Say goodbye to crumb-magnet, sticky, gloopy lip glosses and dry-as-a-bone stains that make your mouth look thirsty. Made with *nine* plant-based oils, the non-sticky, non-drying Dream lip oil from TikTok-beloved beauty brand Summer Fridays is a pleasure to wear and it looks good. Boasting skin care ingredients and a slight plumping effect, it’s like a lip gloss, treatment, balm and stick all in one. Reviewers call it “subtle and shiny at the same time,” saying it heals even “ultra dry lips” after just one day. Even better? A selection of colors is close to 30% off on Amazon, with the best deals on “Rose Bud” and “Bare Sand.” These rarely go on sale, so we suggest acting fast.

Yup, you heard us, this nourishing oil offers “a little plump and color” — without feeling sticky.

The culprit behind sticky lip products? Usually a silicone or wax base. This brand doesn’t have that. Made with castor, shea, avocado, jojoba and grape seed oils, Summer Fridays glides over your lips, combining the juicy and reflective finish of a gloss with the comfort and nourishing effects you might receive from a balm.

“What I love most is the moisture this oil provides, without leaving a weird film or line on the inside of my lips — which I feel most lipsticks and glosses do after a while,” Sasha wrote. “I’m already on my second tube of this stuff.”

Shoppers rejoice in the smooth, oil-based formula that “looks shiny and not overly glossy” and is somehow, majestically “not sticky at all.”

“Adds so much color and moisture without being sticky,” one reviewer wrote. “…Has made a great difference in my dry lips,” another said. “Best for people who like a high shine without stickiness.”

A Sephora shopper says the oil “makes my lips look so full and moisturized,” without irritation. “Not sticky, not heavy, just super comfortable,” Hector wrote. “It leaves your lips looking plump without that gross, tacky gloss feel.”

Though shoppers celebrate that it’s not too oily, with one noting it “moisturizes my lips without providing discomfort.”

The brand says it’s like a hybrid of a lip gloss and treatment, giving you shine, a buildable color and a plumping effect, thanks to a cooling, tingling agent (called menthoxypropanediol) and cocoyl hydrolyzed collagen for firming. “The tingle is subtle and mild, though, so it’s not irritating,” one writes.

“I also appreciate that it doesn’t seem to have any noticeable fragrance.” Plus, you get the skin care-like aid of vitamin E for protection and softening. Shopper Renee says the oil is “perfect for adding a little glam to my look,” with long-lasting moisture and a dreamy texture. “It feels luxurious on my lips,” she said. “Not as dry as lipstick.”

Others say they use it more as a lip balm, “healing” their chapped lips, and keeping their kisser “moisturized and shiny even after the gloss wore off.”

Because it’s so smooth and light, fans say it looks “effortlessly put‑together,” giving a “perfect natural-looking tint.”

Fans credit this oil for bringing a “low-maintenance lip glow,” with long staying power. “I was initially worried it might be too dark, but it applies more like a flattering, glossy tint rather than a heavy, opaque color,” shopper Catsandcolognes wrote. “On my fair, cool-toned skin with pink undertones, it shows up as a soft, cool, plummy brown that looks very beautiful. It’s definitely pigmented, but not heavily so or challenging to pull off. The tint deepens slightly if layered, but it still stays soft and glossy rather than opaque.”

Others call the buildable tint “subtle,” especially for hot summer days and “no-makeup” makeup looks. “This lip oil isn’t heavy like lipstick, and you only need a little bit for lasting color,” one wrote.

“I don’t usually wear lipstick but wanted something to enhance my lip tone and give them a natural-looking but glossy pop,” another said. “This product is perfect for me.”

Reviewers are loving this Summer Fridays lip oil for plump but non-sticky lips through the summer and beyond. Read more promising reviews and grab some for yourself on a rare Amazon sale.

“I have been using this for weeks, and it has made a great difference in my dry lips. It doesn’t feel greasy. Best for people who like a high shine without stickiness! I will definitely purchase again!” — Amazon customer

“This Summer Fridays lip oil is perfect for adding a little glam to my look, whether it be for family pictures, date night or just getting dressed up. It is easy to apply and long-lasting color. Additionally, it feels luxurious on my lips. Not as dry as lipstick.” — Renee McCalla

“This is my favorite lip oil/gloss in the world. The color is really beautiful, subtle shade of pink, but what I love most is the moisture this oil provides, without leaving a weird film or line on the inside of my lips – which I feel most lipsticks and glosses do after a while. I’m already on my second tube of this stuff, which says a lot, because how often do you actually use up an entire tube of lip product!?” — Sasha Spencer

“This lip oil feels incredible—like a cushiony gloss but with way more hydration. It gives a beautiful shine and subtle tint that makes my lips look healthy and plump. Not sticky at all, and the moisture lasts for hours. My new go-to everyday lip product” — luhcardoso, Sephora customer

“Genuinely this is probably the best lip oil I’ve ever used. It not only plumps without a tingling effect, but it makes my lips look so full and moisturized. I absolutely love the shade soft mauve. I want this in every single color.” — karleebuggggg19, Sephora customer

Want more lip oils? We know you do! Check out these three finds, courtesy of HuffPost Shopping.

The Real Deal: We use deal trackers and commerce experience to sift through “fake” hike-and-drop deals and other deceptive sales tactics. Products will usually be rated at least 4 stars with a minimum 15% discount. (And when there’s an exception, we’ll tell you why.)

The bottle of Oil of Olay lotion sat on my dresser for months. My mom had given it to me when I was just 8 years old, saying it was a free sample she didn’t want. From a young age, I got used to my mom gifting me belongings she no longer needed or never cared for in the first place — free makeup samples, old costume jewelry, time-worn purses.

I usually loved playing dress-up with these hand-me-downs, but I was afraid of the lotion.

The label on the back of the bottle advised me to “smooth it on twice each day,” with the promise of making my skin “soft, smooth, and younger looking.” I wanted to look older, like a big kid, and feared I’d look even younger if I followed the bottle’s directions. At the time, I couldn’t understand why youth was desirable.

That changed in the years that followed. Not long after my mother gave me the lotion, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. It later spread to her liver, bone marrow and brain, aging my mother to the point where I barely recognized her. I secretly wished I could give her back the lotion. Maybe if she smoothed it on her own face, I thought, she would look more like her old self. I longed for the way things used to be.

