Caring for your Skin: Facial Massage and its Benefits

When you meet someone, the first thing you notice about each other is your face. As per Chinese tradition, a face can reveal a lot about a person. With that in mind, it makes sense to take good care of your face. With a packed daily schedule and the stresses that come with it, we often neglect our facial skin. A facial massage uses various products, techniques, and steam to create a deep and relaxing experience. A rich and soothing massage can not only enhance the health of your skin but provides several other benefits as well. Let’s discuss a few of the benefits of getting a facial massage.

1) Anti-Aging

Just like the muscles in the rest of your body, your facial muscles can tighten due to daily stress, leading to the appearance of fine lines on the forehead, creases near the eyes, and sagging skin at the jawline. While stress can sometimes be inevitable, a pampering massage will decrease the aging process by reducing the tightness in the facial muscles. Those wrinkles that form on the sides of your eyes, known as crow’s-feet, might detract from or enhance your facial beauty by adding definition to your face when you smile or laugh; it depends on your perspective. Regardless, the appearance of these lines can be refined by increasing the collagen production in these areas. Collagen is an essential protein that maintains the elasticity and strength of your skin. As we age, the level of collagen produced decreases, which results in reduced elasticity and loose skin. To promote the tightness of the skin, enriching it with oils and products that increase firmness and elasticity can slow the appearance of wrinkles. As you make massage a part of your skincare routine, it can increase collagen levels and make the skin firmer over time.

2) Hydration

Hydration is also extremely important for maintaining healthy skin. Even though your daily skincare routine may include moisturizer, the manipulations and products used during a facial massage can replenish your skin, providing a deeper hydration that is missed in your daily routine. Oils and lotions are allowed to penetrate the skin at a deeper level, allowing them to hydrate both the dermis and the epidermis.

3) Increased Well-Being

Just as the muscles in your back and neck sometimes need TLC, so do the tensed muscles in your face. The massaging motion increases oxygen and blood flow to the face, which is deeply relaxing and promotes better energy. According to a 2008 User Science Institute study, a mere 45 mins of massage helped decrease symptoms of anxiety and low mood levels. Consider adding facial massage as part of your self-care regime.

4) Improved Sinus Symptoms

When mucus accumulates in the sinuses and nasal passageways, this leads to irritating conditions such as headaches, stuffiness, and nasal pressure. The combination of steam, pressure points, and manipulations used during a facial massage can help relieve the nasal congestion that is often present if you suffer from sinus symptoms due to allergies.

5) Clearing Toxins

Exposing our skin to environmental pollution and the daily stresses of life can lead to toxic buildup. This can result in dry and dull-looking skin that lacks a healthy glow. Detoxification is important for maintaining healthy skin and removing toxins. There are several lymph nodes in your face, primarily in the chin and jaw area; stimulating these lymphatic glands pushes lymph fluid throughout the face, which catalyzes toxin removal. Lack of stimulation will do the opposite. To maintain a healthy and happy facial glow and stay toxin-free, regular deep massaging is important.

6) Lymphatic System

To explain the above point in further detail, your lymphatic system is crucial to the circulatory system. It is comprised of vessels and lymph nodes that produce lymph fluids, which are full of white blood cells. Lymph fluid pushes toxins out of the system and into the bloodstream, which then flushes out those toxins. The techniques used to massage the face help push the fluid forward, resulting in the removal of toxins and reducing inflammation in the skin. Your skin feels radiant and softer after a massage due to increased circulation within the lymphatic system.

7) Blackheads and Whiteheads

We have all experienced blackheads and whiteheads at some point. These pesky spots appear when pores become clogged with impurities such as excess oil, dirt, and residual chemicals or cosmetics. Blackheads are a result of the accumulated dirt keeping the pore open and exposing the dirt in the skin. Whiteheads are formed in the same way, except that they develop their white color due to a bit of pus forming in the pore. An infected pore is a sign that the body is trying to rid itself of the bacteria in the pore, and facial massage can assist in removing both whiteheads and blackheads. During a massage, the warm steam and application of a warm towel help to diminish both types of blemishes.

By getting a facial massage periodically, you can experience several benefits such as reduced stress, eliminated toxins, decreased wrinkles and blackheads, and relief from sinus symptoms. A professional massage spa can help you experience all these benefits and more. If you are looking for an enriching massage experience, contact us to book your appointment. Go ahead and pamper yourself a little and enjoy the benefits!