Facial Exercise Central

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What Celebrities Do Facial Exercises?

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Facial Exercises are instrumental in muscle tightening around the face. The ultimate goal is to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and have a sculpted, toned, firmer look. And finding out what celebrities do facial exercises gives you an inkling of what to expect, how you can begin your process and accelerate results. 

The Following are Some Celebrities That Engage in Facial Exercises.

  1. Meghan Markle
  2. Jennifer Aniston
  3. Madonna
  4. Gwenyth Paltrow
  5. Cindy Crawford

Celebrities Spotted Doing Facial Exercises

1. Meghan Markle

Meghan Markle is first on this list. She is the perfect answer to the infamous question: Do facial exercises work? The world-famous actress has an admirable bone structure that she maintains well due to her regular facial exercises. Before shutting down her blog, the actress cited renowned British facialist Nichola Joss as the primary source of the facial exercises that keep her face well-toned and chiseled.

She also explained that she engages in many DIY tutorials on facial exercises while staying true to organic juices and vegetables.

2. Jennifer Aniston

Aniston won the hearts of many with her exceptional performance as Rachel Green on the sitcom Friends. However, beauty observers haven’t failed to notice her ageless looks, which she has credited to her consistent facial exercise routine. The media reported years back that Aniston was a fan of the facial technique dubbed “facial yoga,” It instantly became a craze in the beauty industry.

It’s no secret that Aniston’s dedication to facial exercise has paid off tremendously. Despite the beauty exercise debate, Aniston has unconsciously become a significant influencer for facial exercise.

3. Madonna

Popularly regarded as the queen of Pop, it is easy to see that the iconic singer continues to exude a youthful glow and demeanor thanks to her facial exercises. Madonna’s admirable jawline, plump cheeks and smooth forehead were all rumored to be effects of surgical enhancements and a strict diet. This changed when news emerged that she received regular home visits from one of the world’s most renowned facial trainers – Eva Fraser. A woman in her eighties but has the looks of a fifty-year-old.

Madonna strictly follows the personalized routine of Helen Birkin(a fellow celebrity client of Fraser). The starlet has repeatedly credited her youthful looks to her facial practices.

4. Gwenyth Paltrow

This iron man star is usually spotted looking young and fresh-faced even though she is in her early forties. Paltrow’s Goop brand is dedicated to healthy eating and lifestyle. However, she also revealed that besides eating right, she does a lot of facial exercises to enhance her perpetual youthfulness. Paltrow’s style, dewy looks, and lifestyle choices embody youth. Therefore it is no surprise that she has wholeheartedly embraced facial exercises.

5. Cindy Crawford

Crawford’s striking good looks propelled her to stardom as a supermodel in the 90s. Today Crawford is in her late forties, but her looks do not reflect it. Perhaps this is because one of her secrets involves constant facial exercise.

Why Do Celebrities Do Face Yoga?

We all love celebrities for their professionalism and hard work in entertainment. However, being public figures mean being held up to higher beauty standards. Luckily they manage to live up to them through facial exercise.

Celebrities love to be trendsetters and trailblazers, especially in fields like fashion and beauty. The motivation is to consolidate and strengthen the influence they wield on their fanbase. For instance, Malaika Arora is an Indian dancer, model, and television personality with an active YouTube channel. She shares valuable educational content with her millions of subscribers. She recently introduced facial exercise as the secret to her enviable jawline and increased interest in the art of face yoga.

But Number One Reason?

However, the number one reason any celebrity is consistent with face yoga is its immense beauty benefits. And they are always in high demand during award season.

Face yoga is an excellent way to age gracefully and beautifully. It is a natural and lasting alternative to expensive chemical treatments like retinol, botox and face fillers. Leading yoga expert Danielle Collins says that the right facial exercises can strengthen the muscles attached to the skin, improve lymph flow, and relax lines caused by holding tension in the face for too long.

This reduces wrinkles and puffiness, lifts sagging skin and allows the skin to look healthy. Additionally, a Northwestern University study in 2018 showed that 20 weeks of daily facial exercise did indeed yield measurably firmer skin and fuller upper cheeks. 

Are There Risks To Face Yoga?