After three years of sickness, my mother died. She was 40, and I was 11. The more time that passed, the more I found myself wanting to stay young. If growing up meant living without my mother, then I wanted to stay little forever.

Just a few weeks after her passing, I took the Oil of Olay bottle off my dresser and applied the lotion all over my face. I used every last drop of it over the coming week, hoping it would work.

But the lotion broke its promise.

In search of other efforts to stay little, I started restricting my food intake — first slowly, then drastically. By age 12, I developed anorexia nervosa, a life-threatening disorder that led to numerous hospitalizations. The sicker I got, the more I believed I needed to be skinny in order to be lovable and worthy of care.

I fell for diet culture, and looking back, I can see the many ways in which it fueled my eating disorder. Now, as a woman in ongoing recovery, I’m trying to protect myself from falling for another harmful norm: anti-aging culture.

It’s challenging, though, when I see people my age turning to Botox, fillers, serums, wands and red-light masks. Advertisements for anti-aging cosmetic interventions flood my social media feeds. Nearly every day, I’m lured into buying “dermatologist-approved,” “science-backed” products that will remove my fine lines, diminish my wrinkles, and reduce my inflammation.

One ad, which I’ve now seen multiple times, shows a woman wearing a red-light mask that renders her faceless and resembles Kylo Ren (if he were deeply committed to boosting his collagen production).

The messaging in these ads is rooted in removal — it suggests that women need to erase parts of themselves if they want to even come close to achieving society’s unrealistic beauty standards, which prize youth and the thin ideal.

For years, cosmetic intervention ads have illustrated what scholar Laura Hurd Clarke calls “the moral imperative to modify the aging face.” They’ve conditioned women into believing that any wrinkle is a degradation, any flab a disgrace. They encourage women to fight for the attainment of beauty rather than acknowledge the beauty they already behold.

A classic example is a 1980s Oil of Olay commercial for the same anti-aging lotion my mother gave me. In the ad, a flawless actor lathers the lotion onto her face, then declares in a velvety voice, “I don’t intend to grow old gracefully. I’m fighting it every step of the way.”

The ad reminds me of something my mother told me after she accidentally burned my scalp with a curling iron.

“It hurts to be beautiful,” she said while styling my hair for school picture day. “Beauty is pain.”

As a child, I didn’t understand what she meant, but I never forgot what she said.

Beauty shouldn’t be painful, but the pursuit of it often is; when products don’t work as intended or wear off too quickly, feelings of inadequacy surface. This sense of inadequacy is so prevalent it has a name: “normative discontent.”

The term, which emerged in 1984, stems from research showing that most women in the U.S. have some level of discontent with their body to the point where it’s more the norm than the exception. More recent research suggests this discontent is pervasive among men, too.

Ruth Striegel Weissman, the scholar who coined the term normative discontent, told me, “There are all these industries that profit from the discontent. In other businesses, if the product doesn’t work, we blame the product. But in the beauty business, if you don’t become beautiful, we blame you. It’s not the cream or the diet or the exercise equipment; it’s you. We internalize this so readily rather than pushing back.”

It’s hard to push back when cosmetic intervention and surgical procedures are becoming increasingly normalized. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons’ latest annual report, over 10 million Americans opted for Botox-like injections in 2024, while over 5.3 million turned to fillers.

I don’t disparage anyone for undergoing anti-aging cosmetic interventions. Everyone must make the choice that feels right for them. I know some people consider them a form of self-care or even self-preservation. Such interventions have become so revered that women who opt out of them can feel even more susceptible to criticism.

Providence College professor Abigail Brooks speaks to this in her book “The Ways Women Age,” in which she writes: “As more women practice age avoidance by taking advantage of an ever-growing stockpile of new cosmetic anti-aging products and procedures, women who are aging naturally are increasingly penalized for looking old and for failing to do anything about it.”

I’m sure some may read this and pity me for not recognizing the value in anti-aging interventions. Some may say I’m too young to understand. I know the older I get, the more pronounced my wrinkles will be and the more they may perturb me.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t care about looking youthful and attractive, and I’m not above buying beauty products. I wear makeup almost every day, and, in recent years, I’ve transitioned to face moisturizers that contain hyaluronic acid and retinol. This may seem hypocritical for me to admit as someone who purports to resist anti-aging culture, but it shows how hard it is to avoid it completely.

I limit myself to makeup and moisturizers because I know that anything more could undermine the body-acceptance work I’ve done in eating disorder recovery. For me, acceptance isn’t about loving the way my body looks; it’s about accepting it as is, wrinkles and all, and recognizing that my looks don’t determine my worth.

I was reminded of this recently when talking to Deb Benfield, a registered dietitian nutritionist who wrote the book “Unapologetic Aging.” Aging, she told me, is “a collision point with a culture that profits from our fear of becoming less visible, less valued and never ‘enough.’”

“You don’t have to opt out of every beauty practice to resist that culture; what matters is staying rooted in a relationship with your body that isn’t contingent on fixing it,” she continued.

She encourages women to ask, “Is this choice expanding my life or narrowing it? Is it allowing me to grow and evolve, or keeping me attached to a body from my past?”

As I enter the early stages of midlife, I want to expand my life in honor of my mother. I just turned 41, and I’ve now officially outlived her. Entering this next phase of life that she never got to experience has forced me to grapple with the kinds of questions that arise when you start thinking about how the past has shaped your aging self.

Lately I’ve wondered, Why was my mother so quick to give me that Oil of Olay? And why didn’t she want to keep it for herself?

I like to think that, as someone who didn’t follow any fad diets, she similarly didn’t feel the need to engage in anti-aging trends. It’s possible my mom instinctively knew what I’m now learning: Aging into midlife is a privilege not afforded to everyone. If we’re lucky enough to experience it, maybe we should stop trying to prevent it.

Mallary Tenore Tarpley is a journalism professor at the University of Texas at Austin and author of the memoir “SLIP: Life in the Middle of Eating Disorder Recovery,” which offers a groundbreaking framework for understanding eating disorder recovery and interweaves poignant personal stories, immersive reporting, and cutting-edge science. “SLIP” won the Association of American Publishers’ 2026 PROSE Award for Excellence in Biological and Life Sciences. Her writing has appeared in major publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and Time magazine. She maintains a weekly newsletter featuring writing-related tips, and she can be found on Instagram at @mallarytenoretarpley. Check out her new book project here.

Do you have a compelling personal story you’d like to see published on HuffPost? Find out what we’re looking for here and send us a pitch at pitch@huffpost.com.

It’s no secret that hair changes with age, be it in color, texture, thickness or sheer amount. Recent HuffPost reporting shared another factor that could contribute to losing or thinning hair: GLP-1 medications. Whether you’re dealing with hair loss as a GLP-1 side effect, menopause, general aging or even all of the above, we spotted a $22 shampoo and conditioner set reviewers finally say makes them “not afraid” to wash or brush their hair anymore. Reviewers say the set gives that “just stepped out of the salon” type hair, boosting their confidence with every use. For under $23? Sounds like a solid deal to us.

While the sets come in dozens of versions, fans call out the onion, keratin, rosemary mint and biotin options for helping their hair grow “fuller, thicker, soft and looking healthy again.”

According to UCLA Health, hair changes are primarily related to things like hormones, genetics, lifestyle habits and general evolution, as over time, human hair follicles naturally produce less melanin (color pigment) and sebum (protective oil). In recent HuffPost GLP-1 reporting, experts told HuffPost that rapid weight loss and potential under-eating put extra stress on the body, which can also lead to increased hair fall-out.

Though it’s hardly a magic potion for Rapunzel locks (and with serious hair loss, we recommend seeing your doctor), reviewers going through menopause, aging, health challenges or taking GLP-1 meds credit this affordable duo for keeping their strands strong and smooth. With ingredients ranging from biotin and keratin to argan and jojoba oils, aloe vera, glycerin, citric acid and vitamin E, this set is designed to repair and nourish your strands and stimulate the scalp to replenish and revitalize your hair.

“As a 53-year-old menopausal, GLP-using woman, I was losing hair by the handful…Seriously, I was panicking that I would go bald before 55,” a fan of the onion set wrote. “After hearing how the sulfur in onions can help with hair loss, I picked up this duo. I only wash my hair 2-3 times a week, so I’m about 1/3 of the way through the bottles. Unreal!! The amount of hair I’m losing every day is back to normal shedding amount!… If you’re losing a ton of hair, I’d highly recommend this duo!”

“I’m a 63-year-old person who is suffering from hormonal changes, and wow!! A big difference in my dry, thin hair,” another wrote of the onion set. “I spent over $200 on the Amika brand, and no difference in my hair! Buying others from this company!! For sure.”

Another shopper writes that the biotin set “worked wonders,” after medical treatments had their hair “coming out by the handfuls.”

“I’m not afraid to wash my hair or run my hands through it anymore,” they said. “It also smells amazing!” Other shoppers who were initially skeptical say the biotin set has made them a believer.

“I was so surprised after I started using this product. My hair felt thicker and seemed to be filling in the balding spots,” a reviewer “over 50” wrote. “I have continued to reorder and [am] very satisfied with this shampoo and conditioner. It also smells nice and left my hair light, not heavy.”

Experts have previously told HuffPost that rosemary oil has been studied to “potentially accelerate hair growth by improving blood circulation in the scalp” to stimulate hair follicles. Shopper Peggzz writes that the rosemary mint set “works great on grey thinning hair” —so much, they have this on a recurring delivery schedule. “After using this shampoo and conditioner for a couple months, I have noticed a big change,” they said. “I have more hair and the condition of my grey hair looks so much healthier…I don’t want to run out of this stuff!”

And of course, reviewers say the keratin set feels “just like a salon treatment,” helping tame frizz and breakage from the first wash.

“After using this product just once, I noticed a significant difference,” one wrote. “…I woke up with zero morning frizz, which is rare for me. I also deal with very hard water, and this set truly helped my hair.”

“I have gray hair, and it is becoming more coarse with age,” another said. “I thought I would give this a try and within a week I could tell the difference. I think this is going to be my new shampoo and conditioner.”

Reviewers love this shampoo and conditioner set for helping “tame the changes” of their hair. Read more 5-star reviews and grab a set for yourself.

“I was not paid for this review, and I did not receive this product for free. As a 53 year old menopausal, GLP using woman, I was losing hair by the handful…seriously, I was panicking that I would go bald before 55! After hearing how the sulfur in onions can help with hair loss, I picked up this duo. I only wash my hair 2-3 times a week, so I’m about 1/3 of the way through the bottles. Unreal!! The amount of hair I’m losing every day is back to normal shedding amount! The shampoo doesn’t lather as well as I would like so I use a little more than other shampoos (10 pumps for me, mid back length hair) but the conditioner smooths it out (also 10 pumps) and makes it nice and soft. Styles the same, no changes there! If you’re losing a ton of hair, I’d highly recommend this duo!” — Amazon customer

“This is incredible!! I’m a 63-year-old person who is suffering from hormonal changes, and wow!! A big difference in my dry, thin hair! I spent over 200 $on the Amika brand, and no difference in my hair! buying others from this company!! for sure” — ablasor

“I had thinning hair do to aging and menopause. I noticed it most in the front of the hair at the part. After using this shampoo and conditioner for a couple months, I have noticed a big change. I have more hair and the condition of my grey hair looks so much healthier. I subscribed and glad I did, I don’t want to run out of this stuff!” — Peggzz

“Initially had some doubts if this would actually assist in my problem of hair loss. I am over 50 and started losing my hair to to stress I suppose or menopause. I was so surprised after I started using this product My hair felt thicker and seemed to be filling in in the balding spots. I have continued to reorder and very satisfied with this shampoo and conditioner. It also smells nice and left my hair light not heavy.” — Darla

“This has worked wonders in my hair! I got really sick last fall and after treatment I started noticing my hair coming out by the handfuls. It was so bad that it got to the point that I was afraid to wash, brush or even run my hands through my hair. My floor, sink and bath rug had to be cleaned daily. Even worse was how visible it was that my hair was thinning out and at such a rapid pace I had bald spots. It kept me stressed out and crying. After reading reviews on this product I decided to try it. It has been great! My hair is growing back and it is getting fuller, thicker, soft and looking healthy again. I’m not afraid to wash my hair or run my hands through it anymore. It also smells amazing! I will continue to keep using this product. I also used their hair serum. The only issue I have had is they put the pumps on so tight that you almost can’t open then, they actually broke on the round but it didn’t affect my using it, just how I used it. I would highly recommend this product!!” — Laura McGough

Looking for more OTC products to combat thinning hair? Check out these dermatologist recommendations, courtesy of HuffPost Shopping.

The Real Deal: We use deal trackers and commerce experience to sift through “fake” hike-and-drop deals and other deceptive sales tactics. Products will usually be rated at least 4 stars with a minimum 15% discount. (And when there’s an exception, we’ll tell you why.)

Skin experts have told HuffPost before: the “best” facial sunscreen is the one you’re happy to put on. While you want to meet the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) requirements — broad spectrum, SPF 30+ and water-resistance — you also want something you enjoy wearing. Per the CDC, you should be wearing it every damn day. Lucky for you, Supergoop’s SPF 50, “Unseen Sunscreen” and makeup primer checks all of these boxes, especially for mature skin. Reviewers call it “sorcery in a bottle” that “works great as a primer for wrinkles and gives great sun protection.” It’s currently 20% off at Amazon — if you’re fast enough to grab it.

Clear, scentless, oil-free & non-sticky, reviewers say it “smooths out my wrinkles” and “minimizes the appearance of pores” — while fighting off harmful UV rays.

Say goodbye to white casts, burning eyes, weird smells and tacky residue. With no added colors or scents, this “weightless” sunscreen offers broad-spectrum protection, SPF 50 and up to 40 minutes of water resistance — meaning it hits the AAD requirements, without turning you into a sticky ghost.

“It glides on exactly like a makeup primer with a silky, weightless feel that smooths my skin without feeling greasy,” Tiffany wrote. “…Even better, it doesn’t run into my eyes or feel messy when I sweat, making it great for everyday wear and outdoor activities.”

Aptly named the “Unseen Sunscreen,” this baby is designed to look invisible and feel like nothing on your face — while still making a huge impact. “It made my skin look so much smoother than my usual primer,” shopper Jb wrote. “Not just pores either, it smoothed out my wrinkles.”

“It goes on totally smooth with a beautiful matte finish,” another wrote, noting “everything else makes me look greasy and shiny.”

Whether worn under makeup or alone, reviewers call it “just what I was looking for,” and the exact thing to buy “if you hate wearing sunscreen.”

The brand says the formula was made with sensitive and acne-prone skin in mind, crafted to be non-irritating, non-greasy and not heavy or pore-clogging. Plus, fans say it helps your makeup go on smoothly and look great all day long. “Excellent alone or as a sunscreen and primer combo before makeup-exactly what I was looking for! FINALLY,” a 51-year-old reviewer said.

A reviewer with “extremely dry, sensitive skin due to Hashimoto’s” calls the gel the “most critical step in my skin routine,” saying it “provides solid sun protection, doesn’t irritate my skin, and still looks perfect under makeup or without.” “My skin literally gobbles it up, they wrote. “Dries in seconds and provides this beautiful matte finish. Is it pricey? Yes! But for what it is the I feel it’s worth the $!”

“This stuff is magic,” shopper Emily wrote. “It looks and feels like a makeup primer, has zero smell, and basically disappears when you put it on. It leaves my skin feeling slightly softer and I don’t feel like there’s anything on my face. Definitely try this if you hate sunscreen.”

A reviewer with “mature skin with crow’s feet” credits the gel for providing a “healthy-looking blur” that withstands heat *far* better than cheaper alternatives.

These days, there’s no shortage of facial sunscreens on the market. Yet, fans say once you’ve tried Supergoop! it’s hard to go back to anything else. One shopper with “mature skin with crow’s feet” tested the gel against e.l.f.’s Suntouchable Invisible in “the heat of August in Arizona. […]The Supergoop Unseen held up much better – no melting, no sliding, and my crow’s feet didn’t intensify,” they wrote. “The E.l.f. is really good, but the Unseen is amazing. You’ll have to pry your makeup out of the Unseen’s cold dead hand, if you will! :)”

“I’ve tried the Trader Joe duper. I did not repurchase,” another wrote. “It sat heavier on my skin and burned my eyes,” calling Supergoop! “my go-to sunscreen for everyday wear.”

Reviewers love Supergoop’s Unseen Sunscreen for offering them sun protection and a smooth finish. Read more 5-star reviews and grab some for yourself for 20% off.

“I have extremely dry, sensitive skin due to Hashimoto’s. And at almost 40 I also have sun damage, fine lines and wrinkles that I’m wishing away with Tretinoin and Hydroquinone. So to that I was in desperate need of an awesome sunscreen that really provides solid sun protection, doesn’t irritate my skin, and still looks perfect under makeup or without. I’ve tried a lot, I mean a butt load of sunscreens. And this is my new #1! This is it. My new sorcery in a bottle. My skin literally gobbles it up. Dries in seconds and provides this beautiful matte finish. Is it pricey yes! But for what is the most critical step in my skin routine I feel it’s worth the $!” — Lala

“I love this super goop for under makeup. Works great as a primer for wrinkles and gives great sun protection. Sometimes can make skin look a bit more oily so only use it for daytime wear.” — MLH

“Wow! I love this sunscreen/primer. It made my skin look so much smoother than my usual primer. Not just pores either it smoothed out my wrinkles. Lightweight and moisturizing. Goes on smooth and doesn’t interact with my serum or moisturizer. Can reapply over makeup too. I will be buying again. I wish it was a little less expensive but its a good, clean product and its not tested on animals. And a little does go a long way.” — Jb

“I have mature skin with crow’s feet, and own both the E.l.f. and the Supergoop Unseen. I expected the E.l.f. to be best as my makeup primer. I hoped! Both feel good and give you a healthy-looking blur. In the heat of August in Arizona, the E.l.f. kind of softened and melted with my powder foundation on top, settling into my crow’s feet. A lot of my makeup disappeared – not much left on my towel. But the Supergoop Unseen held up much better – no melting, no sliding, and my crow’s feet didn’t intensify. The E.l.f. is really good, but the Unseen is amazing. You’ll have to pry your makeup out of the Unseen’s cold dead hand, if you will! :)” — Amazon customer

“This is my favorite sunscreen. I have mature skin and I’m very fair. I also have oily skin. When I put it on my face, it makes it feel so much softer and it dries to a matte finish. It also does not burn my eyes.” — Esmeralda Veik

Looking for more beloved SPFs? Check out these dermatologist-recommended favs, courtesy of HuffPost Shopping.

