The Gua Sha: Your New Favorite Facial Tool

In our previous blog post, we discussed the benefits and uses of facial rollers. Today, we are discussing a similar, but more advanced, facial tool that you'll want after reading all about them. 

We introduce to you, the Gua Sha. 

“Gua sha” is an old, traditional practice rooted in Eastern Asia, which translates to “scraping the pain away.” What once was a full-body massage, the gua sha is now used mainly on the face and neck as a relaxing, beautifying, and detoxifying ritual. The cool, healing stones used in the gua sha help encourage lymphatic flow, increased circulation, and skin smoothness.

Benefits Of Using a Gua Sha 

• Tension Relief: Holding tension in our face and neck is something we all have the habit of doing. By using deep pressure with a Gua Sha, you can release muscular tension, allowing them to do their supportive jobs properly. Relaxing the facial muscles regularly can also prevent and fade expression lines. When including the gua sha in your skincare routine, you can expect a huge decrease in facial and neck tension.  We hold so much tension in our face and neck. 

• Detoxifying: The gua sha tool can also be used to clear blockages in your meridian channels, which connect our organs together and transport blood and chi. In order fr our channels to work harmoniously, they need to be cleared,  which is why the tool can be so beneficial. If an organ is not functioning properly, the channel could be blocked - and vice versa. We can clear the channel of blockages by scraping the Gua Sha tool along it. Gua Sha imparts a truly holistic effect on the body. This manual movement stimulates our lymphatic system, helping our organs function optimally by breaking up stagnation, flowing debris and toxins within the body for easier expulsion.

• Migraine & Headache Reduction: To reduce your need for over-the-counter medications, you can use your gua sha to help relieve migraine and headache pain. A 72-year-old woman who lived with chronic headaches received facials with a gua sha tool for 14 days, and saw a decrease in symptoms of her migraines. This suggests that the gua sha may be an effective remedy for headaches and migraine symptoms.

• Neck Pain Relief: The gua sha also has been used to reduce neck pain. When used properly and often, neck tension has been seen to be released and neck pain has been diminished. 

How to Use Your Tool

1. Start by applying gentle but firm pressure to work the gua sha tool—with the ridge side down—moving in small concentric circles from the middle of your forehead out towards your temples, all the way to the hairline.

2. Apply extra eye cream so there is no pulling on the delicate eye area. Then position the top corner of the gua sha tool’s groove near the corner of your eye, closest to your nose, and slowly massage it under the eye out towards your ear, all the way to the hairline. Repeat with the bottom corner of the groove at the top of the eye, and work the tool over the eye, following the line of the eyebrow out to the hairline.

3. Start with the gua sha (still ridge side down) at the edge of the bridge of your nose, and pull it gently across your cheek to your hairline. Work your way down the side of your face, beginning at the center and moving out towards the ears. End by working the gua sha from the middle of your chin along the jawline until you touch the bottom of your ear.

4. Apply slightly firmer pressure and massage the gua sha from the center of the chin along the jaw, following the bone. When you reach your ear, pivot the tool so the ridges lay flush with your neck, and bring it down to your collarbone. This will help drain the toxins from the lymph nodes on either side of your neck.

5. To tone the neck, glide the gua sha tool up towards the jaw, starting at the base near the collarbone. Move up from the center, then work your way around the side of the neck until you reach your shoulder, always working the tool upwards. Make sure you still have plenty of oil on the skin so you don’t pull or cause any irritation.

We recommend using your Gua Sha during your nightly skincare routine with various products to ensure the tool glides smoothly over the skin and to avoid pulling at the skin. Recommended products include:

1. Facial Oils: One of the best products you can use with your Gua Sha is facial oils, as it adds extra lubrication to allow your tool to glide smoothly over the skin
1. Rose Phyto3 Facial Oil 
2. Power Repair Skin Therapy Oil 
3. Body Nurish Argon Oil 
2. Facial Creams: you can also use your tool with a facial cream 
1. Power Repair Face Cream 
2. Rose Phyto3 Facial Cream 
3. Body Nurish Vitanutrient Facial Cream