You may have perfected the product list for your skincare routine, but what about your skincare playlist? A recent study found the best songs for your skin. Have a read and a listen.
Now more than ever, natural beauty — and especially radiant skin — is the order of the day. But you need to be relaxed to look your best. With this in mind, a new study suggests that music could offer a helping hand in the quest for perfect skin.
Combatting stress for better skin: The best songs for your skin
Stress can have harmful effects on the skin. The hormones it releases increase sebum production, contributing to the onset of blemishes and accelerating skin ageing. Stress also alters the skin’s complexion and barrier function, causing tightness, irritation and itching. Everything suggests that our skin suffers when we’re anxious, so it’s important to combat its effects if you want your skin to look its best.
And that’s where music might come in. A large number of studies have shown that music can have anxiety-busting effects. It may even reduce the subjective feeling of stress, by stimulating reward circuits. Certain slow-tempo melodies have a greater effect on the mind than others, making them potential allies in the quest for immaculate skin.
With this in mind, experts from the Beauty Pie brand set out to determine which songs might be most beneficial to our skin. To do so, they analyzed 1.4 million tracks hosted on Spotify, paying particular attention to those featuring on playlists containing, among other keywords, the terms “skincare”, “calm” and “wellness.” The result is a ranking of the 25 “most relaxing” tracks to listen to during your skincare routine.
SZA, a relaxing artist for your skin
Top of the list comes Ariana Grande’s “Moonlight.” This ballad, which features on the singer’s third album, “Dangerous Woman,” has a very slow rhythm. Dr. Michael Bonshor, professor of music psychology at the University of Sheffield (UK), claims that its soothing effect results from its tempo. “Ariana’s ‘Moonlight’ has 102 beats per minute if we listen for the 4 beats in a bar. However, if we focus on the stronger first and third beats in the bar, we ‘feel’ the music pace as two slow beats in every bar, giving us a restful 51 bpm,” he said in a statement.
SZA’s “Good Days” and Frank Ocean’s “Pink + White” take second and third place, respectively. R’n’B star Frank Ocean also appears in eleventh place, thanks to his introspective track “Lost.” But the artist dominating the list of most relaxing songs is none other than SZA. The American rapper alone occupies three different spots: second, fourth (with “Kill Bill”) and nineteenth (with “Normal Girl”).
Most of the musicians in this top 25 have made their name in recent years, with the exception of Norah Jones. The American singer launched her career in 2002 with the release of her debut album, “Come Away with Me.” But the song that earns her eighth place in this list of relaxing songs, “Sunrise,” comes from her second album, “Feels Like Home.” According to Dr Michael Bonshor, this track is particularly relaxing. “The repetitive melody evident in [Norah Jones’] ‘Sunrise,’ paired with soothing lyrics and steady rhythmic patterns, makes it a tune you can easily lean into,” the expert says.
The 10 best songs for your skin
1 – “Moonlight” by Ariana Grande
2 – “Good Days” by SZA
3 – “Pink + White” by Frank Ocean
4 – “Kill Bill” by SZA
5 – “Telepatía” by Kali Uchis
6 – “See You Again (feat. Kali Uchis)” by Tyler, the Creator
7 – “Die For You” by The Weeknd
8 – “Sunrise” by Norah Jones
9 – “Breathe” by DTO
10 – “Cardigan” by Taylor Swift
The top 10 most relaxing songs to listen to during your skincare routine. The full ranking can be found on the Beauty Pie website.
This story is published via AFP Relaxnews.
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