Ever wonder why you are never able to recreate the magic of an expensive facial at home even after using the exact same products? The secret is in the facial massage. In those blissful relaxing moments when the therapist uses the products on our face, she is also promoting the growth of healthy skin cells, stimulating skin tissues, improving blood circulation and relaxing the facial muscles. Here is your go-to guide on how to get a spa-like facial massage at home.
7-Step Guide To Do Face Massage At Home
1. Cleansing
Facial skin is delicate and prone to bacterial infections that lead to acne. Hence, the first and foremost step before massaging your face at home is cleansing. Use a mild cleanser to clean any impurities or oil from the skin. If you have makeup on, make sure to remove all the makeup residue with the help of a makeup remover. Check out this guide to making your makeup remover at home, here. Along with the face, it is also important to ensure that your hands are clean and disinfected.
2. Start With The Lymph Nodes
Lymph nodes are located just below your ears. Massaging in this area causes a significant reduction in puffiness and swelling on the face. Use all your fingers to apply gentle pressure on your lymph nodes as you make big circles along the side of your neck. Keep massaging the area in slow and upwards strokes for 3-5 minutes.
3. Massage The Forehead And Chin
Forehead massage involves the use of your knuckles. Massaging the forehead begins with positioning the knuckles between the eyebrows and gradually moving them upwards towards the hairline. The next step is to move sideways towards the temples of the head. These movements also help with the relaxation of the mind.
The next step in a facial massage at home requires the chin to be massaged effectively and correctly. Start by holding your chin in between your knuckles and thumbs. Now keeping the knuckles in place, move your thumbs upwards, towards your ears.
4. Eyes
Massaging the eye area effectively can help in battling a number of problems like dark circles, puffy eyes and crows feet to name a few. Very gentle pressure should be applied while massaging the eye area. You could also use a product specific to the eye region while doing the massage. For optimizing face massage benefits, apply the product on your ring fingers and slowly roll them from the insides of the eye towards the outside.
5. Cheeks And Mouth
For massaging the cheeks, place your knuckles on your cheeks and gently bring them towards the ears. This is an effective way of doing face massage for wrinkles. Pulling the skin in an outward direction improves the elasticity of the skin and delays the ageing of the skin. For the mouth, place your index fingers above the upper lip and middle fingers below the lower lip. Now apply the same principle as the cheek massage and pull your fingers towards the ears.
6. Don’t Forget The Neck
Massaging the neck is an essential part of facial massage. In addition to the neck, you could also spend a few minutes massaging the shoulders and chest. For massaging the neck, place both your knuckles below your chin and move them in the downward direction until you reach your collarbone. You could also use your palms to massage the opposite shoulders and chest.
7. End Your Massage With Outlining The Face With Your Knuckles
Face massage for skin tightening relies heavily on this step. Use your knuckles to outline your face while gently pulling the skin in an upwards direction. Start by placing both your knuckles on your chin and run your knuckles on either side of your face until they meet near the hairline. Repeat this process a few times to end the facial massage.
Which Oil Should Be Used For Massage?
Experts recommend choosing your product beforehand depending on your skin type. You may choose amongst a variety of facial oils, serums, moisturisers or creams aimed at solving specific skin problems. Amongst these, oils are the most commonly used facial massaging product as they also pack in aromatherapy/ayurvedic benefits. People with oily skin are advised to choose lighter oils like grapeseed or jojoba. Dry skin requires extra moisturisation, which is why almond oil is often chosen for this purpose. Pomegranate, tea tree and rosehip oils work best on acne-prone skin, while people with normal skin can choose between moringa or argan oil. Learn more about facial oils from an expert here.
A patch test is recommended before trying an oil for the first time to ensure that there are no skin reactions. Experts recommend using little oil in the beginning and adding in small amounts as and when required during the facial massage. The advantage of doing facial massage at home is that one can also make use of common kitchen ingredients like honey, besan, aloe vera and yoghurt that are great for the skin in addition to the oil. If the oil is very potent, one can mix 2-3 drops of oil with a gentle moisturiser for facial massage.
Frequency Of Face Massage
There is no formula for how often you should massage your face. One cycle of the exfoliation and cell growth of facial skin takes around 3-4 weeks. Hence, an elaborate facial massage routine is recommended once a month.
However, you can always incorporate simple face lifting and rejuvenation massage techniques into your everyday skin regime. Just spend 2-5 minutes gently massaging your face each day while you apply your everyday skincare products. This practice will help you feel relaxed and also assist with the effective absorption of your products.
Benefits Of Regular Face Massage
1. Relaxation & Stress Relief
The massaging benefits that one can expect from a face massage are similar to the ones from a body massage. The gradual and gentle pressure applied while massaging various parts of the face brings a sense of calm and peace, resulting in complete relaxation and stress relief. Essential oils can also be used for facial massage to further enhance relaxation.
2. Blood Circulation
As we age, the blood circulation in our body is compromised, and the face is no different. Just like how exercising improves the circulation of blood in the body, facial blood flow is enhanced by facial massage. When the circulation of blood is optimal, the face automatically begins to look radiant and healthy. Face massage for glowing skin is entirely dependent on blood circulation.
3. Anti Ageing
Facial massage is very helpful in slowing down the ageing process of the skin. Massage leads to an increase in the collagen formed. It also leads to increased blood circulation and reduction in skin wear and tear. Regular facial massage can help to make the fine lines less prominent and enhance the elasticity of facial skin.
4. Removal Of Toxins
The lymph nodes are organs that contain immune cells which protect the body. Stress and toxins cause the lymph nodes to swell up. Massaging these while doing a face massage is great for flushing out the toxins from the body, resulting not only in better-looking skin but also in a healthier body.
Possible Risks & Side Effects Of Doing Facial Massage At Home
1. Too Much Pressure
Unlike body massages where varying amounts of pressure can be applied as per an individuals’ liking, the pressure in a facial massage is always light. Facial skin is extremely thin and delicate and must be handled with care. The pressure applied should be just enough to engage the muscles under the skin. Applying too much pressure can irritate the skin, lead to bruising and even muscle pain.
2. Direction Of Strokes
As for strokes, face massage benefits can be reaped only with the help of upward strokes. With age, facial skin begins to lose its elasticity. Hence, anti-ageing face massages should be done in upwards strokes so that the sagging of the skin can be prevented. Massaging in the downward direction will do the skin more harm than good and can also accelerate ageing.
3.Wrong Choice Of Product
Massaging the skin extensively with a product that is not suitable for that skin type can have adverse effects on the face. If a heavy oil is used to massage oily skin, it will lead to acne. Similarly, sensitive skin will suffer from rashes, irritation and breakouts from products that are too harsh. When doing face massage for acne, special care should be taken to make sure that the product is well suited to the skin type.
Points To Remember
- Many people tend to miss the neck when indulging in a facial massage. Neck massage should be considered an integral part of a face massage
- There are many kinds of rollers and other facial massaging tools available in the market today. Although these are proven to be effective on the skin, they do not offer the same kind of gentleness and control as the fingers. If you feel confident using these products, ensure that you use them correctly and clean them before usage. Learn everything you need to know about facial massage rollers here
- Be very selective with the kind of products you massage your face with. It is best to try a few different products and compare their effects on the skin before settling for one
- Excessive massaging of the facial skin should be avoided as it could irritate the skin and lead to breakouts
Your face is the first thing people notice about you, so you must take care of it. Although ageing of the facial skin is unavoidable, there are ways to delay the ageing process and facial massage is one of them. All it takes is a few minutes of your time at regular intervals and you can have skin that is healthy, glowing and youthful. The easy steps and tips mentioned above are sure to save you money and a trip to that expensive skin spa. Make a whole spa day with these easy tips. You can also click here to learn an 8 step facial treatment at home. Face massage benefits are not limited to aesthetics, facial massage also helps with relaxation, stress relief and flushing out of toxins from the body. So try this and let us know your experience in the comments!
