GirlsGuideTo | Have You Ever Tried... A Face Massage?!

I recently read an article revealing the beauty secrets of models on the go. While they mentioned the tried-and-true classics like staying hydrated, one tip that was mentioned by 3 out of the 5 models interviewed really had me intrigued. That tip was face massages. I know face massages can be really relaxing, but I’ve never really heard of people using them outside of a spa day, but these models do a mini face massage as part of their daily beauty routine.

It seems they picked this tip up from Japanese makeup artists, which makes sense. How many new beauty products were all-the-rage in Asia before hitting the US? A recent example would be beauty balms which are everywhere in the US now, so it’s safe to say these ladies know what they’re talking about.

With a little research, I discovered quite a few awesome benefits of face massages. Enthusiasts believe face massages can:

Stimulate circulation. This is the most important reason. When you rev your circulation, your skin begins a toxin release – exactly what you want.

Tighten your skin. This is mainly because of stimulated circulation. You’re also “training” your face to go a certain way; which is usually opposite the way gravity wants to take it.

Reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Again, circulation will help open up those areas where wrinkles have started to accumulate, and bring blood into vicinity, giving your saggy areas more life.

Reduce puffiness. While I haven’t been good about daily (or even weekly) facial massages, I absolutely rely on a soft, quick tapping technique to rev up blood flow and reduce the appearance of morning bloating in a pinch.

Relieve stress, sinus congestion, and migraine headaches.From personal experience, I can assure you that a little face massage did come in handy this past winter when allergies gave me some serious sinus congestion.

Now, how do you DIY at home? Here’s a simple guide:

The 3 Basic Techniques:

1. Use the tips of the index, middle, and ring fingers together to exert a deep, local pressure in a tiny circular movement. You should be able to feel the skin rubbing against the small muscles of the face. Lift the fingers and reposition them to travel across the skin.

2. Use the flat pads of the index, middle, and ring fingers together or simply the thumb to travel across the skin–either in a slow, spiraling action, or by simply sliding upward, downward, or outward. For the most part, keep the rest of your hand resting lightly on your face.

3. Pinching: Use your finger and thumb lightly but with enough strength to stimulate the circulation and cause as light change of skin color. Beware of bruising–pinch lightly on the eyebrows and upper face, more heavily along the jaw.

A Sample Basic Massage:

Warm-up starting on either side of your nose, pinch along each eyebrow and as far as possible along the temples toward the tops of the ears. Then pinch from the chin, working slowly along the jaw line and up to the base of the ears.

Place your fingertips on your jawbone and with light pressure, make a large, sweeping circle from the jaw line up either side of your nose to the center of the forehead, out along the hairline, and down the temples to meet at the jawbone.
Using Technique 1, start at the chin and travel along the jaw line and then up from the angles of the jaw to the temples.
Using Technique 2, begin on each side of the nose, close to the base of the nostrils, moving first under the cheekbones and then up toward the tops of the ears.
Placing the tips of the middle fingers at the inner corners of the eyes, slide your fingers upward, pushing against the orbital bone, and then outward, just above the eyebrows, towards the ears.
Use Technique 2 to massage the forehead, starting just above the top of the nose, moving up toward the hairline, and then outward until you reach the temples.
Using Technique 2, position the pads of all three fingers at the base of the central frown line, just above the top of the nose, and slide them toward the temples.
Massage your scalp firmly, as if you were shampooing your hair. Begin at the temples and work downward, behind the ears and towards the base of the skull.
Resting your palms on your ears so that the thumbs point downward, massage from your throat to the nape of the neck in a broad, spiraling version of Technique 2.
Place one hand, palm down, on each side of your nose. Your fingertips should rest slightly above your eyebrows. With firm, even pressure, slide your hands outward toward the ears.
Finish by repeating the sweeping movement described in step 1.

Here’s a visual guide from The Face Shop: