Facial yoga: what is it and how to practice it?

What is facial yoga?

Facial yoga, or "face yoga" in English, is a method that combines muscle exercises, breathing techniques, relaxation, and self-massage. The principle is simple: just like the muscles of the body, those of the face can be toned, stretched, and relaxed to improve their appearance and function. By regularly engaging these muscles, you can restore firmness to certain areas of the face, relax features tightened by stress, stimulate blood and lymphatic circulation, and promote the skin's natural glow, making it more radiant.

 

Through a series of targeted movements, you learn to work the often forgotten muscles of your face: the cheeks, the eye contour, forehead, lips, and neck. Each exercise acts like a "natural facelift," but without invasive intervention.

What are the benefits of facial yoga?

The benefits of facial yoga are numerous, both aesthetically and emotionally.

 

From an aesthetic point of view:

• It helps smooth out expression wrinkles, especially forehead wrinkles, around the mouth or eyes;
• It helps to firm the oval of the face, reduce skin sagging around the neck or double chin;
• It naturally plumps the lips and cheeks, and improves facial symmetry;
• By activating blood circulation, it also promotes skin radiance and better tissue oxygenation.

But beyond appearance, facial yoga provides a deep sense of relaxation. It helps release muscle tension caused by stress or emotions, especially around the jaw, forehead, or temples. It is also an excellent way to reconnect with oneself, slow down, and become aware of one’s face and expression.

 

 

Some practitioners also report an improvement in certain chronic pains, such as neck tension or muscle-related headaches, thanks to the relaxation of deep muscles.

How to practice facial yoga?

Facial yoga requires no special equipment. You only need:

• Your hands;
• A mirror;
• A facial care suited to your skin type;
• A few minutes per day.

It can be practiced in the morning to awaken the features, or in the evening to release tensions accumulated during the day.

 

A session can last from 5 to 30 minutes, depending on the time available. The important thing is consistency: it's better to do 5 minutes every day than 30 minutes once a week. Facial yoga easily fits into a skin care routine, after cleansing and before or during moisturizing.

 

Here are some examples of typical movements found in most sessions:

• To smooth the forehead, place your fingers flat on the forehead and try to raise your eyebrows while maintaining slight resistance with your fingers. This exercise tones the frontal muscle while reducing horizontal wrinkles.

• To firm the oval of the face, exaggerate a wide smile while gently pressing the cheekbones with your fingers. This engages the cheek muscles and helps lift the features.

• To soften the frown lines (between the eyebrows), place two fingers between the eyebrows and gently frown, then relax, repeating several times. This movement helps to become aware of this often unconscious tension.

• For the neck and double chin, tilt your head back then make chewing movements or exaggerate the pronunciation of the letter "O" to strengthen the muscles under the chin and neck.

Each movement is generally associated with slow, deep breathing. Inhale while preparing the gesture, exhale while holding the posture or contraction. This not only strengthens the physical effects but also induces a state of calm and concentration.

 

Care products to accompany your movements

To stimulate circulation, tone, and sculpt your skin, perform these movements while applying your cream, in the morning and/or evening.

 

The Grangettes moisturizing anti-aging cream is ideal: thanks to hyaluronic acid, squalane, and allantoin, it delays the effects of time on the face. The combination of its active ingredients helps structure and rebuild the extracellular matrix of your skin: it is therefore an ideal ally for your facial yoga session!

For movements around the eyes, the Grangettes eye contour gel is particularly recommended. It has a tightening effect that acts on wrinkles, bags, and dark circles, visibly reducing signs of fatigue and skin sagging.

Finally, you can use a serum to perform your massages on the entire face. The Grangettes lifting serum works to fill and smooth deep wrinkles thanks to hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid and acetyl hexapeptide-8.

Your 7-day facial yoga program (5 to 10 min/day)

Day 1 – Forehead and mind relaxation

• Warm-up with gentle tapping of the face.

• Exercise: place your fingers on the forehead, raise your eyebrows while creating resistance.

• Repetition: 10 times.

• Result: relaxes horizontal wrinkles and mental tension.

 

Day 2 – Bright eyes

• Work on the eye contour. You can perform these movements with the eye contour gel to enhance the effects.

• Open your eyes wide without frowning, hold for 10 seconds.

• Circular massage with the ring finger around the eye.

• Result: reduces dark circles and the "tired eyes" effect.

 

Day 3 – Cheek toning

• Puff your cheeks with air, move the air from right to left 10 times.

• Make a big exaggerated smile pressing the cheekbones with your fingers.

• Result: natural lifting effect.

 

Day 4 – Relaxation of the lower face

• Jaw stretch: open your mouth in an “O”, stick out your tongue, hold for 10 seconds.

• Self-massage of the jaw with circular movements, using your anti-aging cream.

• Result: fights bruxism and softens expression.

 

Day 5 – Firmness of the oval face and neck

• Tilt your head back and chew slowly 10 times.

• Pronounce exaggerated “O” then “E” to tone the neck.

• Result: reduces double chin.

 

Day 6 – Smoothing the eyes and forehead

• Frown gently against the resistance of your fingers, then release.

• Close your eyes tightly for 5 seconds, then release.

• Result: relaxation of the upper face.

 

Day 7 – Full relaxing massage

• Apply a few drops of serum or vegetable oil.

• Smooth the entire face from the center outwards.

• Tap with your fingers, finish with drainage towards the neck.

• Result: oxygenated face, calm mind.