Turning Back the Hands of Time — Naturally
For most of us, beautiful skin isn’t something that just happens. We need to make a conscious effort to promote skin that is glowing and healthy, while also reducing the signs of aging, which brings us to the practice of face yoga. Here we will cover exactly what it is, why you should do it, and how you will benefit from this little-known technique. Plus we will explore the face serum and cream that I personally use for additional anti-aging support. Let’s get started!
Face Yoga 101
Encompassing a series of exercises for your face that reduce tension, wrinkles, and puffiness, the history of face yoga goes back to 5000 BC to ancient Egypt, China, and India. Closely related to the development of hatha yoga, it involves facial massage and stretching to reduce tension in the face and neck, while increasing circulation and elasticity. Proponents of face yoga report it helps to:
- Reduce headaches, teeth grinding, and symptoms of TMJ
- Improve posture and encourage correct nostril breathing
- Firms the neckline and facial skin
- Creates more defined facial features
- Boost sleep quality
As part of a holistic self-care routine, the practice often incorporates aromatherapy with essential and natural plant oils to further reduce stress and nourish the skin. I like to use a few drops of rose, calendula, or bergamot essential oil diluted in almond oil for its relaxation and anti-aging benefits.
Face yoga is similar to the techniques of Chinese gua sha as it also promotes lymphatic drainage in the face and neck, but it is more varied. A quick search on Instagram or YouTube will attest to the sheer variety of approaches — but here are a few exercises to get you started. Begin by washing your hands and applying a few drops of your favorite facial oil to your fingertips.
Puffy Eyes and Dark Circles
- Place each ring finger on the inside of your eyebrows.
- Tap along the entire length toward your temples.
- Press your temples for a few seconds.
- Move your ring finger back to the inner edge of your eyebrow.
- Press gently and move your fingers down either side of your nose until you reach the top of your cheekbone.
- Continue to gently press down as you follow your cheekbone up to the outer corner of your eyes.
- Repeat the sequence for 30 seconds.
Tension Relief and Brow Smoother
- Place your righthand ring and middle fingers in the space between your eyebrows.
- Massage for 10 seconds in a circular clockwise direction, then switch to counterclockwise for 10 seconds.
- Repeat both sequences eight times.
Complete Facial Massage and Lymphatic Drainage
- Start at the center of your forehead with the fingers of both hands together.
- Gently press down and pull hands away from each other toward the temples.
- Using a circular motion, massage both temples five times.
- Pressing down gently, move your hands down the side of your face to the joint of your jaw.
- Massage both sides several times.
- With downward strokes, massage each side of your neck below your earlobe 3-6 times.
- Move your fingers to your chin and gently massage along your jawline toward your ears 2-3 times.
- Bring your righthand fingers back to the center of your chin and massage in a circular motion for 5 seconds.
- Then massage the indentation between your upper lip below your nose for 5 seconds.
- Repeat the full sequence five to eight times.
My Favorite 100% Plant-Powered Serum & Cream for Glowing Skin
In addition to practicing face yoga in the morning and evening, I also use a face serum and cream to promote youthful skin. Packed with antioxidants and phytochemicals that are drawn entirely from nature, Herbal Face Food is the brand that I turn to every day. It is the most potent and concentrated anti-aging product on the market — all without fillers or chemicals. The serum and cream are antiviral, anti-aging, antibacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory. Additionally, they are GMO-free, vegan, and ethically sourced.
Having used both for the past year, I can attest these products work! To begin, I started with The Serum I and The Cream. The serum contains 25 powerful botanicals that are renowned for their healing, anti-aging properties, while the cream is packed with 102 of the world’s most potent plant-based extracts.
The Serum addresses the following skin conditions:
- Dryness/Oiliness
- Wrinkles
- Acne/ Breakouts
- Pigmentation
- Lack of Radiance
- Fine Lines
- Firmness
- Skin Tone
- Large Pores
- Redness
- Smoothness
The Cream expertly targets and transforms:
- Dullness/Dryness
- Anti-Aging
- Damaged Skin Barrier
- Fine lines and wrinkles
- Dark Spots
- Irritation/Inflammation
- Uneven tone, rough and crepey skin
- Scarring, Blemishes and Stretch Marks
- Photodamage (Provides 50+ SPF)
Note that the serum tingles as it goes on (this is normal and lets you know it is working!). I’ve found both the serum and cream significantly hydrate, decrease wrinkles, and give my skin a youthful glow (well needed at 54!). I absolutely LOVE these products…so much so that I was considering making my own facial oil, but have had such great success with Herbal Face Food I decided to only use these instead — they are that good!
If you would like to give Herbal Face Food a try, my readers will receive a generous 20% discount by using the code: NicoleA20 at checkout. I hope that you love these products as much as I do!
Next up in this series: the best diet and herbs for glowing skin.
Nicole Apelian
