How To Do Facial Massage Step-By-Step & What Are Its Benefits?

Isn't facial massages a part of your skincare routine yet? Then you might be missing out on some of the amazing skin benefits.

Besides relaxing your facial muscles, facial massages can significantly boost your skin’s health and make it appear beautiful. Wondering how?

In this article, we help you understand some of the benefits of facial massage and the right techniques to do it. Let's begin!

Our Ayurvedic Doctor Speaks

“Facial massages help in relaxing your facial muscles and rejuvenating your facial skin. Your skin feels healthier, younger, and radiant over a period of practicing facial massage.’’

-Dr. Zeel Gandhi (Bachelor of Ayurveda, Medicine & Surgery), Chief Ayurvedic Doctor, Vedix

What Is A Facial Massage? Is It Good To Massage Your Face?

Facial massages are techniques to stimulate the pressure points across your face. You can either do it by yourself or with the help of a practitioner. Usually, facial massages are done using different facial oils, lotions, or exfoliating solutions.

According to Dr. Zeel Gandhi, Chief Ayurvedic Doctor at Vedix, “Facial massages help in relaxing your facial muscles and rejuvenating your facial skin. Your skin feels healthier, younger, and radiant over a period of practicing facial massage.”

Benefits Of Facial Massage

1. Anti-aging And Reduces Wrinkles

Facial massage can promote collagen production which repairs wrinkles and fine lines by enhancing the elasticity of your skin. Stress can be one of the most common factors that can cause wrinkled skin and facial massage is a great way to relieve your facial muscles from the stress built up.

In a clinical trial, scientists found that 30 minutes of alternate-day facial exercises for over 20 weeks in middle-aged women resulted in a significant reduction of aging signs.

2. Tones Your Face

Your facial muscles lose firmness when they are not stimulated. Losing the tightness in your skin due to aging makes your skin look saggy. Facial massages can uplift and tone your facial skin around cheekbones besides adding firmness and definition to your jawline.

In a study conducted by South Korean scientists, it is found that facial muscle exercises are effective in rejuvenating and toning your facial muscles.

3. Reduces Acne

You can treat a few types of acne by doing regular facial massage using anti-acne essential oils such as tea tree oil, thyme oil, rosemary oil, cinnamon oil, lavender oil, etc. which fight the acne-causing bacteria in your skin.

“Facial massages with cleansing oils can also help to keep the skin pores clean and tight which prevents the formation of acne,” says Dr. Zeel.

Researchers concluded that facial massages can be used as a supportive treatment for conventional acne treatments to control the symptoms effectively.

4. Increases Blood Circulation

Facial massage increases the blood flow into the facial skin, thus, making it glow instantly. Also, the blood supply brings adequate nutrients and oxygen to the skin cells, boosting the production of collagen and elastin in your facial skin.

A study conducted by Japanese Researchers revealed that massaging the face for five minutes led to a significant increase in blood flow for at least 10 minutes after the facial massage.

5. Activates Lymphatic

The lymphatic system helps with waste and toxins removal from your body tissues. When your lymph nodes are blocked by toxin accumulation, your facial skin may appear puffy.

A gentle facial massage can promote the mobility of lymph fluids from the lymph nodes present on the neck or under the ears. This, in turn, drains the toxins from your facial tissue and minimizes swelling.

Researchers from the Pennsylvania State University found that light massage therapies involving moving the skin in particular directions aid in the drainage of fluid and waste through the appropriate channels.

6. Repairs Scar Tissue

Besides increasing the elasticity of your skin, collagen is also required for repairing the damaged skin tissue and replacing the scarred skin cells. Facial massages can boost collagen production in your skin naturally.

Research has shown that massage therapies are effective in treating hypertrophic scars after burns.

7. Relieves Sinus Pressure

Massaging at particular pressure points on your face around your nose, eyes, and forehead can help in relieving the mucus build-up and tension from the sinuses.

Research claimed that applying massage therapy can reduce the severity of pain in sinus headaches.

8. Improves Product Absorption

Facial massages can increase the absorption abilities of your skin. They promote better and deeper penetration of the skincare products that you use before putting on make-up. So you can be rest assured of a flawless make-up finish.

9. Promotes Brighter Complexion

Facial massages boost the blood circulation in your skin, which in turn, enhances the complexion on your skin. Also, by rejuvenating your dull and pigmented skin tissues, facial massages can help in attaining a spotless and even skin tone. It also makes your skin supple and prevents it from sagging in the long run.

South Korean researchers found that skin rehabilitation massage therapy is effective in treating pigmented skin caused by burns.

10. Heals Facial Pain

Factors such as stress and anxiety can lead to muscle tensions and soreness in your face. Gentle kneading of facial muscles can help in relaxing the stiff muscles and heal inflammation and soreness.

Researchers from Thailand concluded that facial massage is an effective non-invasive method to treat temporomandibular disorders and their associated pain in the face.

How Many Types Of Facial Massages Are There?

Though there are many types of facial massages, however, the following six types are the most commonly used techniques:

1. Ayurvedic Facial Massage

It is a form of a self-massage technique that involves activating specific marmas (pressure points) on your face.

2. Swedish Facial Massage

This type of facial massage involves long and soft folding strokes on your facial muscles in the direction of blood flow towards the heart.

3. Shiatsu Facial Massage

It is a Japanese technique [2] in which the therapist massages certain points on the face with different levels of sustained pressure using fingertips.

4. Remedial Facial Massage

It helps to relieve the sore muscles on your face which are knotted or damaged. Certain exfoliants are used in remedial massage which helps in clearing off the dead skin cells from your face.

5. Acupressure Facial Massage

It involves massaging certain pressure points on your face for a few seconds to increase blood flow and relax stressed facial muscles [3].

6. Gua Sha Facial Massage

In this technique, a jade roller or a quartz stone is massaged in an upward direction to relieve the stiff facial muscles and drain the toxins from the facial skin.

How To Do Facial Massage At Home: A Step-By-Step Guide

• Before beginning with facial massage, make sure your hands and massage equipment are clean.
• Wash your face thoroughly using a mild face cleanser. This is to make sure that there are no product residues or dirt present on your face.
• Apply the oil or serum on your face gently and over your face and neck.

Vedix Tip: Choose a facial oil, lotion, or serum that is suitable for your skin type. If you are a beginner, do the patch test first on your wrist or the back of your elbow before applying it to your face.

Now, massage each of the regions of your face as described below by repeating each step 15-20 times:

Step 1

Using only your fingertips, just tap your face muscles gently for activating your facial muscles & healthy circulation of blood.

Step 2

Using your index and middle fingers, start massaging your temples gently in a circular motion.

Step 3

Next, massage inside your brow bone by pressing and gliding your index finger gently from the inner corner to the outer corner.

Step 4

Then, press your eyebrows gently from the outer corner to the inner corner using your fingers.

Step 5

Glide your fingers from the center of your eyebrows towards your hairline and from there towards your temples using gentle pressure.

Step 6

Apply gentle pressure with your index finger in the region between your eyebrows for a few seconds. You can give light circular movements in clockwise and anti-clockwise directions.

Step 7

Now glide your thumb in the region beneath your eyes from the inner corner to the outer corner using gentle pressure.

Step 8

Press the pressure point under your eyes using your index finger or thumb. You can also give light circular movements.

Step 9

Apply gentle pressure on the forehead region and massage in circular strokes for a few seconds.

Step 10

Also, massage the sides of your forehead just above your temples in circular movements using your index fingers.

Step 11

Now, massage the muscles under your cheekbones in circular strokes starting from the sides of your nose and moving towards the temples. Repeat the strokes in the reverse direction.

Step 12

If you can take more pressure, massage your face by pressing and gliding your knuckles starting from your jawline towards your ears.

Step 13

Massage the sides of your face by stroking your fingers from your chin towards your forehead. Repeat the stroke in the reverse direction.

Step 14

Massage the region under your earlobes in circular movements for a few seconds. Remember to be gentle.

Step 15

From below your earlobes, stroke your fingers gently towards your neck and then to your collarbone.

Step 16

Now, massage the tragus and its surrounding region near your ears in gentle circular strokes.

Step 17

Press the center of your chin gently towards your ears using your fingers. Do not press hard.

Step 18

Now, massage your jawline by giving gentle pressure starting from the outside of your jaw and moving towards your chin.

Step 19

Use gentle strokes from your chin towards your cheekbones for a few seconds or a minute at least.

Step 20

If you have a double chin, stroke the region below your chin gently towards your jawline. This helps to remove the fluid retention below the chin region.

Step 21

Now, using all your fingers, stroke the neck region in the upward direction. Be gentle while doing so.

Step 22

Massage the region around your lips (laugh lines) by stroking your fingers from the center of your upper lip towards the center of your lower lip.

Step 23

Press your fingers into the region between your nose and lips using gentle pressure.

Step 24

Now, stroke your fingers from the corners of your lips towards the cheeks in a soft & gentle manner.

Step 25

Massage your nose using your fingers starting from the center of your eyes and moving towards the grooves above your nostrils.

Step 26

Gently massage the grooves above your nostrils for a few seconds in circular strokes.

Step 27

Complete the facial massage by tapping your fingertips gently across your face and neck regions.

Important Note:

Make sure that your nails are trimmed so that it does not hurt your skin while massaging your face.

What Are The Side Effects Of Facial Massage?

If you are not aware of the right technique to massage your face, then you may end up pulling and stretching your facial skin in the wrong direction. This eventually can lead to the loss of elasticity in your facial skin. Also, vigorous and excessive facial massage can cause irritation and inflammation in your skin, especially in people with sensitive skin.

“Facial massages are not recommended for people who have done botox or filler treatments for the skin,” says Dr. Zeel.

Important Note:

Avoid facial massages if you have recent scars, undiagnosed bumps or lumps, bruising or broken bones in the face

What Is The Difference Between Facial Exercise And Facial Massage?

Both facial exercise and facial massage help in improving the overall health of your facial skin. Facial exercise mainly focuses on alleviating the pain and pressure in your facial muscles. It helps to strengthen [4], tighten, and tone the muscles in your face and improves the kinesthetic sense, balance, and coordination between the face and neck muscles.

On the other hand, facial massages work to improve the overall texture, tone, and appearance of your facial skin. It helps to enhance blood circulation and relieve stress from the skin tissue. It promotes increasing cell turnover and healing in your facial skin and muscles. Also, facial massages aid your skin in releasing the accumulated toxins from the pores.

Frequently Asked Questions On Facial Massage

1. What Is The Right Time To Massage Your Face?

It is best to include facial massage as a part of your morning skincare. Dr. Zeel recommends including facial massage as the first step of your morning skincare routine. Also, it is not recommended to leave your skin with facial oils overnight as it can cause clogged pores.

2. How Often Should You Do A Face Massage?

Dr. Zeel recommends performing facial massage twice or thrice a week. However, you can give a mild and gentle massage to your face for 5-10 minutes every day to boost blood circulation, thus improving nourishment and natural glow in your face.

3. Which Oil Is Best For Face Massage?

You need to choose the oil for facial massage depending on your skin type. Almond oil is recommended for people with dry skin. For people with sensitive skin, moringa oil can be the best choice for facial massage. Coconut oil works best for people with normal skin.

People with acne-prone skin can add 2-3 drops of tea tree oil [5] to a spoon of carrier oil such as jojoba, argan, or almond oil and use it for facial massage.

The Last Word

Practicing facial massage regularly i.e, at least twice or thrice a week can bring in significant improvement in your facial skin health. However, remember that consistency is the key to long-lasting results.

At Vedix, we customize an Ayurvedic skincare regimen for your unique skin needs by evaluating your doshas.

Know Your Dosha Now