‘I’m an Aesthetician, and This Is the 1 Facial Exercise I Do Every Day To Sculpt and Strengthen My Skin’

Between gua sha stones,  facial exercises, and your trusty jade roller, there are tons of options out there for “working out” your face—and many of them offer legitimate benefits for sculpting and strengthening your skin. So much so, in fact, that celebrity aesthetician and dermatological nurse Natalie Aguilar shares that facial exercises are part of her regular routine, too.

Her focus? The jawline. “I like to take some time contouring my chin by giving myself a chin and jawline massage,” she says, noting that she typically has a softer jawline than most thanks to her genetics.

Her go-to method requires nothing more than a little oil and her own two hands. “I make somewhat of a pinching motion with both of my thumbs and pointer fingers,” she explains. “I then use slight pressure to gently push and glide upwards, from my chin up to my ears, following the natural jawline. This helps to gently lift and sculpt that neck area.” Sounds pretty simple, right?

Don’t forget to add some moisture, though. “It’s best done with a beautiful firming serum or facial oil to help with the glide,” says Aguilar. “I then repeat these motions for seven to 10 minutes a day.” You could break this up into a few minutes in the a.m. and p.m., or take that full ten for a nice self-care break.

The great news here is that you don’t need a particular ‘tool’ (and you probably have some kind of serum or oil in your repertoire already). Using just your hands, you can give yourself a jaw sculpting massage that is both aesthetically helpful and soothing to your muscles. There’s even scientific evidence that says facial massage can help you seriously chill out.

And while you’re at it, there’s something else you can do to keep your visage nice and firm, she says. Her final bit of advice, corresponding to the current climate: “With daily mask wearing, I believe the majority of us are now constantly frowning underneath them without being aware of it,” she says. “A simple smile can break the tension from a frown, [thus] preventing frown lines. I like to remind myself to crack a soft smile a few times a day to work the muscles in that area.” It’ll help your mental health, too!

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