How did you develop the Danielle Collins Face Yoga Method?

So where did it all start? Well I was born and brought up in Plymouth and moved to Bath to study Education and English Literature at Bath Spa University and achieved a first class honours. After this I was diagnosed with M.E and was very ill for 2 years. Despite doctors telling me there was no known cure for this illness I was determined to get better and started introducing natural nutrition, relaxation, exercise, Yoga and Pilates in to my life. I then fully recovered and felt an overwhelming desire to help and inspire others to feel healthier and happier in the same way I had been able to help myself, so I completed Diplomas in Face Massage, Professional Relaxation Therapy, Nutrition, Hatha Yoga and Pre and Post Natal Yoga with the British School of Yoga. I also did training in Thai Yoga Massage, Shiatsu, Indian Head Massage, the Alexander Technique, EFT and Meditation.

After a couple of years of teaching Yoga, clients were enjoying the health benefits of Yoga for their bodies and minds. I was getting more and more requests for a similar natural way for the face to look and feel healthier too. As well as my drawing on my training, I spent many years researching and trialing face techniques from ancient Eastern medicine, the latest studies on facial composition and renowned wellbeing strategies and created The Danielle Collins Face Yoga Method which is now enjoyed by millions of people worldwide.

Why do I love it so much? Because it is a completely natural holistic way of having great skin but it is so much more than that. When I created The Danielle Collins Face Yoga Method my vision was for us all to fully embrace and love who we are inside and out and have a ‘tool box’ of techniques to use every day so we are in control of our own faces and our wellness too.

I love everything about my job (in fact I wouldn’t even describe it as a job, more a passion or a true calling) and one of my favourite things to do is share Face Yoga on TV. Some of the most fun shows I have appeared on have been ITV1’s “This Morning”, BBc1’s “Holding Back The Years” and Channel4’s “How Not to Get Old , I also loved being on ITVBe’s “The Only Way is Essex”, ITV1’s “The David Dickinson Show”, and one of my favourite radio shows I have been on was Kiss FM’s breakfast show. I also love to travel so teaching Face Yoga to celebrities in Sardinia as part of ITV1’s “100 Years Younger” included three things which make me very happy: sea, sunshine and freshly grown local food.

I am a great believer in combining traditional techniques that have been used for thousands of years, particularly in Eastern medicine, with modern, scientifically proven research. This is exactly the combination that you will find in The Danielle Collins Face Yoga Method which is a fusion of both. In terms of the science (and to answer the question you may be thinking: does Face Yoga actually work?!) Face Yoga has been proven to make you look 3 years younger in 20 weeks in a study by dermatologists at Northwestern University. Also, a study which was conducted by doctors using my Method on the BBC1 show I appeared on “Twinstitute” showed that Face Yoga can make the skin look 1 year younger in 1 month.

I have been blessed to be the face of major campaigns with Nintendo, BT, Groupon, Gorgias London and Olbas Oil and to collaborate with renowned brands such as P & G, Unilever, Dr Roebucks and Sweaty Betty to name just a few. I also love being a visiting practitioner at luxury spas and my all time favourite has to be the two months I spent in Six Senses Spas in the Maldives (in my opinion the most beautiful place on Earth!).

Helping others to find and then share their passion is at the core of what I do and exactly why I created accredited teacher training in Face Yoga. I am the founder of The Danielle Collins Face Yoga Method and offer teacher training courses around the World. The Method has been featured in hundreds of leading publications such as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar The Telegraph and The Daily Mail. The Danielle Collins Face Yoga Method has 600 teachers Worldwide (including teachers still in training) and this is growing daily. It is an honour to see so many amazing people sharing the positive benefits of Face Yoga through teaching others.

What would you consider to be your greatest achievement since launching your career?

A few things I think: when I got my publishing deal for my first book, when I filmed my first dvd, when we hit the mark of 500 teachers of The Danielle Collins Face Yoga Method plus a few of my tv appearances have been great. But to be honest, it’s the emails and messages I get that no one else sees that mean the most. When people tell me stories of how using techniques I have taught them have changed their life. That’s what matters more than anything.

Do you favour a plant based diet?

How much do you think what we eat impacts our facial health? I eat plant based 3-4 days a week. On the other days I tend to have a little fish or eggs but I include as many healthy plant based ingredients in to my diet as possible. What we eat massively affects our skin. Sugar, caffeine and alcohol (and for some people dairy) are (unfortunately!) the worse culprits.

We know you don’t drink alcohol, how beneficial would you say this is for face health?

I haven’t drank for 17 years as I gave it up at age 21 when I was healing from chronic M.E. Alcohol can contribute towards dehydration, collagen break down and toxin build up so isn’t the best for the skin. A little sometimes for some people is fine if combined with a healthy diet.

Where is the most unusual place you have practiced facial yoga?

When I was on ITV1 Lorraine show they asked me to go round to work places teaching Face Yoga. This included a school, hairdressers and the kitchen of a restaurant to help out stressed out chefs!!

What are your top tips for anyone embarking on their facial yoga journey?

I would recommend starting with my book. This is a culmination of 15 years research, training and experience and is rooted in science as well as eastern tradition. It guides you through how to start Face Yoga, where and when to do it plus loads of techniques for the face and healthy living (available on Amazon and most good book stores)

If you could only ever do one face yoga pose ever again, which would it be?

It would be tapping over the face with the finger tips for a minute. This really helps to brighten the skin, helps firm the face as well as releasing tension. It also helps products penetrate deeper in to the skin.

We’ve seen you comment about receiving negative and unpleasant attention online, how do you deal with this and what advice would you give to others who receive this sort of inevitable negative attention on social media?

It’s definitely a part of my job. Most people are lovely but the occasional person isn’t. I tend to block the person, delete the comment (if it’s on a platform where that’s possible) and move on. But I am only human! Occasionally it gets to me of course but I remind myself that I do this job to help people and keep my focus on that.

How do you juggle your work life balance as a business owner and mother?

It’s a juggling act daily! But family comes first so I make sure I have time for that and everything else fits around it. Luckily my business doesn’t feel like work so I often find I have done lots of work but without even noticing as I have enjoyed it so much!

What question do you get asked most often ?

It tends to be two questions: how old are you (38) and have you had Botox and fillers (no)

What is your guilty pleasure?

Dark chocolate and reality TV!