Mood News for Night Owls
If you’re the late-to-bed, late-to-rise type, watch for signs of the blues, like poor appetite, pessimism, and worsening sleep. Individuals who hit the sack after 1 AM score significantly higher on standard depression screenings than people who keep regular 10:30 PM bedtimes, a Stanford University study found.

Feels Like the First Time
Want to put some spark back into dinner conversations with your spouse? Treat him or her as though you’ve just met, suggests a University of British Columbia study. When researchers asked 31 couples to talk with either their romantic partner or someone they just met, both sexes made more of an effort to be pleasant and likable to the strangers. Couples were also asked to talk as if they’d never met, and their sense of well-being rose significantly. “We often take familiar people for granted and act blasé or bored with them,” says study author Elizabeth Dunn, PhD. “But because we want new people to like us, we tend to put our best face forward—and by acting cheery, we naturally end up feeling good.”

TREND WATCH: D-Fense
A new vitamin lotion may help prevent scarring. University of California San Diego researchers found that the skin surrounding a wound contains four times as much vitamin D as uninjured skin does. This may be because extra vitamin D triggers the production of an immune system molecule that helps wounds heal faster and cleaner. Trials on topical D treatments have begun.

60 Second Stress Buster
Use golf balls to bring anxiety back to par. While you’re sitting at your desk, or at your kitchen table, remove your shoes and place the arch of each foot firmly on a golf ball, then roll the balls back and forth along the soles of your feet. “Applying pressure deep into the tissue of the foot helps release the tension you carry around with you,” says Bobbi Warren, director for the International Institute of Reflexology.

The Couple Who Laughs Together...
Is more likely to stay together. Couples who reminisce about funny experiences they’ve shared are more satisfied with their partners than those who recall cracking up alone, found Appalachian State University psychologists. A funny memory serves as an inside joke, which creates cohesiveness between two people, says study author Doris Bazzini, PhD. Need material? She advises couples to use amusing nicknames for each other that are based on a humorous recollection. This way the mood-boosting power of the memory can be used often.

Ginseng Reduces Fatigue
Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, are a step closer to having an all-natural solution to cancer-related fatigue (CRF). In a pilot study, presented last June at the American Society of Clinical Oncology, 282 people with CRF were given American ginseng (Panax quinquefolium) or a placebo. Those who received 1,000 mg and 2,000 mg daily doses had more energy and felt better mentally, physically, and emotionally. Though researchers cautioned more study is needed, herbalists have long recommended American ginseng for boosting energy. Leading herbal educator David Winston recommends American ginseng for overworked, overstressed Americans.

Save Teen Skin
One of the biggest stresses in a teen’s life is worrying about getting the ever-dreaded zit. While genetics and hormones play a big role in how skin looks and feels, so does caring for it with the right skin-care products. Get your teenager into the habit of washing and moisturizing their face every day, and it will eventually become as automatic as brushing their teeth. Oily skin needs an oil-free cleansing gel and lotion, normal skin can take a foaming cleanser and moisturizing lotion, and dry skin will benefit from a creamy cleanser and moisturizer. (Make sure all moisturizers have at least SPF 15.) Once a week, try a mother/daughter spa night at home with a face mask or exfoliating scrub.

Lipstick Fix
Bought a shade that looked good in the store but doesn’t look good on your lips? If the color is too loud, soften it by applying a neutral beige lipstick over top. Continue layering on the beige until you reach a tone you like. If the color you purchased is too lackluster, first line and fill in your lips with a lip liner that’s at least two shades deeper than the lipstick. Then apply the lipstick and consider adding a deeper shade of gloss for sheen.

The Personal Gift of Giving
Doing unto others could have subtle but significant health benefits for you, say researchers who study do-gooders. Turns out that people who volunteer as little as 40 hours a year are less depressed; have lower risk for heart disease, lower blood pressure, and enhanced immunity; and are generally happier than people who don’t share their free time with those less fortunate. What’s more, volunteering might even add years to your life: Studies show that older volunteers live longer than nonvolunteers. These organizations can help you get started: