You have probably heard about this ‘Gua Sha’ thing or have seen a jade stone somewhere on Instagram or Pinterest feed. It’s definitely a fad right now but it’s been around for yearssss. Let’s get into how to give yourself a Gua Sha facial, gua sha benefits, what shape and material to choose, and more.
What is Gua Sha?
Gua Sha comes from traditional Chinese medicine. It’s also known as “spooning” or “coining” and involves scraping a small tool (jade, crystal, wood) across the skin. It started off being used for curing heat stroke from a hot day and the seasonal cold to detox the body of toxins. The Gua Sha technique helps promote lymphatic drainage as the lymphs carry all toxic waste and it is part of the circulatory system.
The face is a map for what’s going on in the body. Which is why a practice like gua sha is so important to incorporate into your routine. Not only will you benefit your skin, you are helping your body detox and release what you are holding on to in the form of tension.
What Are The Benefits of Gua Sha Massage? What Does It Do?
Gua Sha benefits your whole body. What started as a technique to cure illness now massages away tension to release pain in tight, sore muscles in the body, increases blood flow, mimics the benefits of cupping and acupuncture.
While gua sha massage started as addressing health benefits, the Gua Sha facial benefits were found by mistake. By giving yourself a daily Gua Sha facial at home, you can help release the tension on your face that cause fine lines, as well as sculpt and lift your skin, stimulate collagen production, decongest the skin, and help get rid of skin concerns like acne and eczema. Over time you will have a more defined facial structure and jawline.
You are essentially working and toning your face muscles. And there are no side effects!
How To Choose Your Gua Sha Face Tool?
There are many different shapes and materials for Gua Sha tools, but they all work the same. Just make sure you choose one that is carved with curves, rounded knobs, and points to fit within the curvatures of the face and able to press down on the meridian points (like pressure points).
The type of stone doesn’t matter as it’s the Gua Sha technique that gives you the results. Choose one that you like and stick with it. Different stones have different healing properties. You will see rose quartz, amethyst, tiger’s eye, but jade is the most common because it has detoxifying properties.
You can make choosing your Gua Sha tool a spiritual experience or you just buy one online like it did. However, choose one that you like (the color of stone, the healing properties of the stone, the shape, all is personal preference). If there is one that catches your attention more than another, go with that one!
How to use it?
Let’s start with some ‘before you start’ tips and notes.
You will want to use it daily to see the maximum results or at least 2-3 times a week. Remember, consistency is key in everything including skin care and self care. But if you start dreading it, stop and start once you are ready. Doing it once a month is nice, but you won’t see all the amazing benefits you can get from it.
Don’t do Gua Sha massage for 3-4 weeks after you get botox. You want to make sure the botox settles before you massage your skin.
It usually takes about 5 minutes, but 5 minutes is well worth it as it will help give you that sculpted face right after you finish. You can start slow and just do 2 minutes if that’s better for you and your routine.
Sweep each area a minimum of 3 times, but it’s best to do 5 to 10 times. Doing more than 10 sweeps on one area can move too much waste at one time causing detox symptoms (such as dizziness or feelings of coming down with the flu).
Keep your tool as flat to your skin as possible (about 15 degrees). Don’t use the sharper side on your skin.
Experiment with which side and shape of the tool best fits with your face. Do what feels good to you as it may be different than how it looks in videos.
Now, how to Gua Sha?
It’s best if you do Gua Sha in the morning when your skin is the puffiest after you cleanse.
Use an oil or serum to have some slip to your face to help the Gua Sha tool glide over your skin. If it starts to pull on your skin, add more oil.
**I will either use my Rodan + Fields Active Hydration Serum or if I want something different, I use this vitamin E oil from CVS. The oil is a little thick for me so I usually just stick with the other 2.
While you use one hand to hold your stone, use the other hand to hold your skin firmly.
You want to use light to medium pressure. The lighter the touch, the more you are focusing on the lymph fluid, and with more pressure know you’re moving into muscle. You want it to feel nice, not painful.
Remember to lay the tool as flat as possible through this whole process.
Go through all the steps on one side of your face and then repeat on the other side.
Steps
- Wash hands, face, and make sure the stone is clean.
- Apply oil to your face.
- Warm up the stone in your hands.
- Start at your neck. Whatever is happening on your face is also happening on your neck.
- With the slightly curved side, start where your neck meets your shoulder bone and travel up until you hit bone at the base of your head. Once you get to that bone, wiggle the stone to massage that area. Repeat 5-10 times and do on the other side.
- Use one hand under your collar bone on the side and with the long side of the tool and slide up over your collar bone until you reach the bottom of your jaw and wiggle. Repeat 5-10 times and do on the other side.
- Place fingers on the sternum holding firm, with the notched side slide up the front of your neck until you meet the bone, wiggle to massage. Repeat 5-10 times.
- Moving on to the face, do all steps 9-15 before repeating on the other side.
- Place your finger on the center of your chin for support and place either side of the notch on either side of your jaw bone. Follow your jaw bone until you meet your ear, wiggle to release, and repeat 5-10 times.
- Place finger next to the bottom of your nose and use the long edge of the tool and meet with your finger. Pull towards your ear with a slight angle upwards. We want to be lifting up to create that lifted shape. Make contact with the ear and wiggle. Repeat 5-10 times.
- Place the tool under your cheekbone by pulling towards your ear with a slight angle up. Repeat 5-10 times.
- For under the eyes, use feather-like pressure, barely anything! Take your ring finger and place it under the inner corner of your eye and lightly hold. Use one notch and glide it towards the outer corner and then angle it up to continue to your hairline. Wiggle and repeat 5-10 times.
- Place fingers in between brows and use the notched edge around your eyebrow and follow the natural curve of your brow bone. When you get to the end of your brow bone, turn to the tool upwards and continue up towards your hairline. Wiggle and repeat 5-10 times.
- Place your finger under your eye bone to support the skin, use the long edge of the tool, touch your finger with the tool. Rollover your eyebrow bone, up to your forehead to your hairline, wiggle in your hairline and repeat 5-10 times.
- Place fingers in between your eyebrows and use the shorter flat edge of the tool and pull up the middle of the forehead to your hairline. Wiggle and repeat 5-10 times. This will be super relaxing as you are going over your third eye.
- Look at the difference in your face from one side to the other. You will want to repeat steps 9-15 on the other side of your face.
Both sides of your neck serve as important lymphatic drainage pathways. Make sure you always start your Gua Sha facial downwards on each side of your neck. Finish your routine with 3 to 4 downwards strokes on your neck.
How to clean: Gua Sha stone can be washed with warm water. Cleansing with harsh chemicals as authentic crystals are porous. Make sure you store your stone away from dust and moisture after use.
Tips:
Avoid Gua Sha over cystic acne, pimples, and open lesions, as it will only irritate infected areas. Same with rosacea, wait until it calms down or use a jade roller as it’s more gentle. But Gua Sha is very beneficial underneath the breakout. Draining below the breakout will allow the lymph to carry toxins to the lymph nodes. This is where the waste will be cleansed before returning to the circulatory system to nourish the body.
Have you tried Gua Sha? What did you think? Let me know in the comments!
XO, Annie
