How To Do Facial Massage At Home

Facial massage can help to increase circulation, aid cell renewal and give you a fresher complexion.

You’ll want to make sure your skin is really clean and make-up free, before you start. Work a small amount of cleanser into wet skin, using circular movements. Remove with a damp muslin cloth. Most of us tend to rush cleansing, seeing it as just another job to get done before starting or ending the day. But try to take time to really appreciate the routine and enjoy the feel of spending some time just focusing on your needs. Choose a light, gentle cleanser. Mine uses ingredients such as neroli oil and peach kernel oil to help moisturise as it cleanses, without stripping away too much of the natural sebum, or leaving skin feeling tight and uncomfortable.

Pat your face dry before starting to massage in the cream or oil of your choice. My day cream is great for facial massage, as it’s packed with oat beta glucan to help skin repair and rejuvenate. If you prefer a facial oil, try my baby oil. It’s made from oat oil, rice bran oil and grape seed oil, with a relaxing blend of essential oils to help calm the senses.

Whether you choose an oil or cream, be careful not to use too much, as you don’t want to overload your pores. You just need enough to let your fingertips glide across your skin. You can always add more as you go if you feel you need to.

Try to avoid pulling or dragging your skin too much during your massage. For most movements, you’ll want to use a really light touch.

1: Start by gently tapping your fingers around your face, like raindrops.

2: Sweep your ring fingers underneath your eyes, from the inner corner to the outer, being careful not to pull the skin.

3: Massage your forehead using a spiralling movement, from the middle towards your temples.

4: Place your fingertips either side of an imaginary line down the middle of your forehead, with your pinky fingers on your eyebrow ridge. Gently pull your fingers away from each other towards your temples. Repeat a few times.

5: Massage from your chin up to your temples, again using a spiral motion, making the spirals bigger for your cheeks.

6: Use a smaller, circular motion to massage your temples. You can apply a bit more pressure for this one.

7: Place one finger on either side of the top of your nose, near the inner corner of each eye. Firmly draw your fingers down and out from the sides of your nose.

8: Taking some extra cream or oil, tilt your head up to look at the ceiling and stroke your fingers gently from your chin to your collarbone, working the moisturiser deep into the skin.

If you like you can now try some exercises to help strengthen your facial muscles. Here are three to get you started:

• Pull the lower half of your mouth into a grimace, so each corner is turned down towards your jaw widening your mouth as much as possible. Release and repeat a few times. You should feel your jaw muscles start to ache. This is a great exercise for tightening the muscles along your jaw line.
• Raise your eyebrows as high as you can, then close your eyes, hold for a few seconds, release and repeat.
• Make an exaggerated O shape with your mouth, covering your teeth with your lips. Smile widely, still covering your teeth.

It’s lovely to give yourself a mini massage a few times a week, but do try to take the time to really enjoy a proper facial massage once a week, without any distractions. It’s not just good for your skin; it’s good for your whole sense of wellbeing.

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