Gua Sha 101: How to use this amazing facial tool

Want to whack up the dial on your skin brightness?

Or chisel out your cheekbones that you didn’t know existed?

Or maybe even de-puff your eyebags?

Then Gua Sha, made of divinely polished stones, offers serious face sculpting.

Thanks, in part, to its lymphatic drainage and ability to bring fresh blood flow to your skin.

But we hear you. Can this centuries-old approach offer such beauty benefits?

Why not join us as we explore everything there is to know about this cool, zen tool?

What is Gua Sha Therapy?

Gua means ‘scrape’, and Sha means ‘petechiae’, tiny, purple spots in Chinese.

Gua Sha began as a comprehensive body treatment, in which a semi-precious stone was used to release trapped ‘chi’ (energy), stimulate circulation, and promote overall well-being.

Whilst initially a body treatment, the version that has become popular today and is going viral on social media platforms like Instagram is now performed on the face.

The Gua Sha Tool Explained

The gua sha scraper comes in different shapes and performs several actions on your skin.

While the type of stone used for gua sha is not essential, the shape is. We recommend using one that is comfortable to grip, smooth and round and fits the curvature of the area you want to treat.

Different stones have different properties; some, like rose quartz, are antimicrobial, while others, such as jade and amethyst, are cooling, helping to counteract the warming effect of natural friction that stimulates circulation.

How to use a Gua Sha Tool

• The divot or aperture is small and ideal for your jaw
• The pointed convex edge is perfect for scooping your brow area
• The double-curved side helps to promote blood circulation under your eyes and cheeks
• The concave side is ideal for scraping the skin and sculpting your neck, shoulders, and broader parts of your body
• The teeth edge effect softens and smoothes fine lines and stimulates the skin on and around your cheeks and cheekbones

How to Use on Your Neck and Face

So how do you get the benefits of gua sha at home?

Whilst there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to how to use your gua sha tool, the following routine may be helpful as a guide:

1. Ensure your hair is completely off your face
2. Cleanse your skin and apply your favourite facial oil, like Xcell Complex.
3. The concave side should hug the curves of your skin, and the flat part should rest close to it.
4. Begin at the back of your neck, glide toward the hairline, and press gently at the base of your scalp.
5. Next, move to one side of your neck, stretch your head to that side, then the other, as you move your Gua Sha tool upward. Finish with gentle pressure applied to your jawline. And repeat at the front of the neck.
6. Next, with the minor cleft or divot, start from the centre of your chin, press and massage your jaw muscle with small circular motions and end with pressure points at the base of your ear. Repeat this a few times and follow the same movement on the other side.
7. Use the small, rounded end of your gua sha massage tool to gently apply pressure to the area under your eyes. Pull it towards your temples, gently draining outwards, and repeat on the other eye.
8. Next, place the tool on its angled end and press it into the space under your eyebrows. Hold it in place until you feel the tension release and drain.
9. Finally, place the tool against your forehead and slowly pull it towards your hairline; this is an excellent tension-relieving move.

Hands: If you feel tension in your arms and hands, the gua sha massage is the perfect remedy. It will relieve stress around tired muscles and stimulate blood circulation.

Eyes: It’s great for drainage under your eye, helping to alleviate the appearance of dark circles and puffiness.

Lips: Gua sha skincare extends to your lips. It is an excellent tool for plumping, lifting the facial contours around your mouth, and smoothing the vermillion border around the lips.

Neck: Starting with gua sha on your neck encourages circulation and nutrients to travel towards your face, helping to move sluggish lymph.

One study examined individuals with chronic neck pain, dividing them into two groups and monitored in a clinical trial. Those who received gua sha treatment experienced significant improvements in their pain.

Eyebrows: Don’t ignore your brows. You are going over your third eye here, so take long, slow motions to help clear this chakra. Sometimes emotions may come up while working in this area.

Use easy, feather-like strokes to gently flush the lymphatic fluid into your body’s drainage system.

A Quick Guide to Your Lymphatic System

Your lymphatic system is an impressively complex waste-drainage system.

