It goes without saying that the more relaxed we are, the better we feel and all the latest research indicates the same goes for our skin.
Tapping into the arena of psychodermatology, a that field explores the complex relationship between the brain and skin, new research from Beauty Pie suggests that listening to relaxing music while doing your skincare routine can actually help improve your skin’s health and reduce symptoms of conditions like rosacea and breakouts.
The science behind psychodermatology shows that when we are stressed our body’s inflammatory response is increased which has a negative impact on our skin’s barrier. Feeling more relaxed then has the inverse effect of improving our complexion and plumping the skin, leading to an overall improvement of skin health and a reduction in symptoms of certain conditions. Feeling more relaxed also contributes to more of that old adage – beauty sleep – which in term gives us glowier and healthier looking skin.
With the help of a data scientist, Beauty Pie have sifted through tens of thousands of relaxing playlists ranging from wellness and relaxation rhythms, to those designed specifically to accompany a skincare routine, totalling up the number of times different artists and songs were included the most. After analysing over 1.4 million songs on Spotify, beauty experts have revealed which melodies get people and their skin the most chilled.
Revealed as the most relaxing musician is Taylor Swift – pop princess with the most no.1 albums of any female artist in the world – who featured on 1,390 playlists. Coming in second was Little Symphony, a Canadian band that specialises in ambient music that blends chilled tunes with the sounds of Canadian nature. Their music featured in 1,229 playlists.
Lana Del Ray was third and other artists featured in the top 15 included The Weeknd, Drake, Harry Styles and Billie Eilish.
Ariana Grande’s “Moonlight” took first place for the most soothing soundtrack. Coming in second place for the most relaxing song in the world was “Good Days” by SZA, which appeared on 86 relaxing playlists. Frank Ocean was shortly behind with ‘Pink + White” which was on 76 playlists created for “me time”.
As for the most relaxing musical genres, many might be surprised to learn that hip-hop came up top, appearing seven times in total while closely followed by pop music which featured six times. Ranking in fifth place overall for relaxing musicians and top overall for hip-hop was The Weeknd with 585 appearances on relaxing playlists.
Amongst the top relaxers of the hip-hop genre were Drake in eighth, Frank Ocean in 11th, Tyler, the Creator in 17th and Doja Cat in 18th.
Collaborator of the study, Dr Micheal Bonshor from the University of Sheffield explained. ‘Relaxing music can have a profound effect on how we feel – physically and psychologically. The neurological pathways which process sound affect the brain’s limbic system, which is responsible for emotional responses, memory and behaviour, so listening to ‘relaxing’ music helps us to regulate our emotions. It can also reduce heart rate, lower blood pressure and reduce cortisol, the stress hormone.’
According to Dr. Bonshor, what determines the relaxation factor of a song is the tempo. ‘Approximately 60-80 beats per minute is the most common as this is similar to our resting heart rate during relaxation’ he said.
While top musician Taylor Swift’s songs tend to be faster, about 108 bpm, her songs follow a relaxing pulse which our bodies naturally align with, said Dr. Bonshor. In addition to the varying tempo, Taylor Swift’s songs are made perfect for skin soothing relaxation because of their calming lyrics, he said.
So whether you’re a lifelong Swiftie or a diehard Drake fan, indulging in a relaxing skincare routine could be the new key to unlocking glowing skin. Generally, it’s important to create positive habits that you can actually stick to so if boogying to “Love Story” has been your motivation to exfoliate all along, baby just say yes.
You can listen to Beauty Pie’s Ultimate Skincare Playlist here.
