Carolyn's Facial Fitness
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free skin care · Tue Nov 22, 2011 12:33 pm

One of the things I love about CFF is how after every workout my face feels as if I just had a wonderful facial massage. Usually I do CFF while lying down ready for bed and it's so easy to loll into sleep right after it coz of how good I feel and oh so relaxed.

Another thing I'm noticing is besides helping me keep a natural-looking build to my face and have good tone, CFF, I believe has made my lower cheeks are a little fuller and so the shape of my face is looking more like it did when I was 20. In other words, instead of my face appearing to taper sharply toward a pointy chin--something that happens as we age: our faces lose mass and look more gaunt/narrow--mine seems to be getting more ovalish/round and beautifully so.

In another discussion, Lotusesther was asking about adding fullness to the face in older people. That's what made me take a closer look at my own face and while I haven't really been gaunt all my life--thanks to Eva and my genes, I guess--I honestly think I see a slight, yet very beautiful increase in my lower cheeks. Since Lotusesther was referring to people who were older, I went through the Before/After photos on Carolyn's site and I think Robert's face is a perfect example of someone who is older who was able increase fullness in his face with face exercise. In his latest photos, he looks like he could be the son of the guy he was before he did CFF. In addition to having better tone, his face had filled up a bit and looks rounder but not fat. While in his before photos I would have thought he was my Dad's peer, now he looks like he could be just ten years older than me: http://www.carolynsfacialfitness.com/robert

Fri Dec 02, 2011 5:32 pm

Hi, Moonstone.

Like Nonie, I am a very satisfied user of CFF. You can read about my experience further back in this thread, when I'd been doing the exercises for eight months. I am now at the third anniversary and am still seeing improvements, even though I've reached the age of 66.

No-one can predict how another person will respond to facial exercises, so I can only speak for myself when I say that I have never experienced gauntness, bulkiness or awkward stages with CFF. It's been a very smooth ride for me, and Carolyn has always been on hand whenever I've had any questions - and there were a lot at the beginning!

Keep in touch with Carolyn all the way through and you'll give yourself the best possible chance of achieving your goals. I wish you a happy outcome. Keep us updated.

free skin care · Sat Dec 03, 2011 2:36 am

I have not posted in ages, and feel "odd" just jumping into a conversation--

But, I have a theory, perhaps it has been mentioned by others.

I noticed that with exercise for the body, I do not like bulkiness. I prefer a long lean look, a dancer's body. Not a gymnast, not a runner, not a biker's body and not a weight lifter's. but a dancer's. Not a weight lifter--(Maybe bowflex, its leaner--)
Since I like the results of dance exercises--ballet barre work etc, it behooves me to do those kinds of exercises. I won't get it if I do the other kind.

I have decided to approach face exercising the same way. I think I like the results of Carolyn's for me. It seems like the equivalent to a dancer's body-- Very elegant.

free skin care · Sat Dec 03, 2011 10:37 pm

SansSouci572 wrote:

The reason I thought stretching kept a person from bulking up was because it is what is repeated on the callanetics dvd's and also on Tracy Anderson's dvd's.

I do not know how this would work on a face. I do know that certain types of exercises produces certain looks, and there are certain looks I want to avoid.
I shall keep my theories to myself from now on. I was simply trying to figure out some things.
I was not trying to be cute. I am 54 years old.

Wow SansSouci572 you make me regret answering you. I don't know why you sound upset. I was merely trying to help you see that stretching the body and stretching the face are two different things and that you can't compare the body's stretching and how that gives lean muscles with stretching of the face due to difference in the way muscles are arranged and how they relate to other parts of the human anatomy in their respective areas.

