WE’VE TRIED the jade roller, microcurrent, and every serum, mask and magic potion under the sun to keep our skin in tiptop shape (without needles or creepy chemicals). Our latest skincare obsession is one that might cause a giggle or two, but let’s be honest, we’ve done weirder.
As it turns out, workouts for our face are a thing — and just as effective as workouts for the rest of our body. Skin Fit Gym in Downtown LA specializes in it. Offering ‘personal training’ for faces, their classes focus on using face exercises to train skin to stay smooth, lifted and tight — naturally.
Founded by Japanese beauty master, Koko Hayashi, Skin Fit Gym uses a minimalist, holistic approach we love based on Koko’s training with well-known face exercise expert, Kitomi Kato (pictured in the photo up top) in Japan.
You can visit the facial gurus for group classes, private sessions and even Skype sessions, but Koko’s online training above is definitely enough to get you started to find out if this kind of workout is right for you. Find someplace *completely* private and try these exercises for yourself!
10 Face Exercises to Smooth, Tighten + Tone
Anti-gobble neck:
This exercise prevents/reduces sagging of the skin. By adding the tongue, it makes the exercise more effective. This is also a great exercise to do in elevators that have mirrors.
Lip Sumo:
This exercise is like gumming the mouth, pressing the upper and lower lips together. This minimizes lip lines.
Anti-bulldog:
This exercise is performed by twisting your mouth to one side of the face. You will see when doing this that it creates a vertical line in the face. This is where you take your hand and pull the face to prevent that line. This exercise trains the cheek muscles to lift up so your jowls don’t sag.
Cheek Lift:
This exercise heightens and lifts the cheek muscles so that the cheek bones look lifted.
Smile-line ironing:
This exercise is done with making small circles on the inside of your cheek with your tongue. First clockwise, then counterclockwise. This diminishes smile lines, especially where they tend to form beneath the nose.
Wink:
This is a simple exercise to train the eye muscles. Work on winking especially with the eye that seems weaker to wink.
Crow's-feet ironing:
Using face oil or another form of lubricant, gently press the wrinkles around the eyes. Be very careful not to rub the skin here as the skin around the eyes is thin.
Eye-bag eraser:
This is a very difficult exercise. You will need a mirror and the goal is to just move the lower eyelid. But once mastered, this can be done virtually anywhere.
Frowning-line eraser:
It is helpful to tape the area so you can notice the area when you make the expression. Using face oil or lubricant, you are essentially ironing out the wrinkles.
Forehead-line eraser:
Press as tight as possible. This exercise trains the face (via muscle memory) so that even when you look up, this area will not tend to wrinkle.
