36 Products That Solve Problems So Fast And Painlessly You'll Be Like, 'Seriously, Where Have You Been This Whole Time??'
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Incredibly thoughtless of this beloved migraine relief beanie and game-changing new kitchen sponge to show up late to the party.
1. The Pink Stuff's new "Sqeezy" sponge set, which is living up to its "miracle" catchphrase by helping reviewers with their toughest cleaning projects, like grimy pans, mildewed showers, and marked-up walls. If you aren't already in the cult of Pink Stuff cleaning paste, it's so good at its job that reviewers call it " gold in a jar" and " witchcraft."
Promising review: "The 'abrasive sponge when cold' or 'squishy when hot' is an awesome feature for the type of scrubbing you want to do. The Pink Stuff with the sponge does wonders! We have a hideous 30-year-old shower and although it doesn't look brand new like I was hoping, it's 10 times better!! This product really does work!" — GreenGoddess
Get the set (one Pink Stuff jar and a "Sqeezy") from Amazon for $9.99.
2. Hanalei Lip Treatment to *aggressively* restore and moisturize lips overnight, thanks to a truly luxe blend of Hawaiian kukui nut oil, antioxidant-rich agave, and grapeseed oils. If you've been trying product after product trying to outrun your dry, cracked lips, this is the hydration holy grail you're looking for.
Hanalei is a small business that specializes in lip and body care products.
Promising review: "It keeps your lips kissable and soft!!!! I love love love this product. I've been using it for the past few years, and it's by far one of the BEST lip moisturizing products I've ever used!!!! If you want soft, nourishing lip treatment, well, this is the product for you!!! Hey, hurry up before I order them all! 🥰" — P. Washington
Get it from Amazon for $16.55 (available in clear and four colors).
3. A nail renewal formula so effective at restoring discolored, damaged nails that reviewers started seeing results in as little as *two days*. This not only helps tackle symptoms of fungal damage, but helps reduce the thickness and correct the ridges, so your toenails can get the sweet relief they deserve.
Promising review: 'AMAZING!!! I followed the directions exactly and saw results within a week! My big toe has been in bad shape for about eight years. It is quickly changing the color of my toe nail back to normal, my nail is becoming thin again, and the curve in my nail is moving back to its normal position. I HIGHLY recommend this product! I can't wait to see the final result once I complete the process. Don't hesitate, JUST GET IT!!" — Mariaelena
Get it from Amazon for $16.32+ (also available with nail files).
4. Sprayway Glass Cleaner, a reviewer-beloved cleaning staple that did *not* come here to play. This streak-free, fast-acting foam is so effective at cleaning surfaces that a lot of businesses and offices swear by it for that oh-so-squeaky-clean look.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Psst — if you want to use a squeegee, check out this reviewer-beloved squeegee on Amazon!
Promising review:"This is by far the best glass cleaner I have used. Wonder has no chance against this spray. I'm not sure why I haven't found this sooner. I will never go back to regular Windex spray. Recommend it!" — Hadassah E.
Get a pack of two from Amazon for $8 (available in unscented and lavender).
5. Catrice "Instant Awake" Under Eye Brightener, which will be your holy grail for concealing and brightening dark circles under your eyes when your schedule is throwing you for a loop. This lightweight, color-adapting formula is designed for truly ~invisible~ coverage that makes a drastic difference — one that a lot of reviewers compare to the $33 Becca version.
The color-adaptive formula is designed so one of four shades will work on any skin tone.
Promising review: "Took years off my eyes! This product is so reasonably priced. I came across a TikTok promoting this and decided to take a chance since the price was super reasonable. My eyes looked brighter in a good way, and the concealer worked so well that I felt I looked younger. I got compliments from friends asking what I did differently with my makeup. I recommend it." — Monica T.
Get it from Amazon for $6 (available in four shades).
6. Olay Super Serum Body Wash to make anyone with dry or dull cold weather skin REJOICE — this is packed with niacinamide, shea butter, and collagen peptides for 24-hour hydration that will make you feel as ~luminous~ as the spring sunshine. (Psst — this is the body wash version of their TikTok-famous, super effective facial Super Serum, so you KNOW they mean business.)
www.instagram.com, Amazon
Check out a TikTok of the Olay Super Serum Body Wash in action.
Promising review:"I recently tried the Olay Super Serum Body Wash, and I am absolutely in love with it! The formula is incredibly hydrating, leaving my skin feeling soft and smooth after every use. It lathers beautifully and has a lovely, light fragrance that isn't overpowering. After just a few uses, I noticed my skin looked more radiant and felt deeply moisturized. The addition of serums in the body wash is a game changer. My skin feels nourished, and I no longer need to apply lotion right after showering. Highly recommend this to anyone looking for a luxurious, skin-loving body wash!" — Darina
Get it from Amazon for $12.97.
7. Boldify Hairline Powder for anyone who's like, "Hmmm. Wasn't there ... a lot more hair there before??" when they're styling their roots. This "makeup for hair" helps effortlessly fill in the gaps in your hairline so you don't have style around it. Reviewers also swear by this for touching up their roots between appointments!
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising review: "I was skeptical at first, but I'm so glad that I purchased this. I finally cut my hair short after losing so much hair and thinning. I have a lot of spots where you can see the hair thinning, but this has covered it all. I bought the dark brown, and I put it at the roots. I've been so self-conscious for years using this product is helping me so much." — Wendy
Get it from Amazon for $17.95 (available in 14 shades and two sizes).
8. Lumify Eye Drops, a product so beloved by TikTok that despite being more $$ than other brands, it's the number one selling brand on Amazon right now. Reviewers swear by this for instant reduction in redness in their eyes, with visible differences within a minute of use.
Learn more about different kinds of eye drops and what they can do at Cleveland Clinic. Note that eye drops can potentially mask symptoms of eye conditions, so you should talk to your eye doctor about what's right for you. And according to Mayo Clinic, you should avoid redness-reducing drops if you're looking for dry eye relief.
Check out a frankly STARTLING TikTok of Lumify in action — they are not joking about how fast it works!
Promising review:"I have a big spot of blood vessels in the inner corner of my left eye. I use the expensive lubricant eye drops for moisture — I've used Visine, Clear Eyes, you name it. No eye drop has made my eyes look this great. Only Lumify! I was soo happy when I looked in the mirror and saw some beauty in my eyes instead of darkness and redness." — Angela Leonard
Get it from Amazon for $11.93.
9. Mighty Patch Nose Patches for overnight use to help kick "nose gunk" to the curb — this extra-large hydrocolloid patch helps lift sebum to reduce the appearance of pimples, pores, and oil. You can even see all the satisfyingly gross evidence for yourself when you pull it off in the a.m. 👀.
www.amazon.com, Amazon
Promising review: "These things work! I've been dealing with bad breakouts recently and could not figure out what was causing them. I was recommended to try these, and let me tell you, the stuff that came out of my pores is unreal. I've tried charcoal face masks, and nothing has worked as well as these. My face is finally clearing up." — Hannah Braswell
Get a set of 10 from Amazon for $17.89.
10. A hairbrush cleaning tool designed with a pointy end to easily rake hair out of your beloved brush in one go, plus bristles to get rid of all the build-up left behind. Now you just have to deal with that giant hairball when it tries to reincarnate as a Furby.
Here's what BuzzFeeder Jenae Sitzes says about it:"I finally tried out this tool with my Crave Naturals brush, which I used for (*checks Amazon order history*) TWO YEARS without every doing a deep clean of it. I mean, sure, I would regularly pull out the loose hair and whatever I could get to using my fingers, but there was always this gross layer at the bottom I couldn't reach, and I kind of just tried my best to pretend it wasn't there. LET ME TELL YOU: This tool is genius. With barely any effort, it pulled out that gross, years-old layer of *stuff* at the bottom of my brush (the photo above shows that layer already ~dislodged~ by the tool, right before I pulled it out), and now I don't have to feel disgusting every time I run it through my hair. It actually feels like it's doing a better job of *brushing* now too! Seriously, if you are a human with brushable hair on your head, you need this."
Get it from Amazon for $11.95.
11. Dr. Scholl's Roll-On Foot Pain Relief Liquid for 12 hours of relief when your current step count is "too many." This fast-acting formula is made with lidocaine and menthol to work within five minutes, and tackle nerve pain for deep relief.
Promising review: "Wow. I was miserable at work. I bought everything I could think of to help with the intense foot pain from standing up at work, this was one of the products, and now I can't go without it! It works. I just ordered another one because I'm low on mine. I use it every night and hour before clocking in at work and even forget how my feet used to hur t until I get home, and I'm like, 'Wait a second, my feet didn't hurt.' I'm not kidding when I say this is It! Amazing product!" — Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $11.97.
