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Why add face massage to your daily skincare regime? This dermatologist-approved step offers countless benefits for tighter, brighter skin—and relieves tension, to boot. “The best facial massagers can reduce puffiness, boost circulation, and relieve facial tension,” confirms Asmi Berry, DO, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist in Los Angeles. “Think of it as a workout for your skin. Over time, consistent facial massage can improve your skin’s absorption of products, enhance glow, and, by stimulating facial muscles, even provide subtle lifting effects.”
The best facial massager for you will be the one that not only targets your primary skin-care concerns but also offers a soothing moment of self-care, keeping you coming back for more. As with all facial skin-care tools, the best face massagers require consistent use to deliver their most glowing results.
Vogue’s Favorite Face Massagers
- Best for Sculpting: Jillian Dempsey Gold Sculpting Bar, $195
- Best for Product Absorption: Joanna Czech Facial Massager, $189
- Best for Puffiness: Wilding Facial Gua Sha Empress Stone, $69
- Best for Eye Bags: Solawave 4-in-1 Skin Care Wand, $169
- Best for TMJ: Therabody Theraface PRO, $399
- Best for Stressed Skin: Mount Lai Jade Roller, $36
- Best for Nasolabial Folds: Shani Darden Facial Sculpting Wand, $399
- Best for Relieving Tension: Face Gym Face Ball Tension Release Tool, $33
Luckily, with dermatologist and esthetician-endorsed picks ranging from cooling jade rollers to Ayurvedic kansa wands and high-tech microcurrent devices, there’s no shortage of options for giving the skin a post-facial glow at home.
Ahead, browse the face massagers Vogue editors, celebrities, and skincare pros swear by for contoured cheeks, radiant skin, and pure relaxation.
In This Story:
- What is a face massager?
- What are the benefits of facial massagers?
- Do facial massagers really work?
- How to Use a Face Massager
- How to Choose a Face Massager
- Meet the Experts
Jillian Dempsey Gold Sculpting Bar
- Why We Love It: From celebrity makeup artist Jillian Dempsey, this gilded tool vibrates 6,000 times per minute to instantly relax facial muscles. In the process, the cult-loved device enhances blood flow for a natural glow, creating the perfect foundation for a no-makeup makeup look. The vibrating bar also assists with lymphatic drainage, ably contouring, defining, and depuffing the face. (Some may say it’s pure gold for snatched cheekbones.) Personally, I use the tool as a quick fix for the“tech lines” on my neck—after whisking it across the horizontal creases for a minute or two, my skin looks smoother and firmer, like crinkled bedsheets that have been tidied up and tucked in.
- Specs: 24k gold-plated bar that vibrates at 6,000 rotations a minute
- Best For: Sculpting, toning, lifting, contouring
- How to Use: After cleansing and moisturizing the skin, move the tool upward and outward along the jawline toward the temple, spending about five minutes on either side of the face.
Joanna Czech Facial Massager
- Why We Love It: One of the best facial tools for a glowing, sculpted complexion, Joanna Czech’s angled ball roller puts the iconic facialist’s touch in the palm of one’s hand. Kiana Murden, Vogue’s senior beauty shopping writer, says: “Though I sadly can t get a treatment with [Czech] daily, I can use this roller which mimics her massage technique. It gets the blood moving in my face, depuffs, and relieves tension. I love it!” Designed to boost circulation and chisel the jawline and cheekbones, the facial massager also enables greater product absorption. Simply glide it over your favorite serums and creams to push them deeper into the skin.
- Specs: Angled ball roller made of aluminum and zinc alloy, waterproof
- Best For: Sculpting, lifting, depuffing, firming, smoothing, product absorption
- How to Use: Roll the massager across the face, neck, and chest for firmer skin with a greater glow. For best results, the brand recommends using the roller consistently for about seven minutes a day.
Ranavat Kansa Wand
- Why We Love It: A staple in Ayurvedic skincare, a kansa wand is a dome-shaped tool that stimulates blood circulation. The wand gets its name from the type of metal in its dome: Kansa, also known as bell metal, is a mix of copper and tin that’s known to boost lymphatic drainage. The material also has a pH-balancing effect, and pressing the dome to the face can make the skin more alkaline and less susceptible to acne and inflammation. “[Using the wand] can improve facial muscle tone, carving out the cheekbones and jawline when working deeper into the muscular tissue on the cheeks. Your skin feels taut and rejuvenated," Rajni Ohri, the founder of Ohria Ayurveda, previously told Vogue India.
