Ever since she was introduced to the public as Prince Harry's future bae, the world has been obsessed and infatuated with Meghan Markle. Whether it's her incredible fashion sense, her enviable looks or the fact that she is single-handedly dragging the royal family into the 21st century, there is plenty to admire when it comes to the new Duchess of Sussex.
One thing that has captured the minds of many royal commentators and fans, is Meghan's impeccable skin.
Recently, social media has been awash with speculation over just how Meghan manages to make her skin look so dewy and now we finally have an answer: facial exercises.
While Markle may already be blessed with a chiselled visage, if anyone had the ability to make us believe in the power of the facial exercise, it's her. Speaking to Birchbox about her beauty regime, the newest member of the royal family said:
“I do facial exercises from one of my favourite aestheticians, Nichola Joss, who basically has you sculpt your face from the inside out.
“I swear it works, as silly as you may feel. On the days I do it, my cheekbones and jawline are way more sculpted. There’s a reason she is in high demand around awards season when every actress wants to look A-plus.”
But, what are Meghan's facial exercises and do they actually work?
Well, there are a number of facial exercises that you can perform in order to fight ageing. Often hailed as a non-invasive anti-ageing treatment, exercises such as "The V" are good for drooping eyelids and "The Smile Smoother" helps reduce the appearance of cheek lines and sagging skin. All of these exercises can be done with nothing more than just your fingers.
The exercises help stimulate collagen and elastin production in the middle layer of your skin and work out the muscles in your face. They are designed to work the 40-odd muscles in your face and are supposed to leave your complexion looking smoother and tighter.
Nigma Talib, a leading Naturopathic doctor, says that certain facial exercises can have some benefit but that they’re really not much good without the addition of some high-quality skincare products.
“Facial exercises can help but it’s something you have to do daily with science-based and clinically researched serums and cremes which are a must,” Talib tells The Independent.
“One treatment with an Esthetician will help for short-term results like a day or two, but this should be a daily activity when applying your serums and creams.”
Debbie Thomas, an award-winning celebrity facialist agrees with Talib, adding that she would not recommend exercises to her clients.
"Undertaking daily facial exercise probably benefits the skin like massage benefits the skin (plus you may get a de-stressing benefit too like you would in a yoga class), but this is not something I recommend my clients to do.
“I prefer my clients to invest in good skincare products, a thorough regime that is right for their skin & lifestyle and regular in-clinic treatments that are clinically-proven to work, such as laser rejuvenation.”
While exercises may help the skin and muscles in the face, the mini-workouts would need to be performed persistently in order to have a real effect. If you have the time to spend a few hours massaging your face, go for it - but make sure you add some skin-boosting products.
