With festive fervour at its peak, flawless, radiant skin ought to be on your wishlist – and if investing in invasive beauty treatments is not your thing (or within your budget), you’ve come to the right place. Let’s just say we’ve found you the best alternative to enhance skin luminosity sans splurging on exorbitantly priced treatments. To grant you a glow like never before, Nykaa caught up with Vibhuti Arora, face yogi and the founder of House of Beauty, to spill her coveted beauty secrets.
How Does Celebrity-Favourite Face Yoga Work?
Face yoga is the science of exercising and stimulating your facial muscles to facilitate accelerated blood flow and initiate lymphatic drainage. Doing so will give you a naturally youthful appearance, stalling signs of premature ageing. From Tinseltown stars Meghan Markle and Gwyneth Paltrow to B-town biggies, including Deepika Padukone and Malaika Arora, celebrities are hopping on this beauty trend – and so should you.
Read on for some easy-to-replicate exercises – by facial yoga expert Vibhuti Arora – for an instant glow boost from the comfort of your home.
Eye Tapping
- Concern: Under-eye Puffiness and Inflammation
- How to Perform: This facial exercise requires you to demarcate three under-eye points:
- The tear duct point situated at the inner corner of the eyes
- The point below your eye socket
- The point along your crow’s feet, i.e. the corners of the eye
Begin at the upper lid, above the inner corner of your eye, the centre of the eyelid, and along the crow’s feet point. With the help of your index finger, start tapping the area along the inner corner of your eye, moving towards the crow’s feet for approximately 6–8 circles. Applying optimal pressure will help release stubborn lymphatic fluid accumulation in the problem area. Now place your thumbs on the inner corners of your under-eye, swiping to lift the saggy skin. Direct your thumbs along the sides of your face, down to the décolletage area to your collarbone to promote lymphatic drainage.
Under Eye Balancer
- Concern: Hollow and Sunken Eyes
- How to Perform: This facial yoga exercise is ideal for those with hollow under-eyes, sunken eyes, and dark circles. It helps accelerate blood flow to the under-eye region and ensures muscle balancing. Begin by resting your thumbs on your face. Now, place the index and middle fingers on your under-eye region and start massaging the area as if your fingers are playing the piano. Doing so will help boost blood circulation and balance your under-eye muscles.
Eye Lifter
- Concern: Dark Circles
- How to Perform: After appropriately lubricating your under-eye region, take your palm and rest the fingers beside your crow’s feet region. Using the index and middle finger of the other hand, swipe your orbicularis oculi muscle and lift it toward your temples. Perform this 20–40 times and repeat on both sides. Follow the under-eye thumb trail at the collarbone for added lymphatic drainage.
Slapping Piano
- Concern: Fine Lines and Sagging Skin
- How to Perform: This face yoga exercise is recommended for those plagued by fine lines and sagging skin. Begin this exercise by filling your mouth with air. Then, take both your palms and place them on your cheeks, gently smacking to the count of 20, with uniform pressure. Avoid performing this face massage if you’re suffering from a bout of breakouts.
Air Movement
- Concern: Loss of Skin Elasticity
- How to Perform: If you find your skin sagging and witness a loss of firmness along the cheeks, religiously perform this face yoga exercise for a more taut appearance. Begin by filling your mouth with air – roughly 70-80% of air intake would suffice. Now, move the air inside the mouth from the left to the right to the count of 20 without letting it out.
Inverted Tongue
- Concern: Double Chin
- How to Perform: A double chin is an unsightly buildup of fat under the chin – and a sure-shot way to eliminate it is by regularly exercising your facial muscles. To tone this problem area, roll your tongue and touch it to the roof of your mouth. Now, look up to the ceiling and hold this posture for 10 counts. Repeat this procedure three times in one sitting.
Jowl Shaper
- Concern: Heavy Jowls
- How to Perform: This House of Beauty signature face yoga exercise is an extension of the double chin reduction workout, focusing on tightening the skin on your neck, sculpting your jawline, and firming your jowls, i.e. the loose skin under the chin. Begin by placing your elbow on the base of your palm. Then, make a fist and place it under your jaw. Now while applying equal and opposite pressure, move your lower jaw up and down to the count of 20. Tilt your neck backwards and look towards the ceiling while applying the opposite pressure of your fist. You could also use your index and middle fingers to swipe and sculpt the skin along the jawline.
Air Kiss
- Concern: Droopy Jawline
- How to Perform: This super-powerful exercise burns excess fat along the jawline. Begin by pouting your lips. Then, tilt your head, look towards the ceiling, and blow air kisses to the count of 20. Pout your lips as high up in the air as possible for more burn. Perform three repetitions of 20 counts for the desired result.
Additionally, here’s a list of products and tools to invest in for an instant glow boost…
- Try the Dot & Key Watermelon Cooling Hydrogel Eye Patches to hydrate and brighten your under-eyes.
- Try the House of Beauty Under Eye Cream to lubricate your skin before performing facial exercises.
- Try the Milagro Beauty 3D Roller to sculpt and tone your face while curbing puffiness and dark circles.
- Try the House of Beauty 24k Face Massager to firm the skin and define your facial contours.
- Try the Protouch Skin Lift Device to minimise pore size and smoothen fine lines and wrinkles.
- Try the Azah Jade Roller & Gua Sha Set to further blood circulation and relax your facial muscles.
- Try the FOREO UFO™ 2 Supercharged Facial Skincare Device to lift and firm your skin and battle signs of ageing.
- Try the Natural Vibes Ice Facial Roller to depuff the skin and enhance your inherent glow.
- Try the Skin Inc Cryo-Ice Sake Roller to boost micro-circulation and lift your features.
- Try the Signaxo Glow 7 Color Led Light Therapy Face Mask to address a multitude of concerns, including fine lines, acne, wrinkles, and inflammation.
