Facial Massage: Everything you need to know

If you’ve been on skincare Instagram, Tik Tok, or YouTube, we’re sure you’ve seen the magical act of facial massaging. Using your hands or various types of tools, you can take your skin from dull and blah to plump, defined and glowing from a massage. Plenty of spas these days even offer quick, add-on massage sessions to give your face that little extra oomph before an event or if you’re just tired of feeling puffy. 

While facial massaging might be gaining more popularity because of social media, the act of getting a facial massage has been around forever. According to Skin Inc, facial massaging was first practiced “by the Chinese 3,000 years ago to help with vitality, and 19th-century massage popularity reached its peak as Pehr Henrik Ling (1776–1837) brought it to the United States.” 

As you can see, facial massaging has been around for a long time - and it’s definitely here to stay. If you’ve ever gotten a facial, you know how relaxing a facial massage can be and the difference it can make in your skin almost immediately.

 What are the benefits of facial massage?

Obviously, we know that facial massage feels good, but let’s talk about the actual benefits of getting a facial massage for your skin. 

Not only does it help relax your facial muscles, it also helps reduce stress, relieve tension in the face, and help you feel refreshed.

1. Anti-Aging / Wrinkles

Massaging the skin while keeping it hydrated and moisturized will help prevent fine lines and wrinkles by relaxing the tightness in the facial massages.

2. Lymphatic Drainage / Toxin Release

Many facial massages focus on draining the lymphatic system, starting with the lymph nodes at the base of your neck and ears. When these lymph nodes become blocked or clogged, that can lead to your skin looking dull and puffy. A lymphatic drainage massage will help drain the toxins that cause your skin to look less than ideal.

3. Blood Flow / Circulation

Massaging the skin increases blood flow and circulation to that area, which will help improve the overall appearance of your skin in the same way a back or shoulder massage helps increase blood flow to tense areas.

4. Sinus Pressure

If you struggle with sinus pressure or headaches, you know how much relief massaging your nasal passages provides. In the same vein, a facial massage can help reduce the sinus pressure and tension in your forehead / nasal passages and even help congestion and discomfort.

5. Improves Product Absorption

Massaging your favorite oils and serums into the skin in an upwards motion will help your products absorb better into the skin. The time spent doing this will help them work more effectively, for best results.

6. Tones Facial Muscles

In the same way a workout can tone your body, regular facial massage is like a workout for your facial muscles. After one of these massages, your jawline may even appear more defined.

7. Natural Facelift

Regular facial massage acts like natural facelift, allowing the skin on your face to appear more lifted, sculpted and toned. Who needs Botox?

What types of tools can be used for facial massage?

We’re sure you’ve seen plenty of different skincare tools in store or on social media. There are a few skincare tools that can actually make a difference in your skin when used correctly to give a facial massage. These types of tools can be purchased at any beauty store or even on Amazon.

Gua Sha: Typically a smooth, flat stone made of jade or rose quartz. According to Web MD, it’s a “traditional Chinese healing method in which a trained professional uses a smooth-edged tool to stroke your skin while they press on it. This motion raises small, red, rash-like dots that show under your skin called petechiae.” 

Many people who practice gua sha facial massage notice the skin looks lifted and more sculpted after.

Facial Roller: Usually made of jade but can also be made of other stones or materials, a jade roller is a great tool to perform a lymphatic drainage massage. By placing pressure on the lymph nodes and rolling the fluid outward, it helps depuff the skin. 

You can also experiment with keeping your jade roller in the fridge or freezer to also help reduce puffiness and have a cooling, refreshing effect on the skin which will help perk you up especially in the morning.

Cupping: You’ve probably seen body cupping on athletes, but did you know there’s also cupping available for the skin on your face as well?

According to Healthline, facial cups are used to “gently pull the skin away from deeper layers of fascia. This increases blood flow to the area and rejuvenates the skin without leaving cup marks behind.”

Remember how we said facial massage is like a workout for your skin? Well, cupping helps with that - increasing blood flow, strengthening your connective tissues, and even stimulating calls that are responsible for collagen production!

Just be aware that cupping can leave behind some marks on the skin - so make sure you experiment with this when you don’t have somewhere important to be in case it leaves cup marks behind. The good news is, the marks don’t last long and actually signify that the massage worked!

Hands: Not really a tool, per se, but a facial massage done with your hands is also extremely effective and costs nothing. There are many different types of techniques for you to try out with your hands, but don’t think you need to buy expensive tools to perform a facial massage if it’s out of your budget.

How to do facial massage at home

This is a great gua sha facial massage tutorial that will help you achieve amazing results: 

Are you a fan of facial massages? Let us know your favorite massage techniques and tools in the comments below or on our Instagram. Who knows - maybe one day we will have a custom Callyssee tool to share with you all!