Marie Claire UK Marie Claire UK
  • Fashion Fashion
      • Fashion
        • View all Fashion
        • Fashion Trends
        • Shopping
        • Watches and Jewellery
        • Fashion News
  • Beauty Beauty
      • Beauty
        • View all Beauty
        • Fragrance
        • Hair
        • Make Up
        • Skincare
        • Nails
        • Marie Claire Beauty Awards
  • Health Health
      • Health
        • View all Health
        • Fitness
        • Nutrition
        • Female Health
        • Wellbeing
  • Life Life
      • Life
        • View all Life
        • Opinions
        • Travel
        • Sustainability
        • Weddings
        • Money & Work
        • Competitions
  • Culture Culture
      • Culture
        • View all Culture
        • TV and Film
        • Celebrity News
        • Books
        • Royal News
  • Vouchers Vouchers
      • Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Mint Velvet
        • Karen Millen
        • H&M
        • nobody's child
        • ASOS
        • ARKET
        • MANGO
      • Designer Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Reiss
        • THE OUTNET
        • SSENSE
        • Mytheresa
        • Liberty London
        • Selfridges
        • Farfetch
      • Accessories
        • View all Vouchers
        • AllSaints
        • Aspinal of London
        • Charles & Keith
        • River Island
        • FitFlop
        • Kate Spade
        • Vagabond
      • Jewellery
        • View all Vouchers
        • Pandora
        • Abbott Lyon
        • Goldsmiths
        • Beaverbrooks
        • Astrid & Miyu
        • Swarovski
        • Angara Jewellery
      • Beauty
        • View all Vouchers
        • Sephora
        • Cult Beauty
        • Space NK
        • Dyson
        • Clarins
        • Look Fantastic
        • Clinique
      • Activewear
        • View all Vouchers
        • Lululemon
        • Gymshark
        • Sweaty Betty
        • Nike
        • adidas
        • New Balance
        • Helly Hansen
  • NEWSLETTER Signup to our newsletter
  • logoCreated with Sketch.
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Women in Sport 2026
    • Marie Claire Masters
    • Spring Summer 2026
    • Nail Trends 2026
    • Best Investment Bags
    • Best Perfumes
    • Digital Issues
    • Women Who Win
    1. Life
    2. Relationships

    Hooray! Masturbation helps you look younger for longer

    If ever there was a good reason to love yourself…

    By Marie Claire
    Published 10 May 2016 In Features

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    In praise of fingering
    In praise of fingering
    (Image credit: Rex)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    If ever there was a good reason to love yourself…

    What’s the secret to youthful looking skin?

    Sunscreen? Eight glasses of water a day? The tears of unicorns applied at daybreak on Midsummer’s Day?

    All of those things probably help (except the unicorn one - soz) but now there’s a new secret on the skin care block and we think you’re going to like it.

    It’s masturbation. You heard.

    You may like
    • overnight masks I’ve Tried Every Night-Time Routine—This Is the Only Step I Never Skip
    • A woman doing yoga in a studio in shorts and a workout bra Experts Say These Are the 9 Healthy Ageing Habits Midlife Women Often Miss
    • Simple longevity habits: A woman picking vegetables and rolling a yoga mat I'm a Longevity Researcher—These Simple Everyday Rituals Matter More Than Biohacking

    Research suggests that having sex on your sweet sweet ownsome is better for your skin than a bottle of serum. Yep, as if we needed any more convincing to splurge on one of the best sex toys for flying solo.

    You see, it’s all to do with the rush of blood that pumps around your body when things get heated in the pants department. The subsequent blood vessel dilation means your body is flooded with oxygen that, in turn, increases collagen production.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    And that’s not the only unexpected benefit of getting intimate with yourself.

    Solo sexy time can also decrease existing wrinkles and combat acne.

    ‘It's really simple — sex decreases stress, which, in turn, reduces stress hormones in the body, which helps to lower inflammation,’ Dr. Elizabeth Tanzi, founder and director of Capital Laser and Skin Care, told refinery29.com.

    What to read next
    • A woman body brushing, taking a supplement, and heading to a workout class in gym city I Asked Leading Women’s Health Experts About the Best Health Investment They’ve Ever Made. Their Answers Surprised Me
    • Sleepmaxxing for better skin I Spent Six Months Sleepmaxxing for Better Skin—The Biggest Improvement Came From the Simplest Habit
    • Women sharing a plate of tiramisu "Little Treat Culture" Is Being Hailed As the Perfect Antidote to Over-Optimisation—So I Tried It for a Month

    And it’s inflammation that causes acne, wrinkles and a whole heap of other skin issues.

    But why is it better to fly solo for the sake of you skin, sexually speaking?

    Because when it’s your own hand in your pants, you tend to be more relaxed. Plus, people who practice self-love are more likely to make it part of a routine, meaning more frequent treats for your skin.

    We’re sold.

    Marie Claire
    Social Links Navigation

    The leading destination for fashion, beauty, shopping and finger-on-the-pulse views on the latest issues. Marie Claire's travel content helps you delight in discovering new destinations around the globe, offering a unique – and sometimes unchartered – travel experience. From new hotel openings to the destinations tipped to take over our travel calendars, this iconic name has it covered.

    Read more
    overnight masks
    Skincare I’ve Tried Every Night-Time Routine—This Is the Only Step I Never Skip
    A woman doing yoga in a studio in shorts and a workout bra
    Wellbeing Experts Say These Are the 9 Healthy Ageing Habits Midlife Women Often Miss
     
     
    Simple longevity habits: A woman picking vegetables and rolling a yoga mat
    Wellbeing I'm a Longevity Researcher—These Simple Everyday Rituals Matter More Than Biohacking
    A woman body brushing, taking a supplement, and heading to a workout class in gym city
    Female health I Asked Leading Women’s Health Experts About the Best Health Investment They’ve Ever Made. Their Answers Surprised Me
     
     
    Latest in Relationships
    Wedding planning
    Relationships I Love My Fiancé, but I Resent the Emotional Labour of Planning Our Wedding
    Wicker husband: Alexander Skarsgård and Olivia Coleman in the new film Wicker
    Relationships Move Over Regular Men and AI Boyfriends, The “Wicker Husband” Has Arrived
     
     
    Emotionally Unavailable Men: Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie in Wuthering Heights
    Relationships Why Are We Still Glamourising Emotionally Unavailable Men?
    Broken disco ball smashed to pieces on the floor. Black and white for a dramatic touch. Shiny backdrop is defocused.
    Relationships Why Do Men Ruin Your Birthday?
     
     
    Latest in Features
    Aesthetics Safety
    Beauty "What Did She Expect?"—The Sexism and Classism Behind The UK’s Aesthetics Safety Crisis
    Wedding planning
    Relationships I Love My Fiancé, but I Resent the Emotional Labour of Planning Our Wedding
     
     
    Expensive beauty products, luxury beauty
    Beauty The Expensive Products That Are Actually Worth It, According to Beauty Editors Who’ve Tried Thousands
    Mischa Anouk Smith on a sunset boat trip along Türkiye’s Turquoise Coast
    Travel Forget Capri, Türkiye’s Turquoise Coast Is the Mediterranean’s New Luxury Hotspot
     
     
    logoCreated with Sketch.
    • Site Archive
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Terms and conditions
    • Advertise with us
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • About us
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire UK is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.