How to Use Massage to Elevate Your Skincare Routine
What if we told you there was a powerful beauty routine boost waiting right at your fingertips? Take your skincare and wellness routines up a notch with the power of lymphatic drainage. It’s hard to pick up your phone or flick through a magazine these days without stumbling upon another ‘must-try’ or ‘this will change your life’ beauty trend.
The pressure to feel up to date with products, treatments, and fads can get overwhelming, not to mention expensive. But what if I told you that there’s a centuries-old wellness ritual that can be easily incorporated into your routine, promises proven health and beauty benefits, and crucially, doesn’t have to cost you a penny?
Facial massage has been around almost as long as humans have. The ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans all used and swore by facial massage to boost vitality. Transcending through time, it’s one wellness ritual that still stands strong today, with many practitioners and wellbeing enthusiasts regularly using facial massage to reap its benefits, which are plentiful.
The magic behind touch
Chatting with Peigín Crowley, founder of Cork-based brand Ground Wellbeing, she shares the magic behind touch: “Touch in any form releases oxytocin in the skin, which de-stresses us and helps us to relax and rest,” she begins. “There are two types of massage, self-massage which involves using your hands, and massage using a tool like a gua sha or a roller. Through the act of massage, we’re scooping toxic waste away from the face towards the ears and down to the clavicle, where it’s disposed of. Transcending through time, facial massage is one wellness ritual that still stands strong today. In addition, you’re also causing fibroblasts to release collagen so that pressure also releases repair work in the skin, encouraging more collagen to be produced – this is how powerful this ritual is.”
My ears are pricked at the idea of it all and the simplicity of including it in your skincare routine, so I want to know how exactly a DIY facial massage should be performed. Firstly, Peigín explains that you’ll want to apply a product, usually, this is a facial oil to give you a bit of slip, avoiding damaging the skin. “You split your face into two sections, right down the middle,” Peigín continues. “You’ll move either your fingers flat on their side or your gua sha across your face in the same direction, toward your ears and down your neck. You’ll begin on your neck moving in 3-6 downward motions, taking that technique up your face, your jawline, your cheeks, under your eyes towards your ears and lastly down your forehead.”
The power of massage
Keen to learn even more, I consult Dee Murphy, an Omagh native who founded UK-based skincare brand Dee’s Organics and regularly runs workshops in the Galway area. “Massage increases the circulation of oxygenated blood and nutrients to the skin’s surface. Gentle massage promotes the drainage of lymphatic fluid so that toxins and excess fluid can be removed. Massaging with the hands can gently exfoliate the skin, improving the texture and tone,” she explains. “On top of that, many of us carry tension and stress in our faces. Daily massage can help release this tension. This is particularly beneficial to do at night, relaxing our mind and body ready for sleep.”
Both Dee and Peigín say that the ritual can be done either morning or night, with them boasting different benefits. While massaging in the morning can reduce puffiness and make the face look and feel more awake, massage at night releases stress and tension allowing for a deeper sleep.
From Left: Cecily Braden Lymphatic Brush, €150, Dees Organics, deesorganics.ie; Rose Quartz Gua Sha, €20, ellaandjo.ie; The Face Ritual Gift Box, €78, groundwellbeing.com
As for products, while your hands are a great and cost-effective tool, Dee says that certain products on the market can aid in lymphatic drainage. “Gua sha tools are great if used correctly. They come in many shapes and materials, jade and rose quartz are the most common. Lymphatic brushes are also an effective face and body tool. They help to manually shift fluid and stimulate lymph flow. They are easy to use and So effective at de-puffing and clearing the skin.”
“Massaging in the morning can reduce puffiness and make the face look and feel more awake, massage at night releases stress and tension allowing for a deeper sleep.”
As we navigate cold and flu season, Dee also shares that regular lymphatic drainage could help support the body while it is run down with illness. “A healthy lymphatic system leads to a healthy body,” she asserts. “Ill health is caused by a build-up of toxins in the body. If our lymph gets blocked, the lymph nodes get congested and ill health may ensue. Our white blood cells are our first line of defense when we get ill. These are carried in the lymph (a clear liquid). By stimulating the lymph through massage, we can help clear toxins and impurities from our skin.”
The act of facial massage can be about more than simply looking good; it’s about incorporating a ritual that can calm and ground you. So the next time you’re doing your skincare routine, why not take a couple of minutes out to show up for yourself and reap all of the benefits that come with it?
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