3 Underrated Ways To Boost Skin Firmness & Ease Wrinkles According To Research

When you think of habits that can help firm your skin, your mind probably goes right to your daily skin care routine. Maybe you’ve incorporated a nightly retinol to promote collagen production and stimulate cell turnover or a daily vitamin C serum to encourage the collagen synthesis process. Hopefully you’ve also included sunscreen in that lineup to help protect from the effects of UV damage.

And these are all very worthwhile habits to have for firm skin (keep them up!). Skin care is what’s going to move the needle: Effective topical treatments will stimulate beneficial changes to the epidermal and dermal layer, and protective skin care is essential for preserving skin integrity. This is how you’re going to ensure skin looks and feels its best—and with quick results. 

However, skin care is not the only way to accomplish this. In fact, lifestyle habits can lay the groundwork for healthier that last a lifetime. In fact, more and more research is finding that certain lifestyle habits (like these below) can be quite effective at maintaining firm skin. 

Research continues to show that exercise is net good for the skin. Data shows that exercise can actually strengthen your mitochondria1 and skin cell energy, improve circulation2 and nutrient flow to the skin, reduce stress3 and damaging cortisol, and aid sleep4 and skin barrier recovery—all of which will help skin in the long run. 

But, recent research sheds insight into the specific types of movement that can offer more profound skin benefits: A study published in Scientific Reports found that strength training can actually improve skin firmness5. 

In the 16-week long study, researchers divided up healthy but inactive middle-aged women into two groups: one did aerobic training, and other did resistance training (twice a day!).

The good news is that both types of exercise plan improve skin elasticity and upper dermal structure. The great news is that resistance training was found to increase dermal thickness—and this structural integrity is crucial for supple, firm skin. 

Why do the researchers think this change happens? Well, they specifically found molecules called biglycans in these participants' blood samples, which are linked to skin firmness6. On the flip side, they found a decrease in molecules that inhibit biglycans, like cytokines.

The current conversation around protein intake has come a long way. Now, women know they need to prioritize upping their protein intake for a whole host of benefits, including improved muscle synthesis, longevity, cognitive function—and even skin firmness. 

Here’s the breakdown as to why: The most important aspect of skin firmness comes down to collagen and elastin, your skin’s structural proteins that exist in the dermal layer. 

Collagen and elastin are made up of amino acids, which are aptly dubbed “the building blocks of protein.” You get those amino acids by consuming protein. 

Robust research on a specific type of protein, collagen, can also improve dermal thickness and firmness. The research shows that these collagen peptides are able to support skin elasticity and dermal collagen density10. And collagen has been shown to help promote the body's natural production of collagen11 and other molecules that make up the skin, like elastin.

One fantastic habit to get into for overall skin (and mental!) health is regular facial massage. It has become a popular part of folk’s skin care routines—and for good reason.

Research shows that facial massage helps improve circulation within the skin, bringing with it nutrients to help rebuild collagen, elastin, and the skin barrier. 

In a 2022 study using breakthrough CT technology, the researchers found that facial massage led to a lifted, tightened skin appearance—thanks to the massage’s ability to improve the superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS). The SMAS is a sheet of muscle that extends from the neck to the forehead, and comprises all our skin facial muscles. 

Another ex-vivo study found that facial massage has been shown to increase various substances in the skin12 that are known to give skin structure, firmness, and elasticity (think: decorin, fibrillin, tropoelastin, and procollagen-1). In the study the participants did 1 minute of facial massage twice daily for 10 days straight. 

Improving skin firmness isn’t just about the topical formulas you use—in fact, it often involves lifestyle changes, such as protein intake, weight lifting, and even facial massage.