Who doesn’t love a good body massage? It relieves muscle tension, makes skin look all glowy and fabulous, and feels pretty great too. Same goes for the face. A decent facial massage is one of the easiest and quickest ways to get skin looking gorgeous. And the true beauty? Doing it yourself right in your own bathroom.
Neck and shoulders
We know that a good neck and shoulder rub down relieves feelings of tension and tightness in those muscles that store our stress. Did you know that facial muscles work hard too? Yep, there are over 40 muscles in the face, working almost constantly throughout the day as we speak, smile, frown, and laugh. Even when we sit quietly we are often clenching our jaw or squinting our eyes. These facial expressions create tension and the result can appear as redness, loss of radiance, and sagging.
Face massages make tense muscles feel more relaxed and visibly improve skin tone, giving the complexion a revitalized and youthful look. Massage is also effective in reducing the appearance of puffiness, swelling, and congestion, and works to make dry skin feel smoother and hydrated.
A gentle touch and proper technique are important for a facial massage. The beauty of facial massage is that it can be done at pretty much any point in your skincare routine.
Your skincare routine
1. First, choose your product. Massaging during cleansing with a cleansing balm or oil will help to clear pores of dirt and makeup. Massaging after applying facial oil or moisturizer will help to evenly distribute product and promote absorption, resulting in a feel of sublime moisturization and super smooth skin.
2. Next, select your tool. Sure, facial massages can be done with your hands, but you may also like to try face rollers or Gua Sha tool.
3. Now, rub your product of choice between fingertips to warm slightly and pat onto face and neck. Beginning at the forehead, move fingertips from temples to hairline with gentle but firm pressure, repeating the motion three to five times. Move to your cheekbones and swipe outward toward temples using the same motion. Now sweep fingertips from corners of mouth outward. Finally, starting at the base of the neck, move fingertips in an upward and outward motion.
Easy as that! Wondering what’s up with the tools mentioned above?
Face rollers are made of stone or metal and are often used in facial massage to evenly distribute the product. Other face roller benefits are depuffing, smoothing, and toning skin’s appearance. If you choose a stone face massage roller, you also get in on the specific benefits of the stone. For example, rose quartz is said to instill a loving and nourishing sensation. Jade offers a calming and balancing sensation, and tiger’s eye provides an uplifting sensation. Store your roller in the fridge to visibly depuff and soothe the eye area.
Gua Sha
Gua Sha is another popular facial massage tool. This form of massage is an ancient Chinese skin therapy that you perform for a deeper massage that alleviates feelings of congestion and toxin build up. When learning how to use Gua Sha tools, make sure you use light pressure to avoid bruising or causing redness.
Facial massages are an excellent way to relieve tension and beautify skin. Give it a try, you will be hooked.