Facial Massage is all the rage right now, especially while we’re practicing social distancing and taking advantage of maintaining our skin & skin care routine at home! Absolutely rest assured, our team is practicing every precaution advised during this season and have truly enjoyed welcoming our guests back into the spa. However, we appreciate that some might not be ready to return and are thrilled to be focusing on and sharing some practices to elevate your home care.
Elevate Your Self-Care with Facial Massage
Lets jump in y’all…
Alright, first things first, you do not have to be a trained esthetician or massage therapist to provide some delicious vibrant aging & amazing flow to your skin with some simple guidelines we want to share! The benefits of this range from delightfully relaxing, lifting and sculpting of the facial muscles, and product penetration. Above all, facial massage is some wonderful YOU time.
When done regularly, think daily 3-7 minutes, plus your monthly or quarterly facials , you are truly lifting these muscles and providing a youthful appearance that a lot of us are aiming for. Also, this natural, effective way of rejuvenating facial tone is phenomenal. Now, depending on your routine and your daily flow feel free to perform in the morning or in the evening! Without a doubt, if you have ample time… do BOTH morning and night!
sanctuary spa findings…
The movements for our Lift steps are encouraged for stimulating and lifting, an awesome go-to for vibrant aging and refreshing. Plus, the movements for our Optimal Flow, are geared towards de-puffing, aiding in lymphatic drainage. In other words, think puffy under eyes or stagnant areas of the face holding fluid.
behind the scenes…
When performing facial massage at Sanctuary Spa , we utilize custom blends of algae serums, botanical oils, penetrating Peptides, and so much more, so it’s important to choose your “slip” with intention at home! Certainly, if you need some guidance to pick the best serum for your skin, please reach out. For sure, you want a high quality serum that provides a great medium to work into your skin for several minutes. Remember, water based products tend to absorb into your skin quicker, reducing the time you have to play with them. Now, if you’re an oily skin type don’t let this deter you from picking an oil, we got you! A few examples of juicy serums to use would be; Source Vitals Prickly Pear Oil , SV 23 , a custom facial cocktail or Rhonda Allison’s Hydrating Grape Seed Serum , Infuse 7 , or Pumpkin E Serum.
power of touch…
More time TOUCHING your face during your skin care routine- the better. Your hands are clean, your face is fresh, and you are creating flow to your gorgeous face! Undoubtedly, it can be so easy at the end of an exhausting day to rush through and cleanse our skin for 5 seconds and rub some moisturizer into our cheeks, trust me I get it! But, think about setting aside the time to feel every contour of your cheeks, your jaw line, feel your orbital bone and how different pressure in different areas create different sensations all around your face! Then, envision, either going to bed in total bliss or feeling refreshed and ready to tackle a homeschool day, laundry, sourdough bread baking and more! And let’s be transparent, if you feel refreshed and choose to lounge & do nothing, you enjoy that to the fullest.
Simple Steps for Achieving Lift in Your Facial Massage
- Take a deep inhale of your favorite essential oil , (I linked my fav, Source Vital Breathe Easy!). Whatever your body and spirit is craving is perfect! I love to put a couple of drops on my wrists, rub together, and take a deep breath. The aroma will stay with me during my massage but not overpower or interfere with facial products.
- Select your favorite serum, and apply intentionally and liberally to face and neck. For example, I love Source Vital’s SV23 when I’m looking for the ultimate in hydration and radiance or Rhonda Allison’s Pumpkin E Serum when I’m looking for that fall scent plus all the Vitamin E!
- Using your entire hand, think base of your palm, start at the front of your neck and work in a slow motion to the back of your neck and grasp with a slow release. Repeat 5 times, per side.
- Use the back of your fingers and gently but firmly sweep from the center of your chin along your jaw, with a slight wisp upwards. Repeat 10 times, bilaterally.
- With both hands, begin a ‘pinch pull’ rhythm around the lips. Pay attention to Orbicularis Oris, the muscle that encircles the mouth.
Repeat for 1-2 minutes.
Demonstrating the amazing “pinch pull” technique to create movement and flow around the lips and mouth. - With your fingertips pressing into the base of your jaw, firmly and quickly in an upward motion, push all the way up past the temples. Repeat 10 times, bilaterally.
- Awaken and lift the eyes now, by pressing unilaterally, pinch and roll rhythm over the entire eyebrow. Smooth it out with an upward sweep of your thumb. Repeat 5 times each, on each side.
- Utilizing the base of your thumbs and press on either side of your nose. Then, line the sides of the nose, up through the middle of the brows, and to the hairline with consistent pressure. Then, shimmy at the very top of your foreheads, pressing firmly. Finally, repeat 5 times, bilaterally.
- With your pointer, middle, and ring fingers press above the brows and in small circular motions, move fingers up towards hairline. Continue to do this for 1-2 minutes.
- Ta-da, enjoy that glow!
Easy Pointers for Optimal Flow of Your Facial Massage
- Awaken your Lymphatic System with gentle tapping under the clavicle. Beginning at the sternum and work your way out to the shoulder, repeat 5 times.
- Position your fingers in a V shape, and lightly but briskly, move in a downward motion from base of the ear down the neck. Then, repeat 5 times.
- Using your pointer above and middle finger below, positioned around the eyebrow, gently sweep outward. Then, repeat bilaterally, 5 times.
- Using your pointer finger only, press and roll, 5 times gently moving from under the base of the eye outward. Then, repeat bilaterally, 5 times.
- Beginning at the temple, using your pointer and middle finger tips, sweep downward, gently pulling towards underneath the ear.
- Finally, position your fingers in a V shape, and lightly but briskly, move in a downward motion from base of the ear down the neck. Then, repeat 10 times.
- Stay hydrated, sip on water constantly throughout the day.
With these at home protocols, areas that are constantly stimulated, used, expressed, and enjoyed; are sure to feel the love! We encourage you to share with us how you feel after trying. Definitely send us a selfie or tag us on your social media! We can’t wait to see y’all using & loving this!
with joy,
Annie
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Annie Neilson
Just like a metamorphosis of a caterpillar, Annie’s career at Sanctuary has taken several metamorphosis, with each leading to something calling her in. Esthetics has her heart and so does sharing the joy it brings her. Assisting with social media, blogs, and education, Annie is finding her stride with sharing these passions. An avid nature lover, grateful mama, and holistic beauty fanatic, Annie is excited to bring you into her blogs!
