When it comes to our skincare routines, most of us are obsessed with maintaining a youthful glow. We schedule facials to keep our face plump and dewy, use retinol creams to prevent fine lines, and dab on a few dots of under eye cream every night to keep the crows' feet away.
Apparently, looking fresh and young actually takes a LOT of work. Who would have thought? No matter how much you spend on anti-aging products and try to slow the clock, we will all get wrinkles someday.
For some of the genetically-lucky ones, wrinkles may not show up until later in life. For the rest of us, wrinkles will start cropping up in our late 20s to early 30s. And that is nothing to be ashamed about! Wrinkles are a totally natural, normal part of the aging process. Still, if you’d prefer to keep those fine lines at bay, we don’t blame you.
Preventing new wrinkles and reducing the ones that already exist is a really common skincare goal. As a brand that’s obsessed with making our customers feel ahhh-mazing in their own bodies, we say: Do you, boo!
If your idea of feeling amazing in the skin you’re in is finding a way to be wrinkle-free, we want to help you get there. So, let’s get into it!
Why Do We Have Wrinkles in the First Place?
Wouldn’t it be lovely if we had the supple skin and the youthful energy that we did back in the day?
As we get older, our skin becomes thinner, drier, and loses elasticity — but not everyone develops wrinkles at the same time. Many factors, such as genetics, sun exposure, and facial expressions, affect the development of wrinkles.
Wrinkles tend to be most prominent on areas of the face where there is a lot of movement, like on the forehead, around the eyes, and around the lips. These lines just mean that you’ve been laughing, smiling, and living your best life!
While there is no magic wand you can use to wish your wrinkles away, there are plenty of ways you can reduce the appearance of those pesky fine lines.
One of our favorite ways to get rid of wrinkles is with facial massage. It’s easy, accessible, and anyone can do it from their own home! All you need is your own two hands.
Does Facial Massage Get Rid of Wrinkles?
Is a massage really the key to radiant, glowy skin?
Not only does massage feel lovely on our skin, but it has plenty of benefits that can make our skin firm, supple, and wrinkle-free. First off, facial massage increases circulation around your face. The movement of a massage brings more oxygen and blood flow to your face. This in turn helps produce more collagen and elastin, two of the most important proteins for younger-looking skin.
Another benefit of facial massage is that it works to strengthen your facial muscles. Think of it like a workout for your face! When you move your body, you tend to feel better and stronger. Why wouldn’t your face be the same?
Kneading your skin helps strengthen those facial muscles, which ultimately leads to tighter, firmer skin. This means a lifted, toned, and more contoured look. And, of course, a less wrinkly one, too.
How Do I Give Myself a Facial Massage?
Now that we’ve realized that a face massage is the secret sauce to achieving the fresh skin of our dreams, we’ve got to start incorporating it into our routines!
An easy way to make facial massage a habit is to do it as a part of your skincare routine. Giving yourself a facial massage while you cleanse, tone, and moisturize is an especially great idea. The movement from the massage can even help improve the absorption of your skincare products. So, grab your favorite serum, oil, or essence, and let’s get to massaging.
There are some important tips and tricks to keep in mind to make sure you get the most out of your daily facial massage.
Lather on an Oil or Serum
An oil (or some other sort of moisturizer) is a massage must. A smooth, slick surface helps your fingers glide over your skin with ease. Massaging dry skin with dry fingers is a recipe for disaster: It creates a lot of friction, which makes it harder for your hands to work on your skin.
Save yourself the trouble and treat your face to a generous slathering of an oil, serum, or moisturizer before you flex those facial massage skills.
Apply Pressure With Your Fingertips
While some people prefer a crystal facial roller, the cushioned pads of your fingertips are perfect for providing gentle pressure to your skin, too. Whether you’re using an ultrasonic rose quartz roller like the Riya or your hands, here is where you should be focused on applying pressure for different areas of wrinkles:
- For frown lines across your forehead, use your middle finger to apply pressure to the center of your forehead.
- For crow’s feet, use your index fingers to apply pressure above, below, and to the side of your eyes. Essentially, you want to massage around the entire orbital bone. Be careful not to tug or pull, as the undereye skin is delicate!
- For laugh lines, create a fist with each of your hands, place your hands at the corners of your mouth, and then glide your fists upwards using gentle pressure.
Massage Upwards and Downwards
Many people caution against massaging skin downwards, as they say it can actually cause wrinkles and make the skin sag. Good news: This is a myth!
Using a combination of both upwards and downwards motions is actually the ideal way to give yourself a facial massage. Both the upwards and downwards movements help to stimulate blood flow and oxygen to the skin.
The downward massage motion in particular can actually help drain water retention from the face, making things look less puffy.
Try a Lymphatic Drainage Massage
This facial massage technique does more than just soothe your skin. A lymphatic drainage massage can also bring down swelling or puffiness caused by blocks in your lymphatic system.
Basically, your tissues can hold onto fluids that should be moving towards your lymph nodes, which will then return that fluid (called lymph) to your heart where it’s supposed to be.
Luckily, you can use lymphatic drainage massage techniques to get some relief — and even improve your appearance. This type of massage can help move lymphs out of your tissues and into your lymph nodes, helping to reduce swelling and build-up.
You can perform a lymphatic drainage massage on yourself or through a licensed massage therapist. Either way, you may get relief through the release of lymphatic fluid in your tissues and the reabsorption of those fluids back into your lymph nodes. No more puffiness for us, thanks!
What Else Can I Do for Wrinkles Besides Facial Massage?
Of course, keeping your skin glowy and fresh is a holistic mission that facial massage can’t solve alone. We definitely recommend keeping facial massage as a part of your skincare routine, but there are plenty of other ways to help maintain your skin’s youthful glow.
Use Retinoids
Retinoids are chemicals that derive from vitamin A, which helps reduce fine lines and wrinkles by increasing collagen production. Tretinoin (also known as Retin-A) is an FDA-approved method to help reduce wrinkles. You can get tretinoin prescribed by your dermatologist or buy an over-the-counter retinol product.
Sleep on Your Back
The way we sleep can actually be a huge contributor to the wrinkles we have. When we’re sleeping, we’re in the same position for hours, which can leave fine lines etched into our skin. Eek!
Sleeping on your back is a wonderful way to help you avoid extra wrinkles on your forehead, cheeks, chin, or anywhere else on your face.
Wear More Sunscreen
When it comes to skincare, this tip will always be at the top. No matter what your concern is, sunscreen can probably help. Sunscreen is a major key when it comes to preventing wrinkles, among many other serious concerns like sun damage and skin cancer.
Exfoliate Every So Often
Sloughing off dead skin cells is one of the keys to keeping skin looking fresh. You can exfoliate with either a chemical or physical product. A chemical exfoliant is one that removes dead skin cells with a chemical solution, like salicylic acid.
A physical exfoliant, on the other hand, removes dead skin cells with the physical friction from a tool like a loofah or washcloth.
In the short term, exfoliating can keep your skin soft and smooth and make products easier to absorb onto your skin. In the long term, exfoliating can increase collagen production, promote skin elasticity, and minimize the appearance of fine lines. AKA – it’s time to glow!
You’re Looking Younger Already
Yep, you are! We hope these tips help you get the glowing skin you deserve.
Sources:
Wrinkles: Causes, treatment, and prevention | MedicalNewsToday
Lymphatic Drainage Massage: What it Is, Benefits & How To Do It | Cleveland Clinic
Ready for a close-up: The science behind face massage rollers | Science Daily