- Specs: Kansa (copper and tin)
- Best For: Toning, circulation, inflammation, acne
- How to Use: “Apply a serum or an oil to the face, massaging it in. Then, take the wand and start moving it in circular motions around the eye sockets, and figure eights across the forehead and upward strokes across the jaw area," Ranavat founder Michelle Ranavat told Vogue India. Of note: If the skin takes on a greyish tint mid-facial massage, this is actually a good sign. According to Ayurvedic experts, it means that pitta (or heat), acidity, blockages, and toxins in the skin are reacting with the kansa metal and being released.
Wildling Facial Gua Sha Empress Stone
- Why We Love It: “Gua sha stones are designed to reduce puffiness, sculpt the face, and release facial tension with a gentle massage,” says Dr. Berry. “This is a good tool to use if you are looking for greater jawline definition and to improve circulation.” Wildling’s Gua Sha tool, made of Bian stone, is approved by beauty editors and celebrities alike. When Shay Mitchell broke down her 58-step beauty regime for Vogue, she shared that she uses the tool to sculpt her face ahead of big events. The stone has multiple edges including a U-edge to contour the jawline, cheekbones, and brows—and a comb edge to boost circulation.
- Specs: Artisan-crafted tool made of bian stone
- Best For: Lifts, tones, plumps, brightens
- How to Use: Moving with upward and outward strokes, scrape the tool across the face using light to medium pressure. A slight reddening of the skin signifies that the tool is effectively boosting circulation.
Solawave 4-in-1 Skin Care Wand
- Why We Love It: Solawave’s top-rated device packs four therapies into one ultra-portable wand. The tool easily toggles between red light therapy (to smooth fine lines), galvanic current (to help skincare products absorb), therapeutic heat (to diminish the look of dark circles), and facial massage (to de-puff the skin.) “I saw results in a matter of days,” Murden wrote when testing out the buzzy multitasker. “Specific skin concerns aside, my skin just felt better—glowing and firmer. Aesthetically, my dark spots faded, blemishes reduced, and my eye bags appeared less puffy the following morning.”
- Specs: One red light (630 nm) wavelength
- Best For: Brightening, diminishing dark spots, smoothing fine lines
- How to Use: Moving in an upward direction, glide the tool across hydrated skin on the jaw, cheeks, neck, forehead, under-eye area, and upper lip. The brand recommends using the tool three times a week, for about five minutes at a time.
Therabody Theraface PRO
- Why We Love It: Want a device that does it all? “This is a high-tech tool that combines massage, microcurrent, and red light therapy to boost facial circulation, relieve tension, and improve skin tone,” Dr. Berry explains. “It’s good for those who want multiple benefits using one device.” Suited for at-home use, the eight-in-one tool is also used in professional treatments. “One of my favorite facial massagers that I own and use on my clients is the TheraFace PRO,” says celebrity aesthetician, dermatological nurse, and N4 Skincare founder Natalie Aguilar. “This versatile device offers microcurrent for lifting, red, and blue LED therapy, percussion massage with different attachments, and heating and cooling tips to help with puffiness.” What’s more, it comes with a cleansing ring to clean the skin.
- Specs: Rechargeable, portable device with red, blue, and infrared light wavelengths, a facial massager, a facial kit, and a sculpting tool
- Best For: “0
- How to Use: For a facial massage, use one of the two percussive attachments. Power up the device, select a massage speed, then glide the tool from the center of the chin toward the ear, from the tip of the nose to the temple, and across the forehead on both sides of the face. To finish, sweep the tool down the neck toward the shoulder three times on each side. Depending on which attachment you use, each treatment takes about three to nine minutes and can be done once a day.
