EXPERT INTERVIEW: DISCOVERING FACIALISM
14. 11. 2023

As part of the creation of our Enfance Paris Signature Massage Protocol, we reached out to Catherine Bourgeois and Delphine Langlois from the Facialists Academy.

During this interview, Delphine and Catherine introduce you to the world of facialism and the specificities of massaging children.

Hello Delphine, hello Catherine, thank you for accepting our invitation for this interview. Could you explain to our readers what Facialism is?

Catherine: An esthetician who specializes in facial techniques, and thanks to her theoretical knowledge and extensive knowledge of massage, she can carry out a morpho-facial diagnosis and provide a customized massage to sculpt the face.

Delphine: A facialist is an expert in facial massage techniques. A customer comes to a facialist to plump up a nasolabial fold, smooth out an expression line or lift an oval. This expertise is complementary to the skill of an esthetician, who focuses on the quality of the skin, while a facialist works on what is beneath the skin, i.e. the muscles.

Delphine, would you please introduce yourself and tell us how and when you started your career?

I trained as an esthetician and worked for over 15 years in the luxury hotel industry, where I was an esthetician as well as a massage creator. I wanted to go further than just applying a cosmetic product, I felt that there were things going on under the skin and so I started experimenting by massaging faces in a different way and I noticed that through the power of the hand, we could have a direct action on an expression wrinkle. I then left my job as an esthetician to specialize in facial treatment.

And you Catherine, could you introduce yourself and tell us how and since when you've been in the profession?

My background is in teaching, and I had a training school specializing in body massage. I wanted to stop teaching body massage and start teaching face massage. What was available on the market to train me wasn't suitable, as facial training only taught us how to apply the product. So I developed a sculpting and lifting facial massage technique that didn't exist in France, where previously only relaxing massages existed.

What is the history of L’académie des facialistes ?

Delphine: It's a heartfelt and professional connection; it was evident that we wanted to create a facialist school.

Catherine: I wanted beauticians to have a new skill. The problem with the esthetician profession is that it's very polyvalent, and professionals are required to learn a lot of skills, but they don't have a real specialty. I wanted to create a specialty in the profession, and more specifically in facials. Delphine's ambition was to create a new proposition for customers.

Delphine: Until now, customers had the choice between a traditional treatment or aesthetic medicine. But when you take charge of the muscle, you can achieve sublime results. My ambition was to offer our customers another alternative. We very quickly realized that there was a real demand for this type of expertise, both from customers and from professionals.

What products do you use during a face massage session?

Delphine: Our treatment lasts an hour and is essentially a facial massage. There's a facial cleansing phase to prepare the skin for the massage. For 45 minutes, we massage the face with an oil, then apply an eye cream and a cream depending on skin type. But this is not a skincare treatment at all, it's a massage.

Do you regularly welcome children to your sessions?

Catherine: We welcome young adults, but not children.

Delphine: Children's massages tend to be reserved for the spa industry. More and more, they're opening their doors to young children, so that they can spend time and have an experience with their children.

We had the privilege of creating together a Child Massage Protocol for 3-12-year-olds for our Spa clientele. Did you enjoy this experience?

Delphine : We loved it! Even though we don't have children coming to the Academy for massages, we know that massaging children, especially the scalp, is relaxing for them; they love it. It was a real pleasure to co-create this massage with you.

Catherine: Learning touch should begin in childhood; receiving touch and touching someone else is crucial for adult balance. Being able to provide this experience to children was very important to us.

What are the major specificities you need to take into account when performing a children's massage compared to an adult massage?

Delphine: Children are ticklish, so you have to be careful about that. The challenge is the pressure of the movement; it shouldn't be too strong, but at the same time, it shouldn't be too light.

Catherine: It shouldn't be too long, and we should bring it in a playful way. The goal is really to teach them to feel what they have under their hands. Hands are full of nerve endings, and it's important to help them discover this sensation. Children should find it enjoyable.

Delphine: Children are very curious; they love discovering new sensations. That's why, in the protocol we created together, the child won't get bored. The aim is for them to experience different sensations, such as warmth, wet towels, the coolness of the roll-on, and the little pricks of the hairbrush.

Catherine: It's important to guide children through this discovery experience but also the joy of giving, the joy of making others happy.

You mentioned the creation and running of parent-child massage workshops. How are you progressing with this project?

Catherine and Delphine: For this project, we look forward to seeing you in 2024!

Thank you Delphine and Catherine for this enriching exchange. You can find Delphine and Catherine at the Académie des Facialistes, 17 bis rue La Boétie, Paris 8, and on the website: www.lacademiedesfacialistes.com