Ever taken a break from work or the stresses of daily life and found that you felt downright beautiful? Maybe it was a vacation, a date night with your sweetie, but something about that time to unwind made you feel better looking. There might actually be some science to that.
While some studies have found that men’s attractiveness is linked to immunity, a recent study done at University of Turku in Finland found that women’s attractiveness might be linked to something else: stress (or, rather, a lack of it).
Plasma Cortisol and Attractiveness
The small study’s participants were 52 Latvian women with an average age of 20 and 18 heterosexual Latvian men. The women, who were not on hormonal birth control and had regular periods, visited the laboratory when they were the most fertile, 20-14 days before their next menstrual cycle began (Biology Letters). Researchers photographed each woman, controlling for light and background, and took a measure of her body fat percentage.
Next, researchers took blood samples before and after hepatitis B vaccination to test antibody and cortisol levels. They then asked the 18 men to rate the attractiveness of the women in the photographs, which were shown in random order.
When researchers plotted the results, they found that there was a correlation between the amount of cortisol and antibodies a woman products and how attractive the men found her. The cortisol had a significant correlation (with lower cortisol being more attractive, and higher levels being less attractive), while the hepatitis antibodies did not. They also found a curvilinear correlation with body fat percentages, which showed that men found women with a mid-range level of body fat most attractive. Women with above- and below-average body fat were rated as less attractive.
So, unlike men’s attractiveness, which is related to immunity, women’s attractiveness is linked to cortisol and body fat.
Why Does Stress Attractiveness? Possibility #1
The experiment’s researchers suggested two possibilities for why plasma cortisol and body fat percentage affected attractiveness. The first, was that low levels of cortisol demonstrate a different facet of the immune system. It could also be a sign of overall health. Men’s cortisol levels are also linked to levels of attractiveness (Hormones and Behavior). Several studies have linked stress, and the accompanying high levels of cortisol, with increased incidences of illness (American Psychological Association, California State University). Therefore, someone with low stress is likelier to be healthy.
[Read More: Research Says Sadness Can Make You Sick, Happiness Can Keep You Healthy]
Why Does Stress Affect Attractiveness? Possibility #2
The second possible explanation is one that seems to pop up all the time in studies of attraction: fertility. It’s not surprising given that the physical demonstration of fertility is commonly among animals, called estrus. While humans don’t necessarily have the same pronounced signs as some animals at the peak of fertility, there seem to be byproducts of the high levels of estrogen and low levels of progesterone indicative of a woman’s most fertile period in her cycle. Another study done where male participants rated photos of women and recordings of their voices both during peak fertility and during less fertile times, found that men found the pictures and recordings of women at peak fertility more attractive (Hormones and Behavior).
Researchers have found that stress can compromise fertility by negatively affecting the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis, which can cause anovulation or luteal dysfunction (Human Reproduction). And being both under- and overweight has been found to have a negative impact on fertility (British Journal of Psychology, Perception).
How Exactly Does Stress Effect Attractiveness?
Stress affects your body in myriad ways, but one of the biggest ways it affects your appearance is your skin. Cortisol causes skin to heal more slowly, results in a quicker breakdown of collagen, and increases inflammation, according to Dr. David E. Bank, author of Beautiful Skin.
It can also decrease the oxygen and nutrients going to your skin, which can worsen skin conditions like eczema. That’s because stress constricts the blood flow to your skin, resulting in tired, sallow skin (The New Science of Perfect Skin).
Bottom line: If you’re stressed, you can forget about the bright skin and beautifully flushed cheeks that humans find attractive.
[Read More: When Do Women Look Their Worst? Find Out When it is and How to Stop it]
What’s the Best Way to Combat Stress?
Fortunately, the things that tend to be good for your body overall are also excellent for reducing stress:
1.)Â Get sleep. Researchers in a 2010 study found that participants who were sleep deprived had a harder time maintaining a happy mood and did poorly with stress tests compared to well rested participants as a result of reduced cognitive function (International Journal of Psychophysiology).
2.)Â Exercise. Researchers have found that working out can improve mood and lessen symptoms of depression (Clinics). It even helps in the short term. A brisk walk helps to boost energy, improve mood, and lessen stress (ScienceDaily).
3.) Make time to relax. Researchers in a 2002 study found that participants who did a relaxation exercise had lower levels of salivary cortisol (Biological Psychology). When you’re really stressed try taking 10 minutes to try to relax. One exercise you can do is to sit in the dark, listen to calming music, focus on your breathing, and think of the people and places that make you happy.
Bottom Line
This study’s findings show that stress could affect attractiveness. Whether it’s because people who are less stressed — read: happier — have a better immune system or because stress can decrease fertility, women who are stressed appear less attractive. But stress can cause issues with many processes in the body, so it’s in the best interest of more than your looks to try to keep cool and collected. Consider learning stress management techniques, no only will you look better, you’ll also probably feel better!