Face Yoga Moves to Lift, Tone, and Relax Your Skin

Facial workouts aren’t just for celebrities or skincare enthusiasts face yoga is a growing wellness trend that’s easy to try at home. With regular practice, these exercises may help lift, tone, and relax the muscles in your face, offering a natural approach to a more youthful appearance.

While scientific research is still catching up with the popularity of face yoga, early studies and anecdotal reports suggest potential benefits for muscle tone, facial fullness, and skin elasticity. If you're curious about giving it a try, here are five beginner-friendly moves to start with.

What Is Face Yoga?

Face yoga is a series of exercises designed to activate and tone the muscles in your face, encouraging better circulation, collagen support, and muscle strength. It’s often described as a noninvasive alternative to cosmetic treatments, though results may be much more subtle.

Over time, aging causes facial fat pads to thin and shift downward, contributing to sagging and wrinkles. Strengthening the underlying facial muscles through targeted movement may help restore some firmness and improve skin texture.

5 Face Yoga Exercises to Try

These simple moves can be done without equipment, in about 30 minutes a day.

1. Eyebrow Lifter

Targets: Eyelids, forehead, and brow area

• Place three fingertips under each eyebrow

• Smile gently while pushing your brows down against your fingers

• With your eyes closed, roll your eyeballs upward

• Hold for 20 seconds, then relax

• Repeat three times

This move may help reduce frown lines and increase muscle tone around the eyes.

2. Cheek Lifter

Targets: Cheek muscles and upper lip area

• Form an “O” shape with your mouth

• Curl your upper lip over your teeth

• Smile

• Place fingertips on your upper cheeks, under the eyes

• Release, then smile again and lift the cheeks

• Repeat 10 times, holding the last lift for 20 seconds

Strengthening the cheeks may contribute to a more lifted and full appearance.

3. Happy Cheeks Sculpting

Targets: Cheekbone contour

• Smile with your lips closed, rolling them outward

• Use the corners of your mouth to lift the cheeks

• Place fingers at the corners of your mouth and push upward over the cheekbones

• Hold for 20 seconds, then release

• Repeat three times

This move aims to support mid-face volume and improve definition.

4. Scooping (Jaw and Neck Firmer)

Targets: Jawline, neck, and jowls

• Open your mouth into an “ahh” shape

• Curl your lower lip inward and hold tightly

• Extend your lower jaw forward

• “Scoop” the jaw upward slightly while tilting your head back

• Open and close the jaw 10 times, holding the last position for 20 seconds

This exercise may help improve jawline tone and reduce chin sagging.

5. Upper Eyelid Firmer

Targets: Upper eyelids and eye contour

• Place middle fingers near the inner corners of your eyes

• Smile and place index fingers at the outer corners

• Squeeze your eyes tightly shut

• Roll your eyeballs upward

• Hold for 30 seconds, continuing to smile

• Repeat twice

This technique may help reduce puffiness and lift the upper eyelid area.

How Long Does It Take to See Results?

Face yoga requires consistency. In one 20-week study of middle-aged women practicing 32 facial exercises daily for 8 weeks (then every other day for 12 more), participants reported modest improvements in cheek fullness and skin firmness. However, researchers caution that evidence is still limited, and results are likely to be subtle.

Is Face Yoga Effective?

While not as dramatic as fillers or cosmetic surgery, early research and personal accounts suggest that face yoga may offer gentle toning and a more refreshed appearance especially in the mid-face area. However, a 2021 systematic review noted mixed results, and some experts warn that repeated muscle contractions could potentially increase wrinkles over time.

That said, face yoga is safe to try, noninvasive, and may promote a stronger mind-body connection through movement and breath awareness.

Tips for a Healthy Skin Routine

To support skin health and potentially enhance the effects of face yoga:

• Wear sunscreen every day

• Moisturize consistently

• Avoid smoking and limit alcohol

• Eat a balanced diet rich in antioxidants

• Exercise regularly

• Sleep well and manage stress

Face yoga may not replace your skincare products or dermatologist visits, but it’s a low-cost, low-risk option to explore especially if you enjoy mindful movement and want to feel more connected to your body.

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