Laughter isn’t just soulcare, it’s skincare. And we’re sharing the science behind your smile.
– KEYS SOULCARE
Your next laughfest could have serious benefits for your glow — and we’ve got the science to back it up. From keeping our skin and minds on-point to boosting our glow long after we’re tickled, read for four reasons why your laugh should be your next best skincare ingredient.
Laughter tells our brains to keep us young.
The average adult laughs 18 times per day. That might seem like a lot until you realize a child laughs (wait for it) a whopping 300 times. As it turns out, a process called facial-feedback hypothesis means that joyful expressions communicate to our brains that we’re happy as much as our emotions do — and remind it to help keep us that way.
It relaxes us all over.
Ever notice how good it feels to take that first big, deep breath after a belly laugh? The same restorative benefit applies to our skin. Studies by the Mayo Clinic reveal that not only does laughter stimulate blood flow and ease stress, but it also leaves our muscles less contracted. Translation? You can say goodbye to those stressed-out looks and feels.
It supports other healthy rituals.
A good laugh blocks stress hormones like cortisol, but did you also know it boosts the good stuff in your brain? Specifically, gamma waves, which are responsible for neurologically “syncing” up our intentions and recall into day-to-day actions and routines.
It boosts your glow in the long-run.
Once our laughs subside, and our breathing and heart rate levels out, the body benefits keep going. Studies show that our blood pressure returns to a lower state than it was before, then stays there — which leaves our circulation (and the healthy blood flow to our skin) better off.
It minimizes wrinkles.
Believe it or not, the beauty world has been following gelatology (a.k.a., the science of laughter) for years now. And, some of the industry’s most promising findings are around debunking the myth that smile and laugh lines are to blame for wrinkles that deepen as we age. The truth? Happy expressions actually soften wrinkles’ overall appearance. In fact, it’s frown lines that are more to blame for diminished skin elasticity — and its ability to “bounce back” from all facial expressions — overall.
How are you inviting more laughter into your life? Share who or what keeps you smiling in the comments!
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