How can I lift my facial contours with massage as I apply skincare products?

A little bit goes a long way when it comes to massaging your skin as you slather on skincare.

Repeated kneading in the right direction can improve the skin tone over time.

French skincare guru Joelle Ciocco is the go-to facialist of in-the-know Parisians and fashion industry insiders (French fashion icon Carine Roitfeld apparently swears by her in-mouth massages to relieve facial tension).

Ms Ciocco, who has spent more than three decades in the beauty business, has been the Facial Expert for L'Oreal Paris for the last two years and has an eponymous skincare line.

Here are her tips on how to get the daily facial massage down pat.

Note that it should be done before and during the application of a serum or essence, such as the L'Oreal Paris Revitalift V-Shaper Instant Shaping Essence ($39.90, from selected personal care stores and supermarkets).

Repeat each of the steps below seven to 10 times.

1) Lift your skin on the upper part of the face

Do this with clean and dry hands. In a motion similar to the way you would put on a head band, place the fingers of both hands on the brows and smoothe them up and across the forehead.

This helps to lift the brows and reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

2) Drain and tone the lower part of the face

Starting from the laugh lines, massage your cheeks with your fingertips in an outward motion towards the back of the ears.

This improves circulation and prevents the masticatory muscles (the ones that help you chew) from developing into sagging contours.

3) Apply serum or essence

Pump a pearl-sized amount of product and briefly warm it between the palms.

Start by placing both thumbs at the jawline and gently glide both hands from the middle of the face towards the hairline.

4) Shape the jawline

Place your thumbs behind the ears, and glide the sides of index fingers from along the middle of the chin towards the ears.

5) Drain the excess water from the face

If necessary, first apply a little more product to lubricate skin.

Gently clench both hands, and glide both knuckles from just under the jaw, down the neck and towards the collarbones.

This further reduces puffiness on the face.

This article was first published on Oct 10, 2014.
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