What is Facial Massage?

On days that your face feels tense, tired or puffy, a facial massage can be just the thing you need to make you feel better. Facial massages usually entail sweeping movements across your face that help to relieve tension by pressing on or pushing along the facial muscles to encourage drainage under your skin or from your lymph nodes. And, simply put, it just feels good.

You can give yourself a facial massage or you can visit an esthetician for a professional facial, which will definitely include some level of facial massage along with skincare application, and will help make you feel more relaxed, with glowing skin to boot. But, if you are unable to get a facial, you can always give it try by yourself at home.

If you have a tension headache, you can massage around the temples with small circles. If you have a migraine, typically massaging in an upward and sweeping movement around the orbital bone around the eye socket will relieve some pressure. Or perhaps your face feels puffy around the eyes or jawline, you can lightly move your fingertips in small circles or in light sweeping motions along those areas to help encourage some fluid drainage. As with body massages, it’s best to have some kind of lotion or oil (or in this case, facial serum) to encourage some slip or gliding movements on the skin.

In general, you want to use light pressure to start and build it up to where it feels comfortable. Too aggressive or harsh movements can really move your delicate facial skin around too much and cause premature wrinkles or fine lines. As always, use your best judgment and take it slow and easy at first.

What is A Facial Roller?

If you’re ready to kick your at-home facial massage up a notch, you can try a facial roller. Facial rollers have been on trend and have become an essential self-care item in any beauty routine, allowing everyone an everyday luxury of quick and easy facial massage with a few quick rolls.

Facial rollers resemble double-ended pastry rollers that you'd use in the kitchen, but they are for your face. Facial rollers have cylinders that spin freely around a metal handle, typically with a larger side on one end and a smaller side on the other.

They are typically made with jade or rose quartz, although you may find a variety of other crystal material used too, such as amethyst, blue spot jasper or obsidian. Some rollers are even made of metal, allowing for even more cooling benefits that last for a longer period of time, such as the Kitsch Ice Roller.

The rollers feel cool to the touch, and when rolling along the face, can help to reduce facial puffiness while also increasing circulation. Keeping your facial roller in the refrigerator or the freezer can amp up its depuffing abilities as well.

Facial rolling isn't just a matter of treating yourself to a refreshing massage, however. Some experts believe that it can also help promote lymphatic drainage. Your lymphatic system is responsible for draining toxins from your tissues, so using a facial roller may help accelerate the process, while offering some face contouring which is a nice plus.

The cool sensation can increase circulation, calm the skin, and soothe jaw pain or eye strain. The increased circulation that rolling brings to your face may help plump up tissues so that small wrinkles become less noticeable.

Enhance Circulation by Adding Gua Sha

You might see even more skin benefits by pairing facial rolling with gua sha. This is the practice of using a curved facial scraping tool to remove impurities and reduce inflammation from the skin, while improving circulation, promoting lymphatic drainage and relaxing the facial muscles.

The effects can be similar to those of facial rolling. You might notice clearer, brighter skin with more firmness and fewer visible wrinkles.

So, Are Facial Rollers Worth The Money?

In our opinion, facial rollers are an integral part of any beauty or self-care routine. The act of taking a few minutes to use a facial roller can act as a small daily self-care ritual to focus on yourself, or as part of a larger self-care session where you can fully relax and reduce stress.

With the added depuffing, cooling and tension relieving benefits of facial rolling, it’s an inexpensive way to improve your circulation and give yourself a facial massage at home. iHerb Beauty carries facial rollers (and gua sha tools) at various price points from Honey Belle, Mount Lai, After Spa, Grace & Stella, and Artnaturals, so you’ll be able to find one to fit your budget and start rolling away.