Skincare Sounds: The Most Relaxing Music For Your Skincare Routine

Candles lit. Hair tied back. Favourite playlist on… and relax. Sound familiar?

Carving out time at the end of the day to take your makeup off and do your skincare routine has always been a great way to unwind. But, did you also know that taking the time to properly relax and de-stress can really benefit your skin condition and supercharge your skincare?

A study from the National Library of Medicine explains that stress increases the body’s inflammatory response. So, by minimising stress, you can improve the health of your skin barrier, help to plump your complexion and even help reduce things like rosacea and breakouts. Another skin benefit of feeling relaxed is you’re more likely to have a better sleep, which can also contribute to healthier and more glowing skin.

One of the best ways to calm the senses and recharge the mind is to listen to music - whether it’s a chilled-out instrumental playlist or an eclectic mix of your favourite pop artists, so we headed to Spotify to uncover the most relaxing artists and songs in the world. (There are over 2,000 playlists for skincare alone, so it’s clear lots of us are already using music to make our skincare routines as relaxing as possible.)

The Music That Could Benefit Your Skin

We worked with a data scientist to analyse songs in different Spotify playlists, from collections curated around ‘relaxing’ and ‘wellness,’ to playlists that were specifically created to accompany skincare routines.

In total, we looked at 1.4 million songs across playlists containing the following key words:

• Skincare

• Calm

• Calming

• Relaxing

• Self-care

• Unwind

• Wellness

We calculated the total number of times each musician and song were included, then ranked them to discover which artists and tracks help us to unwind the most.

We also collaborated with Dr Michael Bonshor, a University Teacher in Music Psychology at the UK’s University of Sheffield, to explain the results and give some expert insight into why these songs provide the perfect chilled-out backing track for applying skincare like serums, retinol and moisturisers.

Dr Micheal Bonshor sets the scene by saying:

“Relaxing’ music can have a profound effect on how we feel - physically and psychologically¹. The neurological pathways which process sound affect the brain’s limbic system, which is responsible for emotional responses, memory and behaviour, so listening to ‘relaxing’ music helps us to regulate our emotions². It can also reduce heart rate, lower blood pressure and reduce cortisol, the stress hormone.”

The World’s Top 25 Most Relaxing Musicians 

It’s the pop princess, Taylor Swift, who features on relaxing playlists more than any other artist on Spotify – 1,390 playlists in total. Famous for hit songs such as ‘Love Story,’ ‘Anti-Hero’ and ‘Shake It Off,’ there’s no denying she is one of the most famous musicians in the world right now, with 12 of her albums reaching number one in the charts - more than any other female artist.

So why does Swift help so many of us to feel relaxed? Dr Bonshor says that “tempo is the most significant factor in determining whether a song is relaxing or not - approximately 60-80 beats per minute is the most common as this is similar to our resting heart rate during relaxation.”

The tempo of Swift’s music is faster, at an average of 108 bpm, but he says “when we are relaxing, we tend to tune into the stronger emphasis on the first and third beats of the bar, so we experience the music as a slower, repeated two-beat pattern. This means the Taylor Swift catalogue has a relaxing ‘pulse’, and our bodies naturally synchronise with this.

Second on the list, featuring on 1,229 relaxing playlists, is Little Symphony. A band that specialises in ambient music, there’s no surprise that they rank so highly on the list of the world’s most relaxing musicians. The Canadian band has a unique approach, by blending the sounds of Canada’s nature and pairing them with music to create a calming atmosphere.

Third place goes to a pop artist with a twist, Lana Del Rey, who specialises in alternative pop. Lana has been added to 758 playlists for unwinding and recharging. Her music features melancholic tones with a retro feel, and many people find her music relaxing.

Dr Bonshor explains this is mostly down to the lyrics. “They’re often romantic, reflective and either nostalgic or wistful – all of which are incredibly soothing to listen to.”