The Real Deal: We use deal trackers and commerce experience to sift through “fake” hike-and-drop deals and other deceptive sales tactics. Products will usually be rated at least 4 stars with a minimum 15% discount. (And when there’s an exception, we’ll tell you why.)

Physical therapists have long emphasized the importance of strength training, especially for older adults. According to experts, strength training isn’t just for working out; it can also help build independence by keeping older folks safe and stable in their daily activities. If you’re looking for an easy (and affordable) way to strength train at home, this set of five resistance bands may be it. While the pink and blue packs go for close to $17, the multicolor set is just $12, making it 33% off.

Each color band offers a different level of resistance, from three to 20 pounds. The bands are made of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), a stretchy, latex-free material that blends qualities of rubber and plastic. Each band measures 59 inches long and 6 inches wide, making them extra accessible to hold and use. Reviewers who have tried many bands compliment the durability and quality of this set, with many saying it’s the best set they’ve tried.

“What I really like is that these are both wide and long. What that means is that they are long enough to give you the stretch necessary for physical therapy and wide enough that you can hold them tightly,” one user wrote. “These are far superior to the ones that the PT facility I went to uses.”

“Wide, long and easy for an elderly woman with arthritic hands to use,” another user says. The bands are even “grumpy old man” approved for making strength-building easy and fun.

Because the bands are light and are easy to hold, they’re loved by older reviewers for making movement more accessible. A 69-year-old reviewer says the bands are “good even when I’m watching TV to work out with them,” joking that he’s a enjoying them as a “grumpy old man!”

“I bought these for my elderly mother to add a bit of resistance for her exercises,” one reviewer wrote. “…Being in her mid 70s she is work on stabilizing herself and adding some upper body strength, too. While anyone could get benefit from these, I believe this is the perfect end user for this type (beginner and elderly).”

Many reviewers who bought the bands for their older parents say they ended up buying a set for themselves. “I bought these for my mother. They are super easy for her to use. She is 88 years old and she loves them,” Jeff wrote. “They are super awesome and we really loved them.”

Shopper Newton calls the bands “incredibly helpful” for both building strength and “recovering safely” at home. “They’ve allowed me to start my muscle recovery process at home, progressing step by step at my own pace,” Newton says. “…I also like that they can be adjusted to fit different needs and levels.”

Reviewers love these resistance bands for helping build strength at home. Read more 5-star reviews and grab a set for yourself for $10.

“Fast delivery, love the package that tells you the strength of each one, individually packaged. Just started with them, but you could tell the durability. My age it’s good even when I’m watching TV to work out with them. 69-year-old army veteran. Enjoying grumpy old man!” — Roy

“I wanted a set of resistance bands that I could use at home without taking up much space, and these have been a great addition to my routine. They’re lightweight, easy to carry, and give just the right amount of resistance for stretching, strength exercises, and mobility work.
One thing I really like is that they’re latex-free. The material feels smooth and comfortable against my skin, and I haven’t noticed any unpleasant odor when using them. They’ve stretched consistently without feeling like they’re losing tension, even after regular workouts.
I’ve used them for everything from warm-ups to light strength training, and they’ve also been helpful on days when I just want to loosen up after sitting at a desk for hours. Overall, this is a practical, well-made set that’s suitable for beginners and experienced users alike. I’m very happy with the quality and would definitely recommend them.” — E tm

“Bought for mom to increase muscle strength. YouTube exercises and daily stretching so far she made a big improvement in strength and mobility.” — Amazon Customer

“I use Resistance Bands as part of my warm-up routine at the gym, and they’ve become an essential part of my workouts—even when I’m not lifting weights. These bands are latex-free, which is a huge plus for anyone with sensitivities, and their durability has held up even after nearly a month of 5 days a week of consistent use.What I love most is their versatility. They come in different resistance levels, so whether I’m doing warm-ups or more intense exercises, these bands deliver a solid workout. I use them for everything from mobility stretches to targeting specific muscle groups, and they’ve helped me stay active on lighter workout days without needing any weights.

If you’re looking for a high-quality, easy-to-use set of bands for stretching, strength building, or physical therapy, these are a perfect choice.” — Tried By Gie

The Real Deal: We use deal trackers and commerce experience to sift through “fake” hike-and-drop deals and other deceptive sales tactics. Products will usually be rated at least 4 stars with a minimum 15% discount. (And when there’s an exception, we’ll tell you why.)

If you’ve reached midlife and love a good Netflix binge ― we’re talking enough to trigger the “Are you still watching?” prompt ― we’ve got some unfortunate news for you: According to a new study from researchers at the University of Southern California, watching TV often in midlife is linked to some worrisome brain changes later in life.

The study, published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, found that adults who reported watching television “very often” during midlife later had smaller memory-related brain regions. These adults also showed reduced volume in the frontal and occipital lobes and more damage to the brain’s white matter ― changes associated with aging, increased stroke risk, cognitive decline and dementia.

Previous research on sedentary behavior and its impact on brain health has largely focused on how long people sit, said Natan Feter, a postdoctoral research associate in the department of biological sciences at USC and one of the study’s authors. For instance, a 2023 Harvard study found that spending 10 or more hours a day physically inactive was linked to a higher risk of developing dementia later in life.

But Feter and his team wanted to dig deeper. Instead of looking only at the number of hours people spent sitting, they wanted to know whether what people were doing while they sat made a difference for brain health.

“What we found is that what you do while sitting ― not just how long you sit ― seems to predict your brain volume 20 years in the future,” Feter told HuffPost. “Spending more time watching television was associated with smaller brain volumes in regions especially vulnerable to Alzheimer’s disease and with greater signs of damage to the brain‘s small blood vessels.”

To conduct the study, researchers analyzed data from about 1,700 adults in the long-running U.S. Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study, who were about 53 years old on average when they enrolled between 1987 and 1989. Participants reported how often they watched TV during their free time and how much of their workday they spent sitting.

More than 20 years later, participants underwent brain MRI scans. Compared with those who said they “never” or “seldom” watched TV, people who reported watching it “very often” showed widespread structural differences throughout the brain.

The group that watched TV most often also had smaller frontal and occipital lobes. The frontal lobes are involved in skills like planning, decision-making and other executive functions, while the occipital lobes help the brain process visual information. These differences held up even after researchers accounted for other factors that can affect brain health, including physical activity, diabetes, body mass index, smoking and alcohol use.

“Other common sedentary activities showed the opposite pattern, suggesting that what we do while sitting may matter even more than how long we sit,” he explained.

