Word on the street is there is a new skincare therapy that is designed to offer your skin and muscles some much-needed relief in the most quirky way possible. Can you guess what it is? Hint- it involves cups. With almost every celebrity and influencer hopping on the bandwagon, we are here to give you the 101 on all things facial cupping.
What is facial Cupping?
Cupping in its entirety is a therapy that has roots in Ancient China and even Ancient Egypt. It involves the usage of suction cups that are specially designed to offer your skin and the muscles present on your skin some intense stimulation.
Think of it as giving your face a deep-tissue massage. Sounds quite invigorating, does it not? Facial cupping involves using small cups to massage your face which can give you results you could never imagine. Our facial muscles need a good workout too once in a while, and this could be it!
Benefits of Facial Cupping
Now that we know what facial cupping is, let us delve a little deeper into all the benefits it has to offer to our skin, and there are plenty-
1. Improved Blood Circulation
It is a great booster for blood circulation on your face since it works to heavily stimulate circulation where the cups are placed. It also improves the flow of nutrients around your entire facial structure ensuring that there is even blood flow everywhere.
2. Lesser Tension and A Toned Face
It is no secret that our face is the first to exhibit any signs of tension when stressed. Facial cupping is known to relieve that facial tension cooped up in our muscles. The cups loosen your facial muscles and also sculpt your face when done at regular intervals.
3. Minimise Premature Signs of Ageing
Since facial cupping improves blood circulation, it is also responsible for boosting Collagen production all over your face. This results in the appearance of these fine lines and wrinkles reducing overtime and giving you a youthful glow.
4. No Puffiness
We often wake up with a heavily bloated face due to fluid retention overnight. But facial cupping over certain spots of the face can work to release the pent-up fluids and also drain the toxins present in your face. Those puffy bags and swelling across your face can be minimised by cupping the right way.
5. Regulated Sebum Production
Excessive oil production is caused due to a plethora of factors and facial cupping is a practice that lets you regulate it. Cupping sections of the face which tend be oilier than usual can aid in balancing the production of oil. This in turn can reduce blackheads, whiteheads and other acne from forming.
The Process:
We are here to simplify the whole process of facial cupping for you. So grab those cups and take your skin on a joyous ride.
STEP 1: Cleanse your face with the Swisse Olive Leaf Deep Cleansing Gel to ensure there is no makeup residue and grime on your face. It is important to have a squeaky clean face before you engage in facial cupping.
STEP 2: Apply the House Of Beauty Peach Oil all over your face in an even manner. Application of a facial oil is a must before choosing to partake in any facial massage activity. This particular oil deeply nourishes and repairs your skin.
STEP 3: Gently massage your face with your fingers in upward motions. Move from your jawline to your cheeks to your temples and eyebrows. This is done to relieve your facial muscles of any preliminary tension and make facial cupping easier.
STEP 4: Opt for the House of Beauty Face Lifting Silicon Cups and begin by placing a small cup at the bottom of your face, ie. the chin by squeezing it gently from the middle. Leave it be for a few seconds. Shift to a newer facial area as you desire and swap smaller cups for a larger one depending on which area you choose to massage. Continue applying the cups on every part you desire to focus on while ensuring that the pressure applied is extremely light.
STEP 5: Cleanse your face of the facial oil applied earlier.
STEP 6: Choose to continue with your regular skincare routine as facial cupping stimulates blood flow and makes absorption of the rest of skincare easier as the products can penetrate deeper now.
Temporary Side Effects
Facial cupping is a highly safe and effective facial massage practice that you can conduct from the comfort of your home. However, there are a few instances where you could feel a few temporary side effects from some minor dizziness to lightheadedness and periodical cold sweats. Your face could also experience slight bruising due to the cups being applied. It is crucial to keep in mind that these effects are all temporary in nature and completely normal!
Is Facial Cupping and Body Cupping the same?
We do understand where the confusion about facial cupping and body cupping being the exact same massage practice could stem from. However, these two happen to be entirely different in nature even though they could result in providing similar benefits.
The cups used to massage the face are generally smaller in size compared to the ones used to administer a massage on your body, so they tend to leave minimal or no marks behind. Compared to facial cupping which is done to result in better blood circulation and a glowing skin, body cupping is conducted to alleviate any kind of aches and pain.
Facial cupping aims to result in a better flow of nutrients to the face while increasing the movement of “chi” (energy) all for giving you an illuminating face that radiates in and out.
How often can facial cupping can be done?
Though it seems like a very fun and appealing way to get a quick glow, the practice of facial cupping is one that should be done not more than twice a week, at regular intervals. This is because over-cupping can lead to your skin becoming more elastic and sagging over time. It is recommended that this should be done when your face needs a quick pick-me-up of some glow.
Who is facial cupping cupping recommended for?
Facial cupping is recommended for individuals who deal with dull and lifeless skin that needs some rejuvenation and energy. So if you have dry skin that needs a boost of glow- facial cupping is for you!
It is also recommended for people who have oily skin since facial cupping if done at regular intervals is known to balance the oil production hence preventing any negative consequences of overly oily skin.
However, if you have active acne or breakouts attacking you constantly- facial cupping is something you should steer clear of since it could aggravate the acne and worsen it.
Certain things to be mindful of
There are a few things one needs to keep in mind before they choose to engage in facial cupping at home. Some of these are-
1. Do not keep the cup in one place for a long time. Keep moving it around every few seconds. This is to ensure that your face does not bruise.
2. It is advisable to avoid cupping the immediate under-eye area and stop near the orbital bone to prevent sagging of the under-eyes.
3. Intake of medication that is responsible for blood thinning should be avoided right before facial cupping.
4. Pregnant women should not be partaking in this facial massage technique.
5. You should be using appropriate facial cups for the right facial parts. A small cup should be used for places like the chin and the temples, whereas larger parts like the cheekbones should have the larger cup being used on them.
Aftercare
Like any other massage requires a significant amount of aftercare, so does facial cupping, since it replicates a deep tissue massage for your skin. Here are a few things you should be doing right after a relaxing session of facial cupping-
1. Hydrate Yourself Aplenty
It is very important to ensure that your body is not dehydrated and hydrated enough to drain out any excess toxins. It is recommended to drink two glasses of water with every meal, at least for the first 24 hours.
2. Avoid These
Intake of caffeine, alcohol and salty food must be avoided for the first 24-36 hours to ensure there is no further toxin buildup in the body, right after getting them drained.
3. Facial Care
Keep your face away from hot water and opt for rinsing it with some cold or mildly lukewarm water. Any exfoliation should be done at least 3 days after the facial cupping to avoid the barrier of the skin is damaged.
SUMMARY
Who does not want a face that is chiselled and glowing? The ancient practice of facial cupping will surely rejuvenate your skin and offer it a workout like never before. Embrace cupping and all the variety of benefits it has to offer your face.
- Sakshi Rawte
