Lift, Contour, and Rejuvenate: The Power of Face Massage in Your Skincare Routine

Face massage is one of my favorite ways to naturally lift, sculpt, and rejuvenate the skin, and it’s way simpler to add into your routine than you might think! Facial massage can help you achieve beauty goals you may think are only possible with skincare products, injectables, or invasive treatments.

In this post, I’m sharing how to easily incorporate facial massage into your life, the real benefits behind each technique, and my personal tips (and secrets!) for making the process effective and enjoyable.

Using Face Massage to Achieve “Glass Skin”

This smooth, glowy, glass-like skin is from consistent gua sha facial massage! Not from layering tons of product

“Glass Skin” is a term used in the skin and beauty community to reference skin that is so smooth, dewy, and firm that it looks like glass. There are often internet trends that show people layering on essences, serums, moisturizers, and balms to achieve this look. I’m not totally against layering on some great products, especially hydrating and plumping ones, but I do know there is a way to achieve really glowing, luminous, plump, smooth skin without piling on the product.

Consistent face massage using your hands, facial cups, and/or a gua sha stone brings oxygen flow and nutrient flow to your skin’s surface as well as boosts your circulation. Meaning you’re literally giving your skin tissues and cells more life. Also, when gua sha and certain other massages are performed correctly, you are firming your skin and giving it a smoother texture over time by creating microcirculation and cell renewal. You’ll find that after you get into a consistent facial massage routine (at home or with a professional or both) that your skin glows from within and doesn’t need a whole lot of product to make it look glassy and smooth.

Right is before a month of once weekly lymphatic drainage face massage and on the left is after! Jawline is sharp, cheekbones are popping, and brow area is lifted! Thanks to major inflammation reduction.

scrub me secret: In most of my gua sha facial massage videos, you’ll see me massaging with the stone in one hand and following behind with my free hand, creating a gentle tug and pull in the skin, that movement is what renews our skin and firms the tissues. You can see that in this tutorial video, where I lift the skin using my hands and a gua sha stone.

Face Massage for Contoured Jawline, Cheekbones, and Overall Face

I’m always so amazed at the effects lymphatic drainage massage can have on the facial structure. Oftentimes, it’s the retention of lymphatic fluid and inflammation that makes your face appear more round, oval, or have less contour. Instead of taking the route of getting filler, implants, or cosmetic treatments, I suggest first trying lymphatic drainage massage. Reducing inflammation and draining stagnant fluid changes your facial shape and highlights your natural bone structure.

Furthermore, tissue release massage can help you have a more lifted appearance. When we release tight muscles in the decolletage, neck, jaw, or other places in the face, we can more easily lift tissues with deep tissue massage movements. Also, when we have very tight muscles, they can pull our mouth area, lower face, or eye area in a downward direction. So if we release tight muscles, we can have less sagging!

scrub me secret: I have a secret! If you have a double chin, there is a likely chance that it’s not fat causing it, it’s inflammation and fluid retention. You can read this blog post to find out more about this topic

Face Massage for Wrinkle Reduction

Using facial massage to diminish fine lines, reduce wrinkles, and prevent wrinkles is all about micro-circulation and delicate tissue release. The combination of nutrient, blood, and oxygen flow to your skin cells, plus the release of tissues that are holding tight onto those wrinkles, equals smoother skin!

You can use the comb edge of your gua sha stone or a textured roller to create this microcirculation and tissue release. In my experience and from talking with some of my clients, deep wrinkles take 3-5 weeks before you’ll see real, visible results (but TRUST me, it’s worth it). Fine lines start to reduce within a couple of weeks. And I have found that consistent massage also strengthens my skin and inhibits it from wrinkling when I squint or show expression.

A facial massage professional can help you achieve your goals a bit more quickly!

Check out Haleigh’s forehead and eye area after one month of gua sha facial massage!

Why choose facial massage to reduce your wrinkles over Botox or other neurotoxin injectables? Facial massage improves the health of our skin tissues and contributes to overall body health. Injectables do the opposite. Neurotoxin injectables work to reduce wrinkles and smooth your skin by inhibiting nerve impulses to the muscles. Once it starts to wear off, fine lines and wrinkles appear again. There are also testimonials and research that show these injectables cause health problems for some people.

scrub me secret: There are skincare items that can speed up your wrinkle reduction, along with facial massage. peptides, hyaluronic acid, and antioxidants are ingredients that nourish, hydrate, and firm the skin, in turn reducing wrinkles and preventing more wrinkles. Red LED is another skin therapy I love because it stimulates our collagen and elastin, helping to firm and smooth.

Tips to Easily Incorporate Facial Massage Into Your Skincare Routine

☺️ Don’t overcomplicate it

You don’t have to massage your face daily, spend a ton of money, or invest large chunks of time into facial massage if that feels overwhelming or not doable for you. Honestly, none of that is needed to get the results you want. Consistency and the quality of your facial massage are what give us the real, visible changes.

If spending time multiple days a week feels daunting and is keeping you from starting face massage at home, commit to 1-2 days a week. Or if sitting down for a 10-20+ minute face massage routine doesn’t feel doable for your schedule, set aside 2-5 minutes once a day to perform movements that target the areas you want to work on. It doesn’t have to be hard! It just has to be intentional.

scrub me secret: the secret to results is doing each massage movement accurately, knowing your intention behind it, and using your tools and hands correctly. I have tutorial videos on how to correctly hold your stone, use your hands, and perform the movements correctly. Watch these videos to become a pro at treating your skin.

💃🏼 Make it fun

Pair it with something you already enjoy, like listening to an audiobook, podcast, your favorite music, or watching your favorite TV show. I prefer watching TV or listening to a podcast while I give myself a gua sha massage. Or you can make it a group activity! Follow a face massage video with a friend, significant other, or family member; maybe make it a once or twice weekly activity. All of my facial massage tutorials are on YouTube, so you can even stream them on your TV if you want.

scrub me secret: I like to bring a small hand mirror with me to my living room and prop it up so I can be comfortable on the couch and watch myself in the mirror as I face massage. This helps me keep track of my movements, see visible change, and know which areas of my face/neck need more attention.

🗓 Plan your face massage ahead of time

Choose specific days of the week you’ll be able to fit facial massage into your skincare routine, and write it down in your calendar or planner, or set a reminder on your phone. Choose the days that work for you at the beginning of the week or a few days ahead of time, and commit to those dates. I will even write down how much time I plan on spending on my face massage. Planning this time for massage and committing to it will bring consistency to your routine, and you’ll start seeing results before you know it! Consistency is key 🔑

scrub me secret: Committing to and sticking to a schedule, or committing to getting certain things done in a day, helps us build a higher sense of self and gives us confidence, because we have promised ourselves something and stuck to it. It’s amazing what small acts can do for our overall mental and physical health.

My Favorite Gua Sha Stone

The Wildling Beauty Empress gua sha stone has been a favorite of mine for years! It’s made of high-quality Bian stone and has all the perfect curves and edges for our facial massage. It’s the perfect gua sha for facial massage in my opinion.

Who knew massage could do so much for us? The reason I am so drawn to it for myself and in my skincare practice is because it’s so beneficial for our health, and we can enhance our beauty with it as well. What a perfect pairing!