Highlighted the stars, facial massage techniques are now increasingly popular with the general public. Whether performed regularly or occasionally, these beauty treatments restore radiance to the complexion and tone up all areas of the face. The skin is immediately brighter, as if lifted, and this, without danger.

The methods of facialists - facial experts - are renowned and widely recommended by beauty professionals. Kobido, an anti-aging method that is very much in vogue, has, for example, become a classic treatment in beauty salons. But there are also effective self-massages that can easily be practiced at home.

Find out why and how to massage your face to obtain more beautiful, luminous and plumped-up skin! 

WHY MASSAGE YOUR FACE?

Is facial massage just a fad to revive the interest in cosmetic treatments, which are competing with the new prowess of aesthetic medicine? The answer is no! Facial massage is a natural solution for maintaining or regaining youthful skin. And unlike Botox injections, you don't risk having a frozen face!

The benefits of this manual technique are numerous and easily explained. 

Facial massage makes the complexion glow and restores the features

A massage is by definition a moment of well-being designed to give you a break. And contrary to popular belief, it does not only concern our body. Releasing facial tension is essential, because the face has more than fifty muscles! 

This alternative to injections and cosmetic surgery acts locally, both in prevention and in treatment of the signs of aging:

• Forehead: over time, horizontal folds can appear even when the muscles are not contracted
• Frown lines: this specific area is located between the eyebrows and tends to be marked if you are anxious or distressed by nature.
• Eye contour : massage reduces wrinkles, dark circles and puffiness
• Nose to lips area: the work consists of massaging the muscles of the cheeks and around the mouth

The main objective is to relax the entire face by loosening the muscles under the skin. But the maneuver also consists of stimulating the lazy or even atrophied muscles of the face to reshape the skin and redraw the oval of the face.

The massage of the masseter, the chewing muscle, aims, for example, to restore its density. In the long run, this technique clearly attenuates the marks of time visible on the nasolabial fold and enhances the cheekbones, without surgical intervention! But the positive consequences of this release are multiple on the body.

The facial massage regulates blood circulation and lymphatic drainage. Thus, toxins are eliminated and the skin tissue is better oxygenated. The skin regains its balance: more supple and less dry. In case of acne, pimples and blackheads become less frequent. The skin is less oily, because the excess of sebum disappears.

Other improvements are observed:

• Wrinkles and fine lines fade away
• The skin is firmer and more supple
• The complexion is instantly more radiant, unified
• In the eye area, dark circles and bags are reduced

Facial yoga can also complement massage. In fact, a facial gymnastics session combines several series of stretches, tensions and relaxations. The objective is similar: to stimulate the natural movement of the muscles in order to revitalize them. The exercises target, in turn, the eyes, the lips while targeting the overall firmness of the skin.

Our advice: your face is often swollen when you wake up? Perform a facial massage every morning. This beauty gesture will activate blood circulation and immediately reduce the effects of prolonged lying down.

Face massage for smooth, firm and unified skin

These manual and 100% natural methods also influence the cellular regeneration of the facial skin. Indeed, these slow and deep movements stimulate the production of collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid in the fibroblasts of the epidermis. 

By boosting the skin's ability to renew itself, facial massage delays the appearance of the signs of aging: wrinkles, sagging, dullness... This real muscle stretching has the power to reactivate the laziest facial muscles, which are responsible for the lack of firmness.

This is why the interest of this approach against skin aging is widely recognized. However, its benefits are not limited to mature skin. In fact, by stimulating the process of cellular regeneration, facial massage also works in depth to erase hyperpigmentation spots.

For black, dark and mixed-race skin, this is excellent news, as these complexion imperfections are not necessarily age spots. These dark marks can be hormonal in origin or appear following sun exposure, an injury, a cut, etc. Acne scars are also implicated in this problem.

Combined with gentle exfoliation, facial massage supports the skin's repair functions as part of an anti-spot treatment protocol. A true ally for pigmented skin, it helps them naturally regain a smooth, firm and unified skin.

