At-home beauty tools and accessories have really boomed since Covid and something we have a seen everywhere more recently are Crystal Rollers & Gua Sha Tools. We use both in our clinic with great success and our Dermal Therapists use both at home in their personal routines. Today we are focusing on the in's and out's of Gua Sha. So, what are the benefits?
While Gua Sha can be used by practitioners for alