7 Easy Face Massage Tips For Healthy, Youthful Skin - British Vogue

[Ana Morales]

Mert & Marcus Alas & Piggott










There are 56 muscles in the face and yet most of us spend more time focusing our efforts on our thighs, arms or abs. However, they’re worth bearing in mind: “The way you speak to yourself each morning can have an impact on your face. When I talk about holistic care, it includes being conscious about how we apply moisturiser,” explains Leila Haddioui, creator of the Bovisaj facial care method and a Sisley collaborator.

Haddioui is an expert in facial anatomy and yoga; her treatments – which include facial fitness exercises and self-massage classes – are some of the most fun I’ve had exploring different approaches to self care, and they’re easy to incorporate into your daily routine. Many of her lifestyle recommendations are simple: “How you apply each skincare product is key,” she says. Her youthful face is evidence she is doing something right, and she emphasises that none of it is due to Botox.



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In fact, she came up with Bovisaj after deciding not to use Botox: “I felt different, I didn’t recognise myself,” she says, recalling an encounter with a needle which led her to research facial anatomy and create the method. So, how does she recommend preserving your skin’s youth? Here are here tips:

1. Use upwards movement​

“Gravity is the enemy of ageing well, which is why you should always use upwards massage movements to reset muscle memory – they tend to pull downwards,” she says. Always apply this rule, until you reach your neck at the end of your skincare routine – there, opt for gentle, downwards moves to drain away toxins.

2. Use clapping and pinching movements to stimulate collagen​

It’s important to apply creams and other formulas with a certain intensity, in order to stimulate blood circulation and promote the production of collagen, which starts to decrease from the age of 25. “Slap, slap,” Haddioui repeats when applying a serum using those aforementioned upwards strokes. She then finishes by lightly pinching the skin. “Pinch, pinch,” she says. Light slaps and pinches are some of the best ways to promote collagen and elastin production, plus they also stimulate fibroblast production, which helps firm the skin.

3. Use the Pulp Fiction “V” to massage around your eyes​

Since my session with Haddiou, every time I apply eye cream, I use what she calls the Pulp Fiction move on each eye (see: John Travolta’s iconic scene in the movie, where he holds his fingers in a V shape) to apply the product and massage the area. I finish by tapping my fingertips above the arch of each eyebrow, lifting the top of the arch slightly with my fingers.

4. Keep your massage tools chilled​

Haddiou keeps her gua sha (one of her favourite tools for working the jaw area) and other devices in the fridge. However, when I ask her to choose her favourite tool, she says her hands, thanks to their ability to connect with the face’s acupressure points that link to organs in the body. “When you massage your face with your hands, you are reconnecting with yourself”, she explains.

5. The importance of raising your eyebrows​

What’s the most common mistake women make when it comes to their skincare routines, I ask her? Haddiou details an (almost) unavoidable habit where we allow our eyebrows and eyelids to droop. This is common because they are sleeping muscles that need to be activated. Opening your eyes wide and raising your eyebrows can awaken them. “I am aware of my bad habits and try to check them when I can. For example, before a meeting, while I’m waiting, I’ll do an eyebrow-raising exercise,” she says. Every little helps.

6. Warm, smell and inhale​

“When you warm a serum or cream in the palms of your hands, smell it, then breathe deeply, you can completely transform your facial routine. It’s a nice way to slow down, and turns your skincare routine into a pleasant pause in the day, which sends a positive message to your brain. Deep breathing also helps speed up the skin’s detox process, she adds.

7. Eye movements for tired eyes​

How to treat tired eyes? Haddiou is all about harnessing eye movement techniques. Although difficult to describe in a few lines, start with a simple exercise: Look to the right (holding your gaze in that direction for a few seconds) and then repeat on the other side. This will help send oxygen to your eyes and calm your brain.