By Linda Dahlstrom, health editor
What it is: Scentuelle’s “libido patch” for women. A 60-day supply is $29.95 at www.scentuellepatch.com.
What it claims to do: Turn you on. Scentuelle’s scented patch is designed to be worn daily on the wrist to “enhance feelings of sexuality through our sense of smell.”
My experience: Let me set the stage: I have a 14-month old son, a cat with a hairball problem, an overworked husband, a full-time job, and lately, what seems to be a chronic cold. Suffice it to say, I just haven’t felt as sexy as I did, say, 23 months ago.
I was dubious that a scented patch could put a dent in that, but the sweet nothings the company whispered across my computer screen were irresistible. “Stimulate your sex drive with a safe, discrete aroma patch backed by scientific research and fully guaranteed,” the Web site promised.
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By Anna Chan, contributing writer
What it is: Adea SeaCell Loungewear ($86-$154 on www.myadea.com)
What it claims to do: Help promote skin renewal. The garments are made from a blend of cotton, elastane and a patented fiber from seaweed called SeaCell. The manufacturer says your body’s natural moisture will help release the vitamins (A and E) and minerals, as well as amino acids, from the seaweed. The garments also help wick sweat and neutralize odors because the fabric contains silver.
My experience:Dry, flaky skin is something I’ve battled with since childhood, so I was intrigued by the idea of clothes that claim to moisturize.. This SeaCell line is not easy on the wallet, so I ordered the cheapest item – the $86 basic tank top. For that much money, this shirt better work miracles on my skin, I thought. (The cost is equivalent to roughly eight bottles of the lotion that has done a good job of keeping my dryness at bay.)
The tank top arrived, adorned with a tag explaining that the fabric would “promote skin renewal” but didn’t have any instructions. Do I wear the shirt as often as I would any other top? Should I hand wash it? I poked around Adea’s Web site and couldn’t find anything to tell me there either.
So, with no instructions, I plunged in.
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By Julia Sommerfeld, health editor
What it is:Soleil Sun Alarm, a dawn-simulator alarm clock ($79.99)
What it claims to do: Gently nudge you awake by gradually increasing the intensity of its built-in light, designed to mimic a sunrise. You can set your fake sun to rise over 15, 30, 60, 90 or 120 minutes. And if you’re a deep sleeper you can end your sun rise cycle with the back-up beeper, radio or strobe light. The maker claims that waking up to light resets your internal clock, making it easier to rise on subsequent mornings.
My experience:In the interest of full disclosure, let me say that I’m nocturnal by nature and have never met an alarm clock I like. Whether they beep, make soothing rainforest sounds or blare my very favorite song, I find alarm clocks to be singularly sadistic; it’s a cruel irony that it takes three of them to wake me every morning.
So you can understand why I was hopeful about the sun alarm’s promises of a kinder, gentler start to my day.
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By Diane Mapes, contributing writer
What it is: Leg & Foot Massager by Sirius ($59.99)
What it claims to do: According to the manufacturer, the Sirius Leg & Foot Massager (with Rhythmic Massage Action!) will “reduce heart rate and blood pressure, improve blood circulation and muscle relaxation, relieve muscle soreness, stiffness and pain and alleviate pain due to stress and tension” and a whole bunch of other stuff.
My experience: One of the things about living alone – and on a budget – is that you usually don’t get as much massage action as you’d like. There’s no loving partner to rub your aching muscles after a long day. And if you spend all your money on boring stuff like groceries and rent, you may not be able to hire a professional to take care of you, either. That’s one reason the Leg & Foot Massager seemed interesting to me. You just Velcro the massaging straps onto your legs, plug the thing in and you’re good to go. Instant massage therapy at the touch of a button. No fuss, no muss, no tip!
But “instant” isn’t exactly the word I’d used to describe my experience.
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By Diane Mapes, contributing writer
What it is: "Still Point Inducer” ($21.95)
Amazon.com
According to the manufacturer, the new and improved Still Point Inducer (SPI) will put you into “a state of deep relaxation,” relieve your headache and muscle pain, enhance your immune system efficiency, and encourage your body’s natural health. The SPI does this by reaching “soothing still points similar to those of CranioSacral Therapy,” an alt-med approach that’s been touted on everything from Oprah to ESPN.
My experience: I tend to work on a computer for 12 hours a day which can often result in blindingly bad tension headaches, so I was intrigued by the Still Point Inducer’s claims of easing headache and muscle pain. What I wasn’t prepared for, though, was the SPI’s appearance. It basically looks like a pair of small red rubber breasts. The idea is to rest the back of your head onto these rosy mounds for 10-15 minutes, up to four times a day. And let me tell you, those babies are firm, even on the “soft model” I tested.
