Can Yoga Really Help Your Skin Glow?

Yoga is loved for its strength-building and stress-easing abilities. But did you know that the practice can also help enhance your complexion?

Yes, yoga glow is real. If you practice regularly, you may notice the positive effects yoga has on your skin.

After all, moving your body is medicine. Practicing yoga helps detoxify your body, increasing respiration, lubricating joints, and strengthening muscles.

Breath work and the common movements involved in yoga can help to balance hormones and move waste sitting in the intestines (sounds gross, we know!). In turn, this leads to happier, healthier skin.

Let’s learn more about how yoga can improve the skin.

How Yoga May Benefit Your Skin

First, it’s essential to understand that practicing yoga won’t magically transform your skin. It won’t vanish away those pesky pimples or panda-like undereye circles. And yoga can’t reverse the signs of aging.

What yoga can do is make you feel better and, with consistent use, help improve your complexion.

Reduces Stress Levels and Improves Your Sleep

Studies show that yoga can help decrease stress, alleviate anxiety, and even help you get a better night’s sleep. And when you’re better rested, your skin will likely appear more vibrant and glowing instead of dull and fatigued.

When you get enough solid shuteye, your body’s skin cells can repair more efficiently and recover from stressors.

May Decrease Inflammation

Research suggests that yoga can help relieve inflammation , especially when it’s stress-related. Inflammation contributes to tiredness and depression, which can sometimes show on your skin.

Be sure to hop on the mat regularly, and you may soon experience an elevated mood and better sleeping, and all the benefits that brings.

Increases Circulation To Your Head and Face

Some yoga poses can trigger a quick, short-term glow by boosting circulation to your head and face. Others might not spark the same exact effect, but they may help you slow your breathing, relax, and feel your stress levels reduce, which can improve the state of your complexion.

Yoga Poses For Skin Glow

How you practice yoga affects your skin too. Some poses are more likely to give your complexion that desired glow than others.

Also known by its Sanskrit name of Uttanasana, Forward Fold is a yoga pose that helps trigger blood circulation to your face and blood as you lean over. This is a great pose to start with, as it’s super easy, even for beginners.

One of yoga’s most famous poses is the Downward Dog, otherwise known as the Downward-Facing Dog or Adho Mukha Svanasana . This inverted pose will also get the blood flowing toward your head and face.

Dolphin Pose, also known as Ardha Pincha Mayurasana , is similar to Downward Dog. Your legs and the lower part of your body need to be in the same position. However, you need to bend your arms instead of having straight arms with your palms on the floor.

With Dolphin Pose, you’ll essentially be leaning forward and balancing on your forearms with your head or forehead resting on the floor. This pose also boosts circulation, which can make your complexion more flushed and radiant.

Cobra Pose, or Bhunjangasana, may also improve your skin’s appearance. This pose may help you to open your chest and breathe more oxygen into your body.

Finally, there’s the Supported Shoulderstand, otherwise known as Sarvangasana or Salamba Sarvangasana . This inverted pose can send more blood flow to your head.

If you’re a beginner, understand that this pose may be a little more difficult than the others. It may also strain your neck, so feel free to skip this one if you have neck or back issues.

Other Ways To Practice Self-Care For Your Skin

Yoga isn’t the only way you can practice self-care for your skin. As well as practicing yoga and getting enough exercise, other self-care rituals affect your skin.

For example, a nourishing and relaxing face mask encourages you to spend some time alone quietly, focusing on yourself. Off the mat, try to put some time aside to unwind with a face mask packed with ingredients your skin will love.

The Avant Harmonious Rose Quartz Revitalizing Firming Mask purifies pores, absorbs impurities, and reduces excess sebum for brighter, healthy-looking skin.

For the ultimate pampering session, you can also use the Murad X Dr Zion Retinol Youth Renewal Eye Masks . These luxurious extra-large eye masks deliver an instant retinol boost to help reduce the appearance of fine lines around the eye area.

Do you want more skincare advice? Here are the best ingredients to hydrate dry skin this winter .