6 Best Yoga Poses for Glowing Skin Everyday Health MenuNewslettersSearch Skin Self-Care 6 Yoga Poses That Will Make Your Skin Glow Research proves it: Doing yoga can help bust stress and reduce inflammation. And that’s good news for your complexion. By Moira LawlerMedically Reviewed by Ross Radusky, MDReviewed: April 17, 2019Medically Reviewed Yoga has proven benefits for reducing stress and anxiety Motoyuki Kobayashi/Getty ImagesYou’ve probably already heard about the many physical and mental benefits yoga offers. The practice can improve flexibility, strength, sleep quality, and your well-being overall, wrote the authors of a study published in the International Journal of Yoga. But did you know your time on the mat can also help your skin? “Our skin is the largest organ in our body,” says Adarsh Vijay Mudgil, MD, a celebrity dermatologist and medical director of Mudgil Dermatology in New York City. “Anything that’s good for the body is good for the skin.” The benefits center on yoga’s ability to reduce inflammation, which is an immune response that can cause the skin to become red, dry, and itchy, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. One study, published in December 2012 in the journal Physiology & Behavior, compared inflammatory hormones of 25 yogis with 25 people who were new to the practice. Proinflammatory leptin was 36 percent higher among the novice group compared with those with yoga experience, and levels of the anti-inflammatory hormone adiponectin were 28 percent higher among the experts. As anyone who’s walked away from the mat feeling a renewed sense of energy knows, yoga has a stress-relieving effect, too. In particular, it’s been linked with lowering levels of the stress hormone cortisol. “When one does yoga, in addition to the neuromuscular benefits, there is an overall positive effect on our endocrine system, which regulates our hormones, including cortisol,” Dr. Mudgil says. A study published in the January–February 2016 issue of the Journal of International Society of Preventative & Community Dentistry found people who practice yoga regularly had lower cortisol levels than those who did not practice. “When cortisol is in check, our skin — and body — is happier,” Mudgil says. RELATED: Is Stress Making You Sicker? Signs You Shouldn’t Ignore Claire Grieve, an international yoga specialist and health coach, says yoga helps the skin in other ways, too. “It gets your heart pumping and your blood flowing, which carries fresh oxygen and nutrients throughout your whole body, including your face,” she says. Research published in the journal Gut Pathogens also showed there’s a gut-skin connection — a healthy gut equals healthy skin, Grieve says. Finally, a sweaty yoga sesh can help clear away dead skin cells and surface toxins, Grieve says. The result? A glowing complexion. Any yoga practice will help you reap skin benefits, but Grieve recommends these six moves in particular for a more glowing complexion. Easing Eczema During COVID-19Recorded 3/11/21. Managing eczema can be a struggle, especially in harsh winter temperatures. Factor in pandemic-related stress and that's a recipe for flare-ups. Tune in to hear dermatologist Ross Radusky, MD, and eczema patient advocate Nicola Johnston...see more458 Doing a 30-Second Forward Fold Increases Blood Flow to Your Face Abby Mortenson/StocksyThis simple pose can help release tension throughout the body and increase oxygen and blood flow to your face, Grieve says. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and exhale as you bend forward, hinging at your hips. Allow your head and arms to hang, and keep your knees soft. You can bend your elbows and hold each elbow with your opposite hand. Hold the pose for about one minute and then stand up slowly. Grieve says to make this pose your go-to if you’re pressed for time. “Just do a forward fold for about 30 seconds,” she says. “It will instantaneously increase the circulation to your face, creating a quick but powerful radiance.” Note that if you have rosacea, you’ll want to make sure your skin is under control before performing this move.459 Completing a Seated Twist May Help Rev Your Body s Natural Detox System ShutterstockSit with your legs stretched out in front of you. Bend your right knee over your left leg and place your right foot next to your left thigh. Bend your left knee and slide your foot under your right leg so your left ankle is near your right glute. Extend your right fingertips onto the mat behind you and bring your left arm around the outside of your right knee. Hold the twist, exhale, and repeat on the other side. “Twists are known for stimulating blood flow to the digestive and detox organs — the liver, kidneys — which helps your body better eliminate toxin build up in the body,” Grieve says. “Toxins often show up as inflammation, which can be visible in your face.”460 Performing an Inversion Such as Dolphin Pose Is Like Getting a Mini Facial ShutterstockThis yoga pose is similar to downward-facing dog but is done on the forearms. It’s an inversion pose, which means your head moves below your heart. “Practicing inversions is like giving yourself a mini facial,” Grieve says. “When your head drops below the heart, you increase the circulation of oxygen and nutrients to your face.” Start on your hands and knees. Then lower your elbows to the mat so your forearms are parallel to one another and resting on the mat directly beneath your shoulders. Tuck your toes and lift your pelvis up toward the ceiling. Straighten your legs — it’s okay if your heels do not touch the ground. RELATED: 10 Surprising Health Perks of Yoga461 Carrying Out a Simple Cat-Cow Offers Critical Digestive Support ShutterstockStart your day with a few cat-cows to get your digestive system moving, Grieve says. Start on all fours. Inhale as you look up to the sky and sink your belly toward the floor. Then reverse the move: Tuck your head into your chest as you look to your belly button and arch your back as you exhale.462 Easing Your Way Into a Restorative Pose Like Goddess Helps Fight Inflammation iStockGrieve says restorative poses like this one can help relieve some of the nasty inflammation that results from stress. Stand with your feet 3 feet apart and turned at a 45-degree angle facing the corners of the room. Sink down into a squat. Extend your arms up and bend your elbows so they align with your shoulders and are parallel to the ground. The palms of your hands should face each other. Keep your shoulders down and chest pressed forward. Hold the pose as you inhale and exhale. RELATED: 10 Amazing Health Benefits of Exercise463 Flowing Through Sun Salutations Energizes the Whole Body — Including Your Face Getty ImagesSun salutations are baked into every vinyasa flow — and for good reason: The move can help wake up the body and mind, which Grieve says will deliver fresh energy to your face and spirit. Salutations string together several yoga poses — mountain pose, forward bend, plank pose, chaturanga, cobra or upward-facing dog, downward-facing dog, forward bend, and, finally, a return to standing. 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