Do you ever notice a change in your skin when you fall in love?

If so, this is completely normal. Being in love triggers so many different changes in your body chemistry, many of which can really boost the health of your skin.

A Rosy Glow

You have likely noticed that people who are in love seem to have a rosy flush to their skin at all times.

Have you ever wondered why this is?

Well, being in love sends bursts of adrenaline rushing through your body. Each time this happens, the thousands of tiny capillaries that lie just below the surface of your skin become dilated, giving your skin a healthy and rosy glow.

With your capillaries being dilated, this means that the blood flow to your skin will increase. This boost in circulation is fantastic for your skin.

Why?

Because the more blood that runs through your skin, the more nutrients, as well as oxygen, your skin receives. This really helps to nourish and feed your skin with all it needs, keeping it in the best possible condition.

Lowered Stress Levels

At times, being in love can trigger an increase in cortisol in your body, which is also known as the stress hormone.

However, being in love also increases the levels of oxytocin in your body…

Wondering what this actually is?

It is often referred to as the love hormone, or even the attachment hormone, because it is the hormone responsible for you forming a bond to someone else, whether this may be a romantic partner, a child, or even a pet.

In addition to helping you bond, oxytocin also lowers cortisol levels in the body, reducing symptoms of stress.

Here are just a few of the ways in which stress can damage your skin:

• Prevents quality sleep, resulting in puffiness and dark circles around the eyes, as well as other skin conditions that come from long term sleep deprivation
• Causes dehydration in the skin
• Causes skin conditions to flare up, whether this may be acne, eczema, rosacea or anything else
• Triggers rashes and hives to form
• Causes facial redness and flushing
• Creates fine lines and wrinkles

All of this can be reduced by the oxytocin that is released when you are in love.

Oxytocin also acts as an anti-inflammatory in many cases, especially when it comes to reducing the factors that slow down skin healing.

Positive Lifestyle Changes

While this does affect people in different ways, and to different degrees, there is no denying that falling in love encourages self-change. 

Yes, this can sometimes be negative, but, in a healthy relationship, this will only lead to positive improvements in your life.

Have a think about bad habits you have given up in the past for a partner that you love, or loved…

Whether this may be smoking, excessive drinking, over-eating, a lack of exercise, or anything else, being in love pushes you to make healthier changes in your life.

What does this mean for your skin?

So much!

Each of the bad habits mentioned above all have such a detrimental effect on your skin. From smoking being suffocating to drinking being dehydrating to over-eating leading to a whole host of skin issues, your skin will benefit from each and every bad habit you decide to give up.

Lowers Blood Pressure, Helping to Prevent Premature Aging

Research has shown that those who experience high blood pressure also tend to experience premature skin aging, which manifests in fine lines and wrinkles to sagging and baggy facial skin.

This is especially the case in women who are in their 40’s, as this is the decade during which skin naturally starts to dry out, meaning wrinkles and lines become exacerbated.

High blood pressure has also been linked to adult acne, as well as sleep disorders, which lead to reduced elasticity, fine lines, and uneven pigmentation. 

Of course, there are many medications out there that can lower blood pressure, but these in themselves can trigger a wide range of skin-related side effects.

When it comes to natural ways in which you can lower your blood pressure…

Yes, you’ve guessed it!

Being in love does this.

Specifically, spending time with the person who you are in love with, as this leads to a drop in blood pressure.

Even if you are not in love, but still spend time with close friends who you love, you will still be able to experience this effect to some degree.

An Increase in Oil Production

An increase in your skin’s oil production is one of the common side effects of falling in love.

Of course, this is not good news for everyone…

For those with dry skin, an increase in oil production will help to keep your skin better moisturized, as well as better protected from the environment. You will likely notice any patches of severe dryness will begin to improve, and your skin may look more nourished overall.

However, for those with oily skin, an increase in oil production is the last thing you want.

As you can imagine, all of this excess oil will quickly lead to blocked pores, which will trigger breakouts.

So, what can you do about this?

You need to step up the game when it comes to your skin care regime. Make sure that you never skip out on cleansing your skin each night, as you really need to ensure that your pores do not end up blocked.

Try to use skin care products and ingredients that are able to help regulate oil production.

A few especially beneficial ingredients include:

• Kaolin clay – a naturally forming clay that is effective at absorbing oil and giving the skin a matte appearance

• Glycolic acid – reduces excess oil and clears out pores, preventing them from becoming blocked

• Dimethicone – an ingredient used instead of oils in moisturizing products. Instead of leaving a greasy residue, they will leave your skin feeling drier

• Retinol – firms up the skin, which means that it produces less oil

• Salicylic acid – unclogs pores and prevents blockages

• Niacinamide – studies show that niacinamide is able to absorb sebum while helping to minimize the appearance of large pores 

An Increase in Sexual Activity

For many, being in love leads to sex, which brings the skin so many different benefits.

These include:

• Improved blood circulation, leading to a brighter complexion
• Helps to eliminate toxins from the body
• Balances hormonal levels, helping to keep skin clear
• Boosts collagen production, preventing the visible signs of aging
• Minimizes the appearance of cellulite
• Prevents dry skin

In addition to all of this, sex also boosts the way in which the body, including the skin, is able to absorb and make use of nutrients. This means that, from your diet to your skin care products, your skin will be receiving an increase in vitamins and minerals, leading to a much healthier complexion overall. 

An Increase in Physical Activity

While many of these skin benefits come from the initial feelings of being in love, maintaining this to the point of a healthy long term relationship can also really be good for your skin.

How?

Well, one way is an increase in physical activity. Research has shown that being in a loving relationship will boost your athletic performance, especially for those who are in a long-term relationship. 

Why?

This is likely due to the fact that those in a loving relationship feel supported and motivated, which also boosts confidence.

What does this have to do with your skin?

Physical activity is actually one of the best things that you could do for your skin. 

Why?

For a number of reasons:

• It reduces inflammation throughout the body, including in the skin
• Prevents free radical damage, which therefore staves off skin aging
• It opens up the arteries in your skin, meaning that more blood, and therefore oxygen and nutrients, is able to reach the surface of your skin. This helps to boost the health of each skin cell
• Reduces stress and anxiety, which, as mentioned above, can really harm the skin 
• Improves your body’s natural detoxification process
• Boosts circulation, giving you a healthy glow
• Promotes quality sleep, reducing under-eye puffiness and dark circles 

Faster Wound Healing

The skin can become damaged in so many different ways, resulting in a wound. Whether this may be from accidentally burning yourself with your curling iron or an unruly pimple erupting, skin wounds, especially when they are on the face, are always something that you want healed as soon as possible.

Are you in love at the moment?

If so, you are likely to be experiencing an increase in the rate at which your wounds heal.

Studies carried out at the Ohio State University Medical Center discovered that couples who interacted affectionately and warmly with each other experienced wounds that would heal twice as fast as couples who had high amounts of hostility towards each other. 

High Levels of Happiness

There is no denying that being in love can really put a smile on your face, filling you with happy thoughts and emotions for days and days.

In addition to this elevation in your mood, these feelings of happiness will also really benefit your skin.

How?

Well, when you are happy, your body releases a variety of different hormones, including endorphins, oxytocin, serotonin and more. These are responsible for many different functions within your body, quite a few of which are related to your skin.

From promoting a healthy and strong circulation to boosting the way in which your skin is able to repair and renew itself, the hormones that come with happiness are all helpful to your skin’s health. 

Didn’t realize that your emotions affect your skin?

It is not just happiness that can bring about skin changes. Here are a few other common emotions, as well as the way in which they impact your skin:

• Anger – slows down skin healing, while speeding up the rate at which wrinkles and dark spots form. Those who let their anger fester inside of them will often develop hives, warts, eczema or acne

• Depression and Anxiety – this causes everything from acne to uneven skin pigmentation 

• Sadness – leads to wrinkles, puffy eyes and a dull complexion

• Embarrassment – causes swollen blood vessels, sleep deprivation, hindered blood flow and weakened skin cells 

• Stress – can cause acne, premature skin aging, dehydration and more

Your mood directly affects the health of your skin, which is why the happiness and the “high” that you enjoy from being in love can really give your skin such a boost.

Not only that, but an improvement in mood has also been linked to an improvement in eating habits.

Again, this is something else that directly affects your skin. Healthier foods will not contain quite as much sugar, sodium and saturated fats, all of which damage the complexion. You will likely also eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, which are packed with antioxidant, as well as vital nutrients, that will help your skin to thrive.

Not in love at the moment?

Don’t despair…

Many of these skin benefits can still be experienced just from feeling the emotion of love, even if this is for a friend, a family member or a pet. 

As you can see, being in love, as well as just the general feeling of love for another, can benefit your skin in so many different ways, from reducing dryness to giving you a rosy glow to speeding up wound healing.

However, while this may be the case, this does not mean that being in love is in any way a replacement for a regular skin care regimen, and everything from cleansing to moisturizing is still absolutely key when it comes to keeping your skin as healthy as possible.