For example, there is a lot of stretching in FE, probably more than in CFF, but FE focuses on facebuilding and its aim is to increase fullness (ie bulk out the face). But that doesn't mean there's no stretching in other programs that don't bulk one out. In other words, I was just stating that while your first analogy w/r/t to some programs being more like dance and others more like bodybuilding seemed accurate, there aren't many such similarities between the body and the face and the fact that exercise that involve stretching the body lead to leanness while exercises that involve stretching the face can lead to bulking is one reason why I was saying your logic w/r/t stretching didn't apply. If I wasn't trying to help you understand and clear it for you, I wouldn't have gone so far as to find a discussion on stretching in face exercises to further help you see my point. I'm not sure why you took offense.

As for you not trying to be cute, I didn't accuse of being cute, but rather I liked your first analogy and the analogy itself was cute. I don't know why you read so much negativity into my post. I really was trying to answer your question and help you understand the difference. I'm sorry you got the wrong end of the stick. Oy vey!

free skin care · Sun Dec 04, 2011 1:01 pm

Moving along...doesn't Carolyn look AMAZING in the new Youtube video demonstrating The Brush?

Check it out: Double Chin and Neck Lines Eradicator

I watched the Crows' Feet exercise clip after seeing this new one and it's as if time has stopped for Carolyn! She was 59 years old when she made the Crows' Feet video. It's about 6 years later and she hasn't aged a bit(!) but has the same face she had 6 years ago--a very good testament to how well her program works, and quite the inspiration for those of us doing her program.

free skin care · Mon Dec 05, 2011 1:54 pm

Hi, Nonie. I do respect your contributions and value you in this online community. You oftentimes seem very interested in helping others, and I think this is great. You and I have even PMd before, and it was your story that inspired me to try CFF. It just seems like sometimes the language you use comes across somewhat defensively and a little inflammed instead of loving and accepting. (I'm referring to across the EDS forum board, not necessarily just this discussion topic.) I thought I would just mention it so maybe we could all stay focused on acceptance and love as we help each other. And this is particularly hard to do with online communication: it is the mode of communication most likely to be misinterpreted.

On another note, I agree Carolyn does look great. I appreciate the new video and look forward to the newsletter. Smile

free skin care · Mon Dec 05, 2011 10:13 pm

Does anyone else read the CFFitness review pages on CFF site? I find them so inspiring and encouraging. You don't realize how many people do face exercises until you start reading those pages, which I thought were only ten but they go up to page 28!!! Shock

What I love most about them is the updates that echo what the before/after photos show: continued improvement or maintenance of results. Sometimes I just got through the pages looking for updates.... Very Happy

free skin care · Mon Jan 02, 2012 1:49 pm

Nonie aka AD wrote:

Moving along...doesn't Carolyn look AMAZING in the new Youtube video demonstrating The Brush?

Check it out: Double Chin and Neck Lines Eradicator

I watched the Crows' Feet exercise clip after seeing this new one and it's as if time has stopped for Carolyn! She was 59 years old when she made the Crows' Feet video. It's about 6 years later and she hasn't aged a bit(!) but has the same face she had 6 years ago--a very good testament to how well her program works, and quite the inspiration for those of us doing her program.

I've been doing this "Brush" exercise since Nonie posted the link to the video. I do it once or twice a day for several minutes and my throat/jawline/neck area become quite red from the stimulation but the results are fantastic! My jawline has become very defined, the underchin area has tightened up to the point where I no longer have that little waddle and the faint rings around my neck are just about gone. So if anyone has issue with their chin/jawline/throat area, I'd definitely incorporate this "Brushing" move...it works!!

free skin care · Wed Jan 11, 2012 11:19 am

Nonie aka AD wrote:

TheresaMary wrote:

I do like the brush exercise, but to me it looks like its based on the massage video that Tonya Z did some time ago. Someone pointed the similarities out to me:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHQV4AedIF0

What do others think? It may just be me

The only similarities I see is the part of fingers being used and the fact that moisturizer is applied first.

