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There are a ton of creams, serums, and cleansers out there designed to help your complexion, but some of the most potent (yet gentle) ingredients might be in your fridge right now. See some of the best skin care you never knew you already had after the jump. Papain — This enzyme, found in papayas and pineapples, gently eats off dead skin cells, decongesting clogged pores and helping with skin texture and cell turnover....

And the truth is, many of us just simply don’t get enough vitamin D. In fact, nearly 42 percent of American adults are deficient, according to a 2011 study published in the journal Nutrition Research. Globally, an estimated 1 billion people don’t get adequate amounts of vitamin D. That’s because very few foods naturally contain the stuff. It’s called the sunshine vitamin for a reason: a majority of the vitamin D your body produces stems from the sun’s ultraviolet rays....

But is soda consumption all that bad? “Like pretty much everything, it’s the dose that makes the poison,” says nutritionist Shereen Lehman, MS, a nutrition expert at Verywell. “One serving of soda (sugary or diet) probably isn’t going to do any harm. But when it turns into five, six, or more cans a day, then you’re dealing with extra calories from the sugar and plenty of bloating.” Prevention Premium: The Unbelievable Way Meditation Could Be The Missing Piece Of Your Weight Loss Puzzle Diet soda cuts out the calories, but doesn’t address the bloating, Lehman says....

Waist-to-hip ratio: While waist circumference alone could indicate a weight problem, a more-accurate measure is waist-to-hip ratio, explains Susan Bowerman, MS, RD, CSSD, assistant director of UCLA’s Center for Human Nutrition. Measure the distance around your midsection at your belly button and divide that by the distance around your hips’ widest point. If the number is above 0.8, that could indicate unhealthy levels of abdominal fat, Bowerman says. Energy levels: Feeling fatigued now and then is absolutely normal, says Manuel Villacorta, MS, RD, CSSD, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and founder of MV Nutrition....

If you’re between the ages of 40 and 60 and are troubled by hot flashes, skipped periods, achy joints, and mood swings, don’t let your doc send you home with a flip “It’s only menopause.” It could be something more serious. Here’s how to tell. Irregular menstrual periods, one of the most common and predictable signs of menopause, most often occur because of the erratic levels of estrogen and progesterone and less-frequent ovulation....

However, if you’re not careful, some common workout mistakes could be undoing your good hip work. And when that happens, your hips aren’t the only joints that suffer. “Your hips anchor your pelvis, so any dysfunction in your hips has a significant domino effect and impacts your lower back, legs, knees, ankles, and feet,” says Jon Hyman, MD, an orthopedic surgeon in Atlanta. So there’s a lot at stake when something goes awry within your hip joint....

Feeling good about your looks is one part acceptance, sure, but it’s also one part endeavor. (Some studies suggest that putting even a smidgen of effort into your grooming routine might make you think more highly of your looks, regardless of the results.) In that spirit, we’ve identified the aging issues real Prevention readers are dealing with now—and got the expert scoop on how to tackle them effectively. (Looking for anti-aging advice that works?...

There’s more to protecting your skin from winter weather than just slapping on some moisturizer. Here, 9 ways you might be unknowingly sabotaging your skin when the temperature drops. Your Mistake: Using Alcohol-Based Products The hand sanitizer in your purse, the toner in your medicine cabinet, and the anti-acne wash in your shower may keep your skin sane from March to September, but they won’t do you many favors once cold weather hits....

Food used to be simple. You ate what you grew on the land or you bought from nearby farmers. Processed food was nothing more than canned, frozen, or cured. Today, food is much more complicated—and we’re both better and worse off for it. We can eat a greater variety of healthy foods than our ancestors did (think fresh berries in winter), but we also can eat a lot more highly processed, chemical-laden ones....

More from Prevention: Get Slim And Sculpted In 20 Minutes [header=1. Chair Squat] Chair Squat Stand with your back to a chair seat, shoulders rolled back, chest facing forward and chin up, feet shoulder-width apart. Slowly lower your butt to the chair seat, tap it on the chair, then slowly rise. Repeat 15-20 times. Standard SquatStand with your shoulders rolled back, chest facing forward and chin up, feet shoulder-width apart....

That basically sums up the current climate of the food world: We’ve got an array of different experts and gurus, each touting a different diet and each claiming that theirs is the best. And for every argument you find, there’s always someone there to counter it. Paleo dieters are killing the planet—but are also super-healthy. Vegans are nutritionally deficient—but also less likely to develop diabetes, high blood pressure, and certain cancers....

Keep your home cool and dry.You should keep your home cool and dry to decrease mold and dust mite growth and roach intrusions. After an 18-month study, Larry G. Arlian, PhD, professor of biological sciences and director of the microbiology and immunology graduate program at Wright State University in Dayton, OH, found that levels of mites and other allergens dropped significantly in homes where the relative humidity was kept below 50%....