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I feel a little silly writing this because I know people have been talking about facial massage — particularly facial massage for lymphatic drainage — for years now.
But I never really heard anyone talk about what it does for your face or how to do it… until I listened to a podcast that convinced me to do it!
Next week, I’ll share a separate post about some new (to me) podcasts I’ve been listening to but I’ll tell you now that one of them is “Fat Mascara,” which is a beauty podcast that covers industry news, tips, tricks, product reviews, and industry experts.
The episode I listened to on facial massage was “How to Get ‘Glowstopping’ Skin With Lord Gavin.” Gavin is a celebrity facial masseur, so he talked a lot about skincare routines that work for getting great skin over time, but also tricks to get your skin looking great immediately.
Of course, he talked about facial massage. He gives step-by-step instructions and lists a few products you can use. I’m very much in a “use what you’ve got” phase, so I found current items I have to help with my massage.
I’ll share them all here:
Products and Methods for Facial Massage
Gavin suggests doing your facial massage in the morning because it reduces puffiness and sets your skin up for the day. Now that I’ve done it for a few weeks, I can say that, if nothing else, doing the facial massage is a nice way to help yourself wakeup.
He suggests using a cleansing balm as the first step because it will help your fingers glide over your skin more easily (no pulling!) and you can cleanse your face in the process. I’m currently using the Drunk Elephant cleansing balm, but any one will do!
Once your balm is applied, you can start the massage. Gavin suggests using your fingers, as they warm the skin. I’ve tried that, and it’s nice, especially with the balm! But, I’ve also tried using two tools I already own, which I’ll list below.
In the podcast, Gavin gives specific instructions for the facial massage, but generally speaking, you should massage the areas you’d contour if you were putting on makeup. And, you should be moving everything back and up.
I think of it like I’m giving myself a facelift, but I found a diagram that’s pretty similar to how Gavin described the steps:
If you have a tool, it may come with similar instructions or its own diagram. Here are the tools I’ve been trying:
NuFace Mini: This is a toning device that uses a microcurrent to tone the muscles under the skin, improve circulation, firm and tighten skin, aid in lymphatic drainage, and reduce fine lines and wrinkles. I got the starter set which came with a hydrating gel to use with it, so I’ve been using that instead of the balm.
I haven’t been using it long enough to say if it does or doesn’t work, but I will say that it’s easy to use, fits nicely in my hand, and feels good on my skin. The metal on the device (where the microcurrent comes from) is a little cold but helps me wake up 🙂
The device came with a diagram and specific instructions for use, and they also have videos on their website to help, AND they have an app that can guide you through a daily massage.
reVive Light Therapy Soniqué Mini: I bought this a few years ago when I had FSA money to spend. I saw it at the FSA store and thought it would be great to use to prevent and treat acne (and it is really great for that). It’s an electric facial device that vibrates and uses red and blue light to amplify its efforts.
For years, I’ve just used it to wash my face as it has a silicon bristle head. But, it also came with a silicon massage head! I dug it out and put it on; perfection. Not only am I getting the added vibration while I massage, but I’m also getting the light therapy.
After the facial massage: ICE
After the facial massage is completed, Gavin said to move to ICE. He suggested using the cryo sticks (which sound awesome) but I don’t have those. However, I do have a gua sha and a few crystal facial rollers. I put those in the fridge and they were nice and cold!
You can either use something like that, however make sure you still have the cleansing balm (or a serum, anything) on to protect your skin. But I’ve mostly been using my ice roller. I’ve had it for years and it lives in my freezer. They have all sorts of options and most of them are under $10.
Finally, cold eye gels
After I ice roll, I put on my under-eye gels or patches. I’ve been doing this part of the routine for years, but I’m still keeping it up because it’s kept my under eyes less puffy (I’ve always had bags under my eyes). I have tons of different brands and kinds I like (I wrote a whole blog post on it) but lately I’ve been using these eco-friendly glittery ones.
…And that’s my daily morning facial routine! It looks like a lot here, but the entire thing takes about five minutes. As Gavin said on the podcast, you can take as long or as little time as you have. If it’s the weekend, I might massage for longer, but I’m typically ready to move on with my day.
Let me know if you give it a try!
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