NuFace Trinity+
- Why We Love It: A Vogue Verified device, “This product uses microcurrent technology to stimulate facial muscles for a more lifted look,” says Dr. Berry. “It’s good for anti-aging and facial contouring—but it needs to be used consistently to see results.” As it happens, Vogue alum Steff Yotka has seen those results firsthand. “It’s a microcurrent tool that comes with a soothing gel to lift, firm, and tone,” she once wrote of her beloved NuFace. “I find that a thrice-a-week regimen keeps my skin looking taut and glowy.” Cynthia Erivo also keeps the device in her beauty bag for a gravity-defying complexion lift.
- Specs: FDA-cleared, 335 microamps at highest intensity, three to five settings with intensity ranges of microcurrent
- Best For: Sculpting, toning, contouring
- How to Use: After applying a conductor serum, sweep the tool upwards and outwards along the desired treatment areas. It can be used on the cheeks, jawline, forehead, and neck. The brand recommends using it five times a week, for about five minutes a day.
Mount Lai Jade Roller
- Why We Love It: Integral to Chinese beauty rituals since (at least) the 7th century, jade rollers have endured for a reason. The cooling tools help boost circulation, drain fluid, promote cell turnover, and improve elasticity. A celebrity favorite, Mount Lai’s jade roller has fans ranging from Kate Hudson to Tate McRae. (The latter uses the tool to bring circulation back into her skin when she’s feeling sluggish—“so I don’t look dead,” she joked while sharing her Beauty Secrets with Vogue.) The dual-ended tool comes in rose-quartz and amethyst iterations, and the natural stones have a calming effect on stressed-out skin.
- Specs: Dual-ended, jade facial roller
- Best For: Soothing stressed skin, boosting circulation, lymphatic drainage
- How to Use: After applying oil or serum to a cleansed face, use the tool by sweeping it outward from the middle of the face. It can be used to soothe, oxygenate, and de-puff the cheeks, forehead, and chin; use the smaller end to tone the area under the eyes. Use it for about five minutes per session.
Shani Darden Facial Sculpting Wand
- Why We Love It: The waitlist is long for a facial with Shani Darden, whose Beverly Hills studio sees a steady stream of celebrities (like Jennifer Aniston) popping by to maintain their glow. Luckily, the sought-after esthetician designed this sculpting wand to bring the results of her signature facials to bathrooms everywhere—no appointment required. Mimicking the vibration therapy that Darden uses to treat crow’s feet and nasolabial folds, her Sculpting Wand sends acoustic soundwaves 2.4 inches beneath the skin’s surface to stimulate facial muscles at a deep level. With consistent use, the tool contributes to a toned, smooth, and radiant face and neck. The device comes with a flat disc attachment (for forehead and jowls) and a precision ball attachment (for nasolabial folds and crow’s feet).
- Specs: Soundwave technology, seven treatment zones, three intensity levels
- Best For: Crow’s feet, nasolabial folds, toning, smoothing, brightening
- How to Use: After applying the Hydra Prep Gel, which comes with the wand, glide slowly over the skin on the forehead, jowls, and neck (if you’re using the flat disc attachment) or the crow’s feet and nasolabial lines (with the precision ball attachment.) Massage each area for two to five minutes at a time.
Nurse Jamie Uplift Massaging Beauty Roller
- Why We Love It: A favorite of celebrities like Jessica Alba, Ashley Tisdale, and Camilla Mendes, this roller—designed by registered nurse and skincare expert Jamie Sherrill—mimics the effects of shiatsu percussive massage. The hexagon-shaped roller is embedded with 24 massaging stones that lift everything from the cheeks to the under-eyes and the decolletage, boosting circulation as it rolls along. “It really does wake up your skin,” Hillary Duff previously told Vogue, using the tool to roll out pillowcase creases in her installment of Beauty Secrets.
- Specs: Rotating head with 24 massaging stones
- Best For: Lifting, firming
- How to Use: Roll the tool from the center of the face outward for three minutes on each side.
Face Gym Face Ball Tension Release Tool
- Why We Love It: Rolling this ball across the face has benefits akin to a workout at, well, the gym. The tool strengthens facial muscles, improves blood flow, and relieves tension in the forehead, cheeks, and jaws. (Pro tip: Bring it down to the neck and shoulders to stretch and relax the muscles below the chin.) By combining lifting and lymphatic techniques, the ball also decongests the skin and reduces puffiness around the eyes. For more detailed instructions on how to use the ball to release tension from the facial muscles, scan the QR code on the lid of the packaging.
