Radiant Results: The Positive Effects of Yoga on Skin Health

Yoga has taken the world by storm. Its myriad of wellness perks appear everywhere from social media to the medical community. Curious if yoga benefits skin? You might be surprised at how much this ancient practice transforms your complexion.  

Exercise is a must for skin that glows. Yoga combines the boost of a workout with some serious mental advantages, making it an asset in any holistic skincare routine.

At MD Glam, we fully embrace the magic of the mind-body wellness connection. Today, we share the science behind yoga’s skin benefits, along with expert tips to up your next workout’s glow-boosting power.

What Types of Yoga Benefit Skin?

Traditional yoga is a millennia-old practice from ancient India to unite the mind, body, and spirit for greater awareness and harmony.

Originally, yoga focused on meditation. Today, it focuses mainly on physical and mental exercises.

The yoga practices we refer to combine physical poses (asanas), breathing exercises (pranayamas), and meditation (dhyana), such as:

• Kundalini
• Ashtanga
• Vinyasa
• Hatha
• Hot yoga
• Iyengar
• Restorative Yoga

As for what the science says…

Top 7 Yoga Skin Benefits

Healthy skin keeps you hydrated, nourished, and protected – and it’s a major confidence-booster! So, what’s the yoga lifestyle skin health connection? 

One huge facet of the mental and physical side of skin health: stress reduction. Given the harmful effects of stress on skin, prioritizing stress-relieving practices like yoga is crucial for holistic skincare.

The most notable perks include: 

1. Clear mind, clear complexion

Too much cortisol (the stress hormone) can make your skin overproduce oil, triggering breakouts. These breakouts only add to your stress, creating a frustrating loop. 

One way to break free from the cycle? Incorporate yoga for clear skin. 

Exercise already boosts endorphins (“feel-good” hormones); yoga takes it a step further by dropping your body’s stress response. Breathing exercises (pranayama) for skin problems also bring similar stress relief. 

2. Smooths out skin texture

Rough or textured skin is caused by many potential factors, from dehydration to sun damage to plain old genetics or age. Besides proper skincare (like exfoliation and sunscreen), yoga plays its part by boosting blood circulation. 

Since better blood flow feeds your skin oxygen and nutrients like antioxidants, circulation benefits on skin include better skin texture. 

3. Healthy, happy glow

Another byproduct of yoga’s blood flow boost is radiant skin, dubbed the “yoga glow.” Improved circulation brings the nutrients your skin needs while helping eliminate the toxins it doesn’t. 

Yoga also increases cell turnover, another key to healthy skin. 

4. Bolsters cell turnover and combats aging

Cell turnover (or regeneration) is when your skin replaces dead skin cells with healthy new ones. This keeps your complexion smooth, radiant, and detoxified.

Yoga rejuvenates skin by promoting better sleep since skin cell turnover happens as you slumber. 

The same goes for collagen synthesis. Since collagen production and cell turnover slows when aging, yoga offers youth-boosting skin benefits, too.

Yoga also slows skin aging in the following ways:

• Makes skin more resistant to environmental and oxidative stressImproves collagen & elastin production, combating wrinkles, thinning, and sagging
• Neutralizes menopausal and post-pregnancy hormone fluctuations

Hormone imbalances (like cortisol, estrogen, and progesterone) can affect you at any age, so yoga’s hormonal balance for skin health goes a long way for all skin types and ages. 

Another not-so-great bonus of aging? Loss of muscle tone. 

5. Supports muscle tone and flexibility

You know you’ve hit your 30s when you start to experience skin laxity. This makes your skin looser, dryer, and thinner.

Skin laxity naturally happens with aging, as a result of less collagen and elastin (fibers that make skin flexible and strong). One remedy? Low-impact workouts.

Yoga’s focus on stretching and lengthening improves muscle tone, making your skin tighter and more elastic. You can even target specific areas with facial yoga exercises. 

6. Improves digestion

What does digestion have to do with skin? It turns out, a lot. Gut and skin health are linked by what scientists call the “gut-skin axis.” In other words, when your digestion is out of sorts, your skin usually is, too. 

Gut health problems can lead to skin irritation, breakouts, and visible signs of aging. Besides aiding digestion with stress relief, yoga also soothes and strengthens digestive organs (which are crucial to detox the body). 

Speaking of detoxing…

7. Enhances detoxification

Your body has its own built-in detoxification system. The catch? Sometimes this system gets out of whack and needs reinforcements. 

Besides digestive stimulation, yoga skin detoxification works by making you sweat, which helps blood circulation and your immune system. 

5 Tips for Happy, Healthy Skin With Yoga

Yoga’s skin benefits are undeniable, but to get the biggest boost, you’ll want to follow some extra skincare tips:

1. Stay hydrated

Whether it’s hot or standard yoga, you’ll likely work up a sweat. To replenish those fluids and maximize its skin-loving benefits, drink plenty of water (or an electrolyte-boosting drink) before, during, and after your yoga sesh.

2. Dress the part

Your yoga clothes should be comfy, supportive, flexible, and sweat-wicking. Many dermatologists advise against tight, synthetic fabrics, particularly for sensitive skin types, as they trap sweat and heat. 

Instead, opt for natural, airy materials like hemp, rayon, bamboo, or merino wool. 

3. Take a makeup break

Makeup + sweat = a recipe for clogged pores, irritation, and breakouts. 

Makeup products like foundation and concealer are notorious for hindering your body’s moisture and oil regulation during exercise, trapping oils and bacteria in your skin. 

When mixed with sweat, mascara and eyeliner can also inflame the fragile skin around your eyes. 

So give your skin a breather before you exhale deeply in your Sukhasana pose. 

4. Use clean products and towels

Dirty yoga mats don’t just reek — they also harbor bacteria and fungi. Eek. Our advice? Always opt to bring your own clean mat. 

If not, bring a cleaning solution (like a mister with water, white vinegar, and tea tree oil) and a clean towel to wipe down your mat before and after yoga. 

Our second essential? Another (separate) clean towel to wick away sweat and prevent using your hands, which may accumulate bacteria during your workout.  

5. Moisturize before and after you shower

Just like any workout, you need a 30-minute cooldown followed by a relaxing shower. 

A warm shower will not only rinse away bacteria and pore-clogging sweat, but it can also reduce soreness and calibrate your heart rate. 

Always wash your face with a gentle yet pore-clarifying formula, like MD Glam’s Deep Pore Foaming Cleanser. 

Lock in that post-shower hydration with your favorite moisturizer. Our holy grail? The DMAE Antioxidant Day Moisturizer, a lightweight formula that firms and hydrates. 

Layer on your sunscreen (and makeup if you’re inclined) and voila! You’re off to conquer your day with a healthy dose of radiance and energy!

<Insert: Personal stories or testimonials on skin improvements from regular yoga practice.>

Yoga and MD GLAM: Breathe New Life Into Your Skin

Bottom line: A healthy lifestyle is essential to healthy skin, and exercise is part of that lifestyle. While all exercise is good, yoga benefits skin by merging the physical perks with mental and spiritual ones, bringing you and your skin 360-degree relief. 

Regardless of what type of yoga you do, it’s not a stretch to say that yoga is a perfect supplement in your radiant skin journey. 

Complement your yoga routine with medical-grade, prestigious skincare today!