A daily facial massage does wonders for the skin at any age, but is especially transformative for mature complexions. These beauty tools can work to sculpt the facial muscles (think: more defined cheekbones and jawline) and reduce fluid buildup, as well as improve blood flow, cell turnover, tissue toning, and boost collagen production. “Collagen is the support net of our skin—it’s what gives the structural integrity of the skin and as it declines, skin becomes looser, sags and wrinkles form,” explains Rochelle Weitzner, founder and CEO of Pause Skincare, a line developed for women going through menopause. Because women experience a dramatic reduction in collagen synthesis after menopause, Weitzner designed a special tool to stimulate fibroblasts, which are the cells that produce collagen.
Using your fingertips or a tool, knead and contour the facial muscles, moving along the jawline and upward toward the highs of the cheekbones, under-eye region, and across the forehead. For an extra boost at the end, wrap gauze around ice cubes infused with anti-inflammatory green or chamomile tea, then glide them over the skin, per Czech.
Joanna Czech Facial Massager
- Why We Love It: As an esthetician for the likes of Jennifer Aniston and Cate Blanchette, Czech knows a thing or two about keeping skin lifted and taut. She designed this double-headed roller for her clients to use at home, underscoring her philosophy that facial massage is a key part of any skin-care regime. Use it for just a few minutes a day to stimulate collagen; though, the product also works to push in topical products or assist with lymphatic drainage.
- Type: Facial massager
- Specs: Made of aluminum and zinc alloys, the manual, handheld tool has two roller balls to chisel and sculpt the face.
- How to Use It: For a facial massage, run the roller from the jawline to the bottom of the ear five times. Then, roll it from the center of the lips to the middle of each ear two times; your next steps are to smooth it along the cheekbones five times before rolling it over the brow bones. To cap it off, run the roller from the center of the forehead up into the hairline five times, then from the clavicle up to the back of the ear five times. Finally, run the roller from the middle of the chest toward the shoulder five times. Czech recommends using the tool for about seven minutes a day; all motions should be completed on either side of the face.
Jillian Dempsey Gold Sculpting Bar
- Why We Love It: Jillian Dempsey’s 24-karat gold bar makes skin look and feel more toned in a flash thanks to vibrations that mimic that of a facial massage. It relaxes the facial muscles and has a near-magical ability to sculpt and contour after just five minutes of use. Editor’s confession: It’s the single most effective tool I’ve found to smooth out lines associated with “tech neck”—and I look down at my phone a lot.
- Type: Gold sculpting bar
- Specs: Made of 24-karat gold, the vibrating, T-shaped bar can be activated by twisting the bottom of its handle. It runs on a single AA battery, which typically needs replacing every three months. It comes with a velvety bag for storage.
- How to Use It: Start with clean, makeup-free skin. Apply a pea-sized amount of moisturizer, then run the tool upwards along the jawline for five minutes (on either side) to sculpt the cheekbones. For the next five minutes, push the bar in from the underside of the chin toward the jawline. Finally, glide the tool up and down the neck to fade tech lines.
Pause Fascia Stimulating Tool
- Why We Love It: Weitzner’s handy tool is designed to stimulate fibroblasts, which are the cells that produce collagen. The FDA-cleared tool can be used on the face, neck, and chest, where it boosts skin health by improving blood flow, supporting cell turnover, and removing waste.
- Type: Fascia stimulating tool
- Specs: Made of medical-grade stainless steel and FDA-approved, the tool is operated manually and does not need batteries. It comes with a vegan leather storage case.
- How to Use It: Start by applying a moisturizer, then glide across your forehead, cheeks, lips, neck, and chest. Use once daily.
Mount Lai De-Puffing Jade Facial Roller
- Why We Love It: A mainstay in Chinese beauty rituals, jade rollers like this one by Mount Lai help boost circulation and support lymphatic drainage in a single use. Available in pink and sage green, the candy-colored tool features two roller sizes. Use the small roller to de-puff the hard-to-reach eye contour and the larger one across the cheeks and forehead.
- Type: Jade roller
- Specs: The manually operated tool has two ends. One end holds a small roller for hard-to-reach areas like the eye contour; a larger roller on the other end targets the cheeks and the forehead.
- How to Use It: To start, swipe the roller from the middle of the face outwards across the cheeks; then, roll it over the forehead moving from the eyebrows up the hairline. Swipe the smaller roller horizontally over the under-eyes, then finish the massage off by rolling the small end from the bottom of the lip toward the chin. As with all facial massagers, a slight pink flush on the skin indicates a boost in blood circulation, which proves that the tool is working as intended.
Prioritize Serums for Mature Skin
While skin-care basics like cleansers and moisturizers are important even for tweens, “serums are especially beneficial after age 50 because they deliver potent, targeted ingredients that address common skin concerns associated with aging like wrinkles, dryness, and dark spots,” says Dr. Nicole Lee, a board-certified dermatologist in Garden City, New York. “With ingredients like peptides, vitamin C, and hyaluronic acid, they help boost collagen, hydrate, and even out skin tone.” Plus, serums have a lightweight formula designed for better absorption. “This makes them more effective at maintaining skin’s health and radiance as we age,” Lee explains.
SkinCeuticals P-Tiox Anti-Wrinkle Peptide Serum
- Why We Love It: Designed to mimic the effects of neuromodulators like Botox, SkinCeuticals’s new serum is formulated with an advanced peptide complex designed to prevent the formation of dynamic lines. It’s also infused with niacinamide (for evening out the skin tone), and laminaria (for hydration.) When Vogue contributor Deanna Pai tested the serum, she was pleasantly surprised at its quick-working side effects. “My skin looked smoother—not necessarily in terms of wrinkles, but in its overall consistency and feel—and my hyperpigmentation appeared less noticeable,” she wrote after trialing the SkinCeuticals innovation for a week. “If one week has already given my complexion more of a glass-skin glow, imagine what it can do for me after 12.”
- Key ingredients: Advanced peptide complex, 5% PHA, niacinamide & laminaria
- Size: 1 fl oz
Isdin Melatonik Night Serum
- Why We Love It: Designed for nighttime use, Isdin’s three-in-one serum tucks the skin in for hours of rejuvenating repair. With melatonin, bakuchiol, and vitamin C, the antioxidant-rich treatment does triple duty to smooth, brighten, and firm. Meanwhile, its silky, serum-in-oil formulation delivers an instant rush of hydration. While vitamin C serums aren’t, in general, known for their pleasant scents, this one has a fresh and bright smell that reminds me of a high-end aquatic cologne.
- Key ingredients: Melatonin, bakuchiol, vitamin C
- Size: 1 fl oz
SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic
- Why We Love It: This Vogue Verified vitamin C serum counts many leading dermatologists as fans. Powered by a potent blend of 15% L-ascorbic acid, vitamin E, and ferulic acid, C E Ferulic targets wrinkles and fine lines with ease. Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Vicki Rapaport previously told Vogue: “The CE Ferulic has become the gold standard antioxidant product that dermatologists and other skin-care professionals recommend be used every morning like a prescription to achieve healthy skin,” she says. “It is substantially more than a vitamin-C serum, containing the three most utilitarian antioxidants available in skin care today.”
- Key ingredients: 15% L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C), vitamin E, ferulic acid
- Size: 1 fl oz
Beautystat Universal C Skin Refiner
- Why We Love It: Beautystat’s brightening serum has gone viral more times than we can count—and we’re sure it’ll happen again. The secret sauce is in the 20% vitamin C formula that’s blended with patented ingredients to keep it stable. What’s more, the serum pairs the antioxidant with the green tea derivative EGCG. When combined, the two ingredients work synergistically to deliver anti-aging benefits ranging from smoother, tighter skin to smaller-looking pores. It’s little wonder why TikTok users are quick to jump on screen after giving the serum a try. After all, blurring products have long a hold on the platform.
- Key ingredients: EGCG (a green tea derivative that syncs with vitamin C for anti-aging benefits), vitamin C, squalane, tartaric acid
- Size: 1 oz
Restore Volume Loss with Moisturizers
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