Should you be stressed about cortisol? Plus, the rising concern over mpox and the skinny on ‘slugging’.

WHO recently declared it a global health emergency. Plus, what exactly is 'slugging' and why is it the hottest trend in skincare? [WHAT IS SLUGGING?]( [VIEW ONLINE]( [WHAT IS SLUGGING?]( How much should we be worried about [the "stress hormone" cortisol]( Plus, learn about mpox, [how it spreads]( and why the WHO recently declared it a global health emergency. Also, [what exactly is 'slugging']( and why is it the hottest trend in skincare? [A computer illustration showing the internal and external anatomy of a kidney and adrenal gland as it secretes hormones into the blood stream]( ILLUSTRATION BY AXEL KOCK, SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY [WHAT IS CORTISOL—AND SHOULD YOU ACTUALLY BE WORRIED ABOUT IT?]( Myths about cortisol—also known as the “stress hormone”—abound on social media. Here’s what experts say about this substance that helps make your body tick. [LEARN MORE]( • [Arrive relaxed: try these simple sleep hacks on your next overnight flight](. [A colorized microscopic view of 3 mpox particles, highlighting the lipid envelope In pink-red and the DNA in blue-green]( MICROGRAPH BY UK HEALTH SECURITY AGNECY/ SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY [WHAT IS MPOX—AND HOW DOES IT SPREAD?]( It’s a deadly cousin to smallpox. Formerly known as monkeypox, it's ripping through central Africa, hitting countries where it never was seen before. [How far will this global health emergency spread?]( [HERE’S WHAT WE KNOW]( • [We’re having a COVID summer surge. How worried are experts about fall and winter?]( [STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING]( [What is Parkinson’s disease—and why is it so hard to diagnose?]( [What’s your VO2 max? The answer could transform your health.]( [What are the ancient origins of your zodiac sign?]( [Headed to the beach for Labor Day weekend? Pack these.]( [A finger has a dollop of vaseline]( PHOTOGRAPH BY REBECCA HALE, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION [WHAT’S SLUGGING? AND THE COW UDDERS?]( Learning from slugs, beauty enthusiasts have employed a skin softening method that has been used on cows for more than a century—and is now trending on social media. [Wait ... what?]( [UDDER BEAUTY]( Related: [Illegal to be ’ugly’? The history behind one of America‘s cruelest laws]( [SHOP]( [DONATE]( [SUBSCRIBE]( [TRAVEL]( [READ OUR LATEST STORIES]( [SHOP]( [DONATE]( [SUBSCRIBE]( [TRAVEL]( [FB]( [IG]( Clicking on the Facebook, Instagram, and National Geographic Channel links will take you away from our National Geographic Partners site where different terms of use and privacy policy apply. This email was sent to: {EMAIL}. Please do not reply to this email as this address is not monitored. This email contains an advertisement from: National Geographic | 1145 17th Street, N.W. | Washington, D.C. 20036 [Stop all types of future commercial email]( from National Geographic regarding its products, services, or experiences. © 2024 National Geographic Partners, LLC, All rights reserved. Clicking on the Facebook, Instagram, and National Geographic Channel links will take you away from our National Geographic Partners site where different terms of use and privacy policy apply. This email was sent to: {EMAIL}. Please do not reply to this email as this address is not monitored. This email contains an advertisement from: National Geographic | 1145 17th Street, N.W. | Washington, D.C. 20036 [Stop all types of future commercial email]( from National Geographic regarding its products, services, or experiences. [Manage all email preferences]( with the Walt Disney Family of Companies. © 2024 National Geographic Partners, LLC, All rights reserved.