Differences:

JenJ, sister sweets, I too love The Brush. I always feel as if I walk with my head held high after I do it. Very Happy

I didn't think it was that similar either. Only similarity is the shape of the hand, which is similar to the hand shape used in No Lipo Lipo. I think it's just a somewhat common hand shape.

free skin care · Mon Sep 24, 2012 11:22 am

I thought all of those doing CFF or who just started might enjoy the review at the link below. I particularly loved the photo essay at the bottom where you can see how her face has changed in 7 years so that it shows fewer lines now than when she was younger! Also she confirms what I have shared before about Carolyn: that while there is a basic program that is the core of CFF, if there's something you're not happy about, Carolyn can usually customize the workout with bonus exercises to help you correct the problem if you send her photos and an explanation of what it is you'd like to change.

Enjoy: http://www.look-younger-naturally.com/carolyns-facial-fitness.html

Wed Sep 26, 2012 1:38 am

Hi All. When I came here today I was like... OMG, those are my pics they are all talking about!

Forehead bulge... LOL! I have moisturizer in the after pic and it is shining a bit. I have not developed a cro-magnon forehead!

My face is pretty asymmetric, yes, but CFF has actually made that better, not worse.

I don't think CFF can give you something that you've never had. I mean, my face has never been symmetric and my lips have always been thin, kinda "turned inwards". So I'd be happy to agree with Nonie, that CFF automatically gives one a balanced look - in the range where possible.

I think both sides of my face are proceeding at pretty much the same speed, even though I have had some problems getting the new customization exercises feel correctly in the left side. But the "hanging jowl" in the pic is just from the lighting. If I touch the skin over my jawbone where the jowls would be, the left side is slightly more soft, but the contours are similar - meaning that in real life the difference is not visible.

I'm really happy with my results, even though I was a bit vary when posting the pics. I think the changes are more visible live.

And I do have hormonal problems... or had. I had adrenal fatigue and insulin resistance after that.

Even if I had side differences, I'd never exercise more on the weak side. I don't believe in facial muscle toning - the studies go against that. I explain this in my web page in article "5 reasons why facial exercises work".

There are more details and links to the studies in article "Relax The Face Muscles".

I'm a newbie here so I cannot give you the direct links. You'll have to go to my look-younger-naturally page and you'll find them on the left.

free skin care · Thu Sep 27, 2012 7:49 am

Actually thats one of the older ones (and the one CFF has I think she probably developed from Carole's original exercise), but it has been modified by Carole through the years and the one she's developed for Ultimate Facercise is the real key.

I found this article in the UK press that details the instructions for it which may be worth reading: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1361218/The-ultimate-facercise-Forget-Botox--just-days-firmer-face-naturally.html

Jaana wrote:

TheresaMary, Is the lip shaper exercise this one?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnvS8qBNWrg

(Yay, I can link now!)

Quote:

It would probably be interesting to hear what Carolyn or the others think of your ideas for sure! You should email them.

Thanks for the idea! Though I don't think they would get excited since that would mean fixing all information in their material and web pages... I might do that when I'm less busy with my website.

As long as their stories are not in line with latest scientific findings, we'll be seeing a lot more of "facial exercises are a scam" articles around.

free skin care · Thu Sep 27, 2012 11:35 am

TheresaMary wrote:

An experience from about 10 years ago, when the program and forum there was very different. You always mention this, and even when people have asked you if you have tried the program since etc, you always go back to when you did the program which was yonks ago. Your experience is your experience, but it doesn’t seem to match anyone who has been doing the 2nd or 3rd editions? So why keep bringing it up.

Because it happened. And yes, I do not talk about 3rd Edition coz I didn't do it. So what? I can talk about the one I did all I want and you can ignore me if you're tired of hearing it. My review lets people know 2nd Edition was harmful to me and takes off the rose-colored glasses some of you would have everyone wear when they look at face exercises. Just as they can do good, they can also do harm. Unlike you, I refuse to sweep that truth under the carpet. And I bring up my photos to show others what I mean. If they want to do 3rd Edition, by all means they can knock themselves out with it and decide for themselves. Heck, they can ignore my review of FE as I experienced it and do the second edition and decide for themselves too. But I will talk about both my positive and negative experiences with face exercises as much as I want because it is my prerogative to do so. You don't wanna hear it? Then don't read my posts. Simple!

