Gua Sha 101: Benefits + How to Use
If incorporating a Gua Sha into your skin and self-care routine is new—we're sharing a few tips and how-to instructions to get you started!
Facial Gua Sha is an ancient scraping massage technique developed by Traditional Chinese Medicine. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, qi or chi is energy that flows through the body. Many people believe that a person’s qi must be balanced and flowing freely to ensure their health and well-being. People also believe that qi can become blocked, causing pain or tension in the muscles and joints. Gua Sha aims to move this blocked energy to relieve aches or stiffness.
Using a Gua Sha began as a treatment solely on the body to improve blood circulation, move lymphatic stagnation, and release muscle tension. Over time, a much gentler practice for the face which involves a light gliding motion was adopted.
A Gua Sha ritual is best practiced gently and with consistency. Whether you incorporate it into your morning or evening routine, even if it's just for a few minutes. Here are a few benefits:
- Promotes lymphatic drainage
- Sculpts & lift
- Promotes blood flow & circulation
- Expels toxins
- Defines the jawline, cheekbones and browbones
- Smooths fine lines
- Drains puffiness
- Relieves muscle tension
- Gives a moment for self care
GUA SHA TIPS
- Pair with a face oil to properly prep the skin, like the Glow Serum. This will allow the Gua Sha to effortlessly glide across the face and neck instead of tugging on your skin while also nourishing the skin with plant-rich ingredients.
- Start at the neck/jaw and work your way up, so that you open up lymphatic drainage at the lowest point. Once you get up to your forehead and eye area, the fluid and toxins will have somewhere to drain into like a funnel.
- Be gentle and use very light pressure. If you notice your skin turning red, the pressure is too firm and not working on the lymph. Lymph needs light pressure because your lymphatic vessels are so close to the surface.
- The Gua Sha should be angled at about 15-20°—almost flat to the skin
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Stroke the skin between three and five times per area
- Remember to breathe through each movement and relax into the ritual
HOW TO USE
Once you've prepped the skin by applying the Glow Serum to your face and neck, warm up the Gua Sha between your hands by rubbing it between your hands.
- Start with your neck, sweeping in an upwards motion on both sides
- Sweep from the middle of your chin over your jawline back towards your earlobe. Once you've reached your earlobe, gently jiggle the gua sha to encourage the fluid to drain down the neck to the lymph nodes at the base, just above your collarbone.
- Sweep underneath your cheekbone and direct it toward your hairline. You can lightly and gently jiggle your tool at your hairline.
- Gently sweep under the eyes, starting from the inner corner of the eye to the hairline
- Sweep over the eyebrows out toward the hairline
- Sweep up from the brow bone finishing at the hairline in tiny sections, moving along the eyebrow in three to five sections.
Once you've completed both sides of your face, sweep down the neck to assist with lasting drainage.