Four more pop artists can be seen in the top 25 list: Ariana Grande is in sixth place, on 565 playlists and Harry Styles rounds off the top 10 list, appearing on 377 relaxing playlists. Billie Eilish is in 15^th position, thanks to her electropop style of music and Olivia Rodrigo appears further down the list in 23rd place, appearing on 201 playlists.

Top 25 Most Relaxing Musicians

Here are the top musicians ranked by how often they feature on a relaxing playlist.

The Most Relaxing Musical Genres

Pop artists feature in the list six times, as does ambient music - but perhaps surprisingly, it’s hip-hop that takes the top spot, appearing seven times in total. 

According to our study, The Weeknd, in fifth place, is the hip-hop artist that relaxes us the most, clocking up 585 appearances on relaxing playlists. Drake is eighth, Frank Ocean is 11th, while Tyler, the Creator and Doja Cat are the 17th and 18th most relaxing musicians, respectively. The final two artists of this genre to make the top 25 list are Mac Miller in 21st place and Kendrick Lamar in 25th place.

Why have so many people added hip-hop artists to their relaxing and de-stressing playlists? Dr Bonshor explains that hip-hop typically ticks a lot of the boxes when it comes to relaxing music. “Hip-hop songs typically sits around 80 bpm. Repetition also contributes to the relaxing properties of a song and hip-hop is famous for having a repetitive, cyclical beat that many fans of the genre deem more important than the lyrics. Repetitive melodies, lyrics and steady rhythmic patterns, that we can quickly tune into and remember, make for a soothing listening experience.”

Ambient music comes a close second with its six placements, and is often used by spas to help create a relaxing atmosphere. It can also really help you pace your skincare routine by following the rhythm of the music to avoid rushing through your routine. This means you can inhale and exhale your way through your double cleanse and enjoy the whole process of your routine to come out of it feeling completely zen.

Are these the World's Most Relaxing Songs?

If you’re looking for the ultimate playlist to accompany your home spa evening or DIY facial routine, we can also reveal the specific songs that appear the most on relaxing playlists. 

Featuring on a total of 96 different playlists, ‘Moonlight’ by Ariana Grande is the song that’s been chosen the most for playlists dedicated to chilling out and unwinding. The hit song is the opening track from the pop star’s third studio album, Dangerous Woman (2016). To understand why this song is so popular, Dr Bonshor says: “Ariana’s ‘Moonlight’ has 102 beats per minute if we listen for the 4 beats in a bar. However, if we focus on the stronger first and third beats in the bar, we ‘feel’ the music pace as two slow beats in every bar, giving us a restful 51 bpm.”

‘Good Days’ by the R&B artist, SZA appears on 86 relaxing playlists making it the second-most relaxing song. The track is very nostalgic and the lyrics centre around soul searching as well as former love and finding joy in a carefree lifestyle - all conveyed through SZA’s dreamy vocals.

In fact, SZA appears on the list three times; she also claims the fourth spot with her track ‘Kill Bill’ and again in 19th position with ‘Normal Girl’ which appears on 49 playlists. Interestingly, Dr Bonshor says SZA’s effect on listeners is likely interpreted as soothing due to the classic hip-hop trope of repetition, plus a limited range in melody. He says, “Melodies in many relaxing songs tend to be limited in range and move up and down in small steps; not only SZA’s music but also Taylor Swift’s ‘Cardigan’, and Kali Uchis’ ‘Telepathia’.

Frank Ocean’s ‘Pink + White’ claims third prize thanks to its inclusion on 76 playlists that are created for ‘me time’ moments. He features again in 11th position with his hit song ‘Lost’ which is praised for combining a classic R&B style with a straight-up pop tempo of 123 beats per minute, meaning you can chill out whilst having a little boogie mid-Vitamin C application.

Dr Bonshor says that this particular song can help you to unwind because it “uses harmonies that are conventionally pleasing to listen to, with vocal harmonies that are mainly predictable, according to the expectations in Western music.”

