Instead of strengthening or exercising your facial muscles, you should encourage them to relax. As we naturally move these muscles daily through talking, laughing, eating, and emoting, tension builds that needs to be released. “Exercising” your face can actually create more tension, restricting blood flow and inhibiting cell renewal. For example, if your back muscles were tight, you wouldn’t work out harder for fear of causing further pain or injury. Instead, you would try gentle massage and some light stretching to get the excess tension to dissipate gradually. The key to anti-aging isn’t strengthening your face to increase or retain firmness but letting it go.