Facial massage for me is at the very centre of my day to day routine. I believe in a slimmed back skincare routine, but one thing I don’t compromise on is facial massage and lymphatic drainage. Personally I find too many skincare ingredients can confuse my skin causing either irritation or breakouts and that’s why I have always found that some of the best results is from boosting the blood and lymph flow with massage and a few drops of a gorgeous face oil. And best of all you can do this for yourself at home, as part of your daily routine.
What are the benefit of facial massage?
By invigorating your skin with massage, we boost circulation and therefore blood flow which in turn brings oxygen and nutrients to the skin giving you a healthy glow.
It also stimulates the lymphatic system, which is responsible for immunity, inflammation and detoxification. This will help you reduce swelling and puffiness, and aids facial contouring. Moving lymph also can assist with cystic spots which could be due to a sluggish lymph not reaching the lymph nodes.
Facial massage and human touch helps to reduce our stress hormone cortisol which has a calming effect on our nervous system. When stress is impacting us daily, this can have negative consequences on our skin health such as skin barrier dysfunction and inflammation such as eczema or psoriasis. We also hold a lot of that tension in our face, neck and shoulders (and the whole body) which can cause our face shape to change over time. Massage can relieve tension physically from the muscles but also tension we may have in our mind.
Facial Massage Tips
Always wash your face before you start your facial massage, to avoid rubbing your daily grime into your pores. This could lead to your skin breaking out.
If you don’t have time to do daily, try and do a little massage with your cleanser.
If you have sensitive or rosacea skin, do light gentle movements to avoid overstimulation.
Start and finish your routine focusing on the lymph nodes. If we wake these up before the massage, and then focus on draining back into them once we have finished.
Use a nutritious plant based facial oil that suits your skin type. If you are acne prone look for ‘non comedegenic’ facial oils. If you are sensitive, try an oil that isn’t too scented as the essential oils may irritate your skin.
Use Tools! I love a Gua Sha and facial cups to add an extra element onto your routine. If you don’t have them, try the back of a spoon!