TheresaMary wrote:

I mean some of the points you mention even seem to be things the trainers (Jason, Olympia, Cathy, Loli, Shawn etc) all said yonks ago. So you even share the same ideas, but its almost like wherever there is a chance to knock them you do so. For example, I’ve done loads of programs over the last 10 years, and some gave me great results, and some not so great. It doesn’t mean they weren’t good programs, they just weren’t targeting my face like I wanted.

... Just as there are only so many ways to exercise a face which is why Maggio's exercises can be found in Romana De Vries book, Cosmetrics (copyright 1979), Deb's can be found in Senta Maria Runge's book Facelifting by Exercise (copyright 1971), and so on, there are also just as finite ways to explain things. So my echoing what your gurus have said is neither here nor there. You'll find that teachers teaching evolution will echo Darwin...and even those who may not care for it, may still use words he used to explain things they found to make sense. Atheists may quote phrases from the Bible when they communicate a message well for them. So your stating that I repeat what those trainers have said, doesn't negate the fact that I don't think highly of FE because it screwed my face up and I have every right to be annoyed. Nor does it mean that there aren't things in that program that work--coz after all, exercises like the upper eyelid exercise is in just about every program I know and is one exercise I still do and think the world of. And if statements of fact were stated that made sense to me, then I will happily relay that same info.

As for deciding what to think of a program that doesn't work, you are free to make your own judgement about that when it applies to YOU. If you wanna say it just didn't target your face how you wanted, then by all means feel free to do so. Likewise, if I wanna be blunt and say it damaged my face and go even further to share my belief as to why it did (like I shared ad nauseum about that awful eye exercise), then I shall and I will because I can. And if, TO ME, my experience and exercises I know are not OK mean a program isn't good, then to me it isn't good, and I shall say so. Further, if it turns out I'm not the only one with these complaints, then I feel very confident in telling those who'd pick my brain for direction that I would not recommend said program. I will not go to a discussion between FE fans that is solely about FE to rain on their parade, but if someone asks my honest opinion about it in a general discussion, I shall share my opinion without holding back. And THAT will not change.

TheresaMary wrote:

Nonie aka AD wrote:

Lotusesther not bashing a program at all. Just clarifying what I mean by unbalance. CM5597 misunderstood what I mean when I say CFF creates beautiful balance--something I do not say of FE (and a fact I state having had EXPERIENCE in it so can speak from first hand)--and unless you know another program I have done that gave me "unbalance" that I can use to show the difference of which I speak, then I shall exercise my right of freedom of speech and clarify myself with examples I am most familiar with.

Actually I’ve searched on FlexEffect on the web, and you have most certainly put comments on other forums and you have always bashed FlexEffect. I’ve seen it on the long hair forums etc where you post under similar names. I’ve never seen you give any praise to programs other than Tom Haggerty’s and CFF. Never any mention of Facercise (even though CFF has similar exercises), or any of the others.

That is true. When recommending programs to people, I would NEVER tell anyone to do Flex Effect. NEVER! And in all those discussions you refer to, people ask me what programs I would recommend. So I tell them the same things I've said here: I had 15 years of success with Eva's program. I then made the mistake of doing FE and messed my face up in 4 months. Usually when you stop an exercise, your face should return to normal. Mine didn't. Instead, while the bulkiness/puffiness I had did diminish, I ended up with wrinkles (probably from loose skin following the unnatural bulking up that I got with FE). I post evidence of this as I have here. I tell them how I tried to see if Eva's program could undo the damage FE had created. How it seemed unable to, which led me to think that Eva's program can fix natural aging but not damage we bring on ourselves. How over that year I took a hiatus, I corresponded with Carolyn and about 13 months after I stopped FE, I decided to start CFF and 8 months later, I was back to having a face I was happy with. So yes, I would never tell anyone to do a program I believe ruined my face. I'd have to be very cruel and hateful to wish what happened to me on anyone. So yes, when a discussion I'm in asks questions about what programs to do, I give the full 411 about those that I have done. Good and bad, I spill it all. But I do not go to a discussion about FE to spoil the party. And THAT is what I said.