12. A painless, mint-flavored teeth-whitening pen reviewers swear by as an alternative to pricey professional treatments and strips. This gets results from the very first use, lightening up years' worth of stains from coffee, tea, wine, or just, you know, existing as a human with teeth.
www.amazon.com
Promising review:"This product actually works! Very affordable, too. There are a lot of expensive teeth whitening products out there, but why spend extra money when you don't have to? Definitely worth trying!" — Mona L Cureton
Get a two-pack from Amazon for $9.33.
13. A pack of dual-sided SneakErasers designed so that one side of them cleans scuffs, dirt stains, and grimes, and the other side whitens them, restoring your sneakers and their soles to their former glory. Take THAT, passage of time.
Sneakerasers is a small business that specializes in shoe care products.
Check out a TikTok of the SneakErasers in action.
Promising review: "I have a couple of pairs of sneakers I stopped wearing because they started looking a bit grungy. Just couldn't justify throwing them away though, because they were still in great shape and not very old. I came across these sponges and took a chance. They work like a charm. I cleaned two pairs of shoes and could not believe the results! Awesome." — Spencer
Get a 10-pack from Amazon for $10.79.
14. Laneige's Neo Blurring Powder to absorb oil and blur pores so effectively that you'll be like, "Oh ... witchcraft??" Might be the only explanation for how this can matte-ify your complexion while still keeping it radiant and glowy. ✨
Amazon, www.amazon.com
15. A "spray and go" enzyme-based laundry stain remover that works its magic in one wash to help you instantly get rid of all that discolored dried sweat, oil stains, or deodorant residue on your favorite clothes.
www.amazon.com
Check out a TikTok of the laundry spray in action.
Puracy is a Texas-based, family-owned business specializing in plant-based, chemical-free, hypoallergenic home products, with a donation made to local families in need with a portion of every purchase.
Psst — this spray also does a number on all those other miscellaneous stains in your life, like wine, coffee, soy sauce, makeup, and period blood! I recently bought this to test it for myself, and can attest to how well it works to get period blood out even after you've tried something else. I stained a pair of beloved bright-blue bike shorts in my sleep and tried to get it out with soap and water, but the stain was still there when it came out of the wash. I treated it with this, stuck it back in the wash, and BOOM, it's like it never happened (I panicked before I could get a before and after, please forgive me, laundry gods).
Get a two-pack from Amazon for $12.99+ (available in multiple sizes).
16. A migraine relief beanie for when your brain decides it's going to rattle against your skull at the least convenient time possible. This gets icy *and* hot depending on what kind of relief you're looking for, and double as a sleep mask so you can block out harsh light or try to get some shut-eye for further relief.
www.amazon.com
IceBeanie is a small business that specializes in cold therapy products.
Promising review:"I don't usually write reviews, but this thing is literally a game changer. Amazing quality, so comfortable to wear, and it really helps me to relax and also when I have a headache. This is top shelf. I am so happy with my purchase!" — Bonnie Boughton
Get it from Amazon for $29.99.
17. A set of fast-acting Keurig cleaner pods you can simply put through a cycle on the machine to get rid of all the crusted-on grinds and residue that are *definitely* affecting the taste of your coffee, even if you haven't noticed over time.
www.amazon.com
Quick & Clean is a small business that specializes in coffee machine cleaning products.
Promising review:"I had no idea that cleaning a Keurig was a thing. I bought these because I saw them on TikTok, believe it or not. I wanted to give it a go because my Keurig isn't that old and I didn't think it would do anything. IT WORKS SO WELL! My Keurig wasn't as nasty as some I've seen, lucky. I would highly recommend, keeps everything running correctly and clean." — Lauren
Get a set of six from Amazon for $9.95.
18. A set of legging organizing hangers for anyone who owns approximately [number redacted] pairs that are currently tangled in a dresser drawer like a giant athleisure nest. This will not only free up space, but give you easy access so you're not rooting through them for the One Pair That Makes Your Butt Look Good.
Each hanger holds 10 pairs of leggings.
Promising review:"Yes...I have too many clothes. I LOVE my leggings. These saved me soooo much room! Now I have much more space, AND I can see them all easier." — Larry Seymour
Get a pack of two from Amazon for $13.99.
19. A bottle of callus-removing gel so effective at sloughing off dead, hardened skin that one reviewer described it as, " Horrifically satisfying." It's also super easy — you presoak your feet, apply for five minutes, and rub a pumice stone or foot file on the calluses and corns to watch them effortlessly slide off.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
You can grab a pumice stone or foot file on Amazon!
Promising review:"Best foot callus remover I have ever used! I read a lot of the reviews before purchasing this product. Most callus removers I have purchased in the past were not very effective. So, I was encouraged by the reviews. I saw that a lot of reviewers mentioned being very careful not to leave it on longer than three or four minutes. My feet were the softest they had ever been. Love love love." — Cheri whisker
Get it from Amazon for $9.99 (also available in an extra strength version).
20. A facial hair trimmer for anyone whose thoughts on razors, waxing, or tweezers are simply, "Thank you, next!" This pain-free, ridiculously fast solution has over 99,000 5-star reviews singing its praises.
www.amazon.com
Promising review: "I am beside myself with this purchase!! I bought it hoping it would at least somewhat work, as so many don't. This is absolutely perfection! It works well, it's quiet, small, easy to take with you if you so desire, and most importantly...IT WORKS!!! I'm a soon-to-be-65-year-old woman who has hair where I never did before, most annoying. This gets rid of it. I used it again a couple of days later and what I am finding is that I need to use it less and less. Really cool!" — Sandy E'Bell
Get it from Amazon for $13.90+ (available in four colors).
21. A pack of unscented SweatBlock wipes that work for up to *seven days* after application — perfect for those of us whose underarms are a little, uh, enthusiastic, to say the least. Reviewers especially swear by this for events that might bring on nervous sweating!
Amazon
SweatBlock is a small business that specializes in antiperspirant products.
Psst — you should definitely "patch test" this on a small area of skin before putting it on to ensure you don't have any reaction!
Promising review:"Was pretty skeptical. Bought it and it's changed my life. First use and I did not sweat, at all, for probably a week. I had already been using Lume deodorant for a few years now and was looking for something else as I felt I'm building a resistance to it. I should've been using this to begin with. Second application I applied to other areas of my body, zero sweat. Amazed." — Hanna L. Hetz
Get a 10-pack from Amazon for $19.99 (each box lasts two months).
22. Aloderma Organic Aloe Vera Gel for your WHOLE body — this packs such an "all-purpose" moisturizing, skin-calming punch that reviewers swear by it for everything from healing cracked, dry skin to helping calm rosacea and sunburns to tackling dandruff that even prescription meds wouldn't touch. GO LITTLE MOISTURIZER GO!!
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising review:"My skin feels like the bottom of a newborn. This is so great. The natural ingredients are the best and it leaves my skin with a natural glow and softness that I have never felt before. I have aging skin and it is just a great product. I use it on my face and my hair on wash days. I am going to order three more just so I don't run out." — Divine
Get it from Amazon for $12.99 (also available in three- and six-packs).
23. A cloud-shaped utility knife you *need* in your life if you're a person who gets a lot of packages — this will save you a whole lot of time and effort (and DESPAIR over your ruined nails) with quick, easy cuts.
Amazon
Check out a TikTok of the cloud knife in action.
Promising review:"I love these — sturdy, sharp with retractable blade. I keep them in different rooms for opening packages or breaking down boxes to recycle. Would recommend and buy again." — Amy Yasneski
Get a set of six from Amazon for $9.99.
24. A reviewer-beloved anti-dandruff shampoo to relieve flaking and itching and help prevent outbreaks by getting directly to the root. A lot of reviewers mention that it not only started working from the first use, but it *also* helped with shedding and hair loss caused by dandruff in the first place.
This shampoo was designed to work for sensitive scalps, color-dyed, and chemically processed hair, as well as for all hair types and textures, with reviewers with 3b–4c curls mentioning it worked for them.
Promising review: "I saw this product from a TikTok video. I was hesitant. I have been dealing with dandruff for almost 10 years, fortunately not that heavy but enough where it was embarrassing. I tried everything. Leave in conditioner, tea tree oil, Head and Shoulders, etc. One brand did work for a couple of days but that's it. But this product has worked EFFECTIVELY. Dandruff-free for two months so far. Can leave your hair feeling a little dry so just use conditioner and it will balance out. If other products aren't working for you with dandruff I can confidently recommend this one." — Martin C.
25. "Gloves In A Bottle," aka the hero of anyone with dry, cracked hands — this game-changing lotion not only helps heal your skin, but actively protects it for four to twelve hours, even through repeated hand washes. Reviewers with eczema or those who have to sanitize frequently for work swear by this!
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Gloves in a Bottle is a small business that specializes in skincare products for working professionals.
