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Lately, it seems like everyone is talking about face yoga. Online, thousands of tutorials promise a snatched jawline, higher cheekbones, and a sculpted visage—all with the help of a few strategic facial stretches and massage moves. But what exactly is face yoga and can it really help rejuvenate a tired countenance and boost your self esteem?
What is face yoga?
Face yoga is a set of facial exercises and massage techniques that aim to tone and strengthen facial muscles, reduce visible wrinkles, improve circulation, relieve tension, and improve skin elasticity. “The stretches were created to tone the muscles of the face, much like traditional yoga works the body,” says Angela Rosoff, a certified face yoga instructor at the face yoga app Luvly.
Similar to the yoga you’d do on a yoga mat, face yoga is meant to be done with serene, focused intention. “It combines sets of massage movements and conscious breathwork to help increase blood circulation and improve muscle tone—essentially, it’s a workout for your facial muscles,” Rosoff explains.
If that sounds too good to be true, consider this: Some studies suggest that a consistent practice of facial yoga can lead to noticeable changes in facial muscles and skin tightening, resulting in plumper cheeks, relaxed nasolabial wrinkles, a planed double chin, and generally firmer, more oxygenated skin. According to one study, improved blood flow and muscle tone can help increase skin elasticity.
Although results may vary, some individuals really do see improvements in facial fullness, skin firmness, and wrinkle reduction. “Many people use face yoga to reduce puffiness and alleviate the effects of aging,” Rossoff adds.
How much commitment does face yoga require?
Like any mind-body practice, face yoga is practiced because it feels good. “With about 20 minutes a day you feel an incredible confidence boost,” says certified face yoga teacher Claudia Ciocca. “You immediately see an improvement at the level of the complexion, which becomes brighter and more vital.”
Even just a few minutes of face yoga can have benefits, says Rosoff: “You will be surprised how manageable it is. Most face yoga practitioners recommend starting with around five to 10 minutes daily and then slowly increasing the time you spend on face yoga exercises.”
To get into the habit and maximize your time, she suggests squeezing face yoga into your morning or nighttime routine, like right after brushing your teeth or while your skincare sinks in.
But remember, the results are cumulative, so consistency and awareness are key. “Since we learn to consciously move our muscles, we are able to correct the features we don’t like about ourselves, such as drooping eyelids that make us look more tired than we should, glabellar wrinkles that give us that constant worried look, the corners of the mouth that curve downward making us look sad, double chin, and so on,” Ciocca says.
What kind of results can you see after one month?
After a month of practice, you’ll likely see brighter and tighter skin. “Face yoga not only tones the muscles but also stimulates blood circulation so that it brings more oxygen and nutrients to the tissues, and improves lymphatic circulation, which drains excess fluids and eliminates toxins,” notes Ciocca. “You’ll see a more relaxed face because each practice begins with the release of tension.”
The results are also subtle and natural. “You’re not going to look like you’ve had a facelift after just a month, but that’s not the point,” Rosoff says. “Most people begin to notice subtler improvements within the first few weeks: a bit more firmness around the cheeks, a softer jawline, or reduced puffiness under the eyes,” she adds.
More importantly, many people report a change in how their face feels—such as less tension in the forehead, a looser jaw, and much better awareness of facial habits we all do. “You start noticing when you clench your jaw or frown and relax immediately,” Rosoff says. You may also begin to have more awareness of other bad habits, like poor posture and sleeping or chewing only on one side, which “tend to create tensions that lead to early wrinkles and give rise to the asymmetries in our face,” says Ciocca.
Can you do face yoga if you have Botox or filler?
It’s fine to perform face yoga with other aesthetic treatments, like Botox and yoga. In fact, Ciocca notes that the massage and lymphatic drainage movements can help decrease swelling and improve skin tone around the treated areas. “I often work with clients who undergo fillers and botox precisely to prolong their effects,” she says.
That said, there are a few things to keep in mind—especially in terms of timing and technique. “Most professionals recommend waiting at least two to four weeks after your injections before doing face yoga to allow the product to settle,” Rossof notes. “Also, keep in mind that facial exercises that involve contracting the exact muscles that Botox is meant to relax might slightly reduce the longevity of your results.”
How to do face yoga
Face yoga consists of more than 70 positions and exercises that work on every square millimeter of the face—but you don’t need to do all 70 movements to see results. “Depending on your needs, you can work on individual areas: forehead, eyes, cheeks, nasolabial, lips, oval of the face, neck,” says Ciocca. One of her personal favorites? A series she calls “Relax Glow,” which features gliding movements that are performed with the knuckles and cream or oil to release tension and stimulate blood and lymphatic circulation. “Start with ‘The Big O,’ a pose that looks a lot like Edvard Munch’s The Scream—it’s not very aesthetically pleasing, but when performed three times for 10 seconds, it increases blood circulation by 80% in the face and also lifts the contours,” she says.
Below, a look at some more of the common face yoga exercises for each facial area.
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Fish Face: Inhale and inflate the cheeks, holding air and moving it from side to side to engage the cheek muscles.
Cheek Push Up: Open your mouth in an “O” shape, cover your teeth with your lips and smile to lift the cheek muscles upward.
Firm the jaw: Open your mouth with an “aah” sound, bend your lower lip and lip corners inward, extend your lower jaw forward, then slowly lift your jaw upward by tilting your head back.
Push Up for the Chin: Tilt your head back, overlap your lower lip with your upper lip and smile while tightening your jaw muscles to strengthen your jaw and neck.
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Push up for eyebrows: Place three fingertips under each eyebrow to keep them raised, then try to push the eyebrows down against resistance.
Deflate dark circles: Place thumbs and index fingers near the temples, stretch the skin, then slowly and consciously blink the eyelids.
Lift to the eyes: Rotate the eyeballs up and down and side to side, then massage around the eyes and forehead.
Forehead rubbing: Place the edges of your palms on your forehead and move them alternately up and down.
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