Glow with The Flow: Does Yoga Equal Glowing Skin?

On the flip side, if you’re looking to galvanize your beauty routine to get that Insta-ready glowing skin, yoga may leave you wanting. Does yoga for glowing skin really work? Let’s pick apart the science.

Can yoga actually provide skin benefits?

Well… kinda. There’s no specific set of poses that can make your skin glow. But a health regimen that includes yoga can do a thing or two for your skin.

Yoga isn’t a magic bullet that can transform a dull, damaged complexion into dewy, radiant skin after two Downward Dogs and a Cobra. Your zits, blackheads, and fine lines aren’t going to disappear in the blink of an eye.

Skin health depends on many factors like diet, lifestyle, hormonal balance, and genetics. If you’re smoking, drinking a ton of booze, spending a lot of time in the sun without protection, not getting enough sleep, and forgetting to hydrate your skin and body, then no amount of yoga is going to counteract your life choices.

Now, saying that: some research suggests that yoga has skin-enriching benefits.

Boosts circulation

Yoga could increase blood flow, allowing more oxygen to reach your cells so that they can work better. For example, poses that involve a twisting motion squeeze blood from your organs, allowing oxygenated blood to flow in once you release the twist.

Specific inverted yoga postures or asanas increase blood circulation to your head and face. As you expect, blood rushing to your head causes a temporary glowing effect. (Although some say glowing, while others say red and sweaty! Perspective matters.)

If your body has banging circulation, this should open your pores and improve natural cleansing. Fewer toxins coursing through your bod may lead to a healthy rosy glow.

If this sounds like what you’re after, you should try inverted postures and forward bends that open the chest and increase blood supply to the head. Some example poses include:

• Cobra Pose
• Triangle Pose
• Shoulder Stand
• Fish Pose

Other postures may not leave you quite as red in the face, but they may help you focus on your breathing which can calm your body and mind. These may benefit your appearance as the tension leaves your body — stress acne is a thing, for example, so de-stressing might help you keep this at bay.

May improve sleep

Sleep is hella important for a healthy body and skin. Research has demonstrated that a lack of sleep can increase pore size and other changes. That’s because the body repairs itself as you sleep.

In a 2020 study in Korea, researchers found that in 32 women in their 40s, sleep deprivation significantly reduced skin hydration. Reduced sleep also caused a decrease in skin elasticity and an increase in wrinkles and skin texture. (tl;dr: You need to catch those Zzz’s if you want glowing skin.)

Guess what helps with sleep? Why yoga, of course. In a 2020 review of 1,832 participants, the researchers found that yoga benefited women with sleep issues by reducing insomnia.

Could decrease inflammation

Inflammation is a bodily process that has a hand in chronic conditions like heart disease, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and depression. It also drives skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis.

A 2019 review of 15 clinical trials involving 937 participants found that yoga could potentially reduce inflammation across a range of chronic conditions.

Might reduce stress

Stress makes you feel crappy, and it can also make your skin look yucky. Stress can cause all sorts of nasty skin complaints like acne and dermatitis, as well as affecting how well they heal.

So, although there isn’t a direct link between yoga and glowing skin, it might just have positive effects because getting your yoga on can reduce stress and inflammation while improving sleep and circulation.

Face smoosh pose: Does facial yoga give you glowing skin?

Not surprisingly, face yoga involves stretching and massaging the muscles in your face. The idea is to stimulate circulation and the lymphatic system, which then softens and relaxes the face muscles and alleviates tension.

There isn’t a tremendous amount of research out there to say that face yoga works, though one small 2018 study supported facial yoga.

Researchers asked female participants to perform 30 minutes of facial exercises daily for 8 weeks, then every other day for 12 weeks. They concluded that the movements led to a modest improvement in facial appearance. Bear in mind that this is a small amount of evidence, and 30 minutes of facial contortions every day is a fair old commitment (unless you’re Jim Carrey).

(Also, there’s not really a solid metric for “improved facial appearance,” so it’s not easy to trust the results.)

If you’re still keen, here are a couple of face poses to try:

Eye circles

The idea here is to reduce eye puffiness. But remember to be very gentle around the eyes.

1. Place a finger on the inside edge of your eyebrows.
2. Tap toward the outside of your eyebrows.
3. Gently press on your temples for a couple of seconds.
4. Tap above your cheekbones toward the inner corner of your eyes.
5. Continue for 30 seconds.

Tension relief

This technique stimulates an acupressure point that may help reduce eye strain.

1. Lightly press a finger into the inner corner of both eyes for 30 seconds.
2. Circle gently in one direction for 30 seconds.
3. Repeat in the opposite direction.

Can yoga give your hair a glow?

Healthy, flowing locks are a dream for many. Can yoga help? Maaaaaaybe.

Certain inverted yoga poses could inadvertently lead to hair health by encouraging blood flow to your scalp. Think Camel Pose, Rabbit Pose, Forward Bend, or Diamond Pose.

Plus, yoga may help combat stress, which may, in turn, reduces hair loss. The stress hormone cortisol interferes with hair growth. Balancing your hormones with a mindful practice like yoga could help keep more hair on your head and away from the floor.

Natural ways to make your skin glow

Aside from trying to summon glowing skin with yoga contortions, a few other natural remedies can help you banish dry, dull skin. Here are some at-home methods to help you glow with the flow.

1. Try coconut oil

Coconut oil rocks a whole host of healing and anti-inflammatory properties, providing you’re not allergic. It’s a great moisturizer, so try using a tiny blob on your face, allowing it to soak in, and then removing it with your regular cleanser.

2. Use aloe vera

If you’ve ever had a burn, someone likely suggested using aloe vera. This cactus-like plant could stimulate new cell growth and soothe skin conditions such as psoriasis.

You can buy beauty products containing aloe vera (just make sure they don’t contain a bunch of other additives). Or, try using the gloopy inside of an aloe vera leaf and apply it directly to your skin.

3. Apply sunscreen

It’s important to wear SPF 15 sunscreen daily. This may help you prevent skin cancer and protect your skin from the aging effects of the sun.

And yes, that means even if it’s raining or overcast. The Sun is a powerful ball of gas, and a flimsy little raincloud won’t stop its rays messing with your skin.

4. Drink more water

Your body needs water to function — skin included.

Luscious, glowing skin relies on adequate hydration. Research has confirmed time and time again that drinking more water leads to healthier skin.

Takeaway

Yoga doesn’t provide instant glowing skin worthy of the red carpet.

But, over time, practicing yoga seems to provide a wealth of health benefits like improved circulation and sleep alongside reduced stress and inflammation. These goodies could lead to an overall enhancement in health and dewy, glowing skin as a side perk.

Will it happen overnight? No. Will it definitely work? No, but it might. Yoga has various mental and physical benefits, and incorporating this practice into your routine could improve your skin.

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