One pivotal question most people ask is how risky is it? It is hard to answer this question because there have been scientific disagreements regarding the benefits of face yoga. While it is true that there is research supporting face yoga, it is essential to note that there aren’t any good, rigorous scientific studies that endorse the efficacy of face yoga.

Some experts believe contorting the face in different ways can lead to more facial wrinkles. Examples of crow’s feet, laugh lines, and forehead wrinkles emanate from repetitive muscle activity. It would help if you did not do facial yoga aggressively, and like everything else, it requires balance. It could accelerate aging rather than decrease it when done incorrectly. 

More Risks

Another risk comes from practicing face yoga with dirty and sweaty hands. These hands carry oil and bacteria that can clog pores and breakouts. Also, according to Kara Capriotti MD, a dermatologist at Bryn Mawr hospital, furrowing the brows or stretching the muscles makes the elastin in the skin weaker and manipulating these muscles will not erase wrinkles or prevent aging.

These divergent scientific views make it difficult to establish the risks of face yoga. However, this should not dissuade anyone from trying it out, as it has never produced severe or dangerous drawbacks. 

Simply put, give it a shot if you are interested. That way, you can determine whether it is good or bad for your skin within a short time.

Should You Or I Do Face Yoga?

The answer is yes, as there are no age limits or gender barriers to face yoga. 

Although women are more likely to engage due to their constant search for beauty enhancements, men also engage in face yoga. Top Gear star Richard Hammond was once spotted on television doing a couple of facial exercises. He publicly credited the techniques for their benefits.

Facial Exercises have effortlessly captured the attention of the beauty world even though most dermatologists remain skeptical about the trend. Still, many famous and reputable aestheticians have begun to incorporate facial treatments for their clients in recent years.

For context, Thuyen Nguyen, a celebrity facialist with an impressive clientele – Cindy Crawford, Michelle Williams, and Katy Perry – was in Beverly Hills for the just-concluded Oscars. In a very recent interview with W magazine, Nguyen explained how he had fine-tuned and refined the art of facial exercises through the implementation of timeless Eastern traditions of face cupping and lymphatic drainage. Nguyen also incorporates a distinctive set of twelve thousand Vietnamese strokes to keep his famous clientele pleased.

Danielle Collins, another celebrity facialist, advocates for holistic self-care and healthy eating when practicing facial exercises. According to Collins, combining these two factors is the best way to reflect a lovely outer shine. Collins says older beginners can create a routine to target specific areas of their faces that are already steeped in frown lines or forehead lines. 

Conclusion

Everyone possesses the power of choice, so it is up to you to give facial exercises a trial, even though the debates persist. Suppose you are a beauty enthusiast or someone conscious and passionate about skincare benefits. In that case, you have nothing to lose by giving it a try, as it can bring about positive long-term changes. 

Rewarding Face Yoga Exercises to Tone Your Face

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Weight loss can be long and arduous, sometimes requiring many years of hard work and dedication. To some, face weight can be one of the most challenging to lose successfully. However, while targeting your face weight may not be directly possible, you can get a toned or slim face with these facial exercises.

What Are Facial Exercises, And Why Are They Effective?

To better help you answer the question ‘Facial Exercises: Fact or Myth?’, we will first begin with explaining what facial exercises involve. In addition, we will also start explaining how such practices can prove to be highly effective in helping you achieve a more toned face, with the added benefit of allowing you to feel healthier.

Face yoga involves using your facial muscles to build strength in the muscles that exist in the area. For the best results from face yoga, many recommend that you perform the exercises daily. Face yoga enhances the strength of your facial muscles, enabling you to slow down the aging process and uplift your face.

Although it is highly improbable to lose face weight with face yoga exercises alone, performing them can hold several advantages that help mold and shape your face.

Best Face Yoga Exercises For A Slim Face

Several types of face yoga exercises can contribute to you achieving a slimmer and more toned face. Some of the activities can also help you stimulate the muscles in your neck and improve blood flow carrying essential nutrients around your face.

Improved blood circulation in your facial muscles can tremendously benefit your skin and overall appearance. When deciding which exercises to choose, make sure that you can comfortably perform them daily (or sometimes multiple times daily). 

To help you choose the most suitable exercises, we will cover six practical face yoga exercises.

1. Chipmunk Replica

The chipmunk exercise helps to encourage the strengthening of your facial muscles through repeated, consistent movement across your cheeks. It helps promote blood flow across your cheeks, lips, and even the space between your lips and chin.

The repeated movements required in this exercise help stimulate the skin and muscles around the middle of your face. In addition, performing this exercise twice a day may also help you retain firmer skin.

For this particular exercise, you will need to perform a sequence of straightforward steps:

Step 1: Close your lips tightly but comfortably against each other and fill your cheeks with air.

Step 2: Push the air towards your closed lips and then move the air towards your left cheek.

Step 3: Move the air from your left cheek towards your right, then repeat the process at least twenty times.

Step 4: Release the air by opening your mouth and then take a slow and steady breath.

2. Smile Smoother

One particular facial exercise to do at home is the ‘Smile Smoother.’ This exercise is a popular face yoga exercise that enables you to lift the skin in your lower face and enhance muscle strength between your nose and eyebrows.

This exercise stimulates your facial muscles and makes a tremendous difference to the area just beneath your chin and neck. By moving your facial muscles, the ‘Smile Smoother’ actively encourages blood circulation in many vital areas of your face, giving you a more energetic appearance.

For those who wish to complete this exercise, there are a few steps that you must perform:

Step 1: Open your mouth into an ‘O’ shape and wrap your lips around your teeth. For this step, your lips should not be touching each other, and your teeth cannot be showing. Beginners may be able to benefit from first performing this step in front of a mirror.

Step 2: Mold your mouth into a smile shape while keeping your lips apart and your teeth from showing. Repeat this step 3 times.

Step 3: Hold the smile shape and place your forefinger in the middle of your jaw. Putting your forefinger in that section acts as resistance when performing the following exercises.

Step 4: Open and close your mouth while moving your head upwards and downwards.

Step 5: Repeat once again and release all tension in your face.

3. Forehead Movement

The ‘Forehead Movement’ exercise uses the muscles in your forehead area instead of the muscles in your lower face. The practice aims to strengthen your forehead muscles and encourage smoothing lines/wrinkles in that section.

The forehead movement requires you to use your hands to complete the exercise. If you are eager to try the activity, follow the following list of steps:

Step 1: Place the tips of your fingers on your forehead so that they sit just below where a normal hairline would sit. It would be best to face directly forwards at this stage, and your hands should be semi-covering your face.

Step 2: Slowly move your head backward until you are staring toward the sky. In this step, your hands should move downwards from the top of your head to just above your eyebrows.

Step 3: Repeat the process listed in steps one and two while also attempting to raise your eyebrows.

4. Neck Lift

It would be an excellent idea to work on your neck and chin area to slim down your face. This exercise is highly advantageous for those who want to tighten the skin in their chin area and strengthen the muscles in their neck. It involves using your hands to create tension and massage certain areas in your neck.

If you are keen to attempt the neck lift exercise, then follow the following series of steps:

Step 1: Tilt your head upwards to look towards the sky/ceiling. For this step, make sure that you are not placing too much pressure on the back of your neck.

Step 2: Mold each hand so that your fingers except your thumbs are touching and pointing straight.

Step 3: Place your hands on the bottom of your neck so that your fingers are touching your neck. Subsequently, move your hand upwards towards your chin.

Step 4: When your hands reach the area below your chin, move your hands back to the bottom of your neck and repeat the motion at least ten times.

Step 5: Relax your head to no longer tilting upwards and release all tension.

5. Tongue Movement

This exercise aims to strengthen and increase blood flow to your cheek area. Strengthening the muscles in the area can help tone your face further and help to smooth out lines that may appear in that section. Increased blood flow will also help to bring more nutrients to your cheeks, giving you a more vibrant appearance.

Want to perform this exercise, help tighten your cheek area, and achieve a slim face? Then follow the steps listed below:

Step 1: Place your tongue on the upper left side of the inside of your mouth. Your tongue should now rest between your teeth and lips. Keep your mouth closed for this exercise to act as tension.

Step 2: Move your tongue from the upper left side towards the bottom of the left side of your cheek.

Step 3: Move your tongue upwards again to its original position and repeat this movement five times.

Step 4: Place your tongue on the opposite side (upper right side) of the inside of your mouth.