Good to know: the results of a regular massage on the upper part of the face are visible more quickly than on the lower part. In this specific area, the skin is thinner and therefore more receptive.

WHAT ARE THE TECHNIQUES OF A FACIAL MASSAGE?

Performed in a wellness center, in an institute or at home in front of the mirror, facial massage helps maintain your beauty capital. Indeed, it allows to maintain the brightness and the firmness of the skin, but also the original balance of the features.

At a professional or at home, discover the techniques of facial massage.

Facial massage in an institute: a multifaceted professional approach

Certain facial muscles are rarely used in a voluntary and targeted manner. However, these strategic muscles are responsible for the tone of this sensitive area. They also influence the evolution of facial contours over time.

In an institute, facial massage consists of working intensely on these specific muscles. This is why it is different from a self-massage practiced regularly at home, which is much more gentle.

The treatment protocol can take different forms and often has several objectives: relaxing, toning, corrective, preventive, etc. There are so many professional facial massage techniques that it can be difficult to understand their virtues precisely.

Ancestral methods such as Kobido, for example, are increasingly offered, as they are in great demand by clients. This Japanese massage frees the skin from its tensions by creating air between the bone and the muscle. It provides an immediate lifting effect. This treatment, also called "facial shiatsu" is an opportunity to better fight against wrinkles. Performed regularly, it gradually plumps up the skin tissue in depth.

At the same time, new practices are appearing, as some beauty specialists wish to distinguish themselves by the technicality of their gestures. Inspired by the phenomenon of facialists in the United States, these facial experts are developing their own massage or facial reflexology protocols. Yakov Gershkovich, for example, is the founder of Face Sculpting, a process based on lymphatic drainage movements to reshape the face.

Here is a non-exhaustive list of facial massages that you can find in beauty salons. The names may vary depending on the establishment:

• Gua Sha, energetic facial
• Tui Na-An Mo (Chinese therapeutic massage) also called Taoist massage
• Lymphatic facial massage
• Acupressure, facial massage focusing on acupuncture points

Ask the institute or facialist about the treatments offered before making an appointment. Indeed, some techniques are not recommended in certain cases (pregnant women, diabetics, in cases of high blood pressure, acute inflammation, etc.). In addition, practices that are reputed to come from Asia, such as Kobido or Tui Na, are sometimes misused.

The right facial self-massage gestures to practice at home

Self-massage techniques at home are often recommended to maintain the in-depth work done in the institute. However, when practiced alone, they also have an effective effect on the skin's radiance, suppleness and tone.

To benefit from these results at home, it is best to include your self-massage protocol in your care routine. Knowing the right movements is essential to relax the features, firm the epidermis and oxygenate the skin tissues. However, be sure to choose a protocol carried out by skin experts.

Watching a facial self-massage video is the most recommended way to take the time to properly master the steps. The In'Oya team has designed a tailor-made tutorial to help you regain a natural glow and lift your face instantly.

Finally, whatever the approach chosen to relax and energize your facial muscles independently, certain common rules should be remembered:

• Facial self-massage should be done on average 3 times a week, or simply on weekends, as an occasional session
• Gestures are always done gently, from the inside to the outside (drainage stimulation)
• The application of a care product (serum, vegetable oil, fluid, moisturizing cream) is recommended to delicately accompany the maneuvers on the face
• To eliminate dark circles and puffiness, it is recommended to insist without forcing on the under eye area
• To smooth the lines on the forehead, massage from the bottom up
• To activate microcirculation, the skin is always massaged from the center of the face to the cheeks, and not the other way around
• It is best to finish by massaging the neck with up and down movements

Remember that self-massage gestures most often consist of making small circles with the fingertips, stretching or lightly pinching the skin. Finally, self-massage is done with your hands or an accessory (jade roller, rose quartz gua sha massage stone, etc.)