You know that healthy glow? The one you have just after a facial treatment? Your esthetician’s most effective tool in her line up is her hands and you can achieve that very same radiance at home, without costing you a thing. All you need? Your favorite facial oil and your very own two hands to practice a simple facial massage. Healthy, radiant skin is about so much more than just the products you use. Your beautiful serum or cream are only a part of the puzzle, but how you use your products and treat your skin is another. Tie your hair back, grab your nutrient-rich facial oil and explore your skin while enjoying the many benefits of a facial massage at home.
Facial Massage Benefits
Aside from that gorgeous healthy glow, there are quite a few reasons why you may want to start including this simple, effective and feel-good practice into your weekly (and better yet, daily) routine. We love to think of facial massage as not just another step in a routine, but as a solid building block of a healthy, skin supporting regimen. Let us count the reasons we encourage a this practice:
Increased circulation: Facial massage encourages circulation which means increased blood flow that brings more oxygen to the skin’s surface, supporting skin-healing. The pinkening of your skin during facial skin is thanks to that increased blood flow.
Lymphatic drainage (aka toxin removal): With the right techniques, you can aid your lymphatic system with its natural process of toxin removal where stagnant fluid (made up of white blood cells, lipids, excess water, proteins, and salt) that’s built up below the skin’s surface.
Reduction of fine lines: We like to think of a facial massage as a workout for your face, albeit a much more relaxing one. Using the right techniques and working with the facial muscles, we can train them to “lift” in the right direction, creating an overall more toned appearance. With a steady practice, facial massage also “wakes up” fibroblasts, which are responsible for creating juicy collagen in our bodies, and alerts them to up their collagen production.
Release of tension: Although we may not realize it, we tend to hold stress and tension in our face, neck and shoulders. This repeated pattern can lead to painful knots, fine lines and wrinkles, and grinding of the teeth. Facial massage invites you to connect with where you hold tension and gently help to release it.
Better product absorption: Help your beautiful, natural facial oil go the extra mile. Facial massages are one of the most efficient ways to help your products better absorb into skin. We suggest misting skin with a water-based toner and massage your serum or hydrating face cream into skin.
Learning your skin: Don’t be fearful of touching your skin - just approach it with care. Using clean hands, explore your skin with touch and learn it’s texture. Ask yourself these questions; how does it feel? Is it oily? Are there any dry patches? Does your skin feel tight? Actually getting to know your skin on this level will help you identify when skin is off balance or experiencing inflammatory responses.
How To Do A Facial Massage At Home
Start with clean skin and freshly washed hands. Apply your favorite facial mist (also known as toners) and apply facial oil liberally to the palm of your hand (5-6 drops). Rub hands together to create warmth. Starting from the neck, apply your facial oil in gentle, upward moving sweeps, from your neck to chin and mouth, to cheeks and nose, and lastly to your forehead. Now your skin is prepped.
A great place to start is with a few movements that encourage lymphatic drainage; using your finger pads, very lightly brush skin in outward movements toward the lymph nodes. Beginning from the jawline up to the ears, then cheeks out to ears, and lastly mid-forehead down to ears. Next, lightly tap the area above your inner collar bone to awaken the area for drainage. End this lymphatic sequence at your neck; use your fingers to lightly brush from the nape of your neck downward, ending at your collarbone, “flushing” lymphatic fluid out. Repeat several times.
Next, focus on oxygenating movements. Holding your hands horizontally, place your fingers at the base of your mouth and move upward toward your cheek and under eye, alternate hands and move in quick succession. Repeat at least six times on both sides.
Use your middle knuckles to simultaneously massage your cheeks in upward, outward circles. This movement feels wonderful and also increases blood flow, so we encourage you to perform this movement for as long as it feels good.
Focus on tension reduction. Make a narrow peace sign on each hand with your index finger and middle finger and hold your chin with your thumbs below to support. Glide fingers upward along the jawline until you reach your earlobe. Next, use your thumb and index finger to lightly pinch your brow starting at the center and work your way outward. Repeat both sequences six to eight times.
As a last step, use index and middle fingers to create light circles in outward motion around your cheeks, and lastly at your temples.
Facial massages don’t have to be overly complicated or involve complex techniques to be effective. Just be sure to prep skin, use outward and upward movements, move with your facial muscles, and use featherweight, downward strokes when focusing on lymphatic drainage. Drop your facial massage questions below!