Unlike the cardiovascular system, which uses the heart to pump blood, the lymphatic system doesn’t have a pump. Instead, it slowly circulates lymph fluid by contracting the muscles.

You can liken it to a waste disposal system. The interstitial fluids that collect beneath your skin must be flushed into the body’s natural detoxification system to maintain its health; a slow lymphatic system can lead to puffiness, sallow skin, and other issues.

Gua sha is particularly helpful for lymphatic drainage, facilitating the movement of fluids into the nodes for filtration. When using this tool, you give your lymphatic system the boost it needs.

What are the Benefits of Gua Sha?

Now that you know what Gua sha is and its origins, let’s look at its many benefits.

• de-puffs eye bags
• decreases puffiness
• reduces inflammation
• releases muscular tension
• promotes collagen production
• contours and refines your facial features
• releases tension in the masseter, the muscles of your jaw
• sculpts and tones your underlying facial muscles
• promotes blood circulation and natural drainage of the lymph nodes
• new blood carries oxygen to skin cells, encouraging a healthy-looking flush
• eliminates bloating caused by interstitial fluid, the waste fluid that gets trapped under your skin

Improves Pain Relief

Traditional gua sha involves the more complex art of scraping the body to relieve muscle pain and tension, much like a deep tissue massage.

Promotes Circulation

Another benefit of gua sha facials is improved circulation. The scraping action stimulates circulation, boosting blood supply to the skin, bringing nutrients to the surface, and enhancing collagen and elastin production, which generally makes the skin more resilient and healthy.

Improves Fine Lines 

Gua sha is terrific for treating signs of premature ageing, helping to alleviate expression lines and facial tension.

Gently moving the tool across the face helps relax taut muscles, bringing a fresh supply of nutrients to mature skin and allowing it to return to its youthful glow.

Reduces Puffiness in Your Skin

The pressure and strokes with the gua sha tool can help eliminate fluid buildup and remove stagnant lymph from the tissues. The waste is pushed through the lymph nodes for filtration and return to the bloodstream, providing a near-instant improvement to dull, puffy skin.

At-Home vs. Professional Treatment

Unlike microneedling or laser treatments, which can be challenging to achieve results, gua sha facials are easy to perform at home.

Skincare specialists are well-versed in the specific techniques used on various areas of the face, allowing for more effective results from professional treatments.

However, using it at home between appointments is a great way to increase and maintain those results.

Always ensure you use the correct technique outlined above to achieve maximum results.

What Should You Use 

• You can use a B+ niacinamide skin shot if you have active acne.
• If you need an anti-ageing product, you can use an A+ retinol skin shot to soften fine lines.
• If your skin is dehydrated, sensitive, and lacking moisture, the H20 hydrating skin shot is perfect. It delivers immediate calming and soothing properties, as well as intense hydration.
• An oil-based serum, such as Xcell Barrier Repair oil or Squalane, may be suitable for nighttime use.

Safety Considerations 

You should be aware of some risks associated with Gua Sha facial massage; it should not be used on damaged or injured areas of your skin.

Gua sha is not ideal for individuals with sensitive skin, acne, inflammation, or skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, sunburn, or blood-clotting issues. If you have a bruise, rash, or cut, avoid using gua sha in that area.

Be cautious with the amount of pressure you use; applying gua sha too hard or too aggressively can lead to injuries and other adverse reactions on your skin.

Your skin may look a little pink or red initially after treatment. Depending on your susceptibility to bruising, you may bruise, which is why we recommend applying gentle pressure only.

To Conclude. The naked truth

Remarkably, a small stone can offer numerous beauty benefits.

Call it Chinese folklore medicine or woo-woo wellness, but the craving for a more holistic conception of beauty feels real when using gua sha.

If you want to de-puff your eye bags, chisel out your cheekbones, boost your skin, and enhance your overall glow, then this is the treatment for you.

It yields spectacular results, promoting collagen production, stimulating lymphatic drainage, releasing toxins, and inducing a positive immune response, thereby activating your body’s natural cleansing system.

We believe this is one exceptional time-honoured treatment that should be part of your skincare routine.