Christabel Chua shows us 3 face yoga poses for a v-shaped face and healthy glow

Search the #faceyoga on TikTok, and you'll find that it's become a social media fad that has over 1.7 billion views on the app. Even celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Meghan Markle are said to be fans of face yoga too. 

But what is face yoga and how does it work? The answer is simple: Just like yoga for the body, face yoga involve deep stretches that can work the muscles in the face too. 

Essentially, face yoga is “a blend of facial exercises, which can be combined with deep breathing and facial massages”, shares Sarah Ng, a face yoga instructor with Jal Yoga. 

“It is a type of resistance exercise that works internally on your muscles beneath the skin, which serves as the foundation to activate, lift and tone the muscles, while [the] massages work on the external, to release tension, relax and define.” 

Sarah, who is also a certified gua sha teacher, combines face yoga with facial massages and gua sha techniques. The result? An improved complexion, more defined jawline and a more lifted appearance. 

“Sometimes people think that I’ve done fillers on my cheeks,” she quips.

In addition to helping you achieve a more symmetrical and lifted face, it's said that exercising your facial muscles can also encourage better face posture, according to content creator and certified face yoga instructor Christabel Chua.  

The 32-year-old explains that the enhanced circulation helps promote collagen production – a protein that gives skin its elasticity and volume. “My skin has stayed more radiant throughout the years (with face yoga) and with better blood circulation, my overall complexion has looked more toned and lifted”, she shares. 

And while most of us can benefit from face yoga, those above 40 will notice a more visible difference in their appearance. “Face Yoga is for overall maintenance for those below 40, but those above 40 will see a more drastic change,” she says.

Christabel cites her own mum as a clear example. “My mother’s face and skin has changed drastically – her face became more symmetrical, eyes more lifted, jawline more pronounced and less pronounced nasolabial folds.”

How effective is face yoga?

Dr Melvin Tan, medical director of Epion Clinic, agrees that there can be some benefits associated with face yoga. 

"With the correct technique, facial massage can improve blood flow and nutrients to the skin, which helps to give it a healthy boost and glow. It can also aid in increasing lymphatic drainage, which in turn, reduces swelling and puffiness.

There some potential benefits to be gained from having toned and strong facial muscles from an anti-ageing perspective. These muscles play a role in keeping the facial skin and fat where it is meant to be, particularly in areas such as the jawline, neck, cheeks and forehead," says Dr Tan

But doing these facial exercises alone will not be able to stave off signs of ageing. A proper skincare routine and taking care of your health go a long way in maintaining a youthful appearance.  

“Exercising the face doesn’t directly improve wrinkles or fill in the hollows that give us an aged appearance," he adds.

4 tips for practicising face yoga

#1 Do your face yoga exercises twice a day.

Jai Yoga's Sarah recommends practising the exercises first thing in the morning and once more, right before going to bed. 

“It wakes up your face muscles and makes you more aware of facial movements throughout the day,” she explains. This is because “most of us develop unfavorable muscle practices through our daily expressions, such as frowning, raising our brows, clenching our teeth. Hence, practicing these exercises in the morning can help such bad facial habits”. 

And when done before bedtime, the benefits include helping to “reset the muscles you used during the day, and to relax not only your facial muscles, but also your mind to prepare you for a nice, peaceful sleep ahead".

#2 Do wait two weeks after an aesthetic procedure to continue with your face yoga exercises. 

If you’ve had fresh aesthetic procedures done, such as Botox or fillers, it would be good to wait about two weeks before resuming your face yoga exercises.

“As Botox suppresses your facial muscle movements, it can be hard to move your face muscles right after the treatment," says Sarah. 

And do avoid doing facial massages over the areas where the procedure has been done for that same time period as well. More importantly, do stop and consult your doctor if you feel any extreme discomfort.

#3 Do your face yoga moves in front of a mirror

While each facial exercise doesn’t take long to complete, Sarah emphasises that every movement is specific, so it is imperative that you “make sure you are using the right muscles and moving them correctly”. 

This is important because repetitive muscle movements are what contribute to facial lines and wrinkles. 

“Certain repetitive movements can cause tension in the muscles, hence unwanted wrinkles. Moving them the right way is necessary to prevent and even reduce them,” she says.

#4 Do your face yoga moves on moisturised skin 

According to Christabel, practicing your facial exercises on moisturised skin will help in preventing more wrinkles from forming. 

In addition, she adds that “face yoga is a skill set that will most definitely help enhance the efficacy of your skincare, amplifying and prolonging the ideal results you would like to achieve [as] with facial exercise, blood circulation around the face will be improved”. This, in turn, “will lead to better absorption of [your] skincare benefits and a more radiant complexion”. 

#1 Relax and Glow

Credit: Christabel Chua

1/3

Good for: Relieving facial tension and achieving that lit-from-within glow

Step 1 Open your chest, open your heart. Relax your shoulders and breathe in and out through your nose.

Step 2 Clench your fists and place the middle finger knuckle right next to your nostrils.

Step 3 Push in and apply slight pressure.

Step 4 Relax your shoulders and forehead.

Step 5 Slide your index and middle finger knuckles up along your nose to the centre of your forehead.

Step 6 Slide them along your forehead, in the direction of your temples and pull up.

Step 7 Repeat steps 2-6.

Step 8 Place your index and finger knuckles next to your nostrils.

Step 9 Apply slight pressure and slide along your nose to the centre of your forehead.

Step 10 Open your palms and brush your fingers over your eyes, forehead towards your temples.

Step 11 Come out from the pose and relax. Repeat two more sets.

#2 Shifty Eyes

Credit: Christabel Chua

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Good for: Combatting eye fatigue

Step 1 Keep your head relaxed on the top of your spine and find a point in front of you to look at. Without moving your head, neck or face, tilt your eyes to the right then back to centre before moving back to the left.

Step 2 Move your eyes back to the middle and look up to the ceiling and down to the floors. Gently close your eyes for five seconds before repeating this step one more time.

Step 3 Open your eyes as wide as you can without raising your eyebrows. Pro tip: place your hand flat on the forehead and apply pressure to keep the forehead still. Focus on a point in front of you and take in four deep breaths before breathing out. Relax and close your eyes for a few seconds.

#3 Swan neck

Credit: Christabel Chua

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Good for: Contouring and sculpting the face while reducing neck lines.

Step 1 Open your chest, open your heart. Relax your shoulders. Breathe in and out through your nose.

Step 2 Interlace your fingers with your arms extended in front of you.

Step 3 Push your hands away from you and with your palms facing inward.

Step 4 Separate your shoulder blades. Push them down.

Step 5 Move your gaze to the upper right about 45 degrees. Move your head in the same direction.

Step 6 Pucker your lips and move it to the right. You’ll feel a stretch on the left front of your neck. Hold for five seconds.

Step 7  Move everything back to the centre.

Step 8 Move your gaze to the upper left about 45 degrees. Move your head in the same direction.

Step 9 Pucker your lips and move it to the left. You’ll feel the stretch on the right front of your neck. Hold for five seconds.

Step 10 Move everything back to the centre.

Step 11 Come out of the pose and smile.

Step 12 Repeat 2 more sets by interlacing fingers in a different direction.