Promising review:"I am a teacher and literally wash or sanitize my hands several times per hour! If I'm not washing my hands, I'm cleaning all the surfaces in my classroom with harsh cleaners. I thought I would try this lotion and I am thankful I took a chance! It is not only moisturizing, but it's not too scented or greasy. We are not allowed to wear perfume at school due to allergies, and this works perfectly. The best part is that after you do wash your hands, you can still feel the lotion! My cuticles are staying moisturized, too. I am going to get more for home and the car." — Chianti
Get it from Amazon for $19.95.
26. A pack of drug-free Breathe Right nasal strips reviewers quite literally claim " saved their marriage" — these provide instant snoring *and* congestion relief by increasing nasal airflow. Bonus: there's an optional "scratch and sniff" lavender scent if you want an extra dose of calm.
Promising review:"This product is a true gem. I'm eight months pregnant, and due to the baby pressing on my diaphragm, I've begun to snore terribly. My poor husband is a light sleeper, so I needed to figure something out. I started applying this at night, and he says he doesn't hear a peep out of me! If you have trouble sleeping or snoring, this is something you need." — Raevyn
Get a box of 26 strips from Amazon for $8.63.
27. A portable car vacuum that lets you explore the great outdoors or enjoy a particularly messy snack without worrying about it all piling up until you have to get an expensive deep car clean. With this easy peasy gadget, you can scoop it all up and leave your interiors looking brand spanking new.
Promising review:"This was the perfect solution for a busy mom like myself. I have three little ones, and every day there is a mess of some sort in the backseat. It saves time and money to not have to go to a carwash place and keep feeding the machine. It's simple to use and a great size. Wish the suction was a little better, but for the price and quality, I can't complain. It's a must!" — Amazon Customer
"TikTok made me buy it. I NEVER leave reviews buttt I was surprised at how well and powerful this vacuum was! And it wasn't loud. 10 out of 10 recommended. Go buy it and try it for yourself." — Jessica D. Williams
Get it from Amazon for $22.49+ (available in four styles).
28. A Benzene-free, travel-friendly applicator of I Dew Care's dry shampoo powder so easy to use that you can just dab it on your hairline and rub it in for an instant, oil-absorbing refresh. Now your "no wash" days are a secret that you and your roots will never tell 👀.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Check out a TikTok of the dry shampoo in action.
Promising review: "Will be buying again!! This is a fantastic product. I have incredibly thin hair that gets very oily very easily. This is the first product that I've tried that actually works! I am so very happy!" — Katie_0_Baker
Get it from Amazon for $18 (available brown, dark brown, blonde, and in multipacks and bundles).
29. First Aid Beauty's KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub Exfoliant to help exfoliate and smooth skin by dealing with rough patches or dry bumps — a lot of reviewers with keratosis pilaris and similar skin textures swear by this for relief, with many noticing a difference after the very first use.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
First Aid Beauty is a US-based small business that specializes in clean, fragrance-free, cruelty-free personal care products.
Promising review: "I saw a dermatologist recommend this on TikTok, and I figured I'd give it a try. I have had red bumps on the back of my arms for as long as I can remember and have tried multiple things, so I didn't have very high expectations. After one use, I could already see a difference! It says to use it 1–2 times a week, but I use it usually every other day, and I use Cerave rough and bumpy lotion after, and now my red bumps are almost nonexistent. This product has truly been life-changing, and I would recommend it to anyone struggling with red bumps! 10/10!" — Sydney
Get it from Amazon for $10+ (available in two sizes).
30. A set of reviewer-beloved "Loops Quiet 2," aka the "earplugs for people who hate earplugs." These lightweight plugs are so subtle that people won't notice you wearing them, and are meticulously designed to muffle distracting, irritating, or overwhelming noise without completely blocking out the world around you. Reviewers love to wear them at the office or in noisy homes — this way they can still stay aware of your surroundings without getting overwhelmed by them.
www.amazon.com, Amazon
Promising review:"These earplugs are so good!! I had originally bought a completely different brand (because I was being cheap), and let me tell you, you get what you pay for. I found these Loop earplugs and decided to give them a try and I'm so glad that I did! They are so comfortable! Made from silicone so they are flexible and fit great. I've slept with them in all night without issues. The noise cancelling is fantastic! Now, does it block everything? No, but I think that's a good thing for safety reasons. They do block my husband's chainsaw snoring, and that is exactly what I needed them to do." — melanie98837
Get it from Amazon for $19.95 (available in seven colors; check out Loop's Amazon Storefront for more options related to concerts, offices, and parenting!).
31. Ocusoft's Original Foaming Eyelid Cleanser that reviewers with dry, itchy, and allergy-prone eyes swear by. This mild, non-irritating wash removes oil, pollen, and eye makeup to not only cleanse your eyes, but soothe and refresh eyelid discomfort.
www.amazon.com
Promising review: "Genius! I moved to a new part of California and my eyes kept watering. I tried allergy meds, but they didn't help much. Finally someone mentioned Ocusoft and I figured it couldn't hurt. What a difference! Ocusoft twice a day and keeping my eyeglasses spotless has totally solved the problem. All those tiny pollen spores that were stuck in places that irritated my eyes are gone. Really worth a try if you find your eyes are irritated seasonally." — Lindley Karstens
Get it from Amazon for $9.49.
Psst — if your allergies are bad bad bad and you want to go turbo on eye relief, Ocusoft also has allergy-relief eye scrub pads!).
32. A foaming garbage disposal cleaner you can plop into your sink, run a little water on, and let its blue magic fizz its way up to the top while clearing out all the gunk from your culinary adventures in one go.
Amazon
Promising review:"Saw on TikTok (don't judge) and automatically added to cart. So easy to use, takes probably a minute to fully bubble up and clean, and you're left with a clean sink! I use with other drain cleaning products, but would 100% recommend for weekly maintenance." — Jessica Hamilton
Get a four-pack from Amazon for $3.78.
33. An under-cabinet lid opener for anyone who doesn't feel like playing another rousing game of "knock on the neighbor's door to see if someone can open this damn Nutella jar" (don't look at me!!). This is also an excellent space saver compared to other manual lid openers, and causes way less wrist strain!
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Check out BuzzFeed's overview of the EZ Off Jar Opener.
Promising review:"I saw this item on TikTok. Yeap. I am so glad I got it! I have trouble opening jars and bottles, and this has been awesome. It works great. I followed the suggestion from other reviewers and installed it under the cabinet with the bottom of the 'V' facing away from the wall. You will have to twist the bottle counterclockwise. This method works well. I haven't had to use the little screws. I definitely recommend this item! It is wayyyyy better than the silicone grips." — Mariposista Queen
Get it from Amazon for $14.99.
34. A magnetic necklace detangling clasp so you can layer your favorite pieces over an outfit the exact way you want them without having to pull them apart like bickering siblings at the end of each day.
www.amazon.com, Amanda Davis / BuzzFeed
Promising review: "This is my second one! Love it so much since it can keep my necklaces safe and untangled with its strong magnet. Safe me so much time layering all the necklaces I have. Literally takes one second to put on!" — Nichole Li
Get it from Amazon for $15.99+ (available in gold, rose gold, and silver, and with two or three clasps).
35. A set of Sea Bands, which target an acupressure point on your wrists meant to help reduce nausea — a must-have for anyone who gets motion sick on long car rides, cruises, buses, and trains.
www.amazon.com
Promising review:"These were awesome! My entire family suffers from motion sickness, especially carsickness. My little one gets sick in the car on a regular car ride through the city. So I knew that a long road trip was going to be a disaster. I was amazed at how well these bands worked for everyone! Not one single person complained about being sick for 12 hours in the car. I have suffered for decades and now I know better. I will never travel without mine again!" — 1SmartCookie
Get a set of two from Amazon for $8.53.
36. A "sit and wait" mold and mildew remover gel so easy to use that all you have to do is apply it, wait six to eight hours, and rinse off the mildew and mold to reveal your bathtub restored to its former glory. Just in time for a delightful "wine and book with a ton of bubbles in the bathtub" night.
Jenae Sitzes / BuzzFeed
Here's what BuzzFeeder Jenae Sitzes has to say about it: " I put this to the test on a gross, mold-stained corner of my own tub — I've scrubbed and scrubbed that area previously, and simply couldn't get the stains out until I used this stuff. As you can see above, I put on gloves (which is recommended on the packaging) and simply applied a thin strip to the area with black spots, then let it sit for six hours. After that point, all you do is rinse and check out the results! I didn't need to do a second application, but if you're dealing with some particularly tough stains, you can reapply as needed."
Promising review:"Wow! I would give this 10 stars if I could. We've had issues for a few years with the caulking behind the handle of our kitchen faucet turning black from mildew. We've scrubbed with what seems like a million different products with no luck. We were actually just talking about ripping out the caulking and doing a total replacement. But my husband saw this online the other day and decided to order it. Almost immediately, when he applied it, you could see it was starting to work. We left it on overnight, and the black is COMPLETELY GONE! It's incredible. It's 1,000% worth the (small) investment. Seriously — just buy this. It's amazing!!" — Nicole D.
Get it from Amazon for $14.99.
Reviews have been updated for length and/or clarity.
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33 Products You'll Want For Your Embarrassing Problems
A teeth-whitening pen if you want a brighter smile without the irritation of whitening strips that slip and slide all over your teeth. You can use each pen ~20 times and should expect your teeth to lighten four to eight shades. Promising review: "I have only used the two original pens that I purchased and can already see an improvement. I am older than 60 and drink coffee daily and red wine weekly." —vicki houskaGet a two-pack from Amazon for $18.95 (also available individually and in packs of four). A set of Kegel weights to not only help with incontinence but also potentially make sex easier, less painful, and more enjoyable. These are especially great for people who've just given birth, though anyone can benefit from strengthening their pelvic floor muscles. Read more about Kegel exercises at Cleveland review: "Since starting, my bladder control has significantly improved. I am now able to sneeze or cough without peeing myself. Yes, that's right. I am able to hold my pee longer, which means I can actually make it to the bathroom without dribbling on myself. The best part is that just a few short weeks into the program, you will have results you can feel. I think every woman who has ever had kids should try this out. The overall quality of my life has improved. Ditch your panty liners, stop the embarrassing dribbles, and no more mad dashes to the restroom because of a weak bladder. Even my sex life has improved; I have control of those pelvic muscles now. Just remember to wash the weights before and after each use with an antibacterial spray, and allow time to air dry before putting them away. I say air dry because if you wipe them dry with a cloth, you run the risk of giving yourself a bladder infection or urinary tract infection, and those are no laughing matter. Easy to use, easy to clean, stores away quickly." —Lady TauberGet a set of six weights from Amazon for $49.99. An eco-friendly hard water stain-remover that'll help you wipe away soap scum and residue in your shower in half the time it normally takes you to clean. It's biodegradable, so the scent won't singe your nose hairs and make you gag. Plus, it's safe enough to use on just about anything — including shower glass, tile, granite, stainless steel, marble, brass, and porcelain. Promising review: "I am amazed!!!! I bought this product because of the reviews, and wow!!! I just bought my home, and my water is from a new well, which stained my toilets and I was so embarrassed when anyone would go to a brand new house with a dirty, stained toilet, but this did the job!!!! I have used many products, and this worked perfectly!!! You need to do a bit of scrubbing, but it's all worth it. Extremely happy with the results!!!" —Luis RoqueGet it from Amazon for $19.99. Some acne patches for those days when a pimple pops up at the *worst* possible moment. They absorb all the gunk lurking in your whiteheads and create a barrier to prevent you from picking or popping. And they're sheer enough that you can wear them out in public. A Squatty Potty, because a bout of constipation shouldn't leave you down in the ~dumps~. Squatting changes the angle of your anal canal, opening it up so it's easier for things to exit. Read more about constipation relief at home, including using a squatting position, at Cleveland review: "I have known about this product for years since seeing it on Shark Tank. I know lots of people who use it and always thought to myself, 'I don't have problems, so I don't need it.' Well, a pelvic physical therapist suggested it to me to help with my issue with a large prostate. The results are pretty amazing, not only for the issue I had but for clearing my bowels, which was an issue I didn't think I had a problem with. The best thing is that I used to wait until I couldn't hold it any longer. When using this product, I can go even if I don't feel an urgent urge. I strongly recommend it!" —L HudsonIf you want more Squatty Potty content before making the best purchase of your life, check out our Squatty Potty it from Amazon for $24.99+ (available in two sizes). A Tushy 3.0 bidet attachment if you want to pamper your patootie. Not only will it help you use less TP, but it also just leaves you feeling cleaner after you go. Promising review: "How have I gone so long living like a barbarian, wiping my dirty bottom with the ground up corpses of dead conifers?! I can't go back! I won't go back!" —Cale it from Amazon and Tushy for $129+ (available in nine colors). And don't forget a before-you-go toilet spray to hide any evidence. Even if you're one of those weirdly confident people who can poop in a house full of people without issue, having this in your bathroom for others can calm nervous pooers. Promising review: "New Year's Day 2019 I wake up at my friend's house after a night of partying to the smell of fresh coffee and bacon frying in the kitchen. So I get up and say good morning to everyone, get me some coffee, and think to myself, 'Hey! The entire house smells like bacon. It's probably an opportune time for me to 'drop the kids off at the pool' because no one will notice anything I'm making in the bathroom over what Michelle is making in her kitchen.' Anyway, I look on top of the bowl and there's this stuff. For added protection against embarrassment, I pump a couple of sprays into the bowl and do my stuff. Yup now I totally smell bacon and oranges, but not a whiff of anything else that might cause my friends to ask me if I need to see a doctor or something. So now I keep a bottle with me just in case I'm in one of those situations when I have, you know, a brown dog scratching at the back door, but don't want anyone to know that I'm letting him out." —D. Grieco it from Amazon for $4.99+ (available in a variety of sizes). A cuticle oil that'll restore your shredded nails after a gel mani. A combination of sweet almond oil, vitamin E, and jojoba softens the cuticle and strengthens your claws so you'll be proud to show them off. A tonsil stone remover so you can *finally* treat the root cause of your bad breath. This tool has a built-in LED light so you can easily locate the tonsil stone. Plus it also comes with a syringe to help you wash out the pocket the tonsil stone left behind. If you suspect you have tonsil stones (also called tonsilloliths), talk to your dentist or doctor! They can perform a physical exam or imaging scan and deliver a review: "I'm in my early 30s and just started getting tonsil stones. Until a few months ago, I never even knew what these things were! I've been struggling with cotton swabs to fully remove the stones, but couldn't get rid of them, and they would just come back within the week. I received this and investment ever. No struggle holding my phone as a flashlight while awkwardly posing myself in front of my badly lit bathroom mirror. I sat comfortably at my vanity, used one hand, and removed the whole stone in less than a minute. Why did I not know this was a thing? Why have I been struggling? Get it! Stop struggling, suffering, and awkwardly dealing with this ridiculous me." —WrenGet it from Amazon for $9.93+ (available in two colors and a two-pack). A jetted tub cleaner, because who knows when the last time you cleaned it was. (I hate to break it to you, but you're probably chillaxing in dirty water.) This cleanser is made to flush out soap scum, body oils, and those black flakes that gunk up your tub's jets. Promising review: "They don't call this Oh Yuk! for no reason. I previously used Jacuzzi's two-part system, and this worked sooo much better. I was totally embarrassed, not to mention grossed out, at how much funk came out. It was NASTY! It definitely cleans your tub. You will probably have to clean the sides of your tub after it's finished because of how much stuff might come out. I swear I clean my tub on a regular basis, but I was amazed at how much better this worked. Highly recommend!" —Amazon CustomerGet it from Amazon for $18.73. A pack of dishwasher cleaning tablets if you're a little embarrassed every time you hand your guest a cloudy glass. These tablets dissolve hard water buildup and limescale so your dishes and cups emerge sparkling and clean. A Home Chef subscription to make cooking dinner fun, exciting, and easy. No more sad bowls of ramen or aimlessly walking down aisles at the grocery store waiting for dinner inspiration to hit! We're talking Instagram-worthy meals that are as affordable as they are delicious and all the ingredients you need shipped straight to your door. Some foaming toilet tablets that'll make your dream of never having to touch a dirty toilet brush again a reality. It's basically a sanitizing bath bomb that disinfects your toilet. A pumice cleaning stone for powering through tough rust, lime, and calcium streaks you have to explain to your S.O. are not poop stains — you swear! Give your tired arms a break and let this little guy scrub away discoloration with ease. This non-toxic cleaner is tough on dirt but gentle on porcelain so you can sit atop the listening throne you deserve. Promising review: "I have very hard water that leaves hard-water buildup and nasty stains. It's embarrassing to have guests over because the toilets are so gross! I have tried so many products and cleaning solutions — from natural essential oils to harsh chemicals so strong I was lightheaded for the rest of the day. Well, I tried out this pumice stone after reading about it in a BuzzFeed article, and honestly, the hype is real! It does take some elbow grease, but the after picture is from only 20 minutes of scrubbing, light enough that I didn't break a sweat! The stone does get used up, but I think this one should last me a couple of years at least. So if you have embarrassing toilets, try this!" —Stephanie RayGet it from Amazon for $11.99. A foot file so your heels are in sandal-ready condition. Rub gently and watch the dead skin and calluses fall like shredded cheese to reveal baby soft heels. Promising review: "I'm not one to talk about my feet. I've had circulation problems for years that are just now resolving, and that has led to deep calluses on the heel of both feet. I bought this on a whim as I have tried other products in the past with no luck. Twenty minutes later, I'm touching baby-smooth skin where there used to be deep cracks and rough broken skin. This thing is a miracle-worker, and if I could rate it 10 stars, I would." —Gully176Get it from Amazon for $9.95. A pack of earbud cleaners because you wanna clearly hear your true crime podcast. Squish the flexible square into your AirPods, peel it off, and gasp in horror at the ear goop that's been dulling the sound quality. That photo! That goop! Promising review: "I never usually write reviews but this is an exception. I've had my AirPods for over a year and when the sound quality was diminishing, I was afraid they had a short life expectancy and I would need to get a new pair! Even after using cotton buds to clean the AirPods out, I thought that was enough until my friend said there's stuff built up and hard to see, but there was nothing able to get it out! Enter this product — it literally took five minutes to clean each ear bud effectively and instantly the sound quality was as good as new! Loud, clear, less trouble connecting to my phone, etc. I really suggest giving this product. You don't need a full square to clean them, so you can pull a piece off or reuse a square with a side you haven't used! SO happy I found a solution!" —Amazon CustomerGet 12 from Amazon for $15.99. A TubShroom if your relaxing showers have turned into you standing in a puddle of water for 15 minutes because the drain is This little guy snags the hair you shed before it can collect in the pipes. Promising review: "I have long hair and recently had a baby. This means the poor tub drain is getting clogged every time we turn around, and we're spending ridiculous amounts of time with that spiky stick thing you shove down there and then pull out over and over. I figured if this even worked to catch half of my hair, then it would be worth its salt. Holy moly. When they say it catches every hair, they aren't kidding. We clean it off about twice A WEEK! And when they say it's easy to clean, they are right again. A swipe with toilet paper and the hair blob comes right off to be flushed down the toilet. I've already told so many people about this product because I love it so much. Fantastic!!!" —sasamoGet it from Amazon for $11.99+ (available in five colors and in packs of two). A tube of antiperspirant hand cream to dry your hands if you suffer from hyperhidrosis (excess sweating), or if you're just nervous! Promising review: "I used this product on my 10-year-old son. He sweats A LOT on his hands. He would tell me that he was embarrassed at school and he had problems making friends. My son told me he had never shaken a hand outside of mine ever before in his life. It broke me. As a father, I knew I had to fix this. I set up an appointment with his doctor and got nowhere. The doctor said it's normal and should go away in the coming years. I asked about surgery and they said it would be around $10,000, so I started saving. Couple weeks went by and I came across this product I asked my son if he was OK with trying it and he desperately said yes. We put it on, and his hands are completely dry now. When it worked, he started practicing shaking hands and high-fives with his brother. It's been two weeks now, and it is working AMAZING." —HECTOR LORENZOGet it from Amazon for $19.95 (available in three scents and multi-packs). A collagen-coating hair treatment that's safe for all hair types and will revitalize a dry, damaged, and overprocessed mane overnight. This reparative five-minute hair mask will revive your mane and leave it soft, silky, and smooth. An antifungal tea tree balm for treating basically any somewhat embarrassing skin condition you can think of: athlete's foot, ringworm, jock itch, and even just dry skin. Promising review: "I ordered this balm on a whim as a remedy for a skin rash, and was very impressed with its effectiveness! After getting rid of my rash, I decided to try it elsewhere, and it worked wonders on dry skin areas like elbows, knees, and feet. I was blown away by how I changed my feet entirely! As a dancer, my feet have always been a war zone: dry skin, calluses, ingrown toenails, and athlete's foot (all frequent problems over the course of many years). I was always embarrassed to wear sandals or any type of shoes that would show off parts of my feet because of all the dry skin, but sometimes it couldn't be avoided. This balm has made my feet the loveliest they have been, and now I can choose any type of shoes I want to wear without embarrassment." —anengstromGet it from Amazon for $36.33. A box of wart-removing pads that you apply like bandages so you can be rid of your extra growth. Be gone, appendage! Promising review: "This stuff works! I've never had a wart in my life! At first, I thought it was a small callus, but as months went by, it was getting larger. I started to Google and realized I had a plantar wart on my thumb! Eww, embarrassing! So I got the freeze off and thought, 'This has to work!' Nope! I tried the freeze off three times and nothing! I then realized the same thing was happening on my other thumb, a small callus, but I knew that the wart had spread! Now I was desperate to get rid of them and knew I had waited too long! Bought the invisible strips and it removed my small wart in four days and my big wart in eight!! I couldn't believe it. I left strips on for two days, then pulled back the dead skin with a cuticle clipper and reapplied! My bigger wart was a little tougher to remove, and I had irritated my skin trying to cut it out, so I left it alone for a few days before reapplying the strip. By the second 48-hour treatment, it was gone! I thought my skin would be damaged, but it looks like nothing was ever there!" —Audrey 14 pads from Amazon for $7.29+ (available in two styles and in larger packs). A tub of brightening, firming, and rejuvenating eye cream because you're tired of your mom constantly asking you, "Are you getting enough sleep?" on your weekly FaceTime, even though she should darn well know that your dark circles are hereditary (thnx a lot, Mom!). Promising review: "This is the second review I've done on Amazon. I rarely go out of my way to write a review unless I'm truly amazed by the product. I have terrible sunken-in eyes (due to genetics) that can't really be fixed without fillers (which I'd never do). No matter how much sleep I get, I have bad dark circles, so I decided that I had to invest in an eye cream. I'm so glad I did! I used a cheap drugstore eye cream that really only made it look like I had water under my eyes, and it did nothing else. This eye cream is so hydrating and smooth! It really evens out my skin tone and wakes up my face in the morning! I feel so refreshed and dare I It's boosted my confidence a ton. I'm so happy with this product!" —casie ackermanGet it from Amazon for $14.99+ (available in three sizes). A grout paint pen to cover up the mortifyingly large amount of dirt and grime that has fallen into the cracks. It works like a regular marker, so even the people who failed art can use it. And it beats actually having to clean! 🙃 Promising review: "I don't hate my old tile as much! My husband and I renovated our ground level into an entertaining area. The tile, on the other hand, was old and just would have cost way too much money to pull up. Needless to say, the area came out amazing. Now I don't hate the tile because the grout was so dirty, and I could not get it clean as much. I highly recommend this product. Now, when I walk downstairs, I don't cringe looking at the floor anymore. I will purchase another pen or two just to go over it later on. I'm not embarrassed by my floors anymore." —LUCYANNGet it from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in two tip widths and a variety of colors). A bottle of dentist-approved mouthwash for helping reduce the severity of your swamp breath, whether it's caused by a medical issue or because you just drank coffee and orange juice. This one's made sans alcohol, so it won't burn when you swish it around your mouth. Promising review: "Why didn't I find it before? It's very embarrassing to admit, but I had very stinky breath. It did smell like s..t and I tried many products that didn't work. Just follow instructions and 'deep throat' gargle for 30 seconds or so for best results. I can say that my breath has improved by 50%, which is a huge huge difference. Morning breath is not as bad. I can talk to people with confidence and that all it counts. Thank you Amazon!!!" —Shopper5Get a pack of two from Amazon for $ You can learn more by reading my colleague's in-depth TheraBreath oral rinse deep dive. A natural shoe deodorizer spray so you don't have to wash your feet the minute you get home to get rid of the funk from your work flats. It's made with essential oils and smells like lemon and eucalyptus so you'll probably want to spray it around the rest of your house, too. Promising review: "This product WORKS! You won't be disappointed. I used to get embarrassed taking off my flats in my office because they smelled so bad, but not anymore! My work flats make my feet sweaty, and this spray helps keep the awful odors away at least four to five days (probably longer, but I was so excited I just sprayed my shoes again because I liked the smell haha!) The lemon is strong and the eucalyptus I love, so I would purchase again! Although it will likely last a while! I have a little boy who gets sweaty feet also, so I'm sure I'll soon be using this in his shoes also." —Traeannah BrownGet it from Amazon for $14.95 (available in three scents). A denture cleaner because, despite brushing your retainer each night, it's somehow coated in some weird white film. These fizzing tablets will blast away odor-causing bacteria, discoloration, and plaque from your Invisalign, retainers, dentures, night guards, and more. A box of extra strength Gas-X chewables if you know you should avoid dairy but your Friday night plans include mac 'n' cheese, nachos, and ice cream. Promising review: "Sometimes you eat something that is too rich on an empty stomach and wham — the pain, the bloating, the weird weird noises start. And then if you have this, within minutes, it helps relieve the gas, bloating, and discomfort. Taking this is nothing to be ashamed about; it happens to everyone whether they like to admit it or not." —MusicLoverGet a pack of 72 chewable tablets from Amazon for $14.48. A stainless-steel tongue scraper to banish bad bacteria and improve stinky breath. This way you won't suffer the embarrassment of someone offering you a breath mint. A pack of Schick dermaplaning razors that'll evict any unwanted stray hairs and help you conquer your fear caused by accidentally shaving off half your eyebrow in middle school, thanks to its precision cover. These itty bitty razors are great for stashing in your purse for touch-ups on the go. Promising review: "I'm a hairy gal. Hormonal problems ruled out by my physician; it's just hereditary. My cheeks, neck, forehead, and chin are covered in a fine ever-growing peach fuzz. If I cease shaving, I shall acquire a boat and thus forth be dubbed blonde beard. My mustache is darker and thicker, something I think a lot of women experience. I have been shaving for a while with a men's razor (Gillette Fusion ProGlide for reference) and shaving cream but it just couldn't give me a close enough shave. ENTER SCHICK SILK TOUCH-UP! Holy wow! I've been dry shaving my entire face and some of my neck with these and no irritation, plus it is the closest shave I have gotten. No pulling or scraping like other 'mini razors.' It's quicker than doing what I call a 'dad shave' in the shower, and I can see what I'm shaving because I'm at my makeup table and there's no shaving cream obstructing my view (I don't want to accidentally hack off the hair by my ears or forehead). Plus, I compared this to other (what I call) mini razors and it's twice the size. So very efficient for doing your whole face, easy for detailing those brows. I love this product and hope that they sell it forever. It works on my peach fuzz, mustache, and brows. If I ever get word that they are going to stop making them, I will hoard them all." —Dr. Eleanor AbernathyGet a pack of three from Amazon for $5.94 (or Subscribe & Save for $5.64/month). A clay mask for vacuuming the gunk out of your pores. It may also help reduce the frequency of your breakouts and soften your skin. Promising review: "I bought this as a last hope for cystic acne. I bought raw apple cider vinegar with the mother to mix with the clay powder because I heard that worked best for people experiencing skin problems. My skin has been a rollercoaster for the past five years. But recently, things have gotten really out of control. My self-esteem is the lowest it's been. This mask had been such a lifesaver. I'm not sure words can describe how impressed I am with this healing clay mask. Since my skin has been through hell and I've literally tried everything, it's pretty resilient, so I've been using this mask every night for the last four days. It's not nearly as drying as I thought it would be, so that hasn't been an issue. But the mask has dried up everything, and I have no new breakouts. I was so happy that I cried. If I could give this product a million stars, I would!" —Afton StAmourGet it from Amazon for $ our Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay deep dive and discover more of its many uses. A bottle of dandruff shampoo so you can banish white flakes from your scalp. It's made with ketoconazole 1%, an antifungal ingredient that'll tell your dandruff it's no longer welcome here. Read more about ketoconazole shampoo at Cleveland review: "MIRACLE PRODUCT! If you have a flaky scalp from dandruff, BUY THIS. I was about to go to the dermatologist if this stuff didn't work. Thank goodness I saved myself hundreds of dollars by giving this product a shot. I used it four of five times (over a month) and it cleared my scalp almost completely. One more use and my scalp will be 120% healed! This stuff blew my mind. Totally worth it." —chrisGet it from Amazon for $15.88. An odor-eliminating spray because you're pretty sure your houseguests think your living room smells like cat pee (you definitely think so!) since your kitty urinates in the same corner. This'll lift stains and odors fast. Plus, each spray releases bacteria that feed on the ammonia left behind after your pet's accidents, eliminating the urine completely and deterring your pet from peeing in the same spot again. Promising review: "I have six elderly cats, and a few of them oftentimes leave smelly pee puddles to register their disdain at whatever cats get 'peed off' about. It's not a litter box problem, and, although I've caught one or two of them doing it, I can't blame them all. This product works great on fresh messes as well as dried ones. After blotting up fresh pee pods, I saturate the area with Rocco & Roxie's odor remover and let it dry. For dried stinky stuff, I just saturate the area and let it dry. It has a pleasant odor and completely eliminates the ammonia odor. Believe me, I've tried all kinds of products, and this one works the best. I buy gallons now just to have on hand. It's better than smelling that awful pee!" —mona miaGet it from Amazon for $20.39+ (available in two scents). A pack of gas-neutralizing pads if your farts smell worse than the dog's (and the dog eats poop!). Each antimicrobial activated charcoal pad traps foul-smelling gas molecules so toxic toots are a thing of the past. Promising review: "My significant other has a butt that wants to violently suffocate everyone. This was originally a gag (pun intended) gift but, when used, it actually worked. Most, if not all, of the smell went away with the particularly terrible poots. We joke that we should get some more." —SunshineGet a pack of five from Amazon for $12.99.
Politico
18 hours ago
- Politico
Playbook: A name to remember
Presented by With help from Eli Okun, Bethany Irvine and Ali Bianco Good morning. It's Sunday. This is Zack Stanton. Get in touch. THE CONVERSATION: From restricting food dyes and ultra-processed foods to tackling what he calls the 'child vaping epidemic,' FDA Commissioner Marty Makary wants to 'go bold,' he tells Playbook's Dasha Burns on today's episode of 'The Conversation.' But it's another part of their discussion that may yet prove to be the most consequential if it comes to fruition as government policy: backing research and funding into women's health. 'It does feel like the system just doesn't think specifically about the very particular needs of women's bodies and doesn't do enough research into this,' Makary told Dasha. 'We got hormone replacement therapy [for menopausal and perimenopausal women] wrong for 22 years, scaring women, saying that, you know, 'it increases your risk of dying of breast cancer' when no clinical trial has ever supported that finding,' he said. More from POLITICO's Katherine Long … Subscribe to 'The Conversation' on YouTube, Apple Podcasts or Spotify DRIVING THE DAY A NAME YOU WILL REMEMBER: There can be a temptation in Washington-centric journalism to focus on those people with power. This morning, the most important thing you can read is about someone who had none: Zainab Abu Halib. At the time of her death on Friday in Gaza, the 5-month-old weighed less than 4.4 pounds — two pounds under her birth weight, her eyes sunken, her ankle smaller than an adult's thumb. She was the latest of 85 children in Gaza to die of malnutrition-related causes amid mass starvation, report AP's Samy Magdy and Mariam Dagga. She will not be the last. 'With my daughter's death, many will follow,' her mother, Esraa Abu Halib, told the AP. 'Their names are on a list that no one looks at. They are just names and numbers. We are just numbers. Our children, whom we carried for nine months and then gave birth to, have become just numbers.' 'The expression 'skin and bones' doesn't do it justice,' Nick Maynard, a British surgeon volunteering at the same hospital at which Zainab died, told NYT's Patrick Kingsley and colleagues. He was describing his shock at treating another infant, a skeletal 7-month-old. 'I saw the severity of malnutrition that I would not have thought possible in a civilized world. This is man-made starvation being used as a weapon of war and it will lead to many more deaths unless food and aid is let in immediately.' 'I don't know what you would call it other than mass starvation, and it's man-made, and that's very clear,' World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said this week at a press conference, per WaPo. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's government repudiates that narrative. 'Israel rejects the false accusations of 'starvation' propaganda initiated by Hamas which manipulates pictures of children suffering from terminal diseases,' the Israeli foreign ministry said in a statement last night. 'It is shameful.' But it's an undeniable reality that, for Gazans, hunger has been drastically more widespread since the expiration of a six-week ceasefire in March, after which Israel reimposed a blockade on the territory. 'Beginning in late May, U.N. humanitarian efforts were replaced by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an Israeli- and U.S.-backed aid distribution system,' report WaPo's Ruby Mellen and colleagues. 'Critics have warned that the foundation — which is registered as a nonprofit but is backed by entities hoping to profit from the relief effort — transports inadequate aid to Palestinians under a flawed setup that forces them to risk their lives for provisions.' Since May, Israel has allowed in an average of 69 aid trucks a day, per AP's Wafaa Shurafa and colleagues — 'far below the 500 to 600 trucks a day the U.N. says are needed for Gaza.' Today, at this very moment, we're in a brief 10-hour window during which Israel has paused military operations in parts of Gaza to allow aid into the territory, Reuters' Nidal Al-Mughrabi and colleagues report. After global outcry over the spiraling humanitarian catastrophe, Israel announced this morning that humanitarian pauses will continue on a daily basis until further notice. Key members of Netanyahu's government disagree with that decision. 'This is a capitulation to Hamas' deceitful campaign,' far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said in a statement. He went on to repeat — in Reuters' words — 'his call to choke off all aid to Gaza, conquer the entire territory and encourage its Palestinian population to leave.' But the international pressure on Netanyahu is mounting. And there are key questions that could change the situation substantially: What, if anything, does President Donald Trump want to do? Will he pressure Israel to come to the table and broker a ceasefire? Trump, who is in Scotland, is due to meet tomorrow with British PM Keir Starmer. Their discussion, per the Telegraph's Dominic Penna, will focus on the U.K.