If you’ve been looking in the mirror, pulling at your skin, and wishing you had that same sculpted look you used to, know that you’re not alone. It’s true that skin sagging is a normal part of the aging process. It’s also true that there are things we can do to slow this process.
A minimalist skincare routine is a good place to start. In my time working with hundreds of clients, I have seen the benefits of a daily skincare ritual. It helps keep your skin glowing and refreshed, and it can slow the effects of gravity pulling on your skin and causing it to sag.
Beyond discovering the right daily skincare ritual for your unique needs, targeted facial massage is a great way to lift, tone, and sculpt the muscles of your face.
Facial massage can improve blood circulation both short-term and long-term, especially when performed on a regular basis. Better blood circulation can increase that healthy, youthful glow you’re looking for, so today I’m sharing a roundup of facial massages you can try at home.
4 Face Lifting Massage Techniques
There are many different facial massage techniques out there. Some must be performed by professionals, such as buccal inner mouth face massage, but I’ve listed below some effective options anyone can try. See what interests you, and do what feels best to you.
As always, gently cleanse and prepare your face for a facial massage before beginning. This includes ensuring your hands are clean as well. It’s important to perform any facial massage technique on clean skin to ensure the dirt, oil, and debris from the day won’t irritate your skin.
Gua Sha
Gua Sha is an ancient Eastern Modality. It requires a stone tool to simulate blood flow, support lymphatic drainage, and sculpt the contours of the face. My personal favorite stone is this white jade gua sha because it truly hugs the face for an effective experience.
There are many benefits of Gua Sha on the face, including removing metabolic waste, improved blood circulation, and cell rejuvenation. It is a technique that can be used on your entire face and body. Here’s a simple face lifting how to for you:
- Step One: Before you begin.
Prepare your skin by cleansing and toning. Clean your hands and the Gua Sha tool as well.
- Step Two: Apply a facial oil.
A facial oil will help keep your skin smooth and reduce friction. This helps prevent damage to the delicate skin on your face.
- Step Three: Begin the Gua Sha facial.
Holding the tool at a 30- to 45-degree angle to the face, begin in the center of the chin, bottom of jaw and apply medium light pressure as you move the tool upwards and out. When you reach the end of your jawline, place the tool slightly above your starting point and repeat the motion on both sides of the face.
- Step Four: Continue moving outwards and upwards.
- Step Five: Sinus area.
As you arrive to your sinus area, you can apply extra focus here to drain any fluid and puffiness, which will help to create a more sculpted and lifted appearance around the cheekbones and center of face.
As you continue moving through the face, you may feel stimulation and drainage take place. This is totally normal. Continue moving up your face to the top of your forehead.
- Step Six: Repeat on the other side.
- Step Seven: Lymphatic Drainage.
Finish with your neck to support lymphatic drainage by using your gua sha tool to lightly glide downwards to drain the lymphatic pathways located on the sides of your neck.
Microcurrent Facial
Microcurrent facials have numerous potential benefits for the skin. As with other types of massage, benefits include improved blood circulation and lymphatic drainage, but can also include activation and retraining of facial muscles.
Microcurrent therapy targets fine lines and wrinkles from facial expressions, such as frown lines. It may also recover facial wrinkles and support the healing of scars. I have a tutorial on how to use the NuFace Microcurrent facial massaging tool, and I’ll include the steps below.
- Step One: Before you begin.
Cleanse and prepare your face and the tool. Turn the tool on.
- Step Two: Begin at the base of your face, under your chin.
With the tool positioned against your skin, slowly move the tool upwards and outwards toward your ear. When you reach the side of your neck, place the tool slightly above your original starting point and repeat.
- Step Three: Continue with your forehead.
Once you have reached the top of your under-eye, place the tool at your brow bone and move the tool slowly upwards.
- Step Four: Focus on your sinuses.
When you reach the middle of your forehead, place the tool at the corner of your nose and trace the path of your sinuses, once again using an upward and outward motion. You can also try holding the tool against the lower part of your sinus (slightly below and to the side of your nose) to support drainage and the activation of facial muscles.
- Step Five: Repeat on the other side.
Remember to always use light pressure and outward motions.
