For decades women have worked hard at keeping their exteriors beautiful. They have religiously exfoliated, cleansed, toned and moisturised their skin, but according to the latest beauty gurus, beauty really does come from within.

For some time now, the New-Age jargon has taught us that looking good comes from feeling good about oneself. If a woman feels healthy and happy, her skin has a better chance of glowing.

Which is why, these days, hands-on beauty treatments are designed to pamper the person as well as her skin. As a result, at least 50% of a treatment’s effectiveness is down to the relaxation, not just creams on the skin.

This holistic view of beauty will make sense to anyone who has experienced a stress-induced skin outbreak or a period of dull hair, skin and broken nails after an illness.

No matter how much concealer and make-up we use, we really only look our best when we feel our best - and this is more than just a psychological phenomena, it has it’s basis in physiological reality.

A relaxed person actually has increased superficial circulation and more of the hormones which control healing and cell replication, as well as more of the endorphins which give us the feel good factor.

When we are stressed, it does cause beauty problems because of the physiological changes it causes in our bodies. When we’re under pressure, we tend to tighten our muscles and this restricts the blood flow to every part of our body.

At the same time, it slows down the lymphatic drainage into and out of every organ so that the cells cannot defend themselves from infection.

Indigestion, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome and bloating can all be a result and, at the same time, you might notice that you have dull, sallow skin that is prone to spots, strange bumps, allergic reactions and chapped lips that are prone to sores.

When you consider that the skin is the largest organ of the body, and that it also feeds the hair and nails, it’s not surprising that stress quickly manifests itself in the way we look.

Of course, the difficulty with stress-related beauty problems is that it’s rather difficult to eliminate the cause. Stress is part and parcel of most of our lives, and the secret is learning how to cope with it.

If the thought of traditional stress management techniques leaves you cold, it’s worthwhile remembering that some of the best ways to relax also involve some of the best beauty treatments.

A new generation of pampering-treats work on you from the outside. For example, a facial will deep-cleanse your complexion and will also soothe and relax your mind, while aroma therapy oils, which moisturise your skin, will also ease tense muscles and boost your energy levels.

Most beauty and health spas today follow one principle: Relax the person and they will automatically look and feel better!

Holistic beauty therapies these days cleverly use complementary treatments to leave us pampered, refreshed and revived.

Aroma therapy started the trend when it was discovered that essential oils worked on the skin and the mind, but other complementary therapies have followed suit, including reflexology, shiatsu massage and accupreassure.

What was traditionally the domain of the alternative therapist is now a part of the beautician’s portfolio. But who’s complaining...???