Gua Sha: Stones, Benefits & How-To
What is Gua Sha and Why is It So Powerful?
Gua Sha is more than just a skincare trend; it’s a tried-and-true healing treatment that offers incredible benefits to the skin. From boosting circulation and easing muscle tension to sculpting facial features and promoting a youthful glow, gua sha is transforming modern skincare routines. Today, we are covering the we’ll explore history of the gua sha technique, the best stones to use, how to do it properly, and why it deserves a spot in your daily routine. Let’s dig in!
History of Gua Sha
Gua sha is rooted in ancient Traditional Chinese Medicine, dating back hundreds of years. Originally practiced to scrape the skin using animal horns, stones, or coins to scrape the skin. The technique was used to bring blood flow to the area of illness, relieving stagnation in the body during times of illness. Over time, this healing ritual evolved into a beauty practice that harnesses circulation and lymphatic drainage for radiant, healthier-looking skin.
What is Gua Sha?
Gua sha uses a stone, such as jade or bian, to gently massage the skin in specific motions. This increases circulation, stimulates the lymphatic system, improves muscle tone, and reduces inflammation. This technique is easy to learn and doesn’t take a lot of time to incorporate into your daily routine.
What Stone is Best?
The most commonly used stones are jade and bian. However, amethyst and rose quartz are also used. The original stones were made from bian, rooted in ancient Chinese culture. The right stone depends on your skin’s need…
Bian Stone – The original gua sha stone, rich in over 40 minerals, believed to carry healing properties.
Jade – Naturally cooling, perfect for calming inflammation and depuffing skin.
Rose Quartz – Known as the “love stone,” it soothes, calms, and balances sensitive skin.
Amethyst – Great for reducing stress and balancing skin, especially for sensitive types.
Who is Gua Sha For?
Gua sha is great for any skin type and anyone looking to naturally fight wrinkles, depuff the skin, and enhance product absorption. It’s a great tool for headaches, migraines, neck, shoulder, and/or back pain. The stone can be used on specific pain points or used to smooth out sore muscles on the face or body.
Who Should Avoid Gua Sha?
Overdoing gua sha can cause increased redness or bruising, which means you were too aggressive. However, there are some conditions where we don’t recommend this technique. These include anyone with diabetes, pregnancy, using blood thinners, or any type of circulatory system issues. If you have active acne, rosacea, or psoriasis, we don’t recommend this treatment. For anyone getting Botox injections or Fillers, gua sha must be avoided for a month post-injection. It can move the Botox or filler!
How long does it take to see results?
Results are immediate! However, if you’re looking to smooth wrinkles or lift sagging skin, continued use will give you results after several weeks to months, depending on the severity. If you’re looking to depuff the skin, results are immediate as you stimulate the lymphatic system to reduce fluid retention.
Why it Works
Gua sha is a tried-and-true treatment that offers incredible benefits to the skin. Here are some of the reasons why it works so well:
Increase Circulation: Stimulates blood flow, improving circulation to the entire body.
Collagen Production: Improves collagen production, which helps smooth wrinkles and lift sagging skin.
Lymphatic drainage: Stimulates the lymphatic system, which eliminates fluid from the face, helping to depuff and contour the face.
Relieves muscle tension: If you have muscle pain or soreness, an increase in pressure on those areas improves tension and eases pain. Great for neck or shoulder pain, and/or headaches.
How to Use
There is a right and wrong way to gua sha your face. Here are our recommendations to help you get the results you’re looking for.
- Start with a clean face. Apply your serums, then the facial oil. You must have oil on the skin to allow for slip. If you don’t have slip, you are pulling on your skin and can age you faster.
- Hold the stone correctly at a 15-degree angle to your skin.
- Never pull down on the skin! Gravity causes wrinkles and sagging skin. Use upward or sideways motions.
- Never use strong pressure or dig into the skin in certain areas. A little bit of pinkness is good because you’re stimulating circulation. Too much redness or if your skin stays red after use, you’re using too much pressure. The goal is to be gentle to increase circulation, stimulate muscles, and move lymph.
When to Use in Your Skincare Routine
When working with clients and teaching them how to add gua sha into their skincare routine, here are our two favorite tips:
✔️ If you’re using a facial oil, wash your face, and then use the oil as a slip to do your gua sha treatment.
✔️If you use a facial oil, apply it, and then do your gua sha treatment.
Bonus tip: Run under hot water to warm the stone; this feels so good on the skin!
Do I Need to Use Oil to Gua Sha?
Yes! Oil is non-negotiable for safe, effective gua sha. Without slip, you risk tugging your skin, which can cause wrinkles over time. Your skin needs a slippery surface to glide more easily. Remember, your skin is a delicate organ and needs a delicate touch.
What Face Oil is Best?
Oils can be from either your cleanser or a facial oil you apply directly to your clean skin. Our recommended oils:
Use your cleansing oil. Wash your face first, then grab your stone and massage your skin.
For acne clients, we love the Hygia oil, great to soothe the skin, reduce acne flare-ups, and fight blackheads.
Other skin types, we love the Essential oil, great for dry, sensitive, or aging skin types.
Gua Sha vs. Jade Roller
Both gua sha and the jade roller work similarly by stimulating circulation, depuffing the skin, and improving muscle tone. However, gua sha is more targeted to specific areas due to its shape. A jade roller can’t get into smaller areas such as the upper lip and eye areas. Jade rollers work in smooth rolling techniques, going in an upward and outer motion. This is not as effective for sculpting the skin or relieving tension.
Gua Sha and Lymphatic Drainage
Lymphatic drainage is a technique used to encourage the movement of lymph. Lymph is a clear, watery fluid that contains white blood cells and waste products throughout the body. This system is responsible for fighting infections. The lymphatic system has no pump, unlike our circulatory system; therefore, it must be stimulated. Gua sha is a great tool to stimulate lymph. When using this technique for lymphatic drainage, apply gentle pressure, especially under the eyes and in the sinus areas. Always end the treatment by draining very gently down the neck towards your clavicle bone. There is a main lymphatic drain near your armpit, and doing this will move the fluid so it can be removed as waste.
Ready to Get Started?
Click here to shop for our favorite Gua Sha stone! We are here to help guide you on your skincare journey. Please visit our website to book your first appointment or to shop for facial oils.
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