Facial Tapping
Facial tapping is a practice that can help not only support your skin’s health but also your emotional health. Known as the Emotional Freedom Technique, tapping can relieve mental and emotional symptoms of stress and burnout. As well as the symptoms of stress present in your skin. Tapping involves light pressure to an area that can increase blood flow and microcirculatory effects.
- Step One: Before you begin.
Cleanse and prepare your face. Wash your hands.
- Step Two: Begin at your neck.
Using the tips of your fingers spread slightly apart, begin lightly tapping all over your neck, starting at the base and moving upwards. This can stimulate circulation and fresh oxygen rushing to the skin.
- Step Three: Continue tapping upwards.
As you continue, move to tap over your chin and jawline, then cheekbones and under your eye.
- Step Four: Pay attention to your lips.
Tap around your mouth to rejuvenate the area and release stuck facial expressions.
- Step Five: Tap your forehead.
Help relax your forehead muscles by tapping as you have on the rest of the face.
- Step Six: Repeat in reverse.
Repeat the previous steps in reverse, beginning at your forehead, moving to the lips, then under the eye area, then the chin and jawline, and then your neck.
Facial Roller
Facial rolling is another technique that can reduce puffiness and lymphatic build-up to support a more sculpted look. Research shows it can also improve your mood by soothing anxiety and activating your sympathetic nervous system.
Face rollers (like this Green Jade Riged Roller from Primally Pure) can also help your vascular dilation, or the opening of your blood vessels, beyond the act of the massage. This study found an increased vascular dilation response when prompted by heat in participants who used face rollers daily for five weeks.
Better vascular dilation can help blood flow and decrease blood pressure. Here’s how to use a face roller:
- Step One: Before you begin.
Prepare your skin by cleansing and toning. Wash your hands and the face roller.
- Step Two: Apply a facial oil.
Just like with Gua Sha, facial oil will help keep your skin smooth and prevent damage to the delicate skin on your face. Face rollers can also help spread your skincare products.
- Step Three: Begin face rolling.
As with other face massager tools, you want to begin just below the jaw and roll outwards and upwards, using light pressure and moving in the same pattern as the Gua Sha facial.
- Step Four: Continue moving outwards and upwards.
Continue moving up your face to your forehead until you reach the halfway point.
- Step Five: Focus on your sinuses.
If your roller is double-sided, use the smaller end for this part. Otherwise, you can use the large end. Place the tool at the bottom corner of your nose and repeat the outward motion.
- Step Six: Repeat on the other side.
- Step Seven: Finish with your neck.
To support that lymphatic drainage, wrap up this massage by using the facial massager to press downwards on the sides of your neck.
Face Lifting Massage Tools
As you can see from the many techniques available, there are many tools that can assist you in accomplishing your facial massage. I’ve collected a few of my favorites here to share with you.
De La Heart White Jade Gua Sha
If you’ve read my Gua Sha eye lift tutorial, you know I love this De La Heart white jade Gua Sha stone. It offers multiple different edges that allow you to sculpt your face more snugly. It also has teeth, which are perfect for the plumping friction technique used in my eye lift tutorial.
NuFace Microcurrent Tool
When I used the NuFace tool, I noticed immediate results in the sculpting of my face. Of course, like with any massage technique, your results will vary depending on your skincare routine as your foundation (the condition of your skin when you begin), so be sure to start there. It was easy to use and conveniently portable as well.
Jenny Patinkin Rose on Rose Face Roller
You can usually find face rollers made out of jade or rose quartz. Although both are effective, I prefer a rose quartz roller over a jade roller because jade rollers are made to adapt to and disperse heat. This means the rose quartz rollers stay cooler for longer, aiding in the cooling effect on the skin.
Various style off facial massage and movement rituals are a fantastic way to pump up your skincare routine and lift the face!
Adding a facial massage and movement rituals to your skincare routine can help keep your skin looking youthful, glowy, and firm. I hope that through reading, you are able to find a technique that best suits you and your skincare practice.
For more clean beauty products to enhance your skincare routine, check out my shop. Looking to dive more deeply into your mind-body-skin connection? Enhance your personal glow and learn with me inside The Beauty Collective. It’s my all-inclusive program where I teach you skincare from the inside out. Beautiful skin starts from within!
