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Women look their worst at 3:30pm every Wednesday, survey claims

For most of us, Wednesday is not a great day — or at least that's what one survey claims.

Researchers commissioned by tanning brand St. Tropez claim that women look their oldest at 3:30 p.m. every Wednesday — because that's when work stress peaks, energy levels plummet, and any sleep deprivation and alcohol consumption from the weekend catches up with us.

"Processing the toxins in alcohol and sugar can put strain on the body," says Nichola Joss, St. Tropez skin expert. "It can take up to 72 hours for the visible effects of alcohol to show, so the effects of drinking on the weekend may not present themselves until Wednesday afternoon."

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One in ten women reported finding Wednesday the most stressful day of the week, with two-thirds of them claiming to experience a "slump in energy levels" mid-afternoon on the infamous hump day.

"Combine the highest stress levels of the week on a Wednesday with the natural mid-afternoon slump and it seems that's why women can look older than their years," Joss tells the Daily Telegraph.

Thursday, however, is a much different story. According to the same survey, Thursday is the day when women are most likely to have sex, perhaps helping give Friday its ranking as the happiest day of the week.

"Many women credit a healthy sex life for keeping them looking and feeling young," Joss says. "As the mid-week slump passes and stress levels begin to decrease, it's fascinating that Thursday is the evening they are most likely to feel amorous."

"Given this info, you may want to rule out Wednesdays when you're trying to decide which night of the week to meet up with that cute guy you've been chatting with," Cosmopolitan's Natasha Burton writes, suggesting a more strategic Thursday evening date instead.

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Keep in mind that this research coincides with the launch of St. Tropez Gradual Tan Plus Anti-Ageing Face, so there's likely an ulterior motive to making us feel not-so-pretty on Wednesday. But that doesn't mean that the recommendation to not ditch our skincare routines — as 12 per cent of women do — on this low point of this week isn't valid:

"Even if a woman doesn't wear make-up, it's essential to cleanse the face of build up from everyday pollution," insists Joss. "Letting these build up clogs the skin making it duller and drier, and superficially older."

Do you agree that you look or feel your worst on Wednesday afternoons?