Yukuko Tanaka is the name of a Japanese stylist, beauty expert and makeup artist who created this technique as a way of helping the natural skin rejuvenation process. Most interestingly, it doesn’t necessarily involve any skin care product, just the tips of the fingers and palms.

Zogan Face Massage, according to Tanaka, should offer clear results in as little as two weeks, which include an effort which takes up around six minutes a day. The benefits should covers a reduction of wrinkles, a better elasticity of the skin, and a reduction in bloating and face swollenness, which should also help anyone with bags under their eyes. Tanaka even claims that the procedure helps with the formation of the “second chin”, which is a nightmare for many women.

These effects are supposedly created by exerting pressure on lymph nodes in the face area, which help in the excretion of toxins and at the same time enhance the blood flow and nourishment to the same area. Better circulation also should help with any excess liquid, which is the main culprit behind any bloating and swollenness. Massage of the face muscles should help relax them, which enforces the makeup of blood vessels and further solidifies the outer lines of the face.

Although products like skin crème or massage oil can be applied, Zogan Massage can be practiced on dry and previously cleaned skin, because it doesn’t involve any rough rubbing motion, but instead is based on the gentle appliance of pressure. If a person does decide to use a product in the massage, Tanaka recommends cotton oil.

Zogan Massage looks interesting, but keep a healthy dose of skepticism if you wish to try it out. Gently massaging the lymph nodes and peripheral blood vessels does make sense, but the part about strengthening the main blood vessels in the face is a bit sketchy. State of blood vessels is mostly determined by internal factors like blood content and general physical health, so a massage is less likely to make any difference. In any case, a serious study about the effects of this massage would be helpful in the future.

If you wish to learn the exact process of doing the massage yourself, here is an instructional video.