What is it about TV consumption that’s so detrimental to our brain health compared to say, knitting or playing Wordle?

Feter said their study can’t determine the exact reasons, but there are several plausible explanations. For one, television viewing is typically a highly passive activity that requires relatively little cognitive engagement.

“It’s also more likely to occur in prolonged, uninterrupted sitting bouts and is often accompanied by unhealthy behaviors, such as snacking or reduced social interaction,” he said. “In contrast, activities like reading, computer use, or hobbies often involve greater mental stimulation.”

One important limitation is that this was an observational study, so the researchers can’t can’t conclude that television viewing directly causes these brain changes. Sitting time was also self-reported, too, Feter said, which could introduce some measurement error. (We get it; not everyone wants to cop to how many hours of their lives they’ve lost to “Love Is Blind” episodes.)

“I think future studies ― using wearable devices, repeated brain imaging and intervention designs ― will help clarify whether reducing television viewing or replacing it with more cognitively engaging activities can help preserve brain health over time,” Feter said.

Turn up that Zeppelin: A recent study found that older adults who regularly listen to or play music have a significantly lower risk of developing dementia.

A research team from Monash University in Australia looked at data from more than 10,800 adults over the age of 70 and found that those who listened to music most days experienced a 39% lower likelihood of developing dementia compared with those who sometimes, rarely or never listened to music.

Those frequent music listeners had a 17% lower incidence of cognitive impairment, along with higher overall cognitive scores and better episodic memory (used when we recall specific, everyday events).

Playing an instrument ― including singing ― was associated with a 35% reduction in dementia risk. Those who both listened to and played music on a regular basis had a 33% reduced risk of dementia and a 22% reduced risk of cognitive impairment.

For older adults worried about dementia ― a disease that affects 7 million people and is becoming more common as life expectancy increases ― turning on some music is an easy, low-effort way to ease a bit of that anxiety.

Although the topic is still relatively underexplored, the study’s co-authors have several hypotheses — supported by earlier research — about why music might stimulate the brain.

“We know that listening to music engages multiple brain areas at once, acting like a full-brain workout,” said Emma Jaffa, a biomedical science Monash honors student who co-authored the study with Joanne Ryan, a professor of biological neuropsychiatry at Monash.

“Previous studies show it improves processing speed, language, memory and coordination,” she told HuffPost. “Plus, it often involves socializing with others, which helps protect brain health.”

As a bass player and singer herself, the findings were of particular interest to Jaffa.

She also loves the idea of tangible research ― research that you can actually do something with, that truly helps people. “I think that’s what drew me to this topic. It was the combination of a hobby and the possibility of delivering actionable insights to others,” she said.

Jaffa said the question she gets most often about the study is, “Are some genres of music more beneficial than others?” Is Coltrane or Clapton superior when it comes to improving cognitive function?

While she doesn’t have the answer (participants weren’t asked about what they were listening to), she said it’s definitely something she wants to explore in future research. (That and if listening to music has any bearing on reducing the risk of cognitive decline for those younger than 70.)

It’s no surprise that researchers like Ryan and Jaffa are exploring this topic, given how devastating dementia symptoms can be. People with the condition may develop speech difficulties, memory loss, mood changes and trouble completing everyday tasks.

Another recent study, published in October in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, found that having a sense of purpose may protect against dementia by keeping the brain more resilient and is linked to a lower risk of developing it. Other research-backed ways to support cognitive resilience during the aging process? Moderate to vigorous exercise, spending time with others ― hopefully while listening to music ― and even doing chores.

If you’ve ever been told you walk too fast, we have good news for you.

A recent study published in the journal Neurology found that adults 80-plus who walk as fast as adults in their 40s and 50s have less cognitive decline than slower-walking older adults.

Researchers from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Columbia University and Stony Brook University in New York tracked 3,989 adults, all 80 or older, for an average of 3.4 to 5.4 years. Those who had cognitive impairment at the start of the study were not included in the research.

Walking speed was measured on timed walking tests, and those who walked the fastest — referred to as “super movers” — kept up a roughly 2.9-mile-per-hour walking speed and walked at least 1.5 standard deviations above other people in their age group.

Roughly 9% of participants were categorized as super movers.

When compared to slower walkers, super movers were about 50% less likely to have cognitive impairment over the course of five years and about 60% less likely to have an Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis.

Super movers also had slower memory and thinking decline when measured on mental flexibility and memory recall tests.

While super movers were less likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, brain scans showed they had the same level of physical brain changes as non-super-movers. This leads researchers to believe that super movers’ brains were more resilient.

“The biggest takeaway is that mobility and brain health are deeply interconnected. Super movers appear to represent an exceptional aging phenotype, characterized by a lower disease burden, healthier lifestyles, and younger biological age. Our findings suggest that a combination of favorable biology, preserved brain health, and lifelong healthy behaviors may help some people maintain both mobility and cognition well into late life,” Dr. Joe Verghese, study author and chair of the department of neurology at Stony Brook Medicine, said in a press release.

According to Dr. Cathleen Colon-Emeric, chief of the division of geriatrics at Duke University School of Medicine, “gait speed is a really terrific indicator of the overall health of older adults. We actually use it as almost like a fifth vital sign for geriatrics.” Colon-Emeric is not affiliated with the study.

Gait speed can be a predictor of things like falls, cardiovascular events, new memory impairment and more, Colon-Emeric said.

“And that’s really because walking requires a whole lot of the systems of your body to be working well together,” she noted. You need to have healthy muscles, bones, a healthy brain that sends signals to your body, healthy lungs, a healthy heart and more, she said.

“And so when people have preserved gait speed, that’s a sign that their overall health in all of these systems is doing well,” said Colon-Emeric, “when they have a slower gait speed, that’s a sign that there might be something going on in one or more of those systems that we need to intervene on.”

If you notice yourself or a loved one slowing down, it’s worth bringing it up to a doctor who can do an overall assessment and see if there are things that can be done to help people walk more safely and be healthier overall, she said.

Keeping active is an important way to age well and increase your health span.

It’s recommended that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise, such as brisk walking at 2.5 miles per hour or faster, each week, or at least 75 minutes of vigorous exercise (swimming laps, hiking uphill, running) weekly.

In addition to potential cognitive benefits, walking is also good for your cardiovascular system and can lower risk of heart disease and stroke.

