The Best Face Massage Tools And How To Use Them Properly

The skincare gadget realm is booming with innovation. Whether it's LED masks for fine lines or clarity, microcurrent devices to whip your contours into shape or manual face massage tools to elevate your daily regime.

The latter is a professional's secret tool to not only boosting radiance through encouraging blood flow, but also for quickly taking down any puffiness. Backstage at fashion week, make-up artists rely on these clever tool as an extension of their hands to help reinvigorate the tired complexion of a jet-setting model.

Massaging your face can alleviate tension in overworked muscles, (jaw-clenchers, we're talking to you), which not only feels heavenly but can also de-puff, tone and lift your complexion. Plus, some of the latest innovations simultaneously tackle different skincare concerns, be it fine lines or breakouts.

How do facial massage tools work?

By kicking your lymph system into gear, a jade roller, gua sha stone or face massager can shift toxins and blockages, meaning those long-lost cheekbones will soon reappear. Alternatively, pick a device enhanced with vibrational technology, and it'll aid absorption of all those lovingly applied serums and creams, ensuring you see optimal benefits from your products.

According to expert facialist Sarah Chapman, working frequent massage sessions into your skincare routine will deliver welcome cumulative results. 'Regular use brightens, tightens, drains toxins and reduces puffiness by boosting the supply of vital nutrients and oxygen to your skin, giving you that immediate, fresh glow,' she says.

‘There are so many benefits to facial massage,’ agrees celebrity facialist and TCM expert, Ada Ooi. ‘One of the best skincare hacks that you can do easily from home is to use a facial massaging tool to stimulate acupressure points for tension release and drain the lymphatic system to give a firmer, brighter complexion,’ she adds.

If all that hasn't got you convinced, consider the soul-soothing benefits too. Face massagers and sculpting stones are packed with stress-busting power. Try sitting down with one after an anxious day, and you'll soon see what we mean.

How to do a facial massage at home

First up, choose your facial tool of choice, whether that's a gua sha tool, facial roller or a high-tech alternative. Chanel's latest N°1 de Chanel Massaging Accessory is specially designed to work on the face holistically, promising to deliver results that include softer fine lines, improved elasticity, minimised pores and a brighter glow.

Next, you'll need to apply a product to provide 'slip' for your face massage tool. It can be a face oil for dry skin, or a nourishing creamy essence.

Then, it's time for the massage. If you're opting for Chanel's new tool (it's incredibly chic and useful), use the ridged side along the cheeks to help with skin texture. Press it gently on the area under the eyes, applying pressure around three to five times before smoothing the tool across the cheeks. For fine lines, use the tapered section of the tool. On the forehead, gently tug the skin upward and trace the tool downwards with light pressure. Then, move the tool in a zig-zag motion. Your skin might appear slightly flushed, but fret not.

'As soon as you get the microcirculation going, there will be some colour in the face,' says Marija Karin, Chanel's academy training manager. Repeat the same motion around the eye area and in between the eyebrows. A face massage is also great for the nasolabial folds. 'For most of us, this is where the fine lines first appear,' according to Karin, who recommends using face massage to delay the lines. Hold the skin around the nasolabial fold (it's the point where the end of your nose meets your mouth, or the lower bit of your cheek), and use the tool to massage upwards and in a zig-zag motion.

How to sculpt your face with a facial massage at home

'A great quick jaw-sculpting technique is to anchor the tool or hand in the middle of your chin, gently glide upwards to the front of the ear where there are acupressure points; press and wiggle, go to the back of the ear and glide downwards to the neck, ending at the collar bone,' says Ooi. 'Press and wiggle again there and repeat 3 times to stimulate the area and boost circulation while it drains stagnated elements.' Her top tip: Don't forget to take deep breaths during your facial massage, either.

Here, we've rounded up the best face massage tools, jade rollers and vibrating wands to start practising with now, along with exactly how to use them, and the results you can expect.

The best massage tools for your mid-week facial