Facial coloration including rosy cheeks biggest indicator of healthiness, say researchers

Your face can reveal a lot about your personality, the state of your health and

 attractiveness. It is a window into your health and emotions. When you stare into a mirror 

and dark circles, puffy eyes, acne or other undesirable facial flaws are staring back at you, 

your face is telling a tale about possible nutritional deficiencies, poor digestion, lack of sleep 

or other physical or mental health issues
                                    
  
Dr. Alex Jones, lecturer in psychology at the University of Swansea, has spent a great deal 

of his career researching the human face and the kind of information it holds about us. 

Facial appearance plays a significant role in how we feel about ourselves and how we feel 

about others. It influences who we are attracted to, and who we choose to approach 

or avoid.

Writing for The Conversation, and published in The Daily Mail, Dr. Alex Jones reveals what 

your complexion has to say about your lifestyle

What are our faces telling us?

We are attracted to healthy-looking faces and seem to avoid those who look unhealthy. But 

what makes a face look "healthy" in our eyes is the question that intrigues Dr.Jones the most

While he notes that the influence of body mass index (BMI) on face shape or the 

 smoothness of skin definitely play a role in how healthy others perceive us to be, he found 

 that there is another determining factor.

His new research sheds light on how facial skin tone or coloration affects people' perception

After analyzing a lot of faces, he concluded that lighter, redder and  yellower skin were seen 

as the healthiest. He further notes that these facial features seem to be linked to biological 

processes. A lighter skin, for instance, has been associated with the ability to absorb more

 vitamin D, while redness of the skin may indicate more efficient circulation and blood 

supplys to the skin.

A yellow glow, the sign of a healthy diet

While a lighter or redder skin is seen as a sign of good health, it is yellowness that seems 

to be particularly relevant for a healthy complexion. People with a yellow tinted skin tend to 

eat healthier diets packed with fresh fruits and vegetables.

As reported by Dr. Jones, carotenoids, or antioxidants that give fresh produce their vibrant 

color, are essential for good health, and are responsible for creating a healthy glowing skin.

 Tanning has been found to have the same effect. However, he notes that the yellow color 

conferred by a healthy diet is preferred to the yellowness brought about by tanning.

Overall skin tone and upping antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables seem to be the secrets 

to a healthy and rejuvenated look. But according to Dr. Jones, it isn't as simple as that.

Have you ever heard of the deep red-colored phytonutrient, astaxanthin? It is another 

powerful antioxidant that supports a healthy lifestyle.

The lighter areas show where the skin of healthier looking faces are brighter (left), redder (middle), and yellower (right).

Lighter skin under the eyes and rosy cheeks, the 

ultimate signs of good health

Dr. Jones notes that overall skin color or glow is not the only significant factor in how we 

perceive a healthy appearance.

Dark circles under the eyes or rosacea, for instance, are both seen as unhealthy signs. This 

indicates that not only overall skin tone but the colors in certain areas of the face could be 

relevant, too. To put this to the test, Dr. Jones asked observers to rate photographed faces, 

after subtly changing them to have lighter under-eye skin and redder cheeks, for 

how healthy they thought they were.

He has identified that while an overall yellow glow generally was the contributor to looking 

healthy, lighter skin under the eyes and rosy cheeks seemed to play larger roles.

Finally, he adds that it is not surprising that cosmetic products such as concealers and 

blushers are so popular given these results. They improve the coloration of the areas that 

matter the most to creating a healthy-looking appearance and glow.

But, as Dr. Jones mentioned, while makeup can do a lot to improve your appearance, 

nothing beats a good night's sleep and regular exercise to look your best.