Are orgasms the missing piece in your beauty routine?

Women who have three orgasms a week look, on average, ten years younger than those who only have two. According to research conducted by Dr David Weeks in the 1990s, at least. Then, in 2013, Dr Weeks, a consultant neuropsychologist at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital, ran a ten-year study which found that couples aged 40-50 who have 50 per cent more sex than the average for their age group look five to seven years younger than their counterparts. More than 3,500 volunteers took part in the study which concluded that genetic factors were only 25 per cent responsible for youthful looks, while behaviour accounted for 75 per cent – and one of the main behavioural factors was sex in a long-term relationship. Dr Weeks has said that the pleasure derived from sex is a “crucial factor” in preserving youth.

During a time when we’re reaching for every serum, ingesting every supplement, and sourcing every tweakment available out there on our invariably futile quest for “flawless” skin, could it be that the ultimate skincare hack is something we’ve had within us all along – orgasms?

In Pussy: A Reclamation, Regena Thomashauer writes that she is “a firm believer in the power of orgasm to fuel a woman’s radiance”, a sentiment that the beauty industry has also long championed. Nars’ iconic Orgasm blush is heralded as one of the best products on the market to artificially evoke a post-sex glow. Kim Kardashian has called it her “all-time favourite blush”, and with one sold on average every 20 seconds, it’s the number-one selling blush in the world. In 2021, the ever-senseless Goop published “How to Get a Just-Had-an-Orgasm Glow”, which outlined a nine-step regime with 22 products on how one could achieve ultimate post-sex radiance. But what if you just had sex instead?

“When you have an orgasm, your heart rate as well as your blood pressure will go up. This, in turn, will increase circulation, which will help provide oxygen and nutrients to the skin, flushing out toxins faster too,” explains intimate health specialist Dr Shirin Lakhani of Elite Aesthetics. “Oestrogen is released, and this can impact collagen levels as oestrogen plays a role in preventing the breakdown of collagen, which helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles.”

The feeling of calm after an orgasm also has its benefits. “It lowers levels of oxytocin in the blood, which are linked to high levels of stress and we know when we are stressed, it can take its toll on our skin.” (The same cannot be said for men though, because, as Dr Lakhani explains, “various studies have shown that, after orgasm, prolactin levels increase, whereas oxytocin and dopamine levels decrease significantly for men.”)

Of course, there are some barriers preventing women from orgasming regularly, and therefore limit their ability to achieve the post-O glow. One is the prevalence of inept sexual partners. It is, sadly, a truth universally acknowledged that women have fewer orgasms than men. In one study of more than 50,000 people, 95 per cent of heterosexual men said they usually or always orgasm when sexually intimate, while only 65 per cent of heterosexual women said the same.

According to Anna Richards, sex expert and founder of ethical sex platform Frolicme.com, this is, in part, due to there “still [being] a stigma for women when it comes to sex and female pleasure – society doesn’t encourage open conversation around it. Look at sex education, it doesn’t focus on female pleasure, and social media censors vocabulary and discussions around the topic.” Also hindering women is the focus and importance that has traditionally been placed on penetrative sex, she adds. “There is this Freudian influence for women to only orgasm through penetrative sex, seeing this as the end game, which only contributes to widespread dissatisfaction and many women faking orgasm.”

Of course, you don’t need a partner. Sometimes the most satisfying orgasms are the ones you give yourself — after all, who knows your body better than you? “Take some time to masturbate and learn how your body responds and what arousal techniques you enjoy. Experiment with toys too, as they bring a very different experience,” says Richards. “Also, be prepared to accept help. There’s no shame in a little lube.”

And if all else fails in the attempt to fill the O-induced glow in one’s life, try using a vibrator on the face, à la Toni Braxton and make-up artist Yvette Evora, whose clients include Kali Uchis. “When I first carried a vibrator in my kit, I felt kind of embarrassed. But now, I take it out without fear, and everyone loves it,” she explains. After noticing that her clients, many of whom travel frequently, were turning up to set with puffy faces and dehydrated skin, Evora set about how best to combat this. Stumbling across sexual wellness brand Smile Makers, Evora knew her answer. “Once I saw the results, I immediately added it to my make-up kit and began using it during my skin prep,” she says. “I sweep the device gently across the face while my client has a sheet mask on, and once again after moisturising,” Evora continues. “It only takes about two to three minutes, but it snatches the face instantly and helps give a glow.”

So, could it be that orgasms really are the missing piece to your beauty regime? Possibly. While Dr Lakhani advises that it’s still important to carry out a daily skincare routine, perhaps what’s even better is to channel the immortal words of the late, great, and ever-prophetic Betty Dodson: “better orgasms, better world”. And, quite possibly, better skin too.