It’s hailed as a non-invasive alternative to Botox and surgery, with Meghan Markle reportedly a huge fan, but how exactly do anti-ageing facial exercises help banish fine lines, sagging and wrinkles?
‘These work the hypodermis or the lower layer of the skin, the dermis or the middle layer and the epidermis or the upper layer,” says face yoga expert Danielle Collins.
‘By working all these layers correctly it will increase the blood circulation, allowing more oxygen and more nourishment to reach the cells of the skin. The result is a clear, healthy complexion with a beautiful glow which has less toxins and has a better ability to absorb moisture.’
Very similar to facial massages you can do at home, the anti-ageing facial exercises technique is also designed to stimulate collagen and elastin production in the middle layer of the skin giving you a smoother, more supple, tighter-looking skin.
Danielle recommends that you do your anti-ageing facial exercises for 20 minutes, six times a week. It may seem like a lot, but you’ll see results quickly. ‘Everyone has different faces so the time it takes to see changes varies from person to person,’ says Danielle. ‘As a general rule you will start to see more of a long term improvement in your face and neck after two weeks.
‘After two to four months, you will notice you have less fine lines and less tension and people will notice you look healthier and more energised. Within 6-9 months people have reported that they look and feel many years younger and feel more relaxed within themselves.’
Below are five anti-ageing facial exercises from The Danielle Collins Face Yoga Method to get you started. Be sure to use something with a bit of slip, something like the best face serum, or even better one of these face oils.
If you fall in love with it, follow Danielle on Instagram for more anti-ageing facial exercises.
Anti-ageing facial exercises: The V
Good For: Drooping eyelids, crow’s feet, eye bags and puffiness.
Alternative To: Botox and eye surgery.
Step 1: Press both middle fingers together at the inner corner of the eyebrows, then with the index fingers, apply pressure to the outer corners of the eyebrows.
Step 2: Look to the ceiling, and raise the lower eyelids upwards to make a strong squint, and then relax.
Step 3: Repeat six more times and finish by squeezing eyes shut tightly for 10 seconds.
image: http://ksassets.timeincuk.net/wp/uploads/sites/46/2016/07/The-V.jpg
Can facial exercises make you look younger?
Researchers say an experiment with regular facial exercises made women look three years younger after 20 weeks. ... The researchers say regular facial exercises may strengthen the muscles just below your skin and produce fuller upper and lower cheeks. This can lead to a more youthful appearance.
Anti-ageing facial exercises: The Smile Smoother
Good For: Cheek lines and sagging skin.
Alternative To: Lower face lift and fillers.
Step 1: Hide the teeth with the lips to make an ‘O’ shape with the mouth.
Step 2: Smile widely while keeping the teeth hidden and repeat six times.
Step 3: Next, hold the smile shape while placing one index finger on the chin. Then start to move the jaw up and down as the head tilts gently back. Relax and repeat twice more.
image: http://ksassets.timeincuk.net/wp/uploads/sites/46/2016/07/Smile-Smoother.jpg
Anti-ageing facial exercises: Smooth the brow
Good For: Horizontal forehead lines.
Alternative To: Botox.
Step 1: Place both hands on the forehead facing inwards and spread all of the fingers out between the eyebrows and hairline.
Step 2: Gently sweep the fingers outwards across the forehead, applying light pressure to tighten the skin.
Step 3: Relax and repeat 10 times.
image: http://ksassets.timeincuk.net/wp/uploads/sites/46/2016/07/The-Smooth-Brow.jpg
Anti-ageing facial exercises: The flirty eyes
Good For: Deep eye hollows and drooping eye brows.
Alternative To: Eyebrow lift.
Step 1: Place an index finger under each eye, pointing towards the nose.
Step 2: Hide the teeth and tease the top lip and bottom lip away from each other at the the mouth.
Step 3: Flutter the upper eyelids while gazing at the ceiling for 30 seconds.
Anti-ageing facial exercises: The giraffe
Good For: Lines and loose skin on the neck.
Alternative To: Neck lift and jowl lift.
Step 1: Looking straight ahead, place the finger tips at the bottom of the neck and lightly stroke the skin downwards with the head tilted back.
Step 2: Bring the head back down to the chest and repeat twice more.
Step 3: Finally, jut the lower lip out as far as possible to pull the corners of the mouth down and place finger tips on the collarbone with the chin pointed upwards. Hold for four deep breaths.
image: http://ksassets.timeincuk.net/wp/uploads/sites/46/2016/07/The-Giraffe.jpg
Learn how to do these five facial exercises in our exclusive video below, plus there’s one extra face-toning yoga move in there, just for you…
Are you a fan of face yoga? Let us know by tweeting us at at @marieclaireuk
Time to flex those face muscles.
Is face yoga effective?
In short, yes — but you have to be committed to the regimen. “Because facial aging is due in part to muscle loss, if you can commit to a routine, exercise may strengthen those muscles, making the entire face look more firm and youthful,” explains Beauty Lab Senior Chemist Sabina Wizemann.
In one study, testers who facially exercised for 30 daily over two months, then every other day for three months, reported an increased fullness in their cheeks, making them look nearly three years younger. “It’s a really great natural solution to regain your youthful appearance, and a great alternative to Botox and plastic surgery,” says Koko Hayashi, facial yoga instructor at Skin Fit Gym in Los Angeles.
How often do you need to practice face yoga to see results?
“Ideally every single day, if you want to see good results,” says Hayashi. Wizemann agrees that consistency is the only key to success: “If you like a challenge and can stick to a 30-minute daily beauty routine for at least five months, you could possibly look a couple of years younger.” But Wizemann adds that these exercises shouldn’t replace the proven efficacy of anti-aging skin care and sun protection.
How does face yoga work?
In facial fitness classes like Hayashi’s (which run $200 per 50-minute session), you’ll learn to “wake up your sleeping muscles in your face” to improve tone (she says 80% of them lay dormant), and “relax your facial muscles, especially your over[worked] muscles which cause wrinkles” she explains. To smooth wrinkles and firm up saggy spots, Hayashi shared her five best face yoga exercises. You might feel silly making these faces at first, but the results speak for themselves.
