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Facial Massage

In India, Facial massage has changed over last six decades. When I was young, young women used to apply either Malai (Clotted milk) or Mustard seed oil to their face and neck. Massage till these oils were absorbed and then wash the face off with warm water.

Mustard seed oil had two major advantages. it contained sulfur that acted as anti-bacterial, and it had omega 3 fatty acids. The Malai left the driest face as soft and smooth.

The Facial Massage has changed. I will describe basic process.

Objective

In the morning, the face looks puffed up, creased, and pale due to limited blood circulation. The objective is to promote blood circulation and moisturize skin. This helps reduce signs of aging.

Choosing Massage Oils

The oil performs two functions. It makes the skin slippery to allow soft strokes by the finger tips without pulling and stretching. It nourishes the skin, vitamin E and omega 3 fatty acids.

For normal skin, the appropriate oils are follows:

Vitamin E source: Almond Oil

Omega 3 acids: Walnut, Borage, Flax seed

For dry skin, the massage oil may be thickened by adding oils high in saturated fats such as Apricot, Avocado, Olive, Macadamia, and wheat germ.

For oily skin, the massage oil may be thinned by adding Hazelnut, Peach, Thistle

Process

It involves four  steps:

Step 1: Cleanse skin.

You can make a basic cleanser of yogurt, honey, and lemon. This will help exfoliating skin. Apply. Leave it on for five minutes. Rinse. Tap Dry.

Step 2: Chose and apply massage oil

It can be as simple as just Almond oil. You will need about 1 teaspoon of

massage oil.

Put a teaspoon of massage oil into one hand. Rub it on both hands. Apply to the entire face.

Step 3: Basic Massage (5 minutes)

Use index and middle finger. Apply light pressure strokes in circular motion. Always massage upward  towards the head. It is also called anti gravity stroke. The other stroke is outward from the nose towards the cheeks in wiping motion.

Step 4: Rinse and pat dry.