BLOG 158: TRY THESE 9 ACUPRESSURE POINTS TO LIFT YOUR SKIN
Jun 07, 2022
It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of acupressure, both for its aesthetic benefits and for the deeper wellness benefits we can get from working with these points. Many of my Face Yoga routines include some acupressure.
Someone who is just as enthusiastic about acupressure is Katie Blake, aka The Skin Whisperer. Katie will be a familiar face to long-term followers – she’s one of the co-authors of our Facial gua sha teacher training course, a super-trainer in Facial gua sha and Face Yoga, and an expert in all things skincare.
Katie is also a regular on the Face Yoga Expert Podcast. Most recently, we got together to talk about our favourite acupressure points and their benefits for our skin and wellness.
Working with these 9 acupressure points will help to increase blood circulation, boost energy flow, and reduce lines and wrinkles. However, they also have deeper benefits on an energetic and emotional level.
HOW TO STIMULATE THE ACUPRESSURE POINTS
You can simply use your fingers to press and hold each point. If you want to work a little deeper, you could also use a gua sha tool – either a precision tool or the traditional restorer tool, depending on which point you’re working with.
Ideally, you want to spend around 30-60 seconds on each point. If you’re new to acupressure, you might find the points are a little sensitive – Katie recommends starting with just 10 seconds and then working up from there.
I also love to massage the points, either in a circular motion or using a little pulsing action, depending on where I’m working.
1. YIN TANG / THIRD EYE POINT
This is probably my favourite acupressure point. It is wonderful for calming the mind and body. It is also great for insomnia, anxiety, and frontal headaches. It can help to smooth out number 11 lines and bunny lines too.
You’ll find it between your eyebrows. You can press with your fingers or a gua sha tool for around 30 seconds or place a crystal on the point for up to 10 minutes. This can be lovely during meditation to clear the mind and connect to your intuition.
2. BRIGHT EYES / BLADDER 1
This point is found by the inner corners of your eyes, just beside the bridge of your nose. It helps to increase blood and energy flow to the eye area, so is a great one for reducing dark circles and puffiness.
I like to use this point when I’ve been spending too long on screens. As the name suggests, it helps to brighten the eye area and relieve eye strain.
3. GATHERING BAMBOO / BLADDER 2
This is another point that is wonderful for relieving headaches and reducing tension in your eye and brow area. You’ll find it just by the inside edge of your eyebrows.
You can use a regular gua sha tool on this spot or just your fingers. If you have a headache, combine pressing this point with some deep breathing and perhaps some reiki energy healing too.
4. RECEIVED TEARS / STOMACH 1
To find this point, look straight ahead and then come down in a straight line from your pupils, pressing just under the eyes.
This is brilliant for balancing out the waters of your eyes, whether they are too dry or too watery. It also helps to brighten dark circles.
5. THE FOUR WHITES / STOMACH 2
This point is a great complement to the Stomach 1 point. It is on the same alignment, so just come down a little lower. If you have sensitive eyes, you might find it more comfortable to work with this point instead of Stomach 1.
This point helps to relieve tired, itchy eyes. It’s a great one to try if you’re experiencing eye twitches, or to reduce under-eye bags and puffiness.
6. WELCOME FRAGRANCE / LARGE INTESTINE 20
This point has many benefits, including relieving nasal congestion and sinus pain, hay fever, and brightening the lower face. It is located on either side of the nostrils.
If you are congested, just press these points for 10 seconds at a time. Release and then repeat a few more times. Otherwise, you can press and massage for 30-60 seconds.
7. CONCEPTION VESSEL 24
This point is underused and underappreciated, but I love to use it to relieve lower jaw tension, reduce swelling, and ease tightness in the back of the neck.
It is located just below your bottom lip, in the centre of your chin. You might find it feels a little tender when you first press it – start with just 10 seconds at a time and work up from there.
8. CHEEKBONE / SMALL INTESTINE 18
This acupressure point helps to brighten and lift the cheek area. It is also a great one to try if you are experiencing redness, sensitive skin, or rosacea.
The best way to find this point is to suck in your cheeks and feel for the little indentation that appears.
9. SILKEN BAMBOO HOLLOW / TRIPLE ENERGISER 23
Our final point is one of Katie’s favourites. You can find it in the little dent at the outer edge of your eyebrow.
This point has many benefits. It helps to release stress and tension from the temple area, boosts circulation to the upper face and eye area, and reduces lines and hollows around your temples.
FIND OUT MORE
This has been a quick introduction to some of the acupressure points Katie and I love to work with. It’s a mini-taster of some of what you’ll learn when you take our facial gua sha teacher training course. We dive much deeper into acupressure, the meridians, facial anatomy, and gua sha techniques.
