Sex Leads to Healthy, Youthful Skin: Yet Another Reason to Indulge

Surprising statistics of Australian couples revealed that only 44% of women and 33% of men were “OK” with their state of sexual adventure. Whether this is due to a lack of time and energy available to expend on doing the deed or a mere lack of reasons to do so, it’s alarming, to say the least. If what Australian couples are looking for is a reason to get down and dirty, there certainly are plenty, namely the benefits it has on overall skin health. Because sex provides an oxygen boost to the skin, it’s no wonder that most couples experience an after-sex glow that leaves them looking like pure gods and goddesses. As if you needed another reason to have more sex.

 

The Science Behind Sex and Healthy Skin

 

Okay, so while it’s obviously preferred, you actually don’t have to orgasm to reap the skin benefits of sex. Having sex reduces cortisol levels, which is one of the ways in which it helps reduce stress, but reducing cortisol can also actually help your body produce more collagen. This helps your skin look soft, supple and smooth, which is a huge benefit for even the manliest of men. On top of reducing cortisol, sex helps get your blood flowing, which helps people maintain a brighter complexion. This is, as scientists point out, part of what creates the healthy glow post-sex, and can actually carry over to have long-term effects. In fact, you only need to be having sex a minimum of one to three times a week to begin to see the fruit of your labor begin to take effect, resulting in healthy, youthful skin.

 

Orgasms Do Help, Though

 

While an orgasm isn’t technically required to reap the benefits of post-sex healthy skin, it does help. Dr. Oz (who coincidentally isn’t from Oz) released information years ago that still holds true today. He said that people who have more orgasms can slow down the aging process, stating that 200 orgasms a year can help remove six physiological years off of your life. This is due to the fact that orgasming helps your body reduce hormones that help repair tissue, which in turn helps combat the formation of wrinkles and the sagging of skin in general. Sounds great, right? It gets better. Another researcher once found that, after studying 3,500 people, women who had three orgasms a week looked about 10 years younger than those who only had two. That doesn’t seem like a hard quota to meet, even if you have to call in help.

 

Post-Sex Naps Lead to Glowing Skin

 

Not to alarm you, but lack of sleep is slowly killing Australians. From work-related stress to issues with the in-laws, it’s a well-known fact that Australians aren’t getting enough sleep, and that’s actually one of the leading causes of tired, dull skin. Not only does a lack of sleep make your skin look tired, but it can also lead to hormonal imbalances, which is something sex can sort out fairly quickly. Thanks to oxytocin, which is often referred to as the cuddle hormone, we often feel sleepy after sex. It floods the brain post-sex and leads you straight into that relaxed, dream-like state after an orgasm that allows you to sleep so well. The result? A great night’s sleep with someone you love and a healthy glow the next morning. This is especially true for women, as studies show that women who have regular sex produce more estrogen, which contributes to healthier hair and skin.

 

Potential to Decrease Inflammation

 

If you’re worried about sex making your face look red from all of the action, you’ll be pleased to know that it actually has the opposite effect. The hormone oxytocin that’s responsible for the post-sex cuddle haze also works to decrease inflammation. This is likely why sex has been touted for helping reduce blemishes, severe acne and even the redness and inflammation that’s associated with skin-related conditions such as rosacea and eczema. However, people who have participated in personal studies regarding this matter note that your body’s hormones tend to even out fairly quickly, so to experience the acne-related benefits of sex, you’ll need to be having about an orgasm a day on a pretty consistent basis. Again, doesn’t sound like a hard quota to meet if you team up with a buddy to make it happen.

 

More Sex Leads to a Better You

 

With all of the compounding benefits of sex on skin health, there’s really no reason for couples not to be engaging in the act for pure health reasons. Decreased stress, increased levels of good hormones and decreased levels of bad ones, and an overall healthy glow to smooth, supple skin all sound like more than enough reason to hop into bed and reap the benefits of exploring your partner’s body. It’s nature’s most well-kept beauty secret, and it doesn’t seem to be going out of fashion any time soon.