As for my posts on FE, you will find most of my posts on FE were helpful and were not praising other programs. You will find there was a discussion about Tom's scalp exercise in which people were wondering how to do it and I tried to help them. I actually learned about Tom Hagerty from the FE forum coz others discussed him before I got there. Wink

And then when the topic came up, I shared tips on how to do the scalp exercise. You will also see a post where I talked about Eva's program. My face was getting worse with FE. And I believed Deb's theory that building muscle on the face can replace lost fat. But from what I was seeing happen to me, and from the fact that for 15 years of Eva my young face looked good, I shared what I keep sharing to this day: that I didn't think a young face needed resistance. Heck, I can give links to all my posts on FE forum as I have every single one including the ones that were deleted. If I did, everyone would see I'm not the demon you're trying to make me out to be. And I'm sure if most people had been through what I went through and what I've had to put up with coz I'm not afraid to tell it as it is, they'd not play half as nice as I.

TheresaMary wrote:

Nonie aka AD wrote:

If I was really on a mission to bash FE, I'd be poking my nose in FE threads to do so and would posting reviews on every website I could possibly find to let them know what I think of it. Instead, I usually go into discussions about face exercises in general and if you look through all my posts, you will find that *I* am probably the only person devoted to ONE or TWO programs who has have given praise to all programs at one time or another and even posted before/after photos from FE to show how well face exercises in general work. I have never seen anyone not doing CFF do thatf or CFF...nor have I seen anyone who had a bad experience with something take a moment to give it praise where it is due.

Now because you totally missed the point I was making to Lotusesther when I made the statement you just quoted, here are links to some posts/threads where I have done just what I claimed and given credit where it was due (when talking about face exercises in general) including FE in my song of praise--something I doubt you'd ever do for CFF or Carolyn for that matter.**

http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=43789

http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=44406

http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=43520

http://healthyskin.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/4570023352/m/5381098595?r=6491038016#6491038016

(**From your posts above, I see you're still on a mission to prove Carolyn copied other people and I suspect you still expect her to write a bibliography of where she got her ideas from. Rolling Eyes

A demand I don't see you making of Deborah Crowley even though she too has stated she took isometrics she used to do and converted them to resistance exercises that are now FE. A demand I also don't see you making of Carole Maggio who also works the face in ways other veterans did. But no...Carolyn is the copycat coz she, just like Deb, Carole, Eva etc, happens to have exercises that others who came before all of them had. In fact, Carolyn has been open enough to name veterans that inspired her. Eva has too. Not every trainer has, but why should they? Do people go around asking fitness trainers where they got the idea of bicep curls from? Or how they devised the workout program they came up with? I mean, what does it matter that Insanity or P90X or one of the Turbo Jam intense workouts have similar exercises? Who the heck cares? To suggest that Jaana go to someone else whom you believe is the source of a workout would be like me telling someone who wanted to do Tracey Anderson's arm workout that she should instead go to Jane Fonda's Workout and do hers because Tracey is doing a version of Jane's so that's the workout to do. The hell Question

TheresaMary, your animosity toward Carolyn is so obvious. I don't think there's any positive discussion about Carolyn or CFF that you haven't come into to try to water down and "throw shade" on. Methinks you just can't stand it that Carolyn rocks!)

Fri Sep 28, 2012 12:12 am

TheresaMary,
thanks for the link to the Lip Plumber exercise.

TheresaMary wrote:

Actually thats one of the older ones (and the one CFF has I think she probably developed from Carole's original exercise)

Lol, you know what? I'd never guessed that, I think the exercise in the video is quite different from Carolyn's. I mean, they both talk about pencils going away, but that's it.

I don't see what the big point about this copying thing is anyway. I agree with Nonie that it is a good thing that exercises evolve and get better when people fix and modify them. That is just fine to me.

