Fascia Facial Massage: Benefits, Techniques, and How to Do It Yourself

This is a subject that you have been asking so many questions about. And after filming 2 x DIY videos (here and here) I wanted to break it all down on the blog.

Fascia facial massage is something I can’t live without. This and mouth tape has changed my life, and my face more than I can ever express. Since I was 21, I’ve been into facial massage but getting the fascia involved just brings it up a notch.

My friend Kaita is who first introduced me to fascia and flossing, and since then I’ve taken her method of flossing my body and applied it with facial massage to create this draining, slimming, depuffing cocktail. The difference in my face is amazing.

What is Fascia?

Here is exactly how Kaita defines it:

“In my own understanding of fascia, one of the most useful things to understand is that it is a ubiquitous substance in your body that provides interconnected, dynamic structure. It’s so pervasive that if you removed all of your additional parts—your bones, organs, muscles, etc. and just left your fascia, you’d be left with a ghost-like but still recognizable you! As you formed in the womb, the fascia provided scaffolding for your cells to organize and fill in. It is made up of mostly collagen, which means that it is a conductor. 

My teachers have theorized that fascia is actually the way that qi travels throughout your body. When it is accumulated, it can be super strong—like your IT bands. When it is it thin, it can be quite elastic and pliable. It assumes different forms for different purposes throughout your body. I like to look at an orange as an example of fascia. The thick peel is accumulated fascia, but is the same substance as the pith—the connective tissue of the orange. When looking at an orange you can see how the white pith organizes the fruit into sections, and within the sections there are smaller sections. You can also see the variety of purposes for the substance: as a protective outer layer, to create segments, and to seal the inner sections so they stay juicy. Our fascia is quite similar to this in many ways!”

The Benefits of Stretching Facial Fascia:

+ Encourages blood flow

+ Relieves tension

+ Improves skin’s elasticity

+ Improves facial mobility

+ Reduces stress

+ Prevents stiffness and pain, especially in the jaw

+ Drains the lymph and depuffs the face

DIY: Fascia Facial Massage

Prep the skin.

For me, this means ice rolling, using the Lightstim wand (so good for wrinkles, more here) while I have some supplements (usually Cymbiotika Glutathione and Vitamin C (use code SKINNY).

Sometimes I put on this face strap for 15 minutes to get the lymph flowing while I do other things like make the bed, open the shades, make Beauty Salt etc.

Prep the lymphatic system.

Open the lymph with your dry brush: lightly brush down your neck, outward on your clavicle and into your armpit.

Do the exact same thing again with only your hands and finish by pressing gently, or massaging behind and below your ears.

Apply your products of choice.

Keep it minimal because you’ll be rubbing it around. I like to start with Barefaced Toning Pads (use code SKINNY). They are some kind of magic, let me tell you. They are smoothing and have helped my hyperpigmentation more than anything else. Use the pad for about one minute then apply your favorite oil or balm. Depuffing oil is a great option because it’s filled with antioxidants and is non-greasy (so it’s not a big deal if it gets in your hair).

Start your fascia facial.

EYES

Pull your brow taut and keep running your fingers along the skin, upwards to your temple/hairline.

For the under eyes, it’s one of the places where you can go inward. So gently take your ring finger (it automatically makes you use lighter pressure) and run it under your eyes and light press the inner corner of your eye. Do this a few times to drain the under eye.

HOT TIP: Don’t pull the skin, pull the fascia. Think of it as working the muscle under the skin and creating a lift.

FOREHEAD

Using the length of your fingers, run them horizontally up your forhead to your hairline.

Obviously if you get Botox, don’t do this right away, because you don’t want to move it around. I’ve been getting Botox much less since doing this.

CHEEKBONES

Use your index finger and middle finger tips to contour the cheekbones. Glide your fingertips in an outward motion to your hairline a few times.

JAW

Use your index finger and middle finger tips again to contour your jawline. Be sure to glide your fingers outward. Alternatively, you can also use the knuckles of the fingers to sculpt your jaw.

DRAIN

Drain all the fluid you’ve just moved from your face by running your hands or fingers down the sides of your neck.

NOSE

Use the tip of your thumb and index finger to pinch your nose and move your fingers up and down. Personally, I prefer to use the facial massager for my nose, because it perfectly snatches and drains your nose. You can feel it happening. There is so much fluid held in the nose. More than you think and this method is very slimming.

FACE YOGA

I like to finish with some face yoga. Place the palms of your hands on either side of your face and gently pull. Create some resistance by closing your eyes and almost imagine pushing your face forward.

Look up, stick out your chin, stretch your neck, pucker your lips and move your mouth side to side.

Finishing touches.

This will look different for everyone depending on your day. For me, I do this massage first thing in the morning, hopefully on my patio, with a Barefoot Dreams blanket so I don’t get oil on my pajamas, while I get my morning sunlight.

Once I’m done my massage, I like to go one step further and quickly use the facial massager on my cheekbones and jawline. Then I’ll usually spray a little plumping mist, put on some Brow Peptide, Caffeinated SPF and a lip mask, get my workout clothes on and head to the gym within the hour.

After you do one side of your face, take a step back and look at the difference. Even take a selfie. You’ll see that the results are instant.

You work out your body, so why not work out your face. It’s so important when it comes to anti-aging and I honestly think that if everyone did this a few times a week there would be a lot less plastic surgery happening.

This whole beauty ritual takes about 8 to 10 minutes. You can shorten it so it works for you. This has become such an important self-care part of my morning, but what I love most is that it works. It’s so effective and let’s you start your day soft, romanticizing something that’s beneficial.

What kind of face workout do you do? Is there a particular exercise or practice that’s helped you avoid sugery or changed the shape of your face? Let me know below.

If you’d rather follow a tutorial and are more visual (I am) then be sure to watch the videos so you can see exactly how to do it (here and here).

x, Lauryn

+ Face workouts are the new Botox.

++ The benefits of taping your mouth at night.

FASCIA FACIAL MASSAGE: