Your Ultimate Guide to Gua Sha

You may have read about Gua Sha as a “beauty trend” online or seen someone using an object and stroking it and down their face on social media. Yes Gua Sha has become trendy but it is much more than that. Its roots are in traditional Chinese medicine and the technique has been used by families as folk medicine, healers as well as acupuncturists for thousands of years as a healing modality to treat various diseases in the body. In this article, we will focus on the fundamental tutorial we recommend to master your Gua Sha routine at home.

Gua Sha which directly translates to “scraping” is an East Asian healing practice in which a practitioner (or yourself) takes a flat tool and by using a generous amount of pressure pulls it across the skin to increase flow, reduce inflammation, promote lymph flow, clear congestion. It can also be used for lifting and sculpting, relaxing tight muscles, de-puffing under-eyes and checks. Think of it as a natural Botox.

Before starting your massage, it is important to have clean hands, clean skin and a clean tool to prevent any future breakouts. You can also beforehand leave your tool in the refrigerator for a couple of hours or overnight for an additional cooling and soothing effect. Since we will be pulling with a slight tension on the skin it will need hydration, and lots of it! To ease the movements we recommend using an oil-based serum. Make sure to add the oil in the back, sides and front of your neck as well. We don’t want to irritate or ripple the skin. 
Holding your tool firmly in the correct way: the curved part should be hugging the curves of your skin, you will start with: 

1. Neck and shoulders: Starting at the back of the neck, gently glide your tool up and down using the curved side of the Gua Sha. Then, moving in downward strokes, drag the stone across the top of the shoulders. You can use a little more pressure than usual in this area as it tends to hold a lot more tension.
2. Jawline: Using the U-edge of the stone while holding it at a 45-degree angle against the skin, pull it towards the bottom of the ear to contour the jawbone. Anchor the skin with your opposite hand at the chin.
3. Checks: Continue with the U-edge along the cheekbone, moving from the base of the cheekbone up and out to the hairline, with the bottom of the U-edge meeting the top of the ear, anchoring once again the skin with the opposite hand on the side of your nose.
4. Under-eyes: Very gently glide the stone out underneath the eyes, towards the temples.
5. Eyebrows: Continuing with the U-edge along the brow bone, moving directly over the eyebrow and pulling slightly up and out to the hairline.
6. Forehead: Glide the flat end of the stone from the brow up to the hairline. Do the third eye area last, starting just below the brow line and moving up to the hairline. You can use the tip of your Gua Sha and rub it gently where you have finer lines for an eraser effect. 

Repeat these steps 5 to 10 times on each side. Once the massage is over you can keep the oil applied beforehand for an in-depth hydration. 

This method can be done twice a week or daily to maintain results. You can do it in the morning to reduce puffiness or at night, just before sleeping to relax your facial muscles.

*We suggest avoiding working on problem areas, breakouts, open wounds, raised scars or any irritation.

Gua Sha is believed to have several benefits. Follow our list below and learn more about what Gua Sha does to the body.

1. Promotes lymphatic drainage, it eliminates water retention by releasing fluid and toxins through the lymph system leaving the skin contoured.
2. Increases circulation, and promotes movement which results in better blood flow.
3. Relieves tension, the Gua Sha gently massages the muscles we tend to forget such as the muscles in the jaw, cheeks and forehead. It is also a great way to naturally dissolve migraines by pushing the tip of Gua Sha directly into the era where you feel the most pain.
4. Anti-ageing, regular Gua Sha practice stimulates collagen products and can diminish the appearance of the lines over time.
   
   

When practising Gua Sha it is important to use an oil-based serum to lubricate your skin’s surface, allowing your facial tool to glide.