DIY Facial Massage and Mask Tricks That Make a Major Difference

As time wears on, we come to accept certain things. For example: If you eat an apple every day, you won’t get sick. Or if you step on a crack, your mother will wind up in a hospital somewhere with a suspiciously inexplicable back injury. Similar to the way we regard these age-old -isms, we’ve come to understand that if it’s good enough for Meghan Markle and Jennifer Lopez, it’s probably worth trying. We’re no fools.

Lucky for us, the latest and greatest in beauty wellness comes from none other than the new Duchess of Sussex herself. People generally call it “that weird inner-mouth massage,” or something along those lines, but it actually has a name: sculptural deep tissue buccal facial. Of course, these things go for $250 an hour. (Hey, if they work and you can afford them, by all means—go for it!) But for those of us who don’t want to spend a small fortune on a kinda weird-sounding inner-mouth massage… our time has come.

StyleCaster sat down with Danna Omari, founder of New York City’s famous NOY Skincare, to learn more about the techniques she uses during the buccal facial. Unsurprisingly, we learned that it’d be nearly impossible to recreate the exact facial at home (which is probably why they cost $250). But Omari let us in on some massages and skin secrets that you can try at home—so, obviously, we’re going to tell you all of them.

Danna Omari’s instructions for at-home DIY face massage:

• Prepare: Always cleanse and prep your skin first. After cleansing, but before applying serums/moisturizers, use a cosmetic roller to punch microchannels through the outer layer of dead cells so products can penetrate into the skin. This works great to plump fine lines and wrinkles. You can also include this step prior to applying oil before your massage.
• Massage: Massage the cheek and jaw area with your fingers, starting from the center and moving outward in a circular motion. Bend your index and middle fingers and place them on your jawline, moving from your chin toward your ear. Be firm, but gentle. Repeat 10-15 times. Do the same on the cheekbone. With both hands, use your index finger and thumb, making slight pinching movements where you’d get crows feet around the eyes, going in different directions.
• Work your facial muscles: Stick out your tongue as far as you can about 10-15 times. Puff cheeks 10-15 times. For nasolabial folds (laugh lines), move your tongue back and forth along your inner cheek. Do this 30 times in the morning and 30 at night. Repeat on the other side. Then do the same movement, on both sides, while slightly squinting or grinning.
• Finish up: Use a cold jade roller (stored in the fridge) to calm, de-puff, increase circulation and achieve a healthy glow.

MORE: Celebrity Aesthetician Shani Darden’s Tips for Improving Skin Texture

Later, we spoke with the spa manager at the Marigot Bay Resort in the Caribbean—Saint Lucia, to be exact—to learn about DIY face masks. Darcel Beausoleil says you can make them with ingredients you probably already have in your pantry! And there’s a method to the madness—Beausoleil’s recipes generally consist of a cleanser/toner, an exfoliant, a base (to hold everything together and create an even consistency), and a moisturizer.

Beausoleil had a lot of recommendations, so we broke it down into some recipes for you.

Darcel Beausoleil’s instructions for at-home DIY face masks:

To mattify oily skin
Apply the following mixture to a clean, dry face. Leave on for 10 minutes before washing off.

Oats: help with dry, itchy and irritated skin
Ground oatmeal: exfoliates skin
Cocoa powder: rich in antioxidants
Honey: hydrates skin
Coconut oil: nourishes skin

To rejuvenate skin
Apply the following mixture to a clean, dry face to stimulate blood flow and slough off dead skin. Leave on for 5 minutes before washing off.

Cinnamon: exfoliates skin
Honey: hydrates skin

To calm inflamed skin
Apply the following mixture to a clean, dry face to improve hydration and repair the skin barrier. Leave on for 10 minutes before washing off.

Avocado: contains natural oils that are effective for calming/hydrating
Ground coffee beans: contain antioxidants that reduce inflammation, act as exfoliant
Whole milk: improves paste consistency and has calming effect on the skin

To tighten pores
Apply the following mixture to improve skin tone. Leave on for 10 minutes before washing off.

Honey: hydrates skin
Lemon juice: evens out skin tone
Egg white of one egg: tightens pores

MORE: 9 Low-Key Face Masks You Can Wear Comfortably While Traveling

In the event you don’t have all the right ingredients for a full mask, we also asked Beausoleil which ingredients could be applied to the skin individually and what effects they’d have on your complexion. Here are her suggestions:

Coconut or olive oil: cleanses and moisturizes skin
Coconut or shea butter: works as makeup remover and moisturizer
Tea bag (herbal and non-caffeinated, like lavender or chamomile) soaked in water: acts as toner
Epsom salt, ground coffee beans or cocoa powder: cleanses pores, helps improve circulation, acts as anti-aging and wrinkle-fighting agent

MORE: 5 Things Dr. Pimple Popper Wants You to Know About Skin Care

Lucky for us, these masks are efficient, inexpensive and easy to make. (Not to mention expert-approved, and perfect for summer-ready skin!) So next time your bank account is in the red, ditch the spa treatment and opt for the DIY version. Everything is better from the comfort of your own bed, anyway.