-U.S. trade deal, further support for Ukraine and the urgent need for a ceasefire in Gaza. Pressure is mounting within the U.S., too, as the humanitarian disaster has stirred people across the political spectrum. Growing numbers of Democrats — including staunch defenders of Israel — are speaking out, as POLITICO's Gigi Ewing and Ben Johansen report. And conservative Ross Douthat used his influential Sunday NYT column today to write that 'Israel's warmaking at this moment is unjust.' Aid groups have welcomed the news of Israel's daily 10-hour pause during which they can bring food into the territory — the World Food Program says it has enough food en route to Gaza to feed the entire population for three months, per Haaretz — but broadly believe that a ceasefire is 'likely the only way to end the crisis,' NYT's Aaron Boxerman writes. Today, that 10-hour pause will end at 8 p.m. local time, or 1 p.m. Eastern. By then, perhaps, food will have been distributed and medicine delivered to hospitals. It will have come too late for Zainab Abu Halib. But there still may be time for others. 'I don't know what to say anymore,' her mother told CNN yesterday. 'How many innocent babies like Zainab should be starved to death so the world wakes up?' SUNDAY BEST … — Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on the tariff deadline coming up Friday, on 'Fox News Sunday': 'No extensions, no more grace periods. Aug. 1, the tariffs are set. They'll go into place. Customs will start collecting the money, and off we go. Obviously after Aug. 1, people can still talk to President Trump. I mean, he's always willing to listen. And between now and then, I think the president's going to talk to a lot of people. Whether they can make him happy is another question. But the president's definitely willing to negotiate and talk to the big economies, for sure.' — Speaker Mike Johnson on a possible pardon or commutation of Ghislaine Maxwell, on NBC's 'Meet the Press': 'I think 20 years was a pittance. I think she should have a life sentence at least. … Not my decision, but I have great pause about that, as any reasonable person would.' — Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) on Maxwell, on ABC's 'This Week': 'I have skepticism given she was indicted for perjury. Given she has a motive for getting a pardon. I didn't love that Todd Blanche was meeting with her, allegedly, one on one. But I'm for all the evidence coming out.' More from POLITICO's Gregory Svirnovskiy — OMB Director Russ Vought on whether the administration will release NIH funds for cancer and cardiovascular disease research that it has withheld after Congress appropriated them, on CBS' 'Face the Nation': 'The NIH was weaponized against the American people over the last several years … We have an agency that needs dramatic overhaul. Thankfully, we have a great new head of it, but we're going to have to go line by line to make sure the NIH is funded properly. … We're going to continue to go to the same process that we have gone through with regard to the Department of Education … and we will release that funding when we are done with that review.' TOP-EDS: A roundup of the week's must-read opinion pieces. 9 THINGS FOR YOUR RADAR 1. RED-LIGHT REDISTRICT: Democratic plans for emergency gerrymandering — an effort to counter Trump's drive to seize several seats in Texas and Missouri — are gathering speed, with California seen as the leading option, POLITICO's Liz Crampton and colleagues report. In the Golden State, '[l]awmakers and operatives who were initially caught off guard or skeptical of [Gov. Gavin] Newsom's proposal are increasingly becoming convinced California has the authority and the political will.' Dems' next-best option would be New York, with possibly Maryland and New Jersey down the list, while state lawmakers in Colorado, Minnesota and Washington say no. But but but: There remain legal and political hurdles for Democrats to mount a gerrymander anywhere, including in California — and that's putting it mildly. The party's debate over the issue may slam into those realities. But the desperation is real, NBC's Adam Edelman reports from the National Governors Association summer meeting in Colorado Springs. Hawaii Gov. Josh Green says outright that Republicans are trying to steal the election and Dems must 'fight fire with fire.' 2. RACE FOR THE STATES: Republican operatives in Pennsylvania are in panic mode about another potential Doug Mastriano gubernatorial bid — and whether his down-ballot effect could cost the GOP the House, POLITICO's Holly Otterbein reports. Their fear is that the far-right state senator could again win a primary and again get clobbered by Josh Shapiro, who's now the popular incumbent. State Treasurer Stacy Garrity could be the establishment Republican pick. Some Trump advisers are concerned, and local Republicans hope Trump will endorse Garrity. But Mastriano says that's not true: 'I have President Trump's direct line,' he writes. 'And he ain't saying this.' On the left coast: In California, some Democrats are batting about similar — if much less dire — concerns about a potential Kamala Harris gubernatorial bid, CNN's Isaac Dovere reports. Harris has plenty of enthusiastic allies, but her critics worry that she'll be saddled with Joe Biden-era baggage and motivate Republicans to turn out, damaging Democrats in swing House races. 3. THE LEGACY OF DOGE: At the NGA meeting, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. offered a rare candid glimpse into the budgetary tensions that may exist within the Trump administration, POLITICO's Shia Kapos writes in. Kennedy acknowledged he's hardly enthusiastic about the cuts being taken to his agency. 'If it were up to me, I wouldn't cut anything in my department,' he told the governors and attendees during the meeting yesterday. 'With the exception of maybe [Education Secretary] Linda McMahon, there's nobody else in the Cabinet who wants to see any of their budgets cut.' McMahon spoke at the conference Friday. The comment earned the biggest laugh of the day — a light moment in a conference that was otherwise focused on serious stuff. Kennedy also talked about chronic disease, healthful school lunches and the mystery of peanut allergies. What he didn't talk about: his take on vaccines. The summer gathering also featured tech billionaire Mark Cuban, who spoke about artificial intelligence, and Mehmet Oz, now the top official at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, who huddled with governors behind closed doors. Also in the DOGE house: The Department of Government Efficiency is now using an AI tool to rifle through hundreds of thousands of federal regulations — with the goal of cutting half of them outright by determining which rules aren't required by law, WaPo's Hannah Natanson and colleagues scooped. Administration spokespeople say no final decisions have yet been made. Meanwhile, a much-diminished CFPB isn't just trying to cut rules but also retreating from enforcement of existing ones — deregulation by another (easier) name, WSJ's Scott Patterson reports. 4. FOR YOUR RADAR: 'Trump says Thailand, Cambodia agree to hold immediate ceasefire talks,' by Reuters' Shoon Naing and colleagues: 'Thailand's acting prime minister, Phumtham Wechayachai, thanked Trump and said Thailand 'agrees in principle to have a ceasefire in place' but 'would like to see sincere intention from the Cambodian side.' … Trump said he had spoken to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Phumtham and warned them that he would not make trade deals with either if the border conflict continued.' 5. FOR PETE'S SAKE: The turmoil inside the upper echelons of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's paranoid Pentagon is far from over. As Hegseth focused on polygraph tests to root out leakers to the press this spring, the White House ordered his team to stop when Hegseth senior adviser Patrick Weaver (a Stephen Miller ally) told them he was worried about being targeted, WaPo's Dan Lamothe and Ellen Nakashima scooped. And Hegseth has refused to promote Lt. Gen. Douglas Sims — first over suspicion of leaking, of which Sims was cleared, and then over Sims' ties to Mark Milley, NYT's Greg Jaffe and colleagues report. Even an intervention by Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan 'Razin' Caine couldn't move Hegseth on Sims, who's now likely to retire. 'Mr. Hegseth's actions could shape the military's top ranks for years to come. His insistence on absolute loyalty, backed with repeated threats of polygraphs, also creates uncertainty and mistrust that threaten to undermine the readiness and effectiveness of the force, officials said.' 6. ABOUT THAT QATAR JET: 'What Will It Cost to Renovate the 'Free' Air Force One? Don't Ask,' by NYT's David Sanger and Eric Schmitt: 'Officially, and conveniently, the price tag has been classified. But even by Washington standards, where 'black budgets' are often used as an excuse to avoid revealing the cost of outdated spy satellites and lavish end-of-year parties, the techniques being used to hide the cost of Mr. Trump's pet project are inventive. Which may explain why no one wants to discuss a mysterious, $934 million transfer of funds from one of the Pentagon's most over-budget, out-of-control projects — the modernization of America's aging, ground-based nuclear missiles.' 7. KNIVES OUT FOR PENNY PRITZKER: The leader of Harvard's Corporation and Democratic former Commerce secretary could be targeted for removal by the Trump administration in an eventual deal between Washington and Harvard, NYT's Anemona Hartocollis reports. And on campus, some professors think having Pritzker step down would be a relatively small and painless concession for Harvard to make, since it wouldn't encroach on academic autonomy. But Pritzker would have to choose to step down, and she has plenty of allies in Cambridge. 