Given how sheet-masks have become a form of self-care, the global cosmetics market is now valued at $US530 billion ($740 billion) and cosmetic "tweakments" (AKA discreet cosmetic surgery treatments) are one of this year's biggest trends in beauty, it's little wonder that facials are needing to up to ante.

Pampering is lovely and all but most of us are time-poor, money-stretched and we want bang for our bucks. One of the most talked-about facial treatments in recent years has been facial massage, and in particular the "intra-oral" or "buccal" facial. This is thanks in no small part to Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, who credits the treatment with making her look "waaaay more sculpted".

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, credits intra-oral massage with making her face look more sculpted. Credit:YUI MOK

The Duchess is a fan of British facialist Nichola Joss' "buccal" or "inner facial", which combines deep lymphatic massage on the face as well as the more unusual practice of massaging the face from the inside of the mouth. On her now defunct lifestyle blog The Tig (anybody else still sad about this?) she called the treatment a "life changing facial”.

In a blog for Birchbox in 2014, Meghan wrote of the treatment, “I do facial exercises taught to me by one of my favorite aestheticians, Nicola Joss, who basically has you sculpt your face from the inside out. I swear it works, as silly as you may feel. On the days I do it, my cheekbones and jawline are waaaay more sculpted.”

Intra-oral massage (where a therapist massages your face from the inside of your mouth) and facial massage is said to help with lymphatic drainage and toxin release, increase the blood flow to the muscles which stimulates oxygen to the skin and boost collagen production and to help release tension around the face and jaw. The goal is less puffy, firmer and healthier skin.

You can try it at home too. Nichola Joss posted this how-to on her Instagram last year:

Isabella Loneragan, skin specialist, dermal therapist and founder of The Dermal Diary on Sydney's Lower North Shore, offers a similar treatment to Nichola Joss with The Intrinsic Facial.

There is currently a six week waitlist for the $210 facial ($285 after 6pm and Saturdays).

Lonergan, who trained under Russian massage expert Yakov Gershkovich (who she found on Instagram) in Paris says the treatment will give you a Botox-like lift (you'll really need to do it regularly to see this long-term though). But says what drew her in was how the treatment "releases emotional blocks in the face by muscle manipulation."

It gets results and speaks to my philosophy. We carry a lot of emotional tension in the face.

She says it speaks to her more "holistic" approach to beauty.

"I love it because it gets results and speaks to my philosophy. We carry a lot of emotional tension in the face. When clients arrive they're stressed, they're complaining about their skin, maybe their marriage is bad. They need some peace and some nurturing. We carry so much tension in our jaws and the back of our neck … it's about releasing that emotional tension while stimulating the muscles and blood and oxygen flow to the face," she says.

Clients leave the room, she says, in a state of bliss.

So what does it feel like? Kind of weird. The facial starts off as a regular facial with a double cleanse, lactic peel, vitamin infusion and steam. Lonergan then describes what will happen next when it comes to the intra-oral part.

It's nothing like being at the dentist but the sensation of someone's (gloved) hands inside your mouth is undeniably strange.

However the deep, sometimes uncomfortable, massaging out of tension in the jaw in particular is a quite incredible release. It feels, as Lonergan puts it, as though you have more space in your face.

What to buy this Thursday

Your weekly recommendation for a late-night shopping trip …

Sachajuan Shine Serum

This haircare brand is as pared back and cool as you would expect from a Stockholm brand. It started as a salon by Sacha Mitic and Juan Rosenlind (who combined their names to form the brand name).  The products aren't fussy but they're really good. I've been using the Shine Serum on my hair and it's been nourishing on my frazzled ends and makes me look more presentable than I deserve to be. $46, adorebeauty.com.au

Skin Deep, our weekly beauty column, is not sponsored. All product recommendations are genuine endorsements.

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