If you’re forever trying the latest anti-ageing lotions and potions, there may be a cheaper option, as a new study reveals that a simple daily beauty routine really can make you look more youthful.
And the best bit? It’s totally free to do at home!
Yep, all you need to do is master a few facial exercises to try in front of the bathroom mirror, and scientists from Northwestern University in the US say you could knock years off in a matter of weeks.
After asking middle-aged women between the ages of 45 and 60 to adopt a 30-minute facial exercise routine for 20 weeks, the team found that participants looked an average of three years younger at the end of the experiment.
They concluded this by getting dermatologists to rate the participants’ faces on a standardised facial ageing scale, at the start, middle and end of the study.
It turns out giving your face a workout can lead to fuller upper and lower cheeks, which gives you a more youthful appearance.
As we age, the ‘fat pads’ between our skin and facial muscles begin to get thinner, causing our faces to sag.
‘But if muscle underneath becomes bigger, the skin has more stuffing underneath it and the firmer muscle appears to make the shape of the face more full,’ explains study co-author Emily Poon in the journal JAMA Dermatology.
Although the study was small, the team reckon facial exercises could be an affordable option for women looking to delay ageing…
‘Now there is some evidence that facial exercises may improve facial appearance and reduce some visible signs of ageing,’ said lead author Dr Murad Alam
‘The exercises enlarge and strengthen the facial muscles, so the face becomes firmer and more toned and shaped like a younger face.
‘Assuming the findings are confirmed in a larger study, individuals now have a low-cost, non-toxic way for looking younger or to augment other cosmetic or anti-ageing treatments they may be seeking.’
He added: ‘Facial exercises that may be beneficial include those that entail puckering and squeezing the cheeks. There are many muscles that collectively allow movement of the cheeks, and our study showed that building these up makes the upper and lower cheeks look fuller.’
How to do facial exercises
The facial exercises were created by study co-author Gary Sikorski of Happy Face Yoga. Here are two to try at home:
The Cheek Lifter:
Open mouth and form O
Position upper lip over teeth
Smile to lift cheek muscles up
Put fingers lightly on top part of cheek
Release check muscles to lower them, and lift back up
Repeat by lowering and lifting the cheeks.
The Happy Cheeks Sculpting:
Smile without showing teeth
Purse lips together
Smile forcing cheek muscles up
Place fingers on corners of the mouth and slide them up to the top of the cheeks
Hold for 20 seconds
