Face massage really does work to make the face look less puffy and a bit more sculpted. Photo / 123rf
Face massage really does work to make the face look less puffy and a bit more sculpted. Photo / 123rf
Some things are non-negotiable in the beauty world in terms of efficacy. SPF and retinol are the star performers; if you use SPF 30 every day, you’ll have fewer wrinkles, and if you want to soften lines and help fade sun-induced age spots, use a retinol product. Both come with the science and studies to prove it.
However, the waters get a bit muddy with the dizzying array of other beauty treatments and magic ingredients we are bombarded with — lasers, peels, injectables from salmon DNA, vitamin drips and light masks all promising a “lit from within” glow — where do we start?
Well, as is often the case, it’s sometimes the basics that deliver. This is where face massage comes in. After writing about (and trying all of the above) for years, I can say with confidence that face massage really does work to make the face look less puffy and a bit more sculpted. But, like piano practice, little and often works well and consistency is key.
Advocates of face exercise and massage specialists I’ve met include Carole Maggio (the Los Angeles-based face equivalent of Jane Fonda who coined the term “facercise”) and London-based Alexandra Soverall and Tine Hagelquist (she specialises in facial lymphatic drainage and does the European royals) all have the sculpted cheekbones and jawlines honed by regular face massage, and always inspire me to begin a pre-bedtime routine.
There are almost 70 muscles in our face and neck that, when regularly massaged, can release tension. Photo / 123rf
It’s something I find really reassuring in this world of fast-moving beauty tech, tweaks and tinctures.
It makes sense — there are almost 70 muscles in our face and neck that, when regularly massaged, can release tension.
If this all sounds appealing but you’re not sure where to begin, then ex-facialist Sophie Perry — who also has the honed jawline and cheeks of a face massage regular — and her new book The Natural Facelift (HarperCollins) are an excellent place to begin. I asked her to explain the basic techniques and an easy five-minute routine to de-puff my face and make me look more rested.
“Ideally, you want to be massaging your face daily to improve blood flow and kick-start the lymphatic drainage system, which drains away puffiness as well as the toxins. A massage will remove congestion, ease tension and improve the contours of our face by allowing the muscles to sit where they should,” she explains. “But you need to be consistent. You don’t get a six-pack after doing 10 sit-ups. Similarly with the face, little and often is key.”
Regular massage had people getting Botox less often. Photo / 123rf
I like Perry’s realistic approach. “Lots of people I used to treat were having regular Botox injections and other treatments like lasers but they found that instead of having Botox every three months, with regular massage they ended up having it less often and some stopped having it at all. I’m not interested in stopping people from having treatments done if that’s your thing, you just won’t need them done as regularly.”
Perry’s forehead moves and there’s no Botox or fillers in her repertoire (she is a fan of lasers, though, for skin smoothing) and she’s realistic about lifestyle: “I love a glass or two of wine, and I think overall skin health is a mix of good skincare, getting enough sleep and de-stressing the face and body as much as you can. Stress shows instantly on our faces.”
So facing January after a boozy and Panettone-filled festive season, I’m going to remember to apply retinol to my face every night — my favourite is Medik8′s Crystal Retinal, £45 ($90.82) — and ease off the alcohol and sugar, which are dehydrating so can make wrinkles look more pronounced. I’ve also started doing Perry’s five-minute de-puffing massage sequence while I’m cleansing at night. Even a week in, I now miss it when I forget. So cheers to more-sculpted cheekbones by February!
The jawline and mid-line facelift technique is lovely to do in the morning when cleansing to open up the face. Photo / Getty Images
Three de-puffing and sculpting face massage techniques that take under 5 minutes in total:
The Opener
“Even if you only have two minutes, just do this one move to look more rested”, says Perry.
“It’s the first move you do in any lymphatic drainage sequence. Think of it like pulling the plug out of the bath to let out the water. You use quite-soft pressure and pump the base of the collarbones and continue up to the neck to the dip behind the earlobes. Pump a few times, then sweep the hands down the neck in a draining motion. Repeat 5 times.”
The Jawline and Mid-Face Lift
“Make both hands in an L shape and place them together as if praying. Start by hooking the thumbs under the chin and the index fingers at the top of the nose in the corner of the eyes, then slowly and gently sweep the thumbs and index fingers across the face finishing at the temples. Keep repeating as many times as you can — you’re draining fluid from the mid-face as well as the jawline and accessing lymphatic drainage points on the face. This is lovely to do in the morning when cleansing to open up the face.”
The Eye Lift
“Use your ring fingers and your middle fingers and begin a slow, gentle sweeping movement from the outer corners of the eyes, all the way under the eyes to the beginning of the brow bone where the eyebrows begin. Apply some pressure here. This is a great tension reliever. Just using your fingers to apply pressure here is an instant stress buster wherever you are — at your desk, in the kitchen or lying in bed at night. Tension blocks the lymphatic system, so get into the habit of relieving the tension here every day as it can help with darkness under the eyes as the massage will bring more oxygenated blood to the area.”
The Natural Facelift by Sophie Perry (HarperCollins) is available from January 4.
