Face Yoga 101: All Your Face Yoga Questions, Answered

From Gwyneth Paltrow to Meghan Markle (and many a YouTuber), face yoga has picked up steam over the years.

Which of course has us thinking: While we’ve long known the positive effects of yoga on the mind and body, have we been missing a trick by omitting the muscles of our faces and necks from the process? While science has yet to prove long-term changes, there are many folks who swear by the practice.

We spoke to a few of them—as well as a dermatologist—to get the scoop on the potential benefits (and negatives) of face yoga. Read on to learn more.

What Is Face Yoga?

Much like yoga for the body, face yoga consists of exercises and stretches that work the muscles in your face. "The facial movements are like resistance training for the muscles," says BABOR expert esthetician Kimberly Keelan. "And as you work them you see a lift and tone to the skin." 

What Are the Benefits of Face Yoga?

If you're looking to get rid of fine lines or wrinkles, you might not want to cancel your Botox appointment just yet. While Fumiko Takatsu, the creator of the Face Yoga Method, says a few minutes of daily stretching will lift and tone all over, the scientific backing is a little murkier.

Though an oft-cited 2018 study found "a regimen of at-home facial exercises maintained for 20 weeks seemed to improve mid-face and lower face fullness," the sample size was small and homogenous, and the study had no control group. Indeed, an earlier study noted that the insufficient evidence to support the effectiveness of facial rejuvenation exercises is due to the lack of large, randomized controlled trials.

Beyond the debatable physical impact, there are psychological reasons to practice face yoga. Melissa Murphy, a face yoga instructor and yoga teacher of 15 years, says facial exercise can impact our health and bodies. “The head and face contain most of our major sense organs—the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and skin,” she explains. “They’re inextricably linked to the whole body. Position yourself in front of a mirror so you can see your face and neck. Put your lower jaw forward gently so the teeth show and lightly press the teeth upwards.

“Even with this light pressure, can you see the muscles in the neck tense up? The tension in the face transmits to the whole body, and most of the time, we do nothing about it. We exercise the torso and limbs and we might—if we do yoga—relax them, too. But the face and head are sadly neglected, despite them being an area with a fascinating array of possibilities for movement and relaxation,” she says.

What Are Face Yoga Classes Like?

“My classes run once a month and contain an eclectic mix of practices and activities to help relax the face and calm the mind and body,” says Murphy. “There’s a blend of facial exercises, breathing practices, sound work, acupressure, and simple massage techniques along with short meditations and affirmations.”

“While the format is similar each time—an introduction, a standing warm-up, seated facial exercises, and practices ending with meditation—each session is different,” she adds. “There might be more emphasis on massage/facial exploration one month, sound work the next, and expressions another."

Four Face Yoga Moves to Try

We asked Takatsu to give us four face yoga moves you can try at home. Before we move forward, a caveat: As stated above, the efficacy of face yoga for wrinkle reduction is up for debate. "Please keep in mind that many of these moves offer minimal-to-no real benefit, and some are counter-productive and create new lines," says New York City-based dermatologist Dr. Rachel Nazarian, MD.