Nasolabial Softener

Targets: Nasolabial folds, smile linesDuration: 60 secondsReps: 5 slow sweeps each side

Nasolabial folds — the lines that run from the nose to the corners of the mouth — deepen with volume loss and repetitive facial movement. This technique uses a gliding massage motion, best done with a facial oil or serum, to work along the fold rather than against it.

How to Do It

Place fingertips beside the nose and glide outward along the smile lines toward the ears with a light oil or serum.

Why It Works

Massage techniques that follow the natural direction of the fold, combined with slip from an oil or serum, avoid the tugging that can worsen skin laxity over time.

Benefits

• Follows the natural contour of the nasolabial fold
• Best combined with a hydrating facial oil for slip
• Gentle enough for daily use

Which muscles this works

The nasolabial folds are the creases that run from the sides of the nose to the corners of the mouth. They form where the cheek tissue meets the upper lip, and they deepen as the mid-face loses volume and the skin loosens, as well as from years of smiling. This is a massage technique rather than a muscle exercise: gliding along the fold with a little oil or serum, so your fingers move easily and don't tug at the skin.

Step by step

1. Cleanse your skin, then warm a few drops of facial oil or a hydrating serum between your fingers.
2. Place your fingertips on each side of the nose, at the top of the folds.
3. Glide outward along the smile lines towards your ears with light pressure.
4. Keep the movement slow and smooth, never dragging the skin downward.
5. Do 5 slow sweeps on each side, then rest your palms on your cheeks for a moment.

Common mistakes

• Skipping the oil or serum, so the fingers drag.
• Pressing hard. Light pressure is enough.
• Pulling downward or inward instead of outward.
• Using a heavy oil on acne-prone skin. Choose a lightweight, non-comedogenic product and patch test it first.

When to skip it

If you've had dermal filler in the area, ask your injector how long to wait before massaging it. Skip it on irritated, inflamed or breakout-prone skin.

What to expect

Massage can't remove an established fold, and it won't replace volume that has been lost from the mid-face. What you can expect is a pleasant, hydrating ritual and a softer look as the skin is well moisturised. For deeper folds, a dermatologist can discuss treatment options.

The best-known study of facial exercise followed 16 women aged 40–65 through a 20-week programme of 30-minute sessions. Cheek fullness improved and dermatologists rated them about three years younger on average (Alam et al., JAMA Dermatology, 2018). It was a small study, the authors noted the results may not apply to other groups, and the programme was far longer than a one-minute video, so expect gradual and modest change.

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