'Friends said she was unlikely to give in.' 8. BANNED AID: 'Trump administration to destroy birth control intended as aid,' by WaPo's Maham Javaid and colleagues: 'The family-planning supplies, which include more than 50,000 intrauterine devices, nearly 2 million doses of injectable contraceptives, nearly 900,000 implantable contraceptive devices and more than 2 million packets of oral birth control, are worth about $9.7 million … The government of Belgium, the United Nations and humanitarian groups say they tried to stop the destruction of the contraceptives, which they say are needed in much of the developing world.' 9. SUNDAY READ: 'ICE Took Half Their Work Force. What Do They Do Now?' by NYT's Eli Saslow: 'For more than a decade, Glenn Valley [Foods]'s production reports had told a story of steady ascendance — new hires, new manufacturing lines, new sales records for one of the fastest-growing meatpacking companies in the Midwest. But, in a matter of weeks, production had plummeted by almost 70 percent. Most of the work force was gone. Half of the maintenance crew was in the process of being deported, the director of human resources had stopped coming to work, and more than 50 employees were being held at a detention facility in rural Nebraska.' TALK OF THE TOWN LIFESTYLES OF THE RICH AND POWERFUL — 'Diary of a Foreigner in Rome,' by Air Mail's Mattia Ferraresi: 'Tilman Fertitta, the U.S. ambassador to Italy, is yet to move into Villa Taverna, according to Italian-media reports. The sumptuous Roman villa … is rumored to have been deemed a dump uninhabitable by the Texas multi-billionaire, who insists it needs major renovation. He has allegedly taken up residence on Boardwalk, his 250-foot-long yacht sailing under the flag of the Cayman Islands and moored in the port of Civitavecchia, some 60 miles north of Rome. Fertitta's helicopter commute has quickly become the latest buzz in Rome's power circles.' OUT AND ABOUT — SPOTTED in owner Mark Ein's box at the Mubadala Citi DC Open quarterfinals Friday at Carter Barron to watch Frances Tiafoe play Ben Shelton: Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Calif.), Antony Blinken, Steve Ricchetti, Venus Williams, Gerry Baker, Margaret Carlson, Gene Sperling, Sally Ein, Charlie Ein, Chloe Ein, Alli Andresen and Mary Currie. WHITE HOUSE ARRIVAL LOUNGE — Harry Jung is now senior policy adviser at the President's Council of Advisors on Digital Assets. He most recently was acting chief of staff at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Rep. Glenn 'G.T.' Thompson (R-Pa.) … Sean Savett … Priscilla Painton of Simon & Schuster … Katie Wheelbarger … Alex Wirth of Quorum … Andy Spahn … Paul McLeod … Cecilia Muñoz … retired Adm. Craig Faller … Johanna Persing … Jeremy Adler … Prime Policy Group's Stefan Bailey … John Connell of Sen. Todd Young's (R-Ind.) office … Linda Feldmann … Gaurav Parikh … Bobby Cunningham of the Vogel Group … Live Action's Lila Rose … Bobby Saparow … Jeremy Deutsch of Capitol Venture … Anna McCormack of Rep. David Rouzer's (R-N.C.) office … MSNBC's Denis Horgan … Juan Mejia … former Reps. Dave Brat (R-Va.) and Lacy Clay (D-Mo.) … Ashley Gonzalez … former Commerce Secretary Don Evans … CNN's Susan Durrwachter … former CIA Director John Deutch … Seth Waugh … Kate Thompson of the Russell Group … Air Force's Charlie McKell … Susan Phalen … Nicholas Anastácio of National Journal … Brayden Karpinski … POLITICO's Brian Tran-Dac … Andrew Grossman Send Playbookers tips to playbook@ or text us on Signal here. Playbook couldn't happen without our editor Zack Stanton, deputy Garrett Ross and Playbook Podcast producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.
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Dentists Are Sharing The Most Horrifying Things They've Witnessed In Someone's Mouth, And It Might Be The Worst Thing I've Ever Read
Earlier this month, I decided to ask dentists and dental hygienists in our very own BuzzFeed Community what turned out to be a pretty graphic question: "What's the most horrifying thing you've seen in someone's mouth or witnessed on the job?" Their answers were gross in an absolutely fascinating way, so, I decided I had to share. You might pull a face at a few of these, but you'll definitely be entertained! So, here are some of people's best answers: Related: 1."Dead bedbugs in a patient's gums." NBC —Anonymous 2."Hairy tongue." —Anonymous, 44, Connecticut, US 3."A teenager whose wisdom teeth were developing so that it was best for her to have them removed by an oral surgeon with IV sedation. She freaked out. She didn't want it done because she was scared of the could easily see over 20 piercings." —Anonymous 4."I'm a dental hygienist and the strangest thing I have found (repeatedly) in people's mouths is pubic hair. You see a little hair sticking out of a person's gums, so you grab a pair of tweezers to pull it out, and it ends up being a long curly pubic hair. 🤢 I have also found a SPROUTED SEED stuffed underneath someone's gums before. 🤣" Warner Bros. —Anonymous, 31, Illinois 5."Periodontist here. I once had a patient who had a massive infection of his wisdom teeth that was starting to come out of his cheek. So what looked like a pimple on his lower right was really the infection starting to drain." HBO / Via "I immediately sent him to a hospital that had an oral surgeon on staff. The tooth was extracted, and he had a drain placed in his face to clear the infection. When your dentist tells you that you have an infection, it doesn't get any better; it only gets worse." —Anonymous, 37, New Jersey Related: 6."I was a dental assistant and took a full-mouth panoramic X-ray of a patient with no teeth. Looked in his mouth and he was right, he had no teeth. Took the X-ray and found he had roots for all his teeth, but they had rotted, and gum tissue had grown up over to cover them. A fascinating extraction surgery followed." —Anonymous 7."Dental hygienist/hygiene educator here with an interesting story and a serious one. The interesting story: A patient lost a front tooth, kept it, cut the root off, attached it to something metal, and then superglued it in — a super creative idea! Unfortunately, superglue is acidic, so it damaged the teeth where he attached his makeshift bridge. But you can't help but admire his outside-the-box thinking." "The serious story: Years ago, I was completing the oral facial (oral cancer) examination on my patient and saw a red patch on the floor of his mouth. I referred him to an ENT, and sure enough, it was cancer, and it needed surgical removal and radiation. It was life-changing for him (though he passed away a few years later) and for me. From then on, I was more confident and took more time completing that exam, and less worried about staying on schedule. Every time thereafter I saw this patient for his cleaning, he hugged me and kissed me on the cheek and thanked me for the extra time he had with his family. Each year, I tell my students this story and tell them how important this exam is to complete, to not worry about the clock, and not to cut it out from their tasks. Worry more about the patient as a whole, and not about if you leave stain behind or a tenacious piece of calculus (tartar). I cried when my patient died, and I tear up every time I teach oral facial exams and think about what he taught me and how grateful he was for me." —Anonymous, 45, New York 8."It wasn't something I saw, exactly, but something I smelled. The patient had cancer, and we could smell it coming from his mouth. No judgment for the bad smell, not his fault, everyone deserves dignity." —Anonymous Related: 9."I'm a dentist. I had a new patient come in with a loose crown. I told him I might be able to just remove the crown after I cleaned it, then recement it back over the tooth. I removed the crown to discover a worm flopping around inside." Dotana / Getty Images "I cleaned out the crown and tooth, recementing it. Then I referred him to his MD for treatment of the worm infestation. I was very careful with my gloves on and face mask, not touching any instruments until they were cleaned and sterilized before they were put away. I nearly lost it." —Anonymous 10."Unfortunately, I am not the only dentist who has had this experience, but fortunately, it has only happened to me once. I had a patient, mid-50s, in whose dentures I found several maggots. Yes, I did leave and go throw up." —Anonymous, 47, Ohio, US 11."Teen patient with a moldy retainer. They never took it out, and there was food and gunk in a layer of slime all over the top of it. And my God, the smell." —Anonymous 12."Many drug users get to a point (and it happens more quickly than you would think) where they unfortunately do not care about oral hygiene. Dental health gets even worse when a person's drug of choice is something like meth. It's always very sad to see and difficult to deal with. Take care of your teeth, kids." —Anonymous, 38 13."Do not smoke after getting your wisdom teeth removed. You do not want a dry socket." —Anonymous Related: 14."I did a lot of free work for underprivileged people and people experiencing homelessness in my city when I was a younger dentist. (Not so much anymore, I miss being able to help, but I'm older now and would get the occasional violent patient.) This wasn't the saddest thing I ever saw, but it was pretty messed up and stuck with me: a child, around 5 or 6, with almost totally decayed teeth. They basically survived off soda, milk, candy, and other junk food." "The only silver lining was that these were baby teeth. I spoke to the mother and did report that the child was being neglected and needed help. This was about 20 years ago; I live in a smallish town, and I know the child ended up living with their grandmother." —Anonymous 15."I don't have any real horror stories, but you'd be surprised how many people don't think about their teeth when it comes to smoking cigarettes! Plenty of smokers worry about their skin prematurely aging, but pay far less mind to oral health. Smokers' breath can get pretty horrific." —Anonymous 16."Maggots." CBS —Anonymous, 48, Seattle, Washington finally: "A guy who had sharpened his incisors and tried to bite the hygienist." —Anonymous, 54 Okay, I know that got pretty gross, but at times, it was touching. Feel free to let me know all your thoughts in the comments! Even better if you have a dental nightmare of your own to share. Or, if you want to write in but prefer to stay anonymous, you can check out this anonymous form! Who knows — your story could be featured in a future BuzzFeed article. Also in Goodful: Also in Goodful: Also in Goodful: Solve the daily Crossword
