Does Face Yoga Really Work After 40? What a Study Found, and What Our Maharanis Saw
Priyanka Khurana Goyal
By Priyanka Khurana Goyal Β· MBA, IIM Calcutta Β· Mrs India and Mrs Earth Β· Founder, Yuvaap and Trehi Organics
Short answer: Yes, if you do it every day. In a Northwestern University study, women aged 40 to 65 did face exercises for 20 weeks, and dermatologists then judged them to look about 3 years younger. Face yoga won't erase deep lines, but daily practice can make the face look fuller, lifted and brighter. Women over 40 in our classes see the same.
What the study actually found
In 2018, researchers at Northwestern University published a small study in JAMA Dermatology. Women aged 40 to 65 learned 32 face exercises. They practised 30 minutes a day for 8 weeks, then every other day for 12 more weeks. Of the 27 women who started, 16 finished.
Two dermatologists rated their photos from the start and the end. The women's estimated age dropped from 50.8 to 48.1 years, and their upper and lower cheeks looked fuller.
It was a small study, and the researchers said more work is needed. But it is the most-cited evidence that face exercise helps after 40.
Why age 40 is a good time to start
After 40, skin loses collagen and the fat pads in the cheeks start to drop. Under the skin sit more than 40 small face muscles. Like any muscle, they can be toned. When the cheek muscles get fuller, the skin over them looks lifted. This is why the study saw the biggest change in the cheeks.
What women over 40 in our classes see
"Even at 55 I look 45: from your product, from your hard work, and from my hard work too."
β Sapna, 55
"My products came in two-three days and I used them. Then the morning and night ritual, and changes started coming on my face. I felt really good."
β Sarika, 40s, Saharanpur
"After about 15 days I started seeing quite a lot of improvement. The spots had started getting lighter. And my energy level became much better than before."
β Manisha, 50s, Chennai
More Maharanis from the same class:
These are their own phone photos, with no filters. Results vary. See all 101 stories on the Maharani Wall.
3 moves to start today (2 minutes)
1. Cheek lift. Smile with your mouth closed and push your cheeks up towards your eyes. Hold for 10 seconds. Repeat 5 times.
2. Smile press. Rest your fingers on your smile lines and smile slowly against them. Release. Do this 10 times.
3. Neck strokes. Tilt your chin up slightly and sweep your palms down the front of your neck, one hand after the other, for 30 seconds.
Do them on damp skin with 2 drops of Kumkumadi oil so your fingers glide and don't drag the skin.
What face yoga can't do
It won't remove deep folds overnight, and it doesn't replace sunscreen or sleep. It also only works while you keep doing it. One of our Maharanis put it simply:
"When I do my exercises it reduces, but when I miss for a few days it starts coming again."
β Virender, Kasauli
That is why we teach it as a daily habit, live, not as a one-time course.
Learn it with a teacher, free, every day
Our free daily Glow Every Day class covers face yoga, breathing and neck release, with teachers who have practised pranayama, meditation and yoga for 25 to 40+ years. Join the free class β
FAQ
Is it too late to start face yoga at 50 or 60?
No. The study included women up to 65, and many of our Maharanis started in their 50s.
How long until I see results?
Most women notice a fresher glow in a few weeks. Lift and lines take a few months of daily practice.
Can face yoga cause wrinkles?
Do the moves on oiled skin, hold the skin with your fingers where told, and avoid scrunching your forehead.
Is face yoga better than Botox?
They are different. Botox relaxes muscles for a few months. Face yoga trains them and needs daily practice. Many of our women chose to try face yoga first.
