For many people, staying on top of their beauty and skin regime is an important part of their lives.

Sometimes we wake up and look in the mirror to see a puffy face, fine lines, dark circles or even wrinkles that just were not always there before. 

Nobody likes to see the repercussions of ageing. As we grow older, our skin can become more tired and will require a little more tender loving care.

There are so many creams, moisturizers and serums available on the market, and they all promise fantastic results.

But using creams alone will not always get your face looking youthful and glowy as much as you want it to. So many beauticians and dermatologists swear by the benefits of the facial massage.  

So, how can we really fight the signs of ageing without some sort of magic serum with little to no effects? The answer is Tanaka Facial Massage.

What is Tanaka Facial Massage?

This type of facial massage originated in Japan, and was innovated by the famous beauty expert Yokuko Tanaka to help lift the face, regenerate the skin and make you feel and look 10 years younger!

Tanaka massage works to loosen the facial muscles, and therefore remove and reduce the signs of wrinkles or age.

By gently massaging your face, you are stimulating the lymph glands in your skin, and therefore speeding up the process of toxin and fluid removal. 

By touching upon certain pressure points and key parts of your face, you can press away toxins and buildups of fat towards the lymph node.

This will effectively remove those toxins from the face and drain them towards the neck for a younger, refreshed look. 

You will have to utilize your favorite creams and moisturizers for the Tanaka massage to work effectively. Find the best face oils we recommend after hours of research here.

Without creams to soothe and soften the skin, you can cause more damage or spread oils to your skin, which may cause breakouts. 

The Tanaka facial massage is so popular because it has so many benefits that will help you feel more youthful, refreshed and rejuvenated.

By adding a little pressure to your face, you can help ease tension and stress in your skin. This can help calm, relax and destress you after a long week, and can eliminate any pain or headaches. 

How does a Tanaka Facial Massage Work?

The Tanaka facial massage works to penetrate the skin and improve its overall appearance through the lymph nodes.

These are located in front of and behind our ears. The lymph nodes are an important part of our skin, and if they are not properly cared for, then your skin can suffer from swelling and can loosen.

One of the most vital and effective uses of a Tanaka skin massage is that it can help you stay wrinkle free by promoting the collagen in your skin!

By massaging your face you will be stimulating the production of healthy collagen that can reduce lines and wrinkles naturally. 

In a similar way, using the skills of Tanaka massage, you can increase your circulation, and improve the overall look of your face.

This will help spread the blood flow in your face and reduce your risk of puffiness and pale color for a radiant and youthful glow!

How to do a Tanaka Facial Massage

When performed properly, the Tanaka massage should reduce wrinkles and loose skin, help contour the face and improve circulation.

When done every day you can look 10 years younger!

To learn how to do a Tanaka facial massage properly, you must first learn how to control your hand technique and the amount of pressure placed on the face.

Try to put some pressure on the face, but not so much that it hurts.

The contouring massage starts from the forehead and moves down to the chin, before moving back up again. It will then extend around to the whole face.

The first step is to take your massage lotion or moisturizer and apply it evenly all over the face.

We recommend that you follow the video tutorial along with our guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrceQS7qdaI (part one)

The first place on the face that you should work on is the space where the lymph nodes are.

This is located near the ears, before the part where they begin and down towards the neck. From before the ear, work your fingers towards the neck gently. 

Because of the lymph nodes in the neck, you will have to put some pressure to push them away from the face and down towards the neck. 

Forehead

Next, you should place three fingers in the middle of the forehead with both hands. Press down and maintain some light pressure.

Continue to move your fingers, pressing towards the temple, and then move downwards towards the cheekbones all the way through to the collarbones.

should repeat this process up to four times. 

Eyes

Following this, the next step is to begin the eye massage. Place your fingertips at the outer corners of the eye and swoop them down beneath the eyes, up to the inside corners. 

Then, you can extend outwards back to the outer corners. Essentially, you will be doing a full circle around the eyes with just your fingertips. 

Next, you must press lightly with your fingers towards the temple. Then, you can press down past the cheekbones to the collar bones again.

This step should be repeated three times for best results. This will work to remove any bags from under the eyes or puffiness. 

Mouth

The next step in the Tanaka massage is to focus on the mouth. Place your fingers around the mouth, this will help to lift the corners of your mouth and remove any lines.

Start at the bottom of the mouth near the chin, and lift up towards the cheeks with your middle fingers.

Nose

Lift up past your cheeks and press underneath the nose, where you can add a little more pressure.

This motion should be repeated three times; from the middle of the chin to underneath the nose with added pressure. 

You should then massage the wing of the nose, and shape the arch of the nose to strengthen the muscles.

At the arch, you can add more pressure to massage up and down repeatedly. 

Cheeks

From this movement, you can move onto the cheeks. First, start from the lymph nodes near the ear, press down towards the neck and collarbones.

Then you can push up from the bottom of the chin, past the corners of the mouth, and press up the cheeks towards the inner corner of the eyes.

Hold the pressure here for 3 seconds. This will help to eliminate any stored fat on the face. 

Chin

Next, it is important to massage from the chin. Start from one corner of your chin and jawline, and move diagonally towards the nose.

This will remove any lines from along the side of the nose, and help stimulate the breakdown of fat in the face. 

Once your fingertips reach the nose, move out towards the temple, and then back to where you started so that the whole massage path replicates a triangle shape.

Then push down past the neck to remove any build up. 

This should be done at least three times, and then repeat this process on the other side of your face.

Once you have done this, you can place your fingertips back around the wing of your nose.

Press here for a few moments and move the skin towards the sides of the face, and down to the collar bones.

This should also be done three times to remove folds and lines around the mouth that can be aging. 

Place the soft part of your thumbs around the wings of your nose.

Press down with this part of your thumbs and move away horizontally towards the lymph, and down to the collar bone, three times. 

When adding some pressure, you will need to find a balance between putting pressure onto your face, and it being painful. Do not push so hard that it hurts! 

Next, we can move onto the second part of the Tanaka massage. You can view this video tutorial in order to help you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syxMAETLjFk 

Still using the soft parts of your thumbs, press upwards with some strength towards the temples and back down the lymph lines. Repeat three times. 

The final step is to lift up your whole face. Move all of the stored fat upwards towards the lymph and down towards the neck.

For this process, use both of your hands and place them around your mouth as if you are shouting for attention. 

Then, push outwards towards your temples and lymph nodes, pass past the lymph line and down to the collar bone. Repeat this action at least three times. 

For additional help in creating a youthful look, place one hand under the chin and hold the face, whilst the other hand stretches then skin around from left to right of the forehead to help eliminate wrinkles.

With all of these steps performed correctly, you can look 10 years younger!

Top Tips For a Youthful Face

The best time to do the Tanaka facial massage is in the morning or evening, but always after you have fully cleansed your face. 

Try to remove all of the dirt and grime from your face for totally clean pores. You will want to rub moisturizer into your skin as your press upon your muscles, and so a clean base would be best. 

Work slowly and press firmly against your muscles, but never drag the skin as this can cause it to pull and sag afterwards.

You should not feel any pain or discomfort when completing the massage, so remember to not press too hard and do not rub your skin. 

Try to complete a Tanaka facial massage at least once a day for the best results.

Yukoko Tanaka states that if this massage is done correctly, frequently and from a younger age, then you can prevent signs of ages and avoid lines and wrinkles altogether!