What can a facial massage do for you?

We tried Daiva Kamysova’s Signature Face Sculpting Buccal Massage

We all know the benefits of exercising the muscles in your body but exercising your face can also have a transformative effect; sculpting, toning and lifting sagging skin.

Facialist Daiva Kamysova’s ethos is to tap into this and has devised a one-hour treatment, her Signature Face Sculpting Buccal Massage, to help strengthen muscles while also stimulating blood flow to leave your skin glowing.

With a celebrity – and royal – client list, she is much in demand, but is too discreet to name names. She doesn’t believe in invasive treatments, and instead her technique is all based on the power of her hands. Her approach also emphasises ‘ageing beautifully’ rather than anti-aging.

Daiva has worked in the industry for many years, she studied Professional Make-Up Artistry at the prestigious Glauca Rossi School of Make Up London (past students have included Charlotte Tilbury), before moving into beauty treatments. She’s always been fascinated by the face, and has made it her specialism.

She opened her Kensington salon over a year ago, and has a small team offering manis, pedis, body massage and other facial treatments. It’s a very Instagramable place, too, with a transparent bubble installation hanging from the ceiling and tea delightfully served in glass pot and cup.

Chatting to Daiva, her passion for her work is quickly apparent. She first realised just how transformative massage can be when she saw her mother avoid a major operation because of a skilled doctor who used massage on her mother’s spine. Later, Daiva also found that massaging a certain spot inside the mouth cured her teeth grinding.

Daiva developed her signature treatment to bring the power of massage to the face. She warned me that some of the treatment could be painful – like any hardworking massage, while other parts would be relaxing. Phase one is the ‘sculptural phase’ and focuses on strengthening muscles and helping with lymphatic drainage. Daiva got to work kneading all the muscles in the face, neck, shoulders and even massaging my head. My ridiculously knotted muscles in my neck were particularly grateful. An oil or cream is used so that there is no drag on the actual skin itself.

Phase two is the ‘deep tissue’ phase where Daiva puts on a pair of gloves and massages you from the inside of the mouth. Yep, it feels as strange as it sounds. It’s not entirely pleasant, either.

My treatment ended with a soothing mask. It smelt and felt like a regular mask, except this one contained sheep placenta. Whatever your view on that, it did the trick. But Daiva offers a wide range of masks, if animal-based products are not for you.

Then it was on to the big reveal. It was quite something – my skin was absolutely radiant, lines smoothed and face gently uplifted. I had several compliments over the following days, with one friend adding that it was the best facial treatment I’d had.

Regular treatments, like with exercise, will pay off, helping to strengthen the muscles with each subsequent session.

Daiva warned me that you can have a little swelling the day after – but it’s very rare and usually occurs in those who have had fillers that have impeded lymphatic drainage. I had no such problem. Just gorgeous-looking skin. I really liked the idea that my face had benefited from a boost of nutrients thanks to the increase in blood flow, as well as given my muscles a workout. It all felt healthy, very natural and, crucially, it produced impressive results.

Daiva Kamysova’s Signature Face Sculpting Buccal Massage (1 hour), £190 per session is available at Skin Loft, Kensington