If you think healthy glowing skin is all about what you put on it, you’re mistaken. Beauty is more than skin deep. A 2005 study conducted by the scientists at St Andrews compared photos of 59 women between the age group of 18 to 25 years over a period of six weeks, divulging a shocking relation between the level of attractiveness and level of hormones in women bodies.

While, hormone levels are mainly controlled by our heredity, a new study epigenetics has revealed that it’s not just the genes that make us. Lifestyle habits too play a far more important role in determining the quality of our health and physical attractiveness. If you’re troubled with frequent skin issues, hair loss, bloating, anxiety, mood swings and not sure what could be the cause of your woes, blame it on your out-of-whack hormones.

Hormones affect everything from our immune response and inflammation to cellular growth and tissue repair. But what exactly are those hormones that maintain our health and hold the key to our beauty? While, the average woman’s knowledge of female hormones stops with estrogen and progesterone, a woman’s hormone system is a much more unique and complex system of biologically active substances produced by our body.

So let’s take a closer look at each of these hormones that impact our appearance and discuss ways we can boost and regulate these hormone levels naturally.

Five female hormones that hold the key to our beauty

1. Estrogen

Estrogen is the main female sex hormone that is produced by the ovaries before menopause and adrenal glands after menopause. The feminizing of the female body such as reproductive function, softer skin, shiny hair, curvy physique etc. is mainly attributed to the effects of estrogen in the female body.

Besides feminizing effects, estrogen is also responsible for the healthy functioning of the cardiovascular system and bone density. Healthy levels of estrogen in woman’s body prevent early menopause thereby delaying aging and helping a woman stay young and beautiful.

2. Testosterone

Yes, it’s surprising for most of us but it’s true. Testosterone, the well-known male sex hormone also plays an important role in female body. In women, testosterone is responsible for improving muscle tone, stimulating metabolism, increasing self-esteem, enhancing skin cell regeneration and strengthening bones and tissues.

Produced by the ovaries and adrenal glands, it is also vital for regulating emotions and stimulating sexual desire in women. Where a decline in testosterone in women may lead to weight gain, loss of muscle tone, reduced strength etc., an excess of this hormone can cause acne, oily skin, hair thinning and other unwanted androgenetic features.

You may want to check out this resource https://www.hgha.com/testosterone-levels-in-women/ to know more about testosterone levels in women and what you can do to regulate them.

3. Progesterone

Progesterone is another important female sex hormone that is naturally released by the ovaries when a woman ovulates. It is vital for maintaining healthy menstrual function, fertility and sex drive in a woman. A disruption in Progesterone levels is what mainly causes premenstrual (PMS) symptoms, Poly cystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), infertility and an increased risk and incidence of miscarriage among women.

No wonder having adequate Progesterone levels would help a woman feel her best, which in turn support her in looking her best.

4. DHEA

Dehydroepiandrosterone or DHEA is an integral hormone produced by the adrenal glands. It is a precursor to other hormones, such as estrogen and testosterone. It is DHEA that stimulates the production of collagen, making skin appear smoother and younger looking. Our skin’s immunity also appears to improve with DHEA, which may help healing.

Other than natural ageing, stress causes a major decline in DHEA levels in a woman’s body causing her to appear older for her age. No wonder, it’s highly important to have optimum DHEA levels in the body.

5. Melatonin

Popularly known as the mother of all hormones, melatonin is one of the most important hormones responsible for maintaining the youth of the body by regulating sleep and wakefulness cycle of a human body.

Importance of beauty rest is no secret in the beauty world. A proper restful sleep is essential for maintaining youth at the cellular level, normalizing blood pressure, regulating brain and endocrine system along with promoting a healthy digestive system.

Besides its basic endocrine functions, Melatonin also acts as an antioxidant hormone promoting hair growth, rejuvenating skin cells and preventing Melanoma by guarding against UV rays. Melatonin levels significantly decline after 40.

Applied topically or taken internally, melatonin supplements are a great way to shield against environmental and internal stressors.

Ways to boost hormone levels naturally in women

So when you notice certain changes in your body or state of mind such as increased weight, dull skin, hair loss, acne, sagging skin, mood swings, weak digestion or appearance of any disease like Osteoporosis, these are symptoms or signs of your body telling you that your hormones are out of balance.

The good news is by changing certain lifestyle and food habits, you can regulate and balance your hormones to a great extent. Here are some ways to boost hormone levels naturally for perfect balance and beauty:

1. Exercise daily: When it comes to balancing hormones, exercise is your best bet. A 20 minute of vigorous physical activity 3 to 4 times a week is known to boost and regulate the production of nearly all hormones in the body.
2. Eat foods rich in phyto-estrogens such as fenugreek, soy, bran, flaxseeds, beans, nuts, rhubarb, black pepper etc. to boost and regulate estrogen production.

1. Adequate intake of zinc and manganese rich foods such as barley, oatmeal, buckwheat, leafy vegetables, seafood etc. is crucial for the production and regulation of testosterone hormone in the body. If you find yourself having excess testosterone levels in your body, you may find supplementing with Saw Palmetto helpful for your condition.
2. Decline of DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) hormone can be addressed by increasing your intake of healthy fats like oily fish, olive oil, fresh olives, avocado
3. Yoga and meditation: Since, stress is one of the main causes of hormonal imbalance among women, finding ways and time to relax with either yoga, meditation or any recreational activity like music, dance, painting, etc. can greatly help to reduce stress and boost healthy hormone levels.

Lifestyle habits and foods to avoid for healthy hormone levels

1. Smoking
2. Alcohol
3. Coffee and black tea
4. Sugar
5. White floor and white rice
6. Refined oil
7. Junk food
8. Sedentary lifestyle

Last words:

So you see it’s not just our heredity or what we put on our skin that determines our beauty but our attractiveness is controlled by a great extent to our lifestyle habits and what we put in our mouths. When a woman’s hormones are in balance and harmony with each other, her overall health and physical beauty hum along at a nice and even pace.