Many of the top 25 most relaxing songs are by modern-day artists which points to the fact that Spotify’s subscribers and playlist-makers tend to skew younger than the general population. For example, The Weeknd is 7th with ‘Die For You,’ Taylor Swift’s ‘Cardigan’ is 10th, and ‘POV’ by Ariana Grande is 12th. However, Norah Jones is the only artist from the early noughties to make an appearance, with her song ‘Sunrise’ ranking as the eighth most relaxing song as a result of being on 57 playlists designed for downtime.

Jones’ folk-inspired ballad is unlike any of the other songs on the list, and Dr Bonshor says one of the main reasons people feel they can unwind to Jones’ track is because of the beautiful lyricism and the repetition. He comments: “The repetitive melody evident in ‘Sunrise,’ paired with soothing lyrics and steady rhythmic patterns, makes it a tune you can easily lean into.”

Top 25 Most Relaxing Songs

Here are the top songs ranked by how often they feature on a relaxing playlist:

We have collated the Top 25 Most Relaxing Songs on Spotify for you to listen to or save for later:

The Most Popular Songs to Accompany Skincare Routines

We also used the data to create the ultimate relaxing skincare playlist. It features the top 20 songs that are added the most frequently to skincare specific playlists and it will be the perfect backing track to accompany your skincare regimen – from acids to skin treatments and masks. 

SZA occupies the top two spots with her song ‘Kill Bill’ which features on 48 playlists and ‘Good Days’ is second featuring on 47. 

Another R&B artist claims the next two spots - Kali Uchis’ ‘Moonlight’ and ‘Telepatía’ are revealed as the third and fourth most relaxing songs, being added to 46 and 42 playlists, respectively. Uchhis also features for a third time in the top 20 list, with ‘After The Storm’ (featuring Tyler, The Creator and Bootsy Collins) ranking in 19th.

Taylor Swift is the only other artist to feature three times on the list; ‘August’ is fifth, ‘Cardigan’ is eighth and ‘Cruel Summer’ claims 16th position.

Dr Bonshor says Taylor Swift’s music is perfect to unwind to due to her mix of tempo and calming lyrics, so there is no surprise that she plays a prominent role in our regimes when we are applying our AHA’s to uncover our best-ever glow.

Many other pop songs are among the most popular tracks to play whilst we hydrate our skin - including ‘As It Was’ by Harry Styles and ‘What Was I Made For?’ by Billie Eilish.

Top 20 Songs Featured On Skincare Playlists

We have collated this Ultimate Skincare Playlist here:

Why Does Music Relax Us?

Dr Bonshor lists three main reasons explaining why the music in this study has a calming impact. The physiological, psychological and emotional reasons are: 

1. We are neurologically and physiologically ‘programmed’ to respond to the speed and rhythm of music. When we listen to music, our breathing rate and heart rate naturally synchronise with the music, so when relaxing music is played, it slows down our breathing and heart rate, lowers our blood pressure, and reduces our stress responses. This makes us feel physically relaxed⁵.

2. Enjoying music is a ‘flow activity’ which can help us to get ‘into the zone’ and switch off from everything else around us. This happens when we are totally immersed in the music to the extent that we lose track of time, lose our self-consciousness, and forget about our everyday concerns⁶.

3. Emotionally engaging with music can distract listeners from their problems. Being able to select the music can create a feeling of having control over something in our lives. Listening to music that we enjoy creates positive emotions, which also help us to relax⁷.

Methodology

We scraped Spotify’s API for songs, artists and playlist names, for all playlists that include the following keywords:

• Skincare

• Calm

• Calming

• Relaxing

• Self-care

• Unwind

• Wellness

We then analysed the data from the 1.4 million songs that was pulled from the API scrape and sorted from highest to lowest to reveal the most popular artists. Those with the highest number of inclusions being deemed the most relaxing. 

All scientific insights are supplied by Dr Michael Bonshor: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/music/people/academic-staff/michael-bonshor