- Specs: PVC (vinyl) ball
- Best For: Releasing tension, lifting, toning, depuffing
- How to Use: After cleansing and drying the skin, place the ball at the center of the desired facial muscle. Using a scooping motion, lift and stretch the area to relieve tension.
What is a face massager?
“A face massager is a tool designed to stimulate circulation, relax facial muscles, and enhance lymphatic drainage,” says Dr. Berry. “It can be as simple as a gua sha tool or jade roller or as high-tech as a microcurrent or vibrating device that helps tone and lift the skin.”
What are the benefits of facial massagers?
“Facial massage offers extensive benefits for skin health,” says Catherine Slane-Carroll, esthetician at The St. Regis Spa Chicago. By improving circulation, blood flow, and oxygenation in the skin, facial massagers can promote a healthier and brighter complexion. Facial massagers can also reduce puffiness through lymphatic drainage, Slane-Carroll points out. She adds that the best facial massagers have anti-aging effects, as face massage stimulates the production of collagen and elastin.
Facial massage can also boost the efficacy of an everyday skin-care regime, Slane-Carroll says, as it improves product absorption and causes friction, which lightly exfoliates the skin to improve cellular turnover. Of course, massage of any kind promotes relaxation, and “facial massage helps release tension in the jawline and upper parts of the face, as well as in the neck,” Slane-Carroll notes.
Do facial massagers really work?
“The results you achieve from a facial massager depend on the type of massager you are using and how consistently you use it,” Dr. Berry says. “Gua sha tools and facial rollers are great for de-puffing. Microcurrent devices can have a sculpting effect as these devices stimulate muscle contractions.” While she adds that face massagers aren’t a replacement for—or as effective as—professional treatments, “these are a great addition to your at-home daily skin-care routine,” she concludes.
How to Use a Face Massager
When using a face massager, always start with a cleansed face and apply a facial oil or serum to avoid unnecessary tugging on the skin, Dr. Berry advises. “If using a microcurrent device, apply a conductive gel,” she adds.
- Neck: Gently move the massager downwards
- Jawline: Move the tool from the center of the jawline outward toward the ears
- Cheeks: Roll the massager outwards, starting at the center
- Eyes: Glide the tool from the inner corner to the hairline; if the device is a roller, use the smaller end in this area
- Forehead: Glide the massager from the center of the forehead out towards the temples
- Use gentle pressure, as using too much pressure in a facial massage can lead to redness or irritation
- Glide over each area at least three times
- Massage the face for five to ten minutes daily
Finally, don’t toss the manual just yet. Since all tools come with their own set of instructions, “Always follow the manufacturer’s guidelines when using these devices,” Dr. Berry says. When using a face massager in her own skin-care practice and professional treatments, Slane-Carroll sticks to the techniques below to promote lymphatic drainage and relax the muscles.
How to Choose a Face Massager
When choosing a facial massager, “Consider your skin type and what your skin goals are,” says Slane-Carroll. She breaks down her recommendations by skin type and concern, below.
- Sensitive skin: For skin that’s prone to irritation, Slane-Carroll recommends gentle tools that soothe stressed skin, such as jade rollers or gua sha stones.
- Oily skin: For those with oily skin, Slane-Carroll suggests electric massagers with cleansing functions to help balance sebum levels. In particular, she recommends the TheraFace Pro, which she also uses in treatments at The St. Regis Spa Chicago.
- Aging skin: For aging skin, Slane-Carroll gravitates toward devices with microcurrent technology, such as NuFace Trinity+.
- Puffy skin: Jade rollers or cooling electric massagers are Slane-Carroll’s go-to devices for depuffing the skin.
Meet the Experts
- Natalie Aguilar is a celebrity aesthetician, dermatological nurse, and founder of N4 Skincare in West Hollywood.
- Asmi Berry, DO, FAAD, is a board-certified dermatologist in Los Angeles.
- Catherine Slane-Carroll is an esthetician at The St. Regis Spa Chicago.