Face Slimming Exercise For A Sharper Jawline - My Honest

★★★★★ 4.6 · 72

Gemma16.08.2026JUMP TO TUTORIAL

A client once asked me, mid-blow-dry, if there was anything she could do about her jawline before a wedding without going near a needle - and the honest answer came from six years of watching session make-up artists work their fingers into models' faces backstage before the lights went up. This is not a miracle that melts fat or shifts bone, and I will not pretend otherwise. It is a proper lymphatic-style facial massage that de-puffs, defines and genuinely sharpens the look of your jawline in about seven minutes, tested on my own face on days when the mirror was not being kind.

Prep the Skin First

Applying facial oil to the jawline as the first step in this face slimming exercise routine

Everything about this routine depends on slip, so skip straight past your usual moisturiser and reach for a facial oil instead. In the photo I am using three to four drops, pressed onto the jawline and lower cheeks rather than rubbed straight in - patting first gives you a base to work from without dragging.

High street: a squalane or rosehip facial oil from Boots does this job perfectly well, around £8-£12.
Salon-tier: a proper facial oil from a professional skincare range will feel richer but is doing exactly the same mechanical job here.

Cream will do in a pinch, but oil lets your fingers glide instead of stick, which matters hugely for the next few steps.

Spread It Properly

Massaging oil evenly along the jawline to prep skin for a smooth face slimming exercise glide

Don't rush this bit. Massage the oil across the whole jawline and up towards the cheekbone until the skin genuinely feels smooth and slippery under your fingers, not just shiny. If you can still feel any tack or drag when you run a finger along the jaw, add another drop before moving on.

This step is where most people cut corners, and it's exactly why their massage ends up tugging at the skin rather than gliding over it. Uneven coverage means uneven pressure later, and uneven pressure means you'll favour one side without realising - I did this myself the first few attempts and wondered why one cheek looked more lifted than the other.

Find Your Starting Point

Placing two fingers at the chin centre before starting the jawline face slimming exercise sweep

Place two fingers at the very centre of the chin, right where the crease sits when you close your mouth softly. This is your anchor point for every single stroke that follows, so get it right before you start moving.

Why the centre matters

Starting off-centre is the single most common mistake I see when I teach this - it throws the whole sweep off-angle and you end up dragging the skin sideways rather than lifting it upward, which does nothing for definition and everything for tugging skin you don't want tugged.

The Upward Sweep

Gliding fingers upward from chin to ear during the jawline-focused face slimming exercise

From that centre point, sweep outward and upward from the chin towards the ear, keeping the pressure light along the entire line of the jaw - firm enough to feel it, never firm enough to redden the skin. Think of tracing the jawbone with the pads of your fingers rather than pressing into it.

A session make-up artist I worked alongside backstage once told me the whole trick is direction, not pressure - lift always travels towards the ear, never down towards the chin, because that's the way the lymph actually drains.

Do this stroke slowly, five or six times on this side before you swap.

Even Up the Other Side

Repeating the upward sweep on the other cheek for even jawline lift in this face slimming exercise

Same sweep, same pressure, same number of passes, now on the second side. It sounds obvious, but I promise you'll be tempted to rush the side that isn't your dominant hand - don't. A jawline massage only reads as balanced in a photo, or in the mirror, if both sides genuinely got equal attention.

Time yourself if you're prone to shortcutting one side.
Match the pressure rather than the speed - going slower on your weaker hand is completely fine.

Lift Through the Cheeks

Using both hands to lift the lower cheeks as part of the face slimming exercise routine

Bring both hands into play now, pushing gently upward from the jaw towards the lower cheeks in one continuous motion. This is the step that actually gives the visible lift in the photo - the cheeks sit slightly higher, the jawline reads sharper against them, and that contrast is doing most of the work.

Keep this movement slow and steady rather than bouncy. Bouncing or patting here can leave the skin feeling irritated rather than lifted, especially if you've got fine or sensitive skin - three or four slow passes is plenty.