“Anyone can benefit from walking,” Dr. Tamanna Singh, co-director of the sports cardiology center at Cleveland Clinic, previously told HuffPost.

If you have a goal to start a walking habit, but haven’t actually started walking yet, Singh said its helpful to invite a friend to walk with you. This can make your walk more interesting and help build up your motivation.

“You’ll each hold each other accountable to developing a walking habit and sticking to it,” Singh said.

You can also consider saving a favorite playlist, podcast or audiobook for your walk — this will give you something to look forward to when you lace up your sneakers.

If you are an avid walker but want to increase your walking speed, it can be helpful to find a playlist of music that’s set to a fast beats per minute, such as 100 or 110 beats per minute, and use the beat as your walking pace, Tyler Moldoff, a physical therapist at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, previously told HuffPost.

“You can simply do a Google search or even on Spotify or Apple Music, look for different genres of songs that may be enjoyable for individuals at 100 beats per minute, and then trying to sync your cadence to the beat of the song,” Moldoff said.

Working to increase your walking speed can be a good way to build strength, but doing this won’t necessarily protect your memory.

“Whether if we can do something to increase somebody’s gait speed, they do better with their memory or other outcomes, that’s really less certain,” said Colon-Emeric.

Walking at any pace is a great way to build muscle, get your heart beating and combat the sedentary lifestyle many folks have. You can slowly work to increase your pace if you aren’t a fast walker just yet, but any walking regimen is helpful for healthy aging.

“Exercise is medicine, and we preach that all the time with our patients. It’s probably the best anti-aging medicine that we have available to us,” said Colon-Emeric.

If you’ve ever noticed clusters of small, whitish bumps under the skin around your face, it’s likely an incredibly common skin condition called milia. Per Cleveland Clinic, milia is totally harmless, non-contagious (spoiler alert: it’s just dead skin cells), and though it’s distinctively not a type of acne, it can have similar OTC treatments, namely: topical adapalene, a retinoid derived from vitamin A. As luck would have it, we spotted a highly-rated, user-loved adapalene gel for a whopping 45% off, dropping it to under $11. Reviewers say it works “exactly the same” at as its brand-name counterparts, for a lot less money, crediting it for “erasing my chicken skin bumps” and much, much more.

According to dermatologists, milia is just dead skin cells trapped under skin — something more common with aging, as skin cell turnover slows with age. (Psst: this is also why exfoliation is *so* important for mature skin!)

“As we age, our natural cell turnover slows, so dead skin cells are more likely to accumulate and get trapped,” a board-certified dermatologist previously told HuffPost. “At the same time, many patients start using thicker creams for dryness, which can further occlude the skin and contribute to milia formation.” According to Cleveland Clinic, as milia isn’t harmful, you certainly don’t need to treat it. Yet, if you don’t like how the bumps look, adapalene gel can be a great OTC way to start treating them before or instead of prescription options/ professional treatments. This fragrance-free, clear gel comes in an easy-to-apply tube. The brand says you want to a pea-sized amount, spread evenly over cleansed skin once a day.

In previous HuffPost reporting on adapalene, a cosmetic surgeon called it the “gentlest in the retinoid family,” which was prescription-only until 2018, saying it works to increase the skin’s cellular turnover rate, helping remove dead cells and minimize oil glands. “Adapalene gel is a miracle worker for skin. I have used it for years,” a 74-year-old reviewer wrote. “I love that this gel is not prescription any more.”

Reviewers say this humble, prescription-strength treatment “really helps with milia” with one reporting it “worked removing the hard white bumps on my face after only 3 applications.”

Many reviewers credit the gel for helping “to slough off dead skin” — keeping skin bump-free and smooth. “Works great on the little white bumps that my daughter gets sometimes on her face,” one said. “Worked removing the hard white bumps on my face after only 3 applications,” another said.

Others call the stuff a “game changer” and “like having a magic wand for my face,” that “transformed” skin “from a battleground to a beacon of clarity.”

“I have mature skin and don’t have breakouts to speak of. I do―did―have some chicken-skin texture on my temples and under my chin,” one fan writes. After trying tretinoin and salicylic and glycolic acids, the reviewer tried this adapalene gel. “Ohhhh Myyy! It’s not as irritating as some of the other products are to me. It’s erasing my chicken skin bumps!”

It’s also celebrated for helping reviewers with their “fight against ‘old age’ face,” tackling wrinkles, dark spots, rosacea and even stubborn hormonal acne.

In this economy, we want out prodcuts to be multi-use, even when they’re only $11. (Which BTW, many point out is “the best price you’ll find for a tube this size.”) As a gentle retinoid, adapalene helps with increasing collagen production and evening skin tone and texture, offering a variety of anti-aging and generally skin-clearing benefits, too. Fans say in addition to keeping their skin smooth, it “truly helped my skin look and feel younger,” and a 45-year-old reviewer joking, “you’ll be looking 16 again!”

“The main purpose I bought this was to remove the white flakes(?) that form at the creases of my nostrils. It does this beautifully. It also prevents blackheads, making my pores virtually invisible,” one writes, calling the gel a “miracle skin healer.” “Since I have been using this regularly, my skin is smoother and fine wrinkles have disappeared. I don’t need moisturizer because it stimulates oil production. My skin is MUCH healthier when I use this daily.”

Another writes, “I use this as a wrinkle remover an age spot fader,” adding, “I’ve seen fine line wrinkles disappear along with age spots,” after about six to eight weeks of consistent use.

“Adapalene has been a game changer for me. I have mature skin and don’t have breakouts to speak of. I do―did―have some chicken-skin texture on my temples and under my chin. I have used retinols including tretinoin and salicylic and glycolic acids, mostly for wrinkles and some stubborn rosacea spots with good but not stellar results. One day, I watched a dermatologist’s video on the best products for aging skin, and she recommended Adapalene followed by Am-Lactin. Ohhhh Myyy! It’s not as irritating as some of the other products are to me. It’s erasing my chicken skin bumps! I’m still waiting on some of the rosacea areas to calm down, but they are much better. I’ve begun using it on my neck and decolletage, but not every day. Amazing! I have been cautious and am alternating with skin barrier protection and moisturizers (and sunscreen!). I am so pleased with my results and the improved value with this combo vs. the other products I was using. As always, your mileage may vary. Start gently and see if you have found the right product for you.” — Desert Dweller

“Such a reasonably priced product for this ingredient. Works great on the little white bumps that my daughter gets sometimes on her face.” — Kate

“This gel really helps with milia. I saw a reputable dermatologist state this too. I used it on my fever blister and it worked well. Use it sparingly. Don’t need to gob it on. Great for drying up teenage blemishes too. I would order this again.” — roberta

“I love that this gel is not prescription any more. I have used it since my dermatologist recommended when I was back in my forties and had adult acne. It doesn’t chase away all of the wrinkles, but it helps keep the skin of a 74-year-old rosy. The prices could be lower?” — RJ51

“This is the best price you’ll find for a tube this size. I’m 45 and use as part of my fight against ‘old age’ face. It’s less irritating than Retin A and of course is more convenient since it’s over the counter. This and a good moisturizer and you’ll be looking 16 again! It smooths, gets rid of acne, stimulates collagen to help with minor wrinkles and prevent as many wrinkles as you’d get if you used nothing, and it reduces dark spots. Of course this all takes consistency and time, but it’s worth it and far less expensive than doing nothing and waking up one day and forking out big bucks for cosmetic procedures. Great price. Great size. Fast delivery. Same effectiveness as any other brand of adapalene (I work in a pharmacy and have tried tons.) It also is in my teenage son and daughter’s bathrooms. Wash with gentle cleanser, add this adapalene, and moisturize. Teenagers are not good with using multiple products and being consistent. This is one easy and effective thing you can have them use.” — Ashleigh Walli

Want to make exfoliation quick and easy? Try a pre-soaked pad. Check out these favs by Senior Shopping Writer and skin care lover Lourdes Uribe.

The Real Deal: We use deal trackers and commerce experience to sift through “fake” hike-and-drop deals and other deceptive sales tactics. Products will usually be rated at least 4 stars with a minimum 15% discount. (And when there’s an exception, we’ll tell you why.)

If you deal with body pains or spend long periods of your day sitting, you may be constantly searching for a comfortable seat. Lucky for you, we found one that makes reviewers bounce with joy — literally. From the Yoga brand Gaiam, shoppers call this balance ball chair the “best investment for working from home” (or just watching TV), crediting it with lessening pain and pressure as they sit. According to our price trackers, you can currently snag the classic purple version for about 20% off, the lowest price it’s been in months. Plus, the removable ball can be used for home workouts, so you’re kind of getting a two-for-one.

Made with a 20.4-inch stability ball and chair frame with lockable wheels, this chair is compatible with most average desks. The brand says the chair is ideal for users from 5 feet to 5 feet 11 inches and has a 300-pound weight capacity. Plus, it comes with an air pump and exercise guide to really get you rolling. While it’s certainly a unique piece of office furniture, fans say this ball chair is the type of thing you’ll wish you bought sooner for how quickly and consistently it brings them relief. “Sitting in this for 5 minutes reduced my lower back pain,” one wrote. “It took a few days to get [used] to but after just 2 weeks I have noticed a HUGE difference,” another said.

“It is absolutely amazing,” Lori writes. “…I no longer have shooting pains by the end of the day.” “I can’t say it has taken away the pain completely but, it HAS helped by reducing the amount of stress on my body, back and hips,” one shopper wrote. “And there is minimal pain at the end if the day.”

Others credit the ball for “immediate changes in energy,” as the ball “makes me sit up instead of huddling slumped over at my desk.” “It is nearly impossible to slouch,” one wrote. “You actually have to make an effort to slouch or sit improperly.”

And, if you’re looking to get more movement in your day, the chair works for seated stretching and chair yoga, or the ball can be used completely on its own for strength building. “The movement the ball chair gives me is great. I feel like I can stretch my sides and flex my butt muscles,” one wrote. “During my lunch break I am able to use it and stretch, as well as doing some exercises to keep my lower back in shape,” another said.

Ready to feel the bliss of this balance ball chair? Check out these promising reviews and grab one for yourself while it’s 20% off.

“Originally I bought just a ball, which promptly got a hole and began to deflate so I decided that for an office setting, this chair would likely work the best. It is absolutely amazing. I am so comfortable all day and rarely have to switch position. It is nearly impossible to slouch, you actually have to make an effort to slouch or sit improperly. I no longer have shooting pains by the end of the day. This not only makes you sit properly, but take the pressure of sitting off of your spine and the back of your thighs. I would recommend this for anyone who wants to be more comfortable sitting long hours working at a computer. On a side note, I have been mocked to no end in my office for this chair, they laugh until they sit on it! So I just laugh right back…oh yeah? Well, I’m more comfortable than you!” — Lori Myers

“Sitting in this for 5 minutes reduced my lower back pain. Love this chair. Great for pregnancy.” — Andrea Gentsy

“It’s great! it has reduced the pain in my shoulders from typing all day. Arrived fast as well. I use the ball for additional exercises.” — Moonmuse

“Seems crazy, but helps with back pain! I had a coworker who had one of these, and it always seemed silly to me. I assumed she just liked it because it was trendy. I have back problems. Mostly sciatica, but it can be very painful and debilitating. It had been aching and I felt that I was a few days away from a significant episode of my back going completely out, and I know it’s from too much sitting at work, but due to the nature of my job, it can’t be helped. Out of desperation, I asked my coworker if I could trade her chairs for a couple of days to see if it helped and possibly order one for myself. It was really awkward at first, and I felt unstable, but you get used to that. I think the beauty of these chairs for someone like me is that they force you to sit upright and make it really hard for you to sit in positions that seem comfortable at the time, but are really bad for your back. It’s very hard to sit on this chair with one foot under you, which is my kryptonite. It’s also short enough for my feet to touch the ground (you can adjust this a little by airing up the ball more or less for your height). After a couple of days of sitting on this thing, my back pain was less, and I’d gotten used to it. I ordered my own and I’m now a believer. If you have chronic back pain and spend most of your time sitting at work, I definitely recommend this chair.” — rachybob

“Wow! I feel more energized while sitting. No more slumping in my chair and almost falling asleep. Using muscle groups that I need to use. Also, sit with the balance ball plug up. Stops air leaking :D” — Amazon customer

The Real Deal: We use deal trackers and commerce experience to sift through “fake” hike-and-drop deals and other deceptive sales tactics. Products will usually be rated at least 4 stars with a minimum 15% discount. (And when there’s an exception, we’ll tell you why.)