I'm in this impression that LouLou, for example, was doing FE and adapter her exercises directly from there - and people here seem to love that program.

free skin care · Sat Jul 13, 2013 12:27 am

I've been doing CFF neck brush technique and a freebie neck exercise and oooow... Sore neck muscles - must be a good thing.

I'm really liking CFF facial ex - thanks Nonnie. I need new facial exercises like a hole in my head but I really like what you have to say and your results and Caroline's results. Love how you keep it positive.

free skin care · Fri Jul 19, 2013 1:38 am

sister sweets wrote:

A question for Nonie - off the track a little but still about Carolyn's products. What do you think of her haircare? It reads very nice and I'm impressed with her somewhat holistic approach.

Hi sister sweets:

My hair is in pretty good condition as I don't cause trauma with too much manipulation with styling tools. I don't use heat (last time I used any heat on it was April 2009); I never use brushes; I haven't used a comb in it since April 2009

The way I'm able to keep from bothering my hair too much is by wearing it in twists

which I maintain by redoing one at a time as I feel like and because I am working on just a small section, I am able to be gentle and carefully finger-comb (ie use fingers to separate the strands and remove shed hair thus preventing tangles). I dust the ends every 8 weeks to keep split ends at bay. I am one of the few black people with the kinkiest hair there is who doesn't use any leave-in products because I love how my hair feels bare. So shampoos and conditioners that can keep my hair feeling good are usually fine by me. And I can say the CFF products do just that that.

The shampoo is clear which is a huge hit with me. I loathe creamy shampoos. Creamy shampoos feel to me as if I'm applying lotion on my scalp when I use them so I always feel like I need to take a bath. *gag* The only creamy shampoo I own is Nexxus Therappe which I use on just my hair (not scalp) after I used Nexxus Emergencee just because directions say to do so and I have found my hair appreciates the results of the two working as a team. Otherwise every shampoo I own is clear and is mainly for scalp cleaning. My favorite being Giovanni 50:50 because of how squeaky clean it leaves my scalp w/o stripping my hair. The CFF shampoo is gentle, has a soft scent that reminds me of baby shampoo, and leaves hair and scalp feeling clean but not stripped.

The conditioner is light--may be too watery for people who like thick, heavy treatments--and it has a lovely soft, clean scent, ie it is not sickeningly floral or fruity. My hair felt fine after I used it. I love that the conditioner didn't leave my hair feeling coated but rather my hair was nicely conditioned and felt soft and had a lovely light sheen (My hair is kinky:

....so reflecting light isn't something it does in its natural, shrunken state. The only time I can expect it to have some shine is when it is straightened:

I rarely seek out new products because the few I use work just fine, but I do like both the CFF shampoo and conditioner enough to make them part of my staples.

free skin care · Mon Jul 22, 2013 7:25 am

She looks great!!!

free skin care · Sat Sep 21, 2013 4:58 am

Well I stand corrected! Ive been doing CFF for about 2 weeks now and see a dramatic improvement in my budding neck cords. Saved me $5000 for a neck lift already!

I couldnt even lift my head off the floor at first for a count of 10 but now I can do the full count of 40. I too experienced neck pain when doing other neck exercises but not with CFF. And I was afraid exercises would only make the cords pop out more - I WAS WRONG! Strengthening the entire neck builds the muscles and firms the skin to cover the cords! Who wants a scrawny old-lady neck? You know the ones I mean: they look like turtles with skinny wrinkly necks and big heads.

Not to denigrate any other programs, but I feel like CFF explains in great detail the Qs that I have before I even ask them. Her website is jam-packed with useful infos about the exercises and skin/muscles. The DVD/CD combo is great for seeing Carolyn do the exercises and having a buddy in the morning to exercise with, but you can go to her website and see the exercises explained in written form too. How generous is that: you dont even need to spend any $$ if you dont want to. But really I feel she deserves the money for the work she does for us.

Big thumbs up Carolyn! I only hope I can look at great as you do!

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