Most of us spend a fair amount of time keeping the muscles in our bodies in shape but what about the muscles in our face? Caring for the muscles in your face is no different from caring for those in your body;
if you want to keep your gluteus maximus from sagging you exercise it. If you are consistent with these exercises you will see dramatic differences in your visage: fewer lines, less sagging and better color (circulation).
So you might feel goofy doing some of these but keep it up, and most of all have fun!
***At the end of each exercise blow between your lips to release tension***
***Most of these exercises can be done while sitting, standing, moving or lying down***
To lift sagging lids:
Place your middle fingers between your brows and your index fingers at your outer eye corners. Forcefully squint up with the lower eyelid thirty times and feel the outer eye muscle pulse. Then, hold the squint while squeezing your eyes shut tightly while counting to thirty.
To diminish under eye hollows and puffiness:
Place your index fingers at your outer eye corners, middle fingers at your inner eye corners and apply light pressure. Look up toward the top of your head. Make a strong squint up with your lower eyelids. You should feel your inner and outer eye muscles pulse. Squint up and release ten times, keeping your upper eyelids open wide.
To open the eyes and strengthen upper lids:
Place your middle and index fingers at your temples and push up slightly. Focus your eyes straight ahead. Lift your upper eyelids and relax thirty times, without raising your brows. Then focus your gaze on your knees, without lowering your head or lifting your brows, and lift and relax thirty times.
To reduce under eye hollow and strengthen upper lids:
Place your index fingers lightly on the very top of the cheeks and under eye tissue. Imagine a dot on your upper and lower lip. Open your mouth, pulling these imaginary dots away from each other to form a long oval shape. Close your eyes. Roll your eyes to the back of your head. With your eyes rolled back open the eyes and flutter upper lids sixty times.
To reduce frown lines and lift the brows:
Place the index fingers above each brow, in the middle of the forehead and pull down so that they are parallel above the brows. Pull the fingers down toward the brows. Keep them held down. While you are pressing down with your fingers push your eyebrows up and then release ten times. Continue these brow pushups until you feel a band of pressure across your forehead. Then hold the brows up, keeping the fingers pushing down for a count of twenty. Release and massage your brow in a circular motion.
To plump the cheeks:
Place your index fingers on top of each cheek. Open your mouth and pull the upper and lower lips away from each other forming a long, strong, oval shape. Keep the long oval shape of the mouth strong. That's important. Keep the upper lip pressed down firmly against the teeth. Smile with your mouth corners and then release them. Do not use your jaw hinge. Repeat thirty times. You'll feel the cheek muscles move under your fingers. Visualize pushing the muscle up under the cheek each time you smile.
To lift the cheeks:
Imagine a dot on your upper and lower lips. Open your mouth pulling the dots away from each other forming a long oval shape. Place an index finger on chin for light resistance. Look up toward the top of your head and squint up wit your lower eyelids. Raise your cheeks up by forcing a smile with your upper lip. Push the smile under the cheeks and hold for a count of thirty.
To plump lips and reduce lines:
Press your lips together, imitating your best pout. Do not purse your lips. Don't clench your teeth. Tap the center of your lips with your index finger. Visualize crushing a pencil between your lips. Slowly pull your finger away from the center of your lips. Visualize the pencil growing longer. Lengthen your imaginary pencil until you feel the burn then hold for a count of thirty.
To turn up the corners of the mouth:
Press your lips together. Do not purse them. Tighten the corners of your mouth into hard knots. Don't clench your teeth. Lightly place your thumb and index finger at the corners of your mouth. Keep sucking the corners of your mouth and visualize those corners turning up to make a tiny smile, then turning down to affect a tiny frown. Continue for a count of thirty.
To reduce lines around the lips:
Curl your upper lip and pull it in so that it touches the gums of your upper teeth. Roll your lower lip in toward your lower teeth. Focus on the center of the lips. Pull down your nostrils. Use your index finger to push the chin muscle up. Concentrate on curling your lips in. Don't clench your teeth. Hold for a count of thirty.
To turn up the corners of your lips:
Open your mouth and imagine a dot on your upper and lower lips. Pull the dots away from each other so that your mouth forms an oval shape. Keep this oval shape by pressing your upper lip against your teeth, then smile with your mouth corners eighty times.
To reduce upper lip lines:
Imagine a dot on your upper and lower lips. Pull the dots away to form a long oval shape with your mouth. Roll your lips over your teeth. Look up toward the top of your head. Place your middle finger at the center of your upper lip and your index and ring fingers on either side of your lip and apply pressure. Hold the long o with your mouth and smile wit your upper lip thirty times. Hold the smile while your upper lip is pushing up to your nose. Hold for a count of thirty.
To firm and smooth neck skin:
The best position for this exercise is lying down. Grasp the front of your neck with the palms of your hands, wrists together, fingers pointing toward back of neck. Lift your head about an inch off the floor, lifting with the front of the neck. Hold then release, letting your head drop back to the floor. Repeat thirty times. You should feel your neck muscles flexing and pushing against the palms of your hands.
(Also lying down) Place your arms down by the side of your body. Lift your head and shoulders off the floor a centimeter or so, lifting with the front of your neck. Turn your head from side to side twenty times then relax. Build up to thirty times.
To tone droopy jowls:
Open your mouth and roll the lower lip in snugly over the bottom teeth. Pull the corners of the mouth toward the back teeth and roll them in tightly. Keep your upper lip pressed firmly against your teeth. Place your index finger on your chin for light resistance. Open and close your jaw in a slow, scooping motion, using the corners of your mouth. Pull your chin up about half an inch each time you scoop. At the point that your head is tilted back and your chin points at the ceiling hold your jaw still and count to thirty.
To reduce double chin sagging:
Close your lips and smile strongly, without your teeth showing. Place one hand at the base of your throat over your collarbone and pull down slightly on the skin with a firm grip. Look up toward the top of your head. Tilt your head back and release. You should feel a strong pull on the chin and neck muscles. Count to three then return to starting position. Repeat thirty times.
To firm the lower face:
Open your mouth wide and roll your lips over your teeth. Pull the corners of the mouth toward the back teeth and roll in tightly. Look up toward the top of your head and smile so your mouth corners are pointing toward the tops of your ears. Place index fingers at the corners of your mouth and draw an imaginary smile line, think happy face, with your fingers from your mouth corners to the tops of your ears, hold fingers there. Push your face forward and your shoulders back. Go for the burn and count to thirty.
References: Facercise by Carol Maggio and Aromatherapy and You: A Guide to Natural Skincare