Ever noticed how you look after a proper night’s sleep, or a slow weekend away? Brighter. More rested. A little more like yourself. It’s something people often mention after grounding, too — that they simply look refreshed.

There may be a gentle reason for it. In a 2014 study, electrophysiologist Dr Gaétan Chevalier used laser and thermal imaging to look at facial blood flow in people who were grounded versus those who weren’t. Within about an hour, the grounded group showed a clear, more rhythmic improvement in facial circulation — the non-grounded group didn’t.

Better circulation to the face means better nourishment of the skin, which may help explain that well-rested look people describe. Researchers suggest a calming effect could play a part too — grounding has been linked in studies to feeling more relaxed and less stressed, and we all know how much better we look when we’re rested and at ease.

None of this is a quick fix or a substitute for good sleep, water and sunshine. But it’s a lovely thought: that something as simple as reconnecting with the earth might help us feel — and look — a little more like ourselves.