The Ultimate Guide to Gua Sha: Exploring the Benefits and Reasons Why We Love It
Gua sha is an ancient Chinese medicinal tradition that is now receiving major hype all over the internet. It is used by people world-wide because of its benefits for the skin. It can tone the skin and reduce inflammation. The gua sha face sculpting technique offers amazing results directly after the facial process is done! If you are interested in an easy, affordable alternative to give your face more definition, gua sha is the perfect solution.
What is a gua sha? A gua sha is a stone material used to sculpt the face and body. Materials could be steel, rose quartz, jade, and in ancient times, coins or bones from other animals were used. Gua sha translates to “scraping sand” in Chinese because of the small red dots that appear after scraping from the built up fluid and blood circulating throughout the face (don’t worry, they fade quickly after). Gua sha has been used for centuries because of the many benefits that come with it, as well as it being known to treat many ailments. Doing this a couple times each week can reduce puffiness in the face and brighten the skin as well.
Where did this technique originate? Gua sha was an ancient healing technique used in China known to treat many ailments. An article noted “Historical records on gua sha go back to the Paleolithic Age. When people fell sick or became unconscious, hands or stones were used to rub parts of their body to help alleviate the symptoms of disease.” Qi also plays a very essential part with gua sha. * Qi is the energy our bodies hold, and if there is negative energy, gua sha helps to draw that bad energy out of the body. Gua sha on the body is scraped a little differently than the face. Since the skin over the body is thicker than the skin on the face, more pressure is used. It helps to break up the energy and promotes healing for the body.
How to gua sha: Understanding the technique is essential. If the tool is held a certain way it could be too rough on the skin, so it is recommended to be held either flat on the skin or at a 30 degree angle. Begin by cleansing the face and applying oil after. Once the oil is on the skin, the gua sha should glide very easily across the face. Keep in mind to not go over any parts of the skin that have rosacea or acne and raised acne bumps. Begin at the neck, since it is the main source of where the lymphatic drainage is, using slow upward strokes starting from the back of the neck up to the behind of the ears. Work the tool around to the side and front of the neck also using upward motions towards the chin and repeat each stroke three to five times. Moving up to the face next, use the tool across the jawline and cheekbones towards the ears. Most gua sha have indents that shape to the jawline area which would be used for this section of the face. Work up to the under-eyes, being extra gentle here because the skin is so thin. Next, gua sha the forehead up towards your hairline while placing your fingers over your eye to hold the skin taut. Directly after finishing this process, tension will already be released. Be sure to drink plenty of water after to increase the effects of the drainage!
How did gua sha rise to fame? Once people saw the positive results of others using the facial gua sha technique, it was all over social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Well Insiders stated that “People are seeking good health, wanting to feel and look their best. If they can do it without ingesting medication or chemicals, then why not give it a try? More and more studies are demonstrating the positive effects gua sha can have on the connective tissue and the immune system.” People began to notice that the gua sha techniques can give you the appearance of a botox without the actual botox. The cost of tools are low and there is no harm involved with gua sha, making this the new go-to for people of all ages.
What type of gua sha tool should I use? There are a few different shapes and types of materials used in gua sha including rose quartz, stainless steel and jade. Stainless steel is antibacterial, but jade is known to release negative thoughts and rose quartz has been said to have calming effects and attract love. In our Gua Sha Box, we include everything you will need to begin your gua sha journey. This box has a rose quartz heart-shaped gua sha tool and pink rose facial oil with a blend of floral oils to soften the skin and promote skin renewal. This oil pairs up nicely with the gua sha tool to give your skin a fresh feel. The pink rose facial oil includes key ingredients like squalene, camellia seed oil and jojoba oil. Squalene promotes elasticity and skin renewal, camellia seed oil protects and repairs the skin, and jojoba oil acts as a gentle moisturizer. We also include a nourishing treat in this box; The Beauty Bar Chocolate has collagen for healthy skin, hair and nails, raw cacao for feelings of bliss, and rhodiola which relieves stress, fatigue and balances hormones. This box is the ideal gift for any gua sha lovers.
Why should I gua sha? Gua sha holds many benefits for the skin and body. These benefits include drainage of lymphatic fluids, lifts and firms the skin, reduces hyperpigmentation of skin, releases tension in the muscles of the face and body, lessens the appearance of wrinkles, and relieves side effects of headaches and hepatitis B. Gua sha also can “stimulate blood flow and remove coldness, negative energy and toxic-heat; Through the process, more blood serum is produced, and improves the body's immune system.”*** Gua sha has many advantages for the face, body and immune system.
What is the difference between using a facial roller or gua sha? The gua sha defines and sculpts the face whereas a facial roller is more of a lymphatic drainage massage. The gua sha has shown more effective results than the jade roller when it comes to sculpting the face muscles because Gua Sha tools are designed with shapes that fit around facial curves to amplify this benefit even more. Either choice is a great option but gua sha is more beneficial in our opinion.
Gua Sha is a great way to sculpt the facial structure without spending hundreds of dollars. At ekuBOX we've done all the work for you. We've created a fabulous Gua Sha gift set that perfect to gift or give yourself. It has a rose quartz gua sha and Jules and Esther Pink Rose Facial Oil. It has everything you will need to begin or continue your gua sha journey. It even comes with a Beauty Bar Chocolate treat that is enriched with nourishing superfoods treat to help keep you glowing. It retails for $90 and comes in our beautiful ekuBOX ready for gifting.
https://pinkmoon.co/blogs/news/beyond-beauty-gua-sha-deep-dive-workshop-panel-with-kai-yim * (http://en.chinaculture.org/info/2013-
**https://wellinsiders.com/gua-sha-this-ancient-practice-is-having-a-modern-moment-heres-why/
***http://en.chinaculture.org/info/2013-04/25/content_456628_2.htm
