You Can Encourage Healthier Skin By Massaging These Facial Areas

You spend a lot of time and money trying to keep your face looking radiant and to limit the signs of aging. However, did you realize you have the tools for glowing and healthy-looking skin right at your fingertips? Literally!

Like acupuncture, acupressure is an ancient form of Chinese medicine where you use your fingers to apply pressure to specific areas of your face to help stimulate blood flow, release the lymphatic system, and reduce stress. In addition to helping to give you glowing and radiant skin, acupressure can help with fever and chills, physical pain, stress, and congestion, according to Healthline. Sure, you could head to a licensed massage therapist or acupuncturist to get the benefits of this form of massage, but you can also do it from the comfort of your own home with a bit of know-how.

Give your skin a renewed glow by learning a few acupressure points to help reduce puffiness, stimulate circulation, reduce blemishes, and give your skin renewed life. Explore the proper form and technique for this type of massage to incorporate it into your daily routine.

Acupressure doesn't take a lot of work to get results; therefore, you might want to start including it in your skincare routine, both morning and night. While you can find a lot of different tools on the market for performing acupressure, like gua sha stones, you don't need more than your fingers to reap the benefits of a facial massage.

First, ensure your hands and face are clean, so you're not putting unwanted impurities into the skin you're working to improve. It's also helpful to have a bit of lotion or moisturizer on the skin to ensure that the movements have a bit of slip and don't pull at your pores. Start by putting steady, medium pressure on the particular point you're working on. To create variation, try using tapping, pulling, or circular motions to apply pressure to the area for three-second intervals, according to Versed.

To get the most out of your massage, you'll want to start from the top of your face and work your way down, focusing on the specific points that are most helpful. It's even beneficial to throw in a bit of deep breathing to maximize your relaxation as you repeat this process a few times a day. Now that you've got the technique down to a science, learn a few of the most beneficial acupressure points for radiant skin.

One of the best acupressure points for your skin is called the yintang, also known as the third eye. This point is located directly between your eyebrows, where your third eye is, and where you get those frown lines as you scrunch up your nose. Press on this area to improve blood flow and reduce anxiety, as the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center explains. It's also the point you'll want to press for a better night's rest.

In addition to being great for your skin, the yintang has a range of benefits for your physical, emotional, and spiritual health. For example, this acupressure point is the sixth chakra and helps with mental tension, headaches, restlessness, and sinus pain (via Village Wellness). The Taoists also believe that activating this point is vital to your spiritual vision and connection with others. 

To get the most benefit from this point, it's going to take a little bit longer than a few seconds. Try applying pressure for about 30 seconds or so with a tapping or circular motion. Now that you've gained the relieving benefits of your third eye, add a little pressure to benefit the skin under your eyes.

You had a bit too much fun last night, and your sleep paid the price for it. You've woken up to dark circles and a bit of puffiness that you're not sure if makeup will cover. After you give your third eye a little pressure for tension and that headache, move your finger down to your four whites or si bai area.

This area is right below the eye socket in the middle of the face. To get your fingers placed correctly, put your fingers right below your irises and pull down to just below the bones of your eye sockets. Once you've found the area, use gentle pressure to massage. Gentle is key because too much pressure can cause sagging and create more puffiness.

Massaging the four whites areas have tons of benefits for your eyes, like reducing swelling, clearing redness, and alleviating itchiness (per Sacred Lotus Chinese Medicine). Like most acupressure areas, the four whites also help improve circulation and promote the draining of the lymphatic system to give your brighter and firmer skin around your eyes. With your eyes looking clear and bright, you can move your way down to just beside your nose.

As you age, you might start to notice those laugh lines that form around your cheeks, starting at the sides of your nose. Some people love them because they show just how happy your life has been, while others find them downright annoying. Whether you love or hate them, where they start at the base of your nostril is the next area you'll want to massage — the LI20 pressure point.

Start by pointing your fingers at either side of your nose, then move them over just a smidge and add pressure. Providing a gentle massage to this area will reduce swelling in your face and help with under-eye bags, according to Healthline. This is also the point to press if you have a stuffy nose since you can clear out your sinuses and relieve nasal congestion (via Healthline). Pressing the LI20 area also helps to give your face a gentle lift, which helps with wrinkles. Additionally, this acupressure point has to do with digestion and large intestine health, as Qi Harmony Bodywork explained. 

Before you move on to the last acupressure point behind the ears, you might also want to press between your nose and lip to help calm your mind. A calm mind and relaxed face always look amazing. 

The final acupressure point to help give you healthy skin on your face isn't actually on your face itself. Instead, the wind screen, or yi feng point, is behind your ear lobe. In addition to dozens of different benefits for your ears and jaw, it's also good for getting rid of swelling and puffiness in your cheeks (via Sacred Lotus Chinese Medicine). Because who wants to have a swollen face? And as @anew.acu explains in her TikTok, this point can help with recovery after ear infections or colds.

This area also has something to do with the thyroid gland; therefore, when you gently work this area, you're going to stimulate and balance the thyroid, which can do wonders for helping to improve your circulation. The increased blood flow gives you that beautiful, radiant glow within your skin that everyone craves. 

You spend an arm and a leg on products to keep your skin looking radiant and youthful. While gua sha might already be part of your facial regime, take your skin to new heights by trying acupressure at very specific points on your face. Just a few minutes of tapping or circular motions have wonderful benefits like reducing stress, increasing oxygen, and relieving anxiety, which in turn makes your face look relaxed and glowing.