Facial Massage
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Facial Massage
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Erika Veurink is a freelance writer covering fashion, beauty, and wellness. She has written for Brooklyn Review, Business Insider, Cheap Pop, and more.
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Geeta Yadav, MD is a board-certified dermatologist based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto, where later completed her residency.
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There’s an immediate satisfaction when you compliment someone on their skin and they list off a lineup of under-the-radar products. But there’s something deeply gratifying and curiosity-inducing when that same person mentions a technique, especially when it’s free. When I watched a makeup artist spend ten minutes massaging the face of a model at my first fashion shoot, I felt that exact feeling. That moment of intentional attention and care shifted my idea of “good skin” forever. What if smooth, plump skin wasn’t a shortcut through Sephora, but a practice that took time and energy?
There's no shortage of facial tools on the market, many of which I’ve experimented with and adore. But this week, I wondered what would happen if it was just my face muscles, some oil , and my hands. I had high hopes, but more than that, I genuinely looked forward to giving my skin the undivided attention of a facial massage every single day. Read on for my transformative experience of incorporating facial massage into my daily routine for a week.
Recent popularity in the Western world has many skincare enthusiasts seeking facial massage , an art that has existed for centuries in countries like China, Mexico, and Sweden. Dr. Shari Auth describes facial massage as a centuries-long practice in Asia, going on to explain that "these techniques were popularized by the aristocracy of China and heralded for their anti-aging benefits.” Its modern popularity comes in part from Elaine Huntzinger’s wait-listed facials in Paris and Meghan Markle’s affinity for the buccal method.
By definition, facial massage is a practice from ancient Chinese medicine meant to stimulate circulation in the skin by manipulating and rubbing skin on the face to drain the lymphatic system. David Peters , a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine, explains that "the points and techniques used represent the combined knowledge passed down to each generation. While people did not know anything about the lymphatic system, the collagen matrix, or our other modern understandings of the face—they intuitively developed techniques as part of a ritual or meditative practice.” Practitioners claim that with consistent practice, muscle memory can form, and sagging skin in areas such as nasolabial folds and around the jaw can tighten over time.
Dr. Shari Auth DACM, LAC, LMT is a certified acupuncturist and herbalist, as well as the co-founder of WTHN . The holistic healing company offers herbal remedies, beauty tools, and personalized services rooted in traditional Chinese medicine and backed by science.
David Peters is a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine in residence at the Bulgari Spa in London.
Cecily Braden is a spa educator and the founder of Cecily Braden Spa & Wellness, which offers holistic skin and body care centered around traditional Southeast Asian practices.
Anastasia Goron is a Berlin and Paris-based facial exercise expert and founder of All You Can Face, a massage-based facial program.
Many traditional facials include facial massage, but companies like Anastasia Gornon’s All You Can Face and entrepreneur and journalist Inge Theron's Face Gym preach that a more symmetrical and sculpted face is possible with consistent, guided practice—no Botox required.
There’s a host of reasons why taking time to massage your face is worth it for your mental health, not only your skin. Studies have suggested that facial massage has strong effects on stress alleviation, or psychological relaxation. For other potential benefits, like collagen production , I needed some help from an expert understanding.
“Collagen helps to reduce wrinkles and elastin helps to firm and tone the face," explains Auth. "This increased circulation also increases the body’s natural detoxification process for a clearer complexion.” All great news, and as far as my skin post-massage, I did find that my makeup went on smoother, especially under my eyes.
Cecily Braden , a spa educator, explained one of her favorite benefits was “dependency and use of less product. You’re able to rely on your body for the vitality of your skin.” She also explained that frequency of massage would be regulated according to my skin’s adaptation to the practice, but to start with two treatments per week, three days apart. After my week-long experiment, I planned to schedule my massages in my calendar.
“While trendy beauty tools can evoke a luxurious or fun experience when using them, we all have the best and most effective facial tools already at home—namely, our hands,” states Gornon. It’s nearly impossible for me to scroll Instagram without seeing one of these riffs on the traditional gua sha (meaning “to scrape away illness”) or a targeted ad for a contraption that looks more torturous than tightening.
“Using our hands while doing facial exercises or massages will not only give you the best results when it comes to lymphatic drainage or enhancing circulation, but it develops a dialogue between you and the skin," Gornon explains further. "Touching and feeling your skin regularly will foster the ability to understand yourself better.” It’s hard to argue with the power of human touch, especially when it costs $0.
It felt good to make time in my routine to relax, set realistic expectations, and massage out tension from the day. The results—overall luminance and a sharper jawline—felt like an added bonus.
Starting with a clean, well-oiled canvas is key for facial massage. Pulling back your hair with a cloth headband is not mandatory, but does increase the spa-like feel instantly. Not enough oil leads to tugging, which might have reverse effects. Psychologically, managing expectations is also key. By nature, a face massage is a short-term fix. If you don’t have '90s supermodel cheekbones to begin with, no amount of pulling is going to unearth them, so instead think of the practice as a time to connect with your skin and release tension. Keeping water close by is smart, too.
The only other “tool” needed is a face oil of choice, to keep fingers and knuckles easily gliding across the skin. Eden ’s creative brand strategist Torri Myers recommends “2-3 drops of Mara's Universal Face Oil across the brow bone or where I feel jaw tension.” I opted for oil I had on hand, eventually supplementing with Face Gym's Detox Signature Face Oil. It seems the only requirement is something to lubricate the tools you’re forming with your own two hands. Bonus points if that's already in your medicine cabinet.
Torri Myers is the creative brand strategist at Eden , an apothecary brand focused on self-care rituals for skin, body, baby, and home.
Elaine Huntzinger is an acupuncturist specializing in deluxe facial rejuvenation. With roots in Chinese medicine, she has been offering her signature treatments and knowledge in Paris since 2008.
Judit Galambosi and Eliana Restrepo are the co-founders of JE’DERM Skin Atelier, located in Manhattan.
Before embarking on my weeklong facial massage intensive, I’d saved a few Instagram Reels and referenced them the morning after one too many tequilas, but I’d never imagined the amount of educators dedicated to the craft. Overwhelmed, I sought structure in Face Gym’ s 30-minute online classes. I logged on to the Zoom link, oil to my left and water to my right, then kept my camera off as I rolled, lifted, and exhaled with a cast of glowing, enthusiastic trainers. Like an exercise class, we stretched, warmed up, got into cardio (cheek squats, baby), and cooled down. One instructor reminded me to “always finish higher than you started” when massaging, which I immediately interpreted as a metaphysical ethos. Another explained that the lymphatic system was “slow-moving” and had to be woken up.
On nights when I really couldn’t face the screen, I practiced moves from class, setting a timer on my phone and lighting a candle in my bathroom. Learning more about where I carry tension and how to soften those areas felt empowering and like the ultimate self-care. Stimulating my skin, bringing oxygen to the surface, and all of that was great, but it was the time spent off-screen, all to myself, that really felt divine.
One tenet of facial massage I was pleased to discover was a focus on intrapersonal consciousness. “Facial massage not only helps you to become aware of where you hold your stress, but gives you an opportunity to release it," Huntzinger explains. "It’s empowering to take responsibility for your health.” Instructors and educators encouraged me to check in with my own body, to find the tension I carry and focus on those areas.
While I dream of a salon experience in the 3rd arrondissement, that’s not really the purpose of this experiment. “The same way you have a daily cleansing and moisturizing routine, you should have a facial massage routine,” explains Auth. I stuck with the recommended ten minutes a day or Face Gym’s 2-4 times a week and saved on a lot of commute time.
If you have recently had any sort of injection, facialists recommend avoiding that area during massage. Being injectable-free, I adhered to every video and training manual I received with eagerness. Immediately after my massages, redness occurred, but it all went down after 20 minutes and a Mason jar of water. Other than that, I experienced no side effects.
Like working out , Rome, and breaking bad habits, nothing is built in a day—the practice of facial massage has a cumulative effect. Also similar to working out, facial massage releases endorphins, according to JE'DERM Skin Atelier's Judit Galambosi and Eliana Restrepo, who both encourage adding time post-massage to remain in your relaxed state. This was difficult for me, someone with two to three to-do lists at any given time, but a few minutes of 7-11 breathing never hurt anyone.
Goron recommends ten minutes of facial massage daily, but understands that may not always be possible. “It’s more important to stay consistent and do a couple of minutes daily rather than doing it once in a while for a longer period of time," she notes. I’ve been opting for ten minutes after my skincare routine at night. I light a candle, wrap up a podcast episode, and work to undo some of the day’s tension before bed.
Erika Veurink/Design by Cristina Cianci
Just before massaging, I had moisturized my skin. Maybe the Sunday dinner I ate the night before wasn’t working totally in my favor, but you can see a general puffiness, especially around the cheek area. And while measuring results is all about perspective and knowing your own bone structure, I could definitely notice a visible difference from my new practice. My eyes appeared more vibrant and less puffy, and I looked better rested overall, with my jawline a little sharper than normal.
While the actual effectiveness of facial massage is still partly unclear and hinges almost entirely on my willingness to make it a habit, I count this past week a total success. What matters is that the dedicated time I spent massaging, “never dragging” as my Face Gym instructor commanded, meant something to me. It felt good to make time in my routine to relax, set realistic expectations, and massage out tension from the day. The results—overall luminance and a sharper jawline—felt like an added bonus.
Caberlotto E, Ruiz L, Miller Z, Poletti M, Tadlock L. Effects of a skin-massaging device on the ex-vivo expression of human dermis proteins and in-vivo facial wrinkles . PLoS One . 2017;12(3):e0172624. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0172624
Cleveland Clinic. Massage Therapy .
Nishimura H, Okuda I, Kunizawa N, Inoue T, Nakajima Y, Amano S. Analysis of morphological changes after facial massage by a novel approach using three-dimensional computed tomography . Skin Res Technol . 2017;23(3):369-375. doi:10.1111/srt.12345
Sakai S, Takatori R, Nomura M, Uehara K. Useful parameters for the motion analysis of facial skin care in Japanese women . J Physiol Anthropol . 2020;39(1):22. doi:10.1186/s40101-020-00234-w
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Start with clean skin . Complete your face-washing routine before conducting your massage. Cleanse your face using a gentle cleanser or oil, rinse it with lukewarm water, then pat your face dry with a towel.
Make sure you take your makeup off before giving yourself a facial massage. [1]
X
Expert Source
Marty Morales Certified Massage Therapist
Expert Interview. 20 December 2019.
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Apply a light layer of face oil. Using a bit of oil helps your fingers move smoothly across your face, rather than dragging on your skin. It also leaves your face bright and glowing when you're through with the massage. You may use a blend of oils formulated especially for the face, or choose a single oil that works best with your skin type. Almond, argan, and jojoba oil all work well as face massage oils that won't clog your pores.
For very dry skin, choose argan or almond oil.
For medium to oily skin, choose jojoba or a blend of jojoba and castor oil.
If you're concerned about using oil on your skin, use your favorite moisturizer.
If you want the oil to feel warm, keep the bottle of oil in warm water before you start your facial massage. [2]
X
Expert Source
Marty Morales Certified Massage Therapist
Expert Interview. 20 December 2019.
Begin by massaging your lymph area. Many believe that toxins drain from the face to the lymph nodes, located under your ears on the sides of your neck. Massaging this area helps to release the toxins and prevent them from building up in your face. Using the tips of your fingers, massage your lymph area in a circular motion for one minute.
Use wide circles, sweeping from under your ears, down toward your throat, and up along your jawline.
You want a firm touch, but don't massage too hard. A facial massage is different from a deep tissue massage, since the skin on your face is more sensitive.
Massage the sides of your face. Using the same wide circular strokes, massage along the sides of your jaw, past the corners of your mouth, next to your nostrils, and over your cheekbones. Push your skin up, then out; never down, since this can cause sagging to occur. Continue for one minute.
Massage your forehead. Use a broad circular motion to massage both sides of your forehead at the same time. Start near your temples and move gradually in toward the middle of your forehead, then back out to the sides. Continue for one minute.
Massage your eye area. Position your fingers at the arch of your brows. Sweep them around the outside corners of your eyes, gently move them under your eyes, and end with your fingers at the inside corners of your eyes. Continue along up the sides of your nose and along your brow lines. Repeat the motion for one minute. [3]
X
Research source
Massaging your eye area helps combat puffy eyes, leaving the area brighter and more youthful-looking.
Use extra oil if necessary to prevent your fingers from dragging the delicate skin around your eyes.
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Finish by going back over each area once more. Gently massage each part of your face again to
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