Step 5: Repeat the movement listed in steps 2 and 3 but on the opposite side.

6. Head Smoother

This particular facial exercise would be highly beneficial in effectively relaxing and smoothing the muscles in your forehead. There have also been individuals who stated that it helped reduce noticeable lines in the forehead section. While the exercise explicitly targets that area, it can also stimulate the area just below the eyebrows and above the nose.

If you are eager to perform this exercise and see the benefits of the ‘Head Smoother,’ then carry out the instructions below step-by-step:

Step 1: Place one of your palms on the middle of your forehead.

Step 2: Slowly and gently slide your palm from the center towards the right side of your forehead.

Step 3: Once your palm reaches the right side, remove it and place your other palm on the middle of your forehead.

Step 4: Move that palm towards the left side of your forehead until you reach the area where your hair starts.

Step 5: Repeat the above steps five times for each side and then relax.

Successfully Achieving a Toned Face Through Facial Exercises

Face yoga is a natural method of helping to strengthen the muscles in your face. While it may not directly correlate with achieving a slim face, it still results in many different benefits. There have also been numerous individuals who have reported excellent results after performing specific face yoga exercises consistently.

A toner, firmer face with more taut skin is not too far-fetched with face yoga. To reiterate a prior point, you must perform them every day for such exercises to yield significant benefits.

Regardless of the type of activity you have decided to choose, they will prove very effective. Add your chosen activities into your regular day-to-day routine and watch as the skin and muscles in your face become healthier and more firm over time.

The Best Yoga Asanas For Glowing Skin

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yoga asanas for glowing skin

Yoga asanas for glowing skin may surprise you. Most people only consider topical treatments, when it comes to skin care.

Surprisingly, the fluid motions and poses, along with the stress reducing benefits of yoga, a more youthful appearance can be noticed in just several weeks.

Benefits Of Yoga For The Skin

This article reveals that practicing yoga on a daily basis helps the body naturally flush toxins and impurities from the system. It is beneficial in regulating the excretory and digestive system, which also helps decrease the level of toxins in the body.

Inflammation is also decreased with regular yoga practice, as shown in this study published in 2012.

Yoga will significantly reduce the stress hormone, cortisol, in the body. High amounts of stress will make the skin appear dull and will tend to age faster. When stress is reduced, the quality of sleep is increased, which also creates healthier looking skin.

Let’s take a closer look at several yoga asanas for glowing skin:

Shoulder Stand

If you are suffering with acne, blemishes and fine lines, then the shoulder stand pose is for you. This pose is also called Sarvangasana. It increases the blood flow to the face, which provides oxygen and healing to the skin.

To perform this pose, lie flat on the floor, then lift your legs and torso straight up off of the floor. Support your hips with your hands and hold this position for thirty to sixty seconds. Breathe slowly and deeply and relax.

Plow Pose

This pose is also known as Halasana. It is an excellent pose to improve blood flow to the face, as well as improve the digestive system.

To perform this pose, lie flat on the floor. Slowly lift your legs together, up and over your head, until your toes touch the floor behind you. Use your hands for lower back support if needed. Hold this position for ten to fifteen seconds and then gently lower your legs to the ground.

Forward Bend

The Uttanasana pose is a simple, yet effective yoga asana for glowing skin. Blood flow is increased, which helps renew and regenerate the cells on the face, creating a younger look.

Simply stand up straight with your feet together. Raise your arms straight up into the air, then bend forward all the way at the waist. Keep your legs straight as you try to touch the floor. Hang your head and breathe slowly for one minute.

Meditation

Sitting quietly and letting your mind relax, letting go of the day’s worries will reduce stress.

You can choose to meditate in the traditional Padmasana pose, where the legs are folded in front of you. You may alteratively choose to sit in your favorite chair. Breathe slowly and deeply and take as much time as you need to calm your nerves and let go of thoughts of that make you feel tense.

Conclusion

For best results, perform these yoga poses on a daily basis.

The benefits of yoga are not only seen on the skin but will benefit the entire body as a whole. It reduces stress, which can decrease the chance of developing health issues and will promote an overall feeling of happiness.

