Nothing can get rid of a long stressful day, quite like a long luxurious facial massage. In fact nothing can get rid of stress like any kind of massage and there are over 80 types - the facial massage being just one of them. The ancient art of massage therapy is simple to learn and offers far more benefits that simple stress relief; learning massage therapy will make you endlessly popular and improve your relationships with those around you.

The luxury facial massage is very simple to learn, and doesn’t involve any specialist training. It focuses primarily on the muscles of the face and neck, and often uses a variety of oils or creams to enhance the experience.

The facial muscles actually can hold a lot of tension, without realizing it we hold stress in our foreheads and our cheeks, a facial massage not only relieves these stresses and tensions but also rejuvenates the face and provides an uplifting experience, the benefits are many and include:

• Relieving stress and tension
• Relieving migraines and headaches
• Reducing wrinkles and sagging skin
• Making the skin glow and appear healthier
• Reducing sinus problems
• Encouraging lymphatic drainage
• Making the skin appear firmer without surgery

Sounds wonderful? So how hard is it to do a facial massage? The method varies, just as any other form of massage therapy there are many techniques you can employ. But following a basic routine you can embellish with your own ideas and preferences, adding oils, aromas or creams to enhance the experience for your partner.

Method:

• Set up the atmosphere before bringing your partner or volunteer in, dim the lights, light some complimenting scented candles, turn on some relaxing music and get any oils or creams ready.

• Ask your partner to lie down and choose some lightweight oil, warm it between your hands and apply using long sweeping movements from the chin to the forehead. Be gentle on the skin, but also be firm.

• Using just your fingertips, tap the face starting at the chin and moving slowly up the forehead, but do not tap the eyes. Move back down again tapping the cheeks. This method should be done gently, with a fast fluttering motion, which will not only increase circulation but improve skin firmness.

• Again using your fingertips, make tiny circles on the forehead and temple, moving down the sides of the face and back up again.

• Using just your thumbs draw down from the hairline down to the ears and back again, repeat this several times, each time adding a finger, until you are using your whole hand to draw down the ears and back, this will encourage the lymph nodes to drain.

• Lightly, but firmly pinch right between the eyebrows, this increases blood circulation. Slowly work down the eyebrow, pinching lightly and repeat on the other side.

• Press two fingers on the skin next to the nose and staying in one spot, move your fingers in circles, move outwards repeating this motion every ½ inch. These are the pressure points, massaging them will relieve sinus pressure and problems and promote lymphatic drainage.

• Gently place three fingers on the temples and use medium size circling motion, keeping you fingers in one place and moving the skin. You may feel a lot of stress and tension here, so spend as long as you feel is needed.

• Move your splayed fingers up into the hairline, towards the back of the skull, pressing down firmly until you reach the back near the occipital bumps. Make a firm circling motion as on the temple and repeat this several times.

• Using your thumbs and two fingers, make a gentle suction or pinching motion on the jaw line, pulling the skin slightly towards the ears, this will make the skin appear to be glowing, so repeat it along the neck and cheeks.

• Finish with some stroking movements working from the jaw to the temple and repeat.

You will feel areas of tension as you work the muscles of the face, if your partner seems to be particularly enjoying a part of the massage, repeat it several times. Don’t be afraid to spend too long on one area, or to use more oil, but try not to use too much or you could end up making the skin very greasy. Just make sure there is enough to aid the massage without making the skin too oily. Remember the skin of the face can be very sensitive, don’t be too rough, and tell your partner to let your know if anything becomes uncomfortable or hurts in any way.

A facial massage will relax your partner almost to the point of sleep, this is actually a good thing, it means they really enjoyed the techniques. Remember, this is just a start, you can always adapt some of these principles to create new techniques, as long as you rely on some basic rules.

• Always pull the skin upwards not downwards, otherwise it will sag.

• The eyes are very sensitive, avoid getting oil in them or massaging them directly.

• Too much oil will make the skin greasy.

• Practice on friends on family, they won’t be complaining, and when you get your own routine, you will be able to provide a service which will become invaluable to all who know you.