These days, it seems there is a new beauty product and trend hitting the market everywhere we look. We’re all trying to find the fountain of youth and lead a well-balanced life. This includes having a healthy sex life. Yes, my friends, the benefits of sex can help us be healthier, look younger, prevent acne, decrease stress and anxiety, and boost confidence. Plus, sex has mental, physical, and emotional benefits. In my opinion, the day will come when we won’t have to purchase every new face cream and supplement that comes onto the market —we can just have sex to keep us looking young.
So how much sex do we have to have to achieve these results, you ask? Dr. David Weeks, a British Consultant and clinical psychologist, found in one of his studies that couples who had sex three times a week looked up to 10 years younger than their chronological age. That may be in part because having sex releases a “feel good” hormone called serotonin.
Sex can boost our immune system and improve blood circulation, giving us that so-called “afterglow.” Dr. Weeks also points out that couples who have frequent sex also want to stay in shape and make an effort to look good for their partners.
Feeling good physically can also have a positive effect on confidence levels. Having intercourse two times a week means that you are somewhat physically active. Sex requires you to use your muscles, increases heart rate, and releases human growth hormones in women, which can help boost muscle mass. The physical aspects of sexual activity are all around great for making us look (and feel) younger and stronger.
According to AcnEase, sex can balance your hormone levels, helping to keep your skin clear of acne. They also share that intercourse twice a week increases levels of an antibody called immunoglobin, which has a positive impact on your immune system. Additionally, AcnEase says sex can help in fighting inflammation and infection caused by acne bacteria nesting in clogged pores. So essentially, you can be strengthening an intimate relationship and promoting healthy looking skin—all in one fell swoop.
Dr. Weeks also believes that the stress-reducing benefits of sex make people look younger. Stress is a major contributor to premature aging.
My book, The Rewired Life, addresses how to be more mindful of both where your stress is coming from, and how to reduce stress. Most people are overly stressed with work, family, unhealthy relationships, and poor habits. Taking control of our lives and having self-care tools for dealing with stress can be monumental in living a healthy life. Being in a non-toxic relationship and participating in an active sex life is one of those tools. Sex releases those feel-good chemicals in the brain, like oxytocin and dopamine, which are known to lower stress.
Dr. Sandra Caron, sex therapist, and professor states, “there are biochemical rationales for experiencing improved mood as a sex benefit, from neurotransmitters and mood enhancers that may be released during healthy sex.”
Knowing that an active sex life can be a vehicle for a youthful appearance and a balanced life makes it all the more enjoyable.
Next month, we’ll discuss how to communicate in ways to get the relationship you want.
*editor’s note: this research was intended for couples and we do not promote unsafe sex.
Erica Spiegelman is a wellness specialist, recovery counselor, and author of the new book The Rewired Life (2018) as well as Rewired: A Bold New Approach to Addiction & Recovery (2015), the Rewired Workbook (2017), the Rewired Coloring Book (2017), all published by Hatherleigh Press. Erica holds a bachelor’s degree in literature from the University of Arizona and is a California State Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor (CADAC)-II from UCLA. For more information, visit Erica’s website or follow @espiegelman on Instagram.
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