Facial Cupping Guide: Learn How To Do Facial Cupping at Home

Curious about the latest beauty tool to arrive in your inbox? Previously available in the offices of facialists and holistic aestheticians, facial cupping is now a treatment you can DIY at home. Read on to learn about the benefits, and follow along with our how-to facial cupping routine.

First things first, what is cupping?

"Cupping has been used in China for thousands of years as a healing modality," says Clark. "It involves creating a vacuum using cups and drawing fresh blood and nutrients to the surface of the skin." Usually, this treatment is performed over meridian points on the back to help ease muscle cramps and tension while stimulating detoxification. Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners often use cupping alongside acupuncture and moxibustion.

More recently, the practice has been adopted by sports and wellness enthusiasts as a way to increase blood flow and help sore muscles heal. Images of circular bruises on the backs and shoulders of athletes like Michael Phelps and actresses like Jennifer Aniston might come to mind.

So, how does facial cupping work?

Cupping naturally sculpts and tones your face. It's a lot more gentle than the Traditional Chinese Medicine type of cupping. Says Clark: "The gentle suction created with our silicone cups helps to drain lymph nodes and increase the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the skin. This stimulates your skin and leaves you with a refreshed glow."

The suction of the facial cups gently pulls the skin away from deeper layers of fascia, which helps to smooth the appearance of wrinkles and revitalizes the look of skin, says Clark. Other benefits of facial cupping include reduced puffiness and appearance of fine lines and dark circles. Facial cupping can also help relax tension held in your jaw or face, which makes it a great de-stressing treatment, too!

These benefits may remind you of another ancient facial therapy: Gua Sha. "Facial cupping and Gua Sha share a lot of similar benefits with regards to skin health," says Clark. "In fact, these tools can work well in conjunction with each other. For instance, try cupping along the jaw, forehead and cheekbones, and gua sha around the eyes." The main difference is that Gua Sha techniques tend to be more gentle, while facial cupping is more of an active treatment, says Clark.

How can I prevent bruising?

Since cupping tends to be an active treatment, the key to avoiding any bruises on your face is to keep things moving. "The cups should always be moving on the face as this will reduce the chance of bruising," says Clark. "However, bruising can occur if the cup is left in the same place for just a few long seconds." Make sure you're always using a facial oil so that the cups move along your skin easily.

Ready to get started with an at-home facial cupping routine? Watch our tutorial below and follow these tips.

How to Use Facial Cups:

• Prep your skin with an oil-based serum so that the cup can smoothly glide across your face.
• Gently squeeze the cup and apply to skin, releasing it to create suction.
• If the suction feels too tight, release and squeeze the cup again for an easy slip.
• Keep the cups moving across the face at all times for visible results.

Like a sculpting workout for your face, Province Apothecary's new facial cupping set is the optimal way to tone and restore your skin from the comfort of home. Pair it with the brand’s iconic botanical face serum and let the cups work their skin-transforming magic.

Sculpting + Toning Facial Cupping Set, $29 USD / $29 CAD

With two targeted sizes, these high-quality silicone cups gently suction to the face to dramatically smooth and revitalize the look of skin.

Rejuvenating + Hydrating Face Serum, $76 USD / $76 CAD

Featuring a blend of nourishing, antioxidant-rich oils—including neroli, frankincense, and apricot—this serum is the perfect a-cup-animent for an effortless glide.

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