Yoga For Your Complexion: Reduce Acne, Pigmentation, and Dull Skin With These Moves

Let’s be clear. Some forms of skin pigmentation are due to genetics and hereditary factors. And wrinkles are a natural sign of aging. There is absolutely nothing wrong (and everything beautiful) with characteristics of your skin that come with time or are a part of you from birth!

That’s not what we’ll be talking about here.

What about acne? What about changes in complexion and skin pigmentation that don’t come from those things mentioned above?

The causes of dull skin tone, acne, and other complexion issues may vary. They’ll be discussed below, but you also want solutions, help for skin issues.

Yoga is an amazing source of renewal and health for your complexion! Face yoga is also a thing. Let’s talk about how yoga helps your complexion and produces glowing, healthy skin.

Not familiar with face yoga? Check out my Face Yoga class on MyYogaTeacher! We welcome any and all who are looking to tighten, tone, and improve their complexion. And if you’re not familiar with MyYogaTeacher yet, get your 2-week free trial here and join in on any of the 35+ group classes offered. There is literally something for everyone and so many amazing yoga teachers!

Reasons for dull skin, acne, and pigmentation

While yoga improves your complexion, it doesn’t cure all the things you feel are wrong with your skin. Does yoga reduce fine lines and wrinkles? Absolutely! Does it help even out skin tone and improve acne issues? Of course.

But addressing the root cause of your skin issues is an important step to improving your skin. Take a look as some of the causes of dull skin, acne, and pigmentation below:

>> Dehydration - Not drinking enough water affects your skin in more ways than one!

>> Sun damage - Wearing a daily sunscreen helps prevent this and protect your delicate face skin.

>> Hormone changes - Pregnancy, contraceptives, processed foods, and natural aging are all causes of hormone changes that can affect your skin.

>> Inflammation - Harsh chemicals, acne, psoriasis, and exposure to toxins in the air can all contribute to skin pigmentation and other skin issues.

>> Pollution - Free radicals in the environment damages collagen and stimulate pigment production over time.

>> Diet - Lack of nutrients (vitamins and minerals) contributes to unhealthy skin.

>> Smoking - The nicotine from smoking constricts blood vessels, reducing the amount of oxygen to the skin, causing fine lines and wrinkles.

We could go on, but these are the most common reasons for skin problems. Yoga for skin and face will help your body release toxins and bring vital nutrients to the surface of your skin, but it certainly helps to also drink plenty of water, wear sunscreen and moisturizer, and eat a healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables.

How yoga benefits your skin

It has been said that what’s going on inside your body shows up on your face – literally. Stress, tension, bad eating habits, dehydration, trauma, mental health issues, not enough sleep. All of those things are reflected through the delicate skin tissues.

When your overall health is good, your face tends to show it!

A regular yoga practice (whether it’s face yoga or not) is a great way to consistently improve and maintain a healthy, glowing complexion.

Yoga removes skin impurities

• The buildup of heat in the body from many forms of yoga causes the body to sweat, which removes impurities from the body and skin.

• Sweat releases a natural antibody called dermcidin that fights bacteria. 

• Because impurities are a primary source of acne, yoga reduces acne via sweat and internal toxin release

Yoga heals damaged skin

• Yogic breathing increases the amount of oxygen received by the body and is essential in skin cell regeneration.

• When the blood contains high oxygen levels, it provides vital nutrients to the surface of the skin, preventing and even reversing the damaging effects of free radicals and sun exposure.

Yoga increases skin elasticity

• Face yoga, in particular, firms and tones the muscles under the skin, which reduces fine lines and wrinkles

• Yoga also helps reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, all of which can cause us to frown, scowl, or have many other facial expressions that contribute to fine lines and wrinkles. A regular yoga practice can prevent us from making facial expressions that decrease the skin’s elasticity.

Yoga regulates hormone production

• An over or underproduction of various hormones is a common cause of pigmentation, dull skin, and acne. Causes are often due to stress, anxiety, pregnancy, natural changes in the body, and processed foods.

• A regular yoga and meditation practice has been scientifically proven to regulate hormone levels over time, thereby improving or even eliminating some of the causes of skin issues.

Yoga is historically an avenue to holistic health. If you’re tired of trying all the latest and greatest products (natural or not) for your skin, yoga may just be the thing you’re missing! Be patient, though. Nothing gets better overnight. Give your practice some time.

Yoga poses for glowing skin

Try these yoga moves for your skin below to get started on improving your complexion. Warm up your body first by doing a few sun salutation sequences. If you’re not familiar with those, here’s an article on what they are and how to do them!

1. Yoga Mudrasana (Yogic Seal)

Stay for a minute or two in this pose, breathing normally, and you’ll feel your face become flush with fresh oxygen!

2. Vakrasana (Half Seated Spinal Twist)

Twisting poses are a great way to help your internal organs release toxins, increase blood flow, and reduce stress, which stabilizes your hormones. Do this pose on each side and hold for 10 deep breaths.

3. Matsyasana (Fish Pose)

This pose stimulates your thyroid gland, which regulates hormones. Imbalance hormones can cause acne and dull skin. Fish pose also encourages deep breaths, which brings more oxygen and nutrient-rich blood to the surface of the skin. Hold for 10 breaths.

4. Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)

Similar to upward facing dog pose, cobra pose opens up the chest, allowing more air to enter the lungs with each breath. It also stimulates the thyroid gland and strengthen and tones the neck and face muscles.

5. Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend)

You may already be familiar with this pose, especially if you did a sun salutation sequence before trying these! Inversion poses like this one are anti-gravity and anti-aging poses that also bring oxygen and nutrients specifically to your face and scalp. Stay here for at least 5 breaths and let your head dangle gently, or even sway side to side.

I hope you’ve found this article helpful! Whether you need more guidance on how to use yoga to improve your complexion or you’re an experienced yogi looking to transform your complexion, I’d love to have you try my Face Yoga class on MyYogaTeacher! All are welcome there!

And if you haven’t yet checked out the MyYogaTeacher platform, I invite you to grab your 2-week free trial here. No credit card required! You can take a few or as many yoga classes as you’d like for free during your trial period. Take advantage of the many different types of yoga classes taught by highly experienced yoga instructors from the birthplace of yoga, India!

Hope to see you there!