Every skin pro knows the secret of the facial massage – and we want to share it with you. There are over 40 muscles in our face, and just like the rest of your body, you can exercise your facial muscles to lift, tighten, and tone them.
I do this daily as part of my skin care routine! While most people don’t practice facial massages on themselves, most of us have gotten a facial before. According to Lena, our lead esthetician at Touch to Heal Spa, facial massage can release tension in your face, tone the muscles, and increase oxygenation, which “wakes up” the skin. This allows it to more effectively absorb the products that you use for your skin treatment. Not only will a facial massage leave you with glowing skin, it also stimulates the lymphatic draining system, which is the skin’s natural cleansing process!
Facials also have long-term benefits! Lena says “facial massage speeds up blood circulation, allowing for the skin to more quickly heal and repair itself from the damage and traumas we put it through on a daily basis.” And those light, gentle strokes? They also work magic for someone who is suffering from congestion due to allergies (which let’s be honest, is probably all of us right now)!
If you want a facial but can’t make the trip down to Touch to Heal Spa, Lena has some tips for how you can do your own facial massage.
- To replicate a spa-like experience, try steaming your face before the massage. This will soften your pores and allow you to absorb product better. And remember to spend a little extra time massaging in cleanser or moisturizer after.
- Always use lifting movements, especially along the neck and jaw area.
- Soft effleurage movement inwards and outwards will smooth any wrinkles and fine lines.
- Working across the face, slowly roll the palm of the hands flat starting at the forehead. Work down to the cheeks and roll up the neck.
If you’re looking to increase the skin’s firmness as well, Lena recommends using deep stimulating motions. Pressure point massages are ideal for anyone suffering tension headaches or sinus problems.
- Using your ring finger, apply firm pressure from the start of the brow working outwards, holding each pressure for 5-10 seconds.
- Then, working outwards under the eyes, apply a medium pressure to the temples and a pressure to the back of the ears by the ear lobe.
- Repeat this 3 to 4 times.
By following these simple techniques, you can give yourself a facial massage and experience all the incredible benefits!