Finish and Drain

Finishing the face slimming exercise with a light drain down the side of the neck

Every good facial massage needs an exit route, and this is it. Pause briefly near the ear, then glide lightly down the side of the neck towards the collarbone. It feels like it should undo all your upward work, but it's actually the opposite - it clears the fluid you've just moved so it has somewhere to go instead of pooling back where it started.

Skip this and you'll wonder why the effect fades within the hour

I learned this the hard way testing an early version of this routine on myself - all upward sweeps, no drainage step, and the puffiness crept straight back by lunchtime.

The Result, Honestly

The defined jawline and glowing skin result after finishing this face slimming exercise

What you see in this final shot - a cleaner jawline, a slight lift through the lower cheek, skin that looks genuinely awake rather than tired - is real, and it lasts a good few hours on most faces. It is not a permanent change to your face shape, and no oil or finger pressure ever will be; anything promising that belongs nowhere near your bathroom cabinet.

Timed properly, this takes about seven minutes once you know the sequence, closer to twelve or thirteen your first go while you're still finding your rhythm - both are perfectly normal. Do it three or four times a week and the puffiness reduction becomes more consistent, not more permanent, which is the honest bit worth remembering.

Final Thoughts

Seven minutes with a bit of oil and the right direction of movement, done properly rather than rushed - that's really all this is. Do it before an event if you want the lift for photos, or just on a tired Tuesday when your face needs waking up before anyone else does.

DIY-Tutorial Pin

Face Slimming Exercise For A Sharper Jawline - My Honest

4.6 · 72 ratings

I tested this jawline face slimming exercise with facial oil on my own tired midweek face - here is the honest routine, timing, and real results to expect.

Facial Massageface slimming exercise jawline

PREP TIME2 min

Work Time7 min

TOTAL TIME9 min

Yield1 face routine

DifficultyEasy

Costapprox. £8

Materials

Skincare
1 facial oil with good slip (rosehip or squalane based), 3 to 4 drops per side
Clean, dry face
Hair tie or headband to keep hair off the face
Mirror at eye level

Steps

Prep the skin first

Apply 3 to 4 drops of facial oil to the jawline and lower cheeks, patting rather than rubbing it in initially.

Spread it properly

Massage the oil over the whole jawline until the skin feels genuinely smooth and slippery, adding another drop if you feel any drag.

Find your starting point

Place two fingers at the centre of the chin as your anchor point before starting any strokes.

The upward sweep

Sweep from the chin to the ear with light, even pressure along the jawline, repeating five or six times on one side.

Even up the other side

Repeat the same upward sweep, same pressure, same number of passes, on the second side.

Lift through the cheeks

Use both hands together to push gently upward from the jaw into the lower cheeks, three or four slow passes.

Finish and drain

Pause near the ear, then glide lightly down the side of the neck towards the collarbone to clear the fluid you've moved.

Assess the result

Check the jawline and cheek area in the mirror; expect a temporary lift and reduced puffiness lasting a few hours, best repeated three to four times a week.

Hi! I'm Gemma

Hello, I'm Gemma! NVQ-qualified hairdresser with sixteen years behind the chair, six seasons backstage at London Fashion Week, and one very full…

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Frequently Asked Questions

Will this actually make my jawline permanently sharper?

No, and I'd be doing you a disservice saying otherwise. It temporarily reduces puffiness and lifts the skin slightly, which reads as more definition, but it doesn't change bone or fat. Anyone promising a permanent face slimming effect from massage alone isn't being straight with you.

How often should I do this routine?

Three to four times a week is plenty for a noticeable, consistent de-puffing effect. Doing it daily won't harm your skin as long as your pressure stays light, but it also won't speed up results.

Can I skip the facial oil and use a cream instead?

You can, but the slip won't be as good, and without it you risk dragging the skin rather than gliding over it, which defeats the point of the whole routine.

I've got sensitive skin - is this safe for me?

Keep the pressure genuinely light and it should be fine for most people, but if you've got any active skin condition or irritation, that's a conversation for your GP or a pharmacist before you start massaging anything.