Facial Cupping Will De-Puff Your Face While Relieving Built-Up Tension
Updated: Dec. 02, 2020
We tried the beauty trend that promises to deliver a healthy glow to your skin, and found some other surprise benefits as well.
By now, we’re well aware of our addiction to instant gratification. And that’s especially the case this year—life in quarantine is too incessant for us to tolerate delayed appeasement. So when I heard about Province Apothecary’s new Sculpting + Toning Facial Cupping set, and its promise to deliver immediate positive results, I knew it was just what 2020 me needed.
Province Apothecary Sculpting + Toning Facial Cupping Set, $29, provinceapothecary.com
Cupping is an ancient technique, first used in China, particularly for pain relief, says Sarah Kreitzer, a registered acupuncturist and owner of Acupuncture Center Toronto. More recently, the beauty benefits of cupping have gained attention (and social media fame). “It boosts circulation and vascular integrity of the face, smooths fine lines, and releases tight fascia,” says Kreitzer. “It’s also great for eye puffiness and sinus drainage.”
Ready for my face to look sculpted and tight, I washed off my make-up, applied an oil (which is recommended to help the cups slide across your face — I used Caudalie’s Vinosource Overnight Recovery Oil) grabbed my cupping set, pressed play on this video, and tried to copy the moves. At first, it felt like I was just sliding the plastic tools across my face, like a child haphazardly trying to replicate their mother’s skin-care regime. But with a little practice, I could feel the suction of the cup, and I was able to glide it across my face correctly.
After using it on my jawline, cheeks, forehead, and neck, I looked in the mirror and found that, yes, my skin looked rejuvenated (which was much needed, as I hadn’t left my apartment in 12 days and have been sitting beside a heater that’s sucking the moisture out of my skin). Of course, the oil helped restore some glow, but because the cups act like a massage for your face, my skin looked rosy and healthy. What’s more, I felt the suction of the cups help with the tension in my jaw, forehead, and in between my eyes that builds all day due to staring at my computer screen. It was as if the suction of the cups put my face back into its original un-tensed (read: non-resting-bitch-face) position.
Kreitzer agrees that cupping is great for releasing facial pain. “We use it in-clinic for TMJ, headaches, migraines,” she says, “and for any kind of inflammatory disorder of the face, like rosacea.”
I used the smaller cup for the eye area, and it instantly de-puffed the skin around my eyes. I also used it around my lips, hoping it would give them a boost—it did not. But I may keep trying.
When I woke up the next morning, I noticed my skin looked like I had just come back from a stress-free (and sun-free) vacation. I was de-puffed and boasting a peachy glow.
Kreitzer does not, however, suggest using the technique on a nightly basis, and cautions against going overboard. “Make sure you’re gentle with it so you’re not creating any tissue damage or bruising,” she says. For now, I’ll try it once a week. And that’s just fine—a little delayed gratification never hurt anyone.
