or January. Experts say it's highly unlikely.

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