GHK-Cu and peptide skincare: hype vs. clinical evidence
Quick answer
The creator demonstrates tongue-pressure and tongue-rolling exercises targeting the submental, perioral, and buccal muscle groups, claiming benefits for neck laxity, jowling, nasal labial folds, and lip wrinkles. The anatomical rationale for submental muscle engagement via tongue-to-palate pressure is supported by basic myology, and one small JAMA Dermatology trial (Alam et al., 2018) found facial exercises produced measurable improvements in perceived age after 20 weeks. The lip-plumping claim lacks mechanistic support, as age-related lip volume loss is driven by collagen depletion and fat redistribution rather than muscle atrophy.
Our take · Written by FormBlends editorial team · Reviewed by FormBlends Medical Team· This is not a transcript. It is our independent review of the video above.
What did @janenemascarella actually say?
After a clever bait-and-switch intro designed to filter out inappropriate commenters, the creator, a 53-year-old beauty editor with over two decades of industry experience, demonstrated two tongue-based face yoga exercises. She claimed they help with jowls, neck sagging, nasal labial folds, marionette lines, lip wrinkles, and cheek lifting. Her key promise: "If you do this a few times a day, you are going to see results. Not overnight, but over time you will see results." She also claimed tongue rolling around the lips can "actually help plump your lips." No products, no procedures, no injections. Just muscle engagement.
Worth noting: she was unusually honest about the timeline. She did not promise a quick fix, she qualified every claim with "over time." That kind of restraint is rarer than it should be in this corner of TikTok.
Does the science back this up?
Partially, yes, though the evidence is thinner than face yoga advocates usually admit. The core biology is sound: facial muscles, like any skeletal muscles, respond to repeated contraction. Whether that translates to visible anti-aging effects is a different question.
The most-cited study in this space is Alam et al. (2018, JAMA Dermatology), a small trial of 27 women aged 40-65 who performed facial exercises for 30 minutes daily over 20 weeks. Blinded assessors rated the participants as looking about three years younger, with improved cheek fullness. That is encouraging, but it is one small trial with no control group, and the exercise protocol required significant daily time commitment. A 2021 review by Hwang et al. (Journal of Clinical Medicine) found some support for facial resistance training improving muscle tone but noted the evidence base is limited and methodologically weak overall. The specific claim about tongue pressure engaging submental muscles, the area under the chin, is anatomically plausible. The mylohyoid and geniohyoid muscles are activated by tongue-to-palate pressure, and strengthening them may reduce the appearance of a "turkey neck" over time.
What did they get wrong (or right)?
The lip-plumping claim is where things get shaky. The idea that rolling your tongue around your lips will "actually help plump your lips" conflates two different mechanisms. Temporary plumping from increased blood flow during the exercise is possible, but lasting volumization from tongue rolling is not supported by evidence. Lip thinning with age is primarily driven by collagen loss, fat pad redistribution, and bone resorption, not muscle weakness. Tongue exercises do not address any of those processes.
What she got right is the neck and jowl rationale. The platysma, digastric, and suprahyoid muscles all contribute to the appearance of the lower face and neck. Exercises that engage this region are not pseudoscience. The nasal labial fold and marionette line claims are harder to evaluate, since those structures involve both muscle and soft tissue descent, but regular muscle engagement in the area is at least mechanically logical.
She also did something refreshingly honest: she acknowledged the exercises look "absolutely ridiculous" and set realistic expectations. That is not nothing.
What should you actually know?
Face yoga is not a proven alternative to medical aesthetics, and anyone suggesting it produces results equivalent to injectables or procedures is overselling it. But that is not what this creator claimed. She positioned it as a standalone DIY practice with gradual results, which is a defensible claim given the limited but real evidence.
The honest summary: facial muscle exercises have biological plausibility and one credible small trial behind them. They are unlikely to match the results of fillers, laser resurfacing, or retinoids. They cost nothing, carry essentially no risk, and may provide modest toning benefits over months of consistent practice. The lip-plumping claim is an overreach. The neck and jawline claims have more anatomical support. If you have 10 minutes a day and want a zero-cost, zero-risk habit, the evidence does not argue against it. It just does not enthusiastically argue for it either.
- Consistency is the variable that matters most. The Alam et al. study required 20 weeks of near-daily practice.
- These exercises are not a substitute for sun protection, retinoids, or other evidence-backed interventions.
- The submental tension you feel pressing your tongue to the roof of your mouth is real muscle engagement, not a placebo sensation.
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GHK-Cu (Copper Peptide) access requires the right clinical path
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This page currently connects to 4 source-backed evidence items through visible references or structured citation data.
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The human peptide GHK-Cu in prevention of oxidative stress and degenerative conditions of aging
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Effects of glycyl-histidyl-lysine-Cu on wound healing
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The creator demonstrates tongue-pressure and tongue-rolling exercises targeting the submental, perioral, and buccal muscle groups, claiming benefits for neck laxity, jowling, nasal labial folds, and lip wrinkles.
FormBlends verdict
The creator demonstrates tongue-pressure and tongue-rolling exercises targeting the submental, perioral, and buccal muscle groups, claiming benefits for neck laxity, jowling, nasal labial folds, and lip wrinkles. The anatomical rationale for submental muscle engagement via tongue-to-palate pressure is supported by basic myology, and one small JAMA Dermatology trial (Alam et al., 2018) found facial exercises produced measurable improvements in perceived age after 20 weeks. The lip-plumping claim lacks mechanistic support, as age-related lip volume loss is driven by collagen depletion and fat redistribution rather than muscle atrophy.
Patient-safe next step
Compare the claim with the GHK-Cu (Copper Peptide) guide, safety notes, access rules, and a licensed-provider review.
What to do with this video
Use the clip as a claim to verify, not a treatment plan
What it helps with
- The creator demonstrates tongue-pressure and tongue-rolling exercises targeting the submental, perioral, and buccal muscle groups, claiming benefits for neck laxity, jowling, nasal labial folds, and lip wrinkles. The anatomical rationale for submental muscle engagement via tongue-to-palate pressure is supported by basic myology, and one small JAMA Dermatology trial (Alam et al., 2018) found facial exercises produced measurable improvements in perceived age after 20 weeks. The lip-plumping claim lacks mechanistic support, as age-related lip volume loss is driven by collagen depletion and fat redistribution rather than muscle atrophy.
- The only peer-reviewed trial on facial exercises (Alam et al., 2018, JAMA Dermatology, n=27) found participants looked roughly 3 years younger after 20 weeks of daily practice, but the study had no control group.
- Tongue-to-palate pressure does activate the mylohyoid and geniohyoid muscles, making the neck-tightening rationale anatomically plausible, not just wishful thinking.
What it may miss
- It may not cover eligibility, contraindications, medication interactions, lab history, or dose escalation.
- GHK-Cu (Copper Peptide) decisions still need source quality, legal access, and provider oversight checks.
- Social video captions rarely show the full evidence base behind a claim.
Best next step
Compare the claim against the GHK-Cu (Copper Peptide) guide, cost path, safety notes, and provider review before acting.
Review GHK-Cu (Copper Peptide)What You'll Learn
- The only peer-reviewed trial on facial exercises (Alam et al., 2018, JAMA Dermatology, n=27) found participants looked roughly 3 years younger after 20 weeks of daily practice, but the study had no control group.
- Tongue-to-palate pressure does activate the mylohyoid and geniohyoid muscles, making the neck-tightening rationale anatomically plausible, not just wishful thinking.
- The lip-plumping claim is the weakest in the video. Age-related lip thinning is driven by collagen loss and bone resorption, which tongue exercises cannot reverse.
- A 2021 review (Hwang et al., Journal of Clinical Medicine) found limited but emerging support for facial resistance training improving muscle tone, while calling for larger, better-controlled trials.
- Face yoga carries essentially no physical risk and no cost, which changes the risk-benefit math compared to interventions with side effects or price tags.
- Consistency is the critical variable. The Alam study required 30 minutes of daily exercise for 20 weeks. Occasional sessions are unlikely to produce measurable change.
- These exercises are not a substitute for evidence-backed skin interventions like broad-spectrum SPF, topical retinoids, or antioxidant serums, all of which have stronger clinical support for anti-aging outcomes.
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About the Creator
✨️Janene✨️ · TikTok creator
43.7K views on this video
Gere are all the details of my 17 steps skin care routine. Nothing to see here. 😅😅😅 #skincaretips #antiaging #faceexercise #faceyoga #over40skincare
Sources & references
Citations extracted from our medical team's review. Click any citation to search PubMed.
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Our written guides go deeper with dosing details, comparison tables, and medical-team reviewed protocols.
Not medical advice. This video was made by ✨️Janene✨️, not by FormBlends. Our write-up above is an editorial review, not a medical recommendation. Talk to your doctor before making any decisions about medications or treatments.