As we get older, the muscles on our face, jaw, neck and chin sag. Unfortunately this a common complaint for all ageing women and men.

I am going to show you some techniques which will keep your skin looking beautiful and toned. You can use the techniques at any age and at any time, but I recommend you start from the age of 21.

I have written this as it is a common concern of ageing – it can also be useful if you have lost weight and want to get rid of that double chin without spending a lot of money on creams or surgery.

Certain products we apply to our face, can only penetrate to the superficial layers of the skin. They will keep your skin hydrated but you will find that it will not have an amazing effect on the muscle tone, as it doesn’t target the lower layers of the skin and deep into the muscle. To tone the muscles we need to do a bit of work ourselves through facial exercises. It is however, still a good idea to keep applying cream and use a good spf to protect against pigmentation which is caused from sun damage. I would recommend Environ AVST range as it contains vitamin A, C & E which are high antioxidents and Rad for the spf protection.

We all realize that as we get older our body muscles begin to sag, and so we go to the gym to tighten and strengthen them. It is exactly the same for skin and so we need to take a similar approach to strengthen and tone the muscles in our face and neck.

The most common thing I hear from clients is that they ‘dont have time’ ( I’m even guilty of saying it myself!) but if ageing is something that you are concerned about – make it essential that you fit these techniques in your life, just like we always remember to brush our teeth at night.

You can always do them while watching TV, or waiting for the kettle to boil, or even in the shower. A client told me that as you get older your ankles weaken, so she stands on one foot at a time while she brushes her teeth.

Here are some simple techniques to help strengthen the muscles on the neck, chin and jaw.

Here are a few simple techniques you can follow…

1. The big smile

• Stand up tall, lift and stretch your neck up
• Put your bottom lip over your top lip
• Give yourself a big smile
• Place your hands either side of your jaw
• Massage up to your temples and hold for 5/10 seconds
• Relax
• Do this 5/10 times every day
• Very simple!

The side chin lift

The side chin lift is a yoga facial exercise that engages the muscles of your neck and face.

• Relax your shoulders and stand or sit with your back straight.
• Clench the teeth gently and widen the mouth, as if in a loose smile.
• Lift the neck tall and turn your head to the left.
• Tilt your chin diagonally up toward the ceiling while pressing your tongue to the top of your mouth and hold for five to eight counts.

Bring your head back to the front and repeat the entire sequence on the right side. Do five to eight repetitions on each side.

3. Chew yourself beautiful

• Sit up right and tilt your head up as if your looking at the ceiling
• Keep your lips closed and start doing a chewing motion
• You should feel your muscles work in your neck and throat

4. Stick your tongue out to those wrinkles

• Sit up straight and look up to the ceiling
• keeping lips relaxed
• open your mouth and stick you tongue out
• try and touch the tip of your tongue with your chin
• Leave it in that position for 10 seconds
• Return to normal

5, Jaw droppingly beautiful skin

• Sit up straight and face forward
• Keep your lips together
• separate your jaw by dropping your jaw
• Push jaw forwards
• Hold for 10/15 seconds

Please let me know how you get on with these exercises – do you have any tips to share?