BLOG 235: THE 3 BEST FACIAL MASSAGES FOR REDUCING JOWLS

These moves are designed to increase blood circulation and tone the muscles, reducing any sagging that is starting to appear in this area.

Before we get onto the massage techniques themselves though, I just wanted to mention the importance of posture. If you are a long-time follower this is something you’ll have heard me talk about regularly, but I always think it is worth reiterating.

We tend to overlook the importance of posture and the impact it has on our faces, especially the neck, chin, and jaw. When we spend all day hunched forward, it creates a lot of tension in our back and shoulders, which in turn moves into the face.

Poor posture can also lead to weaker muscles in the chin and neck, which eventually causes sagging and loose skin.

So, as you go through this massage routine, I also want you to become more mindful of your posture. Imagine that you have a cord running all the way up your spine and out through your head, pulling you upwards. At the same time, ground down through your feet and drop your shoulders down away from your ears.

Good posture naturally helps your lower face look more lifted and sculpted. Whenever you remember through the day, come back into this upright position and it will gradually start to feel more familiar and be easier to maintain.

With that in mind, let’s look at these massage techniques for reducing jowls.

BEFORE YOU START

The key to any facial massage is to make sure you have clean hands, a clean face, and have applied some serum to give your skin a lovely glide. I always use the Fusion by Danielle Collins Pro Lift Moisturising Serum, which you can find in my online shop.

Take a few long, slow breaths in and out through your nose to help yourself feel relaxed and centred before you begin the massage.

Then, you are ready to start.

1. JAW MASSAGE

Take your index and middle fingers on both hands and place them to either side of your chin.

Keeping your fingers in contact with your skin, use a circular motion to slowly massage along your jawline, working out from your chin towards your ears.

Once you reach the area behind your earlobes, lift your fingers off and bring them back to your chin to start the massage again.

Next, use your thumbs to stroke along the underside of your jawbone. Again, you want to work outwards from your chin and lift off once you reach your ears.

Then, form a V-shape with your index and middle fingers. Alternating sides, smooth along your jawline from your chin to your ears.

All of these techniques are great for releasing tension and boosting blood circulation. By working outwards and upwards, we encourage that natural muscle lifting.

Facial massage also helps to stimulate the flow of energy – known as prana in yoga or Qi in Traditional Chinese Medicine. If that energy is very stagnant or blocked in a particular area, it can show up as wrinkles, dullness, or sagging skin.

With face yoga, we’re always aiming to address issues holistically. Yes, we want to stimulate blood circulation, release muscle tension, and lift the face. But we also want to work on an energetic level to unblock any stagnant areas and get everything flowing freely again.

2. NASOLABIAL FOLDS

Next, we’re moving to focus on the area around the mouth and nose. Many of us find lines developing here or notice the skin starting to sag as we get older. And sagging here can obviously contribute to the appearance of jowls too.

Massaging this area helps again to boost blood circulation, bringing plenty of fresh nutrients and oxygen to the skin and muscles. Of course, it also releases any stagnant energy or blockages that have built up.

Take your middle and index fingers together and bring them to your jawbone, on either side of your chin. Using a circular motion, massage up past your mouth and to the outside of your nostrils, following the nasolabial folds (the lines that go from the corners of your mouth to your nose).

Once you get to your nose, lift off and return to your jaw to repeat the action again.

3. NECK

Finally, we’re going to finish up by massaging the top part of the neck and under the chin. 

Gently tilt your head back so that you can access the area more easily. Using both hands, stroke upwards over your neck and under your chin. You may need to apply some more serum if you didn’t put any on your neck to start with.

Next, hold one hand under your chin, palm facing down. Use the tops of your fingers to tap upwards, massaging the skin under your chin.

ALL DONE!

I said at the start about the importance of posture and how it connects to the face. Really, the thing you realise when you practice face yoga is that everything is connected.

The upper body is connected to the neck, chin, and jaw, the neck is connected to the lower face, the lower face is connected to the upper face. So, if you want to reduce the appearance of jowls, you don’t just want to target that area but also the areas around it – such as the neck and the lower face.

That’s why I’ve given you massage ideas for all three areas here, so you can address them together and really get the energy flowing everywhere.

You can find all these techniques demonstrated over on my YouTube channel.

I also go through plenty of facial massage techniques, facial exercises, acupuncture and more in my two books, Danielle Collins’ Face Yoga and The Face Yoga Journal. They are great reference guides to have on hand to guide your practice and help you learn more about face yoga.

You can find both books via my online shop.