We are seeing a shift in the beauty industry to non-invasive anti-aging treatments. One of those is an all-natural facelift. Who wouldn’t want that? The hype is building on Tiktok, with countless users claiming facial exercises and massage can lift and tone the complexion and alter our facial structure. And no wonder. With our 50+ facial muscles, it makes sense that repeating movements can help boost circulation, tighten, and plump skin over time.

We spoke about this topic with Olivia Szmidt, the founder of GET FACE FIT, a platform that promotes non-invasive beauty through face yoga and various facelifting techniques that aim to tone, lift, and sculpt your face naturally. Olivia is the creator of the FaceSculpt Method, which incorporates Japanese facelifting techniques combined with lymphatic drainage.

Here, Olivia shares her career trajectory and inspiration behind the GET FACE FIT Academy. She explains how her technique works on tense muscles and how “facial yoga” can relax overworked muscles that may be resulting in wrinkles.

Can you share your background and how you came to launch GET FACE FIT?

I studied fashion media at the London College of Fashion and worked in fashion before stepping into my career. Back then, my traditional Chinese medicine doctor introduced me to Gua Sha and facial acupuncture and my skin transformed. I felt instantly drawn to these modalities and learned this myself. I then enrolled in beauty school and specialized in non-invasive face-lifting techniques, focusing on facial massage and reflexology.

What exactly is the GET FACE FIT Academy, and what do you offer?

I launched the GET FACE FIT Academy in June 2020. It's an online training academy for wellness professionals, spa owners, and estheticians who want to learn all sorts of face-lifting massages for their clients. You can learn my very own Face Sculpt Method, which is a truly remarkable treatment that helps tone, lift, and sculpt your facial contours. The academy also offers Face Yoga training.

How does face yoga differ from your method?

The GET FACE FIT Method primarily works to help minimize facial tension and boosts collagen production. During this method, you always start with a with warm up doing gentle stretches for the neck followed by cardio face whipping and pinching. Then you move to the sculpting section where you tone, lift and sculpt the entire face before ending with a cool down, performing a mini lymphatic drainage flow.

What does a session with you look like? What can we expect?

I travel a lot and work with hotels where people can book me for a treatment. Seventy-five percent of the treatment is focused on face massage and acupressure. The remainder is lymphatic drainage.

I also offer workshops and master classes, which are more educational. I love connecting with so many women online and offline. Each has such a unique story, and I love spending time with all my clients and helping them relax. I always say that my work is so much more than a beauty treatment. It's more of a soul care treatment where you take time for yourself.

Can you explain the different facial massage techniques you use in your practice?

I focus on a mix of Japanese face-lifting and eastern European face-lifting techniques. They both focus on increasing blood flow and bringing fresh new blood to your skin. Myofascial release is also a big component of my work. When your fascia gets tight, your muscles spasm, and your blood and lymph can’t flow properly.

I also love skin rolling as a technique to help ease fascia and remove facial tension. Lymphatic drainage is also very powerful, especially when you work with Gus Sha. It’s the best to help remove any puffiness and dark circles.

Another technique I use is kneading, which is very useful when working on frown lines.

Your philosophy is to treat the root cause when looking at the body. Can you explain this more and how it applies to the work that you do?

I often see women who spend so much time on skincare and various treatments and then end up disappointed as to why their skin isn’t improving. I only healed my skin when I started fixing my gut health. It took me over a year to help clear my gut-related issues. Whatever is going on inside will show on your skin. I can honestly say that my life changed when I started seeing my TCM doctor, who treated me with acupuncture and herbal medicine.

Stress is also a huge component that is directly linked to your skin health. It is important for me to explain to my clients that my treatments are not only here to make their faces look fresher and more sculpted, but also to help calm their nervous system and make them feel relaxed. Never underestimate the power of touch.

What is reflexology and how does using this technique help with skin?

Facial reflexology aims to relax and help remove stress. During facial reflexology, gentle pressure is applied to the different reflex zones and reflexology points on the face. Facial reflexology has been shown to improve skin tone, strengthen layers of skin tissue, and can also help reduce lines and wrinkles over a series of treatments.

How does toning, lifting, and sculpting our face muscles help with anti-aging?

Massaging your facial muscles will immediately start working your lymphatic system, which keeps your body clear of toxins and fluids, and improves contours by removing tension and stress in the muscle. Also, it pushes blood with essential nutrients and oxygen into the skin and muscle tissue to nourish and improve cell renewal. Not only does this help the tone and texture of your skin, but massage can also refine pores, clear out congestion, and wrangle breakouts.

What are some ways we can work with our own face to help lift and tone?

I suggest massaging your face every morning and evening for 5 minutes and really trying to form a habit. Through increased blood and lymph flow, you will almost instantly see results. Try being mindful of how you use your facial expressions. Daily usage of Gua Sha also works wonders!

What are some of your top recommendations for facial sculpting tools, and how often should we use these to see results?

I love using rose quartz Gua Sha stones. I have them in all different sizes. I suggest using them daily for 10 minutes. You must stay consistent with your practice, though. Don’t expect changes when you try doing this once or twice. All good things take time.

What is the importance of the various sizes you have in Gua Sha stones? Why is it important to have more than one?

The size doesn’t really matter so much; the quality, however, does. White jade is the best stone to use for a Gua Sha face practice. You only need to have more stones at home once you’re a real pro. It’s best to start watching tutorials on YouTube on how to use those stones, as you can damage your skin and lymph vessels if you are applying too much pressure.

What is your personal beauty philosophy?

Less is more. I know that might sound cliche, but I think that beauty comes from within. When you focus on feeling good about yourself, and look after yourself, you will radiate. It is only when you feel good that you can make others feel good.

I also pay attention to what I eat. Being mindful of how you treat and look after your body is so important. I used to be very unhealthy in my 20s. I used to drink and eat out a lot. Now I take time to process and understand how I am feeling or how my body is feeling.