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By Linda Dahlstrom, health editor
What it is: Ear candling (also called ear coning). Spa sessions are generally between 30 and 60 minutes and cost between $40 and $80.
Getty Images
Advocates of ear candling say it’s a natural way to remove excess wax and debris from inside the ear. A long, hollow, tapered “candle,” usually a cone made of muslin and coated with wax, is inserted into the ear and lit. Proponents say the smoke moves down the cone, into the ear and back out, creating a vacuum effect that draws out debris and wax.
My experience: I wouldn’t have thought that spending an hour with fire coming out of my ears would be relaxing. But the cushy massage table, heated pad cradling my neck, luxurious shoulder massage and soothing sounds of Enya quickly put aside my anxiety.
I’d read about ear candling online and seen horror stories about candle wax dripping back down into the ear itself, causing excruciating pain and serious injury. But I’d also read its praises and the accounts of people who swore by the procedure, saying it helped relieve fluid buildup and even tinnitus.
I’d had a mild cold a while back that was still causing my ears to pop. Maybe candling would make it go away?
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By Jacqueline Stenson, contributing health editor
What it is: Push Up Pro ($19.95)
Amazon.com
The user manual says the Push Up Pro is “the ultimate upper body workout!” With this product, which is actually two push-up grips that allow the user’s arms to rotate during the move, “more muscles are targeted more effectively while reducing strain on wrists and joints.” The Push Up Pro is “a must for anyone who is serious about getting in shape.”
Our experience: I’ve always found push-ups to be pretty punishing, so the idea that a fitness gadget might make them somehow better -- perhaps even easier or at least more likeable -- was enticing.
But the Push Up Pro certainly did not make them easier for me. With a normal push-up, you push against a stable floor surface. But the Push Up Pro has a rotating base that creates an unstable surface and requires additional effort just to stabilize your arms and support your upper body.
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By Linda Dahlstrom
What it is: Totally Nude Yoga & Tai Chi DVD ($19.99)
© DG Distributors
Dr. Leonard’s Online Healthcare Catalog, which sells the DVD, says that because you can see the “naked, well-toned bodies of the female instructors, you can follow each exercise and achieve the proper form.”
Our experience: First off, let us be clear that there is a small, legitimate movement of people doing yoga in the nude. Practitioners, who insist the method is strictly non-sexual, say that without the restraint of clothes, they are free to fully move, stretch and exercise.
That is not what this DVD is about. What it is exactly is hard to pin down. On the surface, it looks like a yoga video – for about the first 15 seconds. It starts to get weird immediately after words proclaiming “Beginning exercises” appear on the screen.
I’ve taken a fair amount of yoga classes and I have to say, most of these poses were foreign to me. Particularly the ones where you need two other naked ladies to be your partners. Particularly if all of the participants are doused in glycerin that is supposed to look like sweat. Particularly if the three of you are on a giant rotating disc. And especially if you have trouble seeing each other because of the fog machine.
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By Anna Chan
What it is: PetSafe Micro I.D. Rescue Collar, $39.99 to $44.99 exclusively at PETCO
What it claims to do: Stores your pet’s vital information on a USB flash memory card attached to a collar for instant access to contact, medical and care information.
Our experience:: As an overprotective (some would say “crazy”) cat mama, I’m always on the alert for ways to keep my cats safe. PetSafe’s Micro I.D. Rescue Collar seemed to fit the bill. If my cat ever got lost or was injured, whoever found him could plug in the memory card into a computer and find out not only how to return him to me, but who his vet is and about his medical conditions.
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By Melissa Dahl
What it is: Nanda’s Clocky, an alarm clock that runs away; $49.99
What it claims to do: Help wake you up in the morning by rolling away after you’ve hit the snooze button one time too many. Clocky will let you hit snooze once (you can set the timer anywhere from 0-9 minutes), but after that, he rolls off your nightstand and scampers around your room beeping.
Our experience: Clocky and I, we had such big plans. During our brief but blissful honeymoon stage, his encouragement got me up in time to do some crazy things in the morning. Things like running, straightening my hair and sometimes even showering.
But after a week of waking up together, all the things about him I once found so endearing became tiresome. At first, I just loved to watch him do his thing. I’d gleefully giggle as he’d roll off my nightstand and lead a chase around my bedroom. While I was happy I’d broken my snooze button addiction, those bleary-eyed games of tag became less and less hilarious as the mornings wore on. Soon, I started tensing up at the very sound of his voice – a series of shrieking beep-boops (think of R2-D2 gone evil.)
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