In addition to adding yoga asanas for glowing skin, eat a diet that is rich in green leafy vegetables. Stay hydrated by drinking at least half of your weight in ounces of water.

To help prevent premature wrinkles, always apply a sunscreen on exposed skin before heading outdoors. Wear sunglasses to protect the delicate skin around the eyes, which is prone to crowsfeet.

When combining yoga and other skin care routines on a regular basis, your skin will have less wrinkles and blemishes and will also appear more youthful.

For further reading, check out: How Rubbing Your Face Helps Reduce Acne and Simple Under Eye Massages To Reduce Bags.

Image: Flickr

3 Amazing Scents To Enhance Your Yoga Session

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Image: Your Best Digs

Aromatherapy is a form of alternative medicine practice that makes use of essential oils or aromatic plant compounds. This form of therapy is said to affect the part of the brain responsible for emotions, creating a sense and feeling of calmness and relaxation.  
Integrating aromatherapy to yoga provides the practitioner with several physical, spiritual, and mental benefits. It can help improve performance, concentration, and depending on the type of essential oil used, it can make one become more relaxed.

What are Aromatherapy Essential Oils

Essential oils are among the basic elements of aromatherapy. These are volatile aromatic compounds found in the seeds, roots, stem, bark, flowers, and other parts of the plant. They are considered to be volatile because their small organic molecules make them change their state quickly from solid to liquid and then to gas.
Essential oils have been used for thousands of years because of their healing and uplifting properties. Using essential oils have been proven to have both mind and body benefits.
There are thousands of essential oils to choose from depending on the purpose of using them. There are essential oils that can help you feel calmer when you’re under stress and there are also those that can be used to neutralize extreme emotions like anger or uplift you when you’re feeling down.

Amazing Scents for Enhancing Yoga Session

As there are different types of yoga, there are also different types of essential oils that you can use to enhance your yoga session. There isn’t a good or bad choice as each essential oil provides a unique set of benefits to the user.
In yoga practice the following scents can help you make the most of your yoga session:
1. Flowery and citrus scents
Essential oils with flowery and citrus scents can help you feel calmer. This type of scent is for practitioners who find themselves easily stressed with things and emotions going around them.
Essential oils with flowery and citrus scents include sweet orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, bergamot (one of the most expensive cold-pressed citrus oils), and petitgrain essential oils. These aromatic oils must be diluted well upon use.
2. Sweet or astringent scents
Yogis who are prone to feeling extremes of emotions such as anger can benefit from incorporating sweet or astringent scents in their yoga practice. Essential oils with this type of scent include jasmine, rose, ylang ylang, chamomile, and vetiver.  
3. Earthy scents
Essential oils with earthy scents can uplift the mood of those feeling down. If you’re one of them, you can benefit from the earthy scents brought by pine, eucalyptus, myrrh, citronella, and patchouli.

How to Use Essential Oils During Yoga Session

There are several ways to incorporate aromatherapy in your yoga session. The choice of application depends on your desired effect and the type of essential oil used.
Essential Oil on the Skin
Applying essential oil directly on the pulse points of the skin can help in relaxation. It can also help in soothing away muscle aches and soreness. A good example of essential oil that can be applied on the skin is chamomile. It’s great to use if you want to feel more relaxed. Another example is juniper which is ideal to use if you’re suffering from muscle tension.
Essential oils can be potent that they need to be diluted in a carrier substance before applied directly into the skin. It can be diluted in vegetable or nut oil or water.
Yoga Mat Spray
Another way to incorporate aromatherapy in your yoga session is through using a mat spray. You can easily make a yoga mat spray at home. The key in making good quality mat spray is to use high quality ingredients. This means using 100% all-natural oils and distilled water.
You can infuse calmness and relaxation in your practice by using lavender oil, more energy with citrusy essential oils, or mood-lifting effects of earth scents like sandalwood.
Creating a More Relaxed Yoga Room Using a Diffuser
If you want to enter into your yoga room and be filled with bliss and calmness, then using a diffuser can be a good choice. These days you can find different types of essential oil diffuser. There are those that release more concentrated essential oil in the air and there are also those that come with additional features.
Both aromatherapy and yoga are holistic practices. Combining these two can provide you with benefits that aren’t just good for your body but for your mind and spirit as well.