Most of us are aware of the therapeutic benefits of a back or full body massage, and Indian head massage also has a good share of devotees. However, one form of massage that is less well known despite its many great health and beauty benefits is facial massage.

While face massages are something you can get done in a salon or at a spa and can be a great treat, you can also easily get the benefits at home for free if you learn to do facial massage yourself and add it to your beauty regime. It can be a good thing to do when you are applying your usual moisturizer, for example. You can also find some great tools to help you massage your face, which you can read more about at fabweb.org.

So what benefits can you expect to enjoy when you start incorporating massage into your facial beauty routine?

Stress and tension in your facial muscles are one of the main causes of wrinkles. This is why Botox works – it paralyzes these muscles so that they don't tense up or move too much, causing the skin on top to gain permanent furrows and lines.

Massage can disperse the tension in your muscles and leave them relaxed, preventing lines developing around your brow or in other parts of your face – especially during times of stress and anxiety.

Your lymphatic system carries toxins out of your body, but can become sluggish and perform badly if there isn't much movement in your muscles. Massage and exercise both stimulate the lymphatic system and helps your body process toxins, and this is true for all of your body. However, there are lymph glands in your face, which are difficult to exercise the muscles around, making massage the better option.

One study showed that people who were evaluated before and after a 45-minute massage on the face felt significantly less stressed and anxious after the therapy. This is partly because the experience itself is pleasurable and relaxing, but also because releasing tension built up in facial muscles can make you feel more relaxed in general. Most people don't realize that even the little muscles you use to flare your nostrils can carry tension and releasing it can make you feel a whole lot better!

If you have a cold, allergies or sinusitis, a facial massage that focuses on the areas above and below the eyes, moving out towards the ears, can help relieve congestion quite a lot, and reduce sinus pain. While it is good to do facial massage every day, or as often as you can, paying extra attention to the sinuses when you have a cold or during hayfever season can be a good way to make your massage time even more therapeutic.

Facial massage is relatively easy to learn and once you are used to doing it, will feel like a very nice addition to your self-care routine.