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Hailey Bieber’s facialist reveals her top face yoga tips, plus how to do it at home
Aesthetician Joanne Evans takes us through the process step by step
If you turn to social media for your skincare advice, then chances are you’ve seen the face yoga trend on TikTok and Instagram. The latest beauty fascination, which invites users to exercise their eyes, eyebrows, mouth and nose in weird and wonderful ways, is said to help boost circulation, tone facial muscles and minimise wrinkles. The question is: does it actually work and how?
I spoke to Joanne Evans – who works as Hailey Bieber’s facialist and has more than 30 years of experience in the field – to glean some answers and, more importantly, get her tips and tricks on the best movements to practice in the comfort of your own home.
Below, you’ll find her top five facial routines, plus guidance on frequency and all the results you can hope to see in as little as four weeks. Sculpted cheekbones and a razor sharp jaw, here you come.
Meet the expert
Joanne Evans is an aesthetician, laser specialist and skin clinic founder. Her studio, Skin Matters, now has the seeds of its own product range, with its first own-brand formula – the Skin Matters calming gel (£65, Johnbellcroydon.co.uk) – launching in 2024. Her work is responsible (in part) for the glowing red carpet skin of Hailey Bieber, Naomi Watts, Elle Macpherson and Claudia Schiffer, to name but a few of her A-list clients.
As demonstrated above by TikTok’s Elsa Deherrera (@gua.sha.girl), Joanne Evans tells us that “face yoga is a natural, non-invasive practice that involves performing a series of facial exercises, stretches and massages to tone the muscles of the face, improve circulation, and promote relaxation.”
Comparing the practise to the yoga you might do in a wellness or active sense, Evans poses that, “instead of focusing on the body, [face yoga] targets the 40+ muscles in the face and neck.” She also stipulates that the movements are most effective across the jawline and mid-face, in her experience. “You get the best results in those areas,” she explains.
What does face yoga do?
Breaking down the benefits of face yoga into five categories, Evans lists the following:
- Muscle toning – Describing how a facial workout is comparable to a session in the gym, she outlines that “regular practice can lift sagging areas, such as the cheeks, jawline and brows.”
- Boosts circulation – “Movement and massage increase blood flow, which brings more oxygen and nutrients to the skin,” she says. This can help with a more glowing, healthy-looking complexion.
- Lymphatic drainage – For anyone hoping to decrease puffiness around the under eyes, Evans claims that “gentle movements and targeted massages encourage lymphatic drainage.”
- Stress reduction – Unpacking how common markers of facial tension, like frown lines, can be caused by stress, Evans highlights how “face yoga promotes mindfulness and relaxation, softening habitual expressions that cause wrinkles.”
- Stimulates collagen and elastin – If anti-ageing is your key skincare focus, you’re in luck, because “massaging and stimulating facial tissues may encourage the production of collagen and elastin, contributing to firmer skin over time.”
Does face yoga work?
Yes and no. While Evans reports that “studies suggest modest improvements in facial tone and appearance, particularly in the mid-face and jawline areas,” she also stresses that face yoga “cannot replace any treatments done in salon.”
Ultimately, while face yoga can be a “helpful, natural and calming additional support to your skincare routine,” there’s no single fix for the signs of ageing, at the end of the day.
Face yoga exercises:
Recounting her five favourite face yoga routines, Evans takes us through the process of performing the movements:
- Forehead smoother – Put both your hands into ‘finger gun’ positions. Then use the index and middle fingers on each to slide up and down any horizontal lines on your forehead to help smooth horizontal lines.
- Cheek lifter – Smile with your lips closed tightly, lifting up the corners of your mouth to raise cheek muscles.
- Jaw release – Opening your mouth into the shape of an ‘O’ while lifting the chin.
- Eye firmer – Pull the skin below your eyebrows upwards until your eyelids are dragging towards your forehead, then try to blink. Gentle tapping around the eyes is also beneficial.
- Neck tightener – Look up while sticking your tongue out to stretch the neck.
How often should you do face yoga?
Evans’ answer is slightly more than you might think: “I would recommend anywhere between five and 20 minutes a day, at least three to five times a week for visible results over time.”
But, for the impatient among us, you’ll be pleased to know that she has “found many people start to notice changes after four to eight weeks of consistent practice.”
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