Thai poultice face massage is something I have been interested in learning for years! Some time ago I came across a video of this facial massage using an herbal ball on a beauty blog. It looked so cool and different and I immediately thought “I need to learn this”. So I set out googling and asking around to look for more information about this “herbal ball” face massage. To my disappointment, I didn’t find a lot of information at all, so I put it in my notes to keep an eye out for this in the future. Fast forward to early 2021 when one of my favorite face massage gurus, Cecily Braden, posted about Thai facial poultice and announced she would be hosting classes. You can imagine my excitement to see this because I had been wanting to learn this exact practice for so long. So I signed up for her January 2022 class in New York and my journey began!

Cecily was a wonderful teacher with a wealth of knowledge on Thai poultice massage because of her time spent in Thailand. We learned that the herbal poultice in Thailand is mainly used as a body treatment, this is probably why when I was searching for info about herbal ball face massage I wasn’t finding much. Cecily used her knowledge of herbal poultice gained in Thailand and combined it with her love of skincare/facial care to create this herbal poultice face massage treatment. These Thai poultice balls that are used for the facial treatment are smaller than ones you’ll find for the body and Cecily says you won't really find them in Thailand. She sourced some great herbal poultice balls for us to work with from a company called YTSARA and I was able to stock up for the scrub me skin care studio.

scrub me secret: Since I’m so well versed in making my own skincare I had the idea that it would be so easy to purchase the herbs needed for the poultice, then blend them and wrap them in muslin cloth myself. I was incorrect! These herbal poultice balls are made using great technique so all the herbs are packed tightly and wrapped just right in the cloth. I can definitely see now that making your own poultice balls takes a lot of learning and practice. That doesn’t mean I won’t keep trying 😉

What is a Thai herbal poultice?

A Thai herbal poultice ball is made by packing botanicals and herbs together tightly into a small/medium-sized ball that is then wrapped in a muslin cloth. Excess cloth creates a little knob or handles at the end of that herbal ball. You can view the picture above get an idea of exactly what this herbal poultice looks like!

Herbs used for these poultice balls are chosen specifically for their medicinal and wellness properties. The knowledge of what blends of herbs to use for Thai Poultice balls has been passed down from many generations in the Thai community. Some herbs you’ll find in the facial poultice ball are ivy gourd leaf, java apple leaf, and hibiscus. Herbal poultice balls have been used for both medicinal and wellness reasons for centuries in Thailand. The use of medicinal herbal compresses dates all the way back to the 14th Century. A wellness practice that dates that far back is something we know is going to give us some amazing benefits.

Herbal poultice balls are most commonly used for cranial and body treatments but now some practitioners have adapted smaller poultice balls for the face, like the ones we are going to be using in the treatment room. Thai poultice balls are meant to be soaked in warm water and then heated with steam before use. The idea behind this is that the body will receive benefits from both the heat that radiates from the poultice ball, as well as the blended herbs.

scrub me secret: as an esthetician, I have most often always used the anti-inflammatory and de-puffing benefits that come from cold facial tools and cold rollers to achieve results for both my clients and myself. Using a lot of heat during a facial massage was new to me and I wasn’t sure of the results that would be seen for rosacea and those prone to redness. It’s amazing the way these really warm herbal poultice balls can create release and drainage that helps to both de-puff the face and minimize redness.

What is Thai poultice face massage?

Thai poultice face massage is when your esthetician or massage therapist uses this warm herbal ball to perform massage movements on your shoulders, neck, and face. The herbal poultice ball is gently rolled along certain areas to promote drainage and release and pressed down firmly in other areas for a deep release. The herbal poultice is very warm but not uncomfortably hot. When the herbal ball starts to lose most of its heat, it is placed back into the steamer to warm up again for more massage. The poultice is also used to clear complexion and enhance overall radiance using small “pumping” or “tapping” movements on your face. From my learnings, it’s most beneficial to pair work with the Thai poultice with other facial massage mediums (like massage with gua sha stones or your hands). I’ve achieved awesome results with my practice models using a combination of a Thai poultice ball, gua sha stone, a gua sha wand, and my hands.

scrub me secret: A herbal poultice ball is a one-time-use item for each client. Since this ball is used for some detox and you’re absorbing the herbal benefits it’s really important that each and every person is worked on with a fresh poultice ball. That being said, you have the option to take your little herbal ball home with you! It smells great, you can place it in your car or in a drawer for the aroma. Or you can bring it home and place it in a little hot water to heat it up, then press it onto your hands or feet for some nice release.

What results are expected from a Thai poultice facial massage?

A Thai herbal poultice ball helps aid in a lot of tension release which in turn, stimulates lymphatic drainage and preps the neck and facial muscles for any lifting massage. It’s also an insanely meditative and relaxing treatment which is something we all really need. The heat and herbal benefits that come from this facial massage also increase the radiance of our complexion by stimulating blood flow and infusing these special herbs into the skin. As I stated before, I learned that Thai poultice facial massage gives the best results when fused with other facial massage practices like gua sha, and massage with hands. A facial massage like this can be anywhere from 20-45 minutes. Below I’ll list a few benefits we can expect to see from a facial massage that includes Thai poultice work.

• Less puffiness in the face. Mainly around the eyes, cheeks, and jawline.

• A smoother-looking appearance around fine lines and wrinkles.

• A more lifted, firm feeling face and neck.

• An overall radiant glow and clearer complexion.

• Reduction in redness some days after your treatment.

• Healing/diminishing of breakouts some days after your treatment.

After taking the full month of January to work with and practice Thai poultice massage I am now ready to add it to the scrub me skin care treatment menu, yay! I’m going to make a special “Facial fusion massage” that will include work with the herbal poultice ball, my hands, and gua sha tools. This treatment will be available to book starting 2/2/22. I’m looking forward to achieving some fabulous facial results for you all using facial massage.🧡