Su-Man recommends this mini daily facial massage, to maximise the benefits of her skin care ritual. It’s super quick and easy, but will greatly benefit your future face (just look at Su-Man)!
DAILY SELF-FACIAL MASSAGE
Follow this sequence of massages/gestures once a day (morning or evening) after cleansing – and always make sure your hands are spotlessly clean before touching your face.
In ancient Chinese medicine, it’s believed that all the pressure points on the face are not only related to specific organs, but can also have a dramatic impact on your beauty – helping to counteract dullness and maintain skin’s youthful elasticity and strength.
Before you begin your daily self–facial you need to generate heat in the face by stimulating circulation. This prepares the pressure points for massage and is accomplished by rubbing the ears with the palm of both hands, until you ‘feel the burn’.
All the exercises are easier to do when sitting (we wouldn’t want to wear you out).
1/ Rest your elbows on a table and massage your face with moisturiser; starting from the chin, use the heels of both palms to apply pressure along the jawline, up to the base of the ears - repeat 36 times.
2/ Take the heels of both your hands from the edge of your nostrils and press along in one continuous line underneath the cheekbones up to the edge of your ears. Again, 36 times, always in the same direction. Never press downwards! You want to ‘lift’ the facial muscles up – not drag them down!!
3/ Using the middle fingers of both hands, press the area between your eyes and your nose and stroke gently, but firmly downwards, following the nose line to the side of your nostrils. It is like drawing two lines in a downward direction. This helps to clear the sinuses and improve your breathing. Repeat 36 times.
4/ Make two small claws with your four fingers of each hand. Put them together on the middle of your forehead and press quite firmly (without pulling or scratching the skin – make sure your fingernails are filed!) in an outward direction, smoothly, until your reach the temples. Again, repeat 36 times in the same direction. This helps to gradually decrease the appearance of frown lines and furrows.
5/ Tap around the eye sockets using your fingertips – do not tap too hard, the natural weight of your fingers is enough to have the desired effect. Repeat six times above the eye socket and six times below – this stimulates the orbital bones and has a brightening, tightening action; reducing puffiness and alleviating any inflammation. To finish off this exercise, continue tapping all over the face – but you only need to do this a few times. Do not tap the eyelids!! They are too delicate and you risk damaging the eyes themselves.
6/ Finally, using the fingertips of both hands, tap all over the scalp and cranium quite strongly (using the natural weight of your fingers) to generate energy, stimulate blood flow and strengthen the bones. Try not to touch your face again after this exercise, as you can transfer dust, dirt and oils from your hair to your skin.
When you have finished this sequence Su-Man suggests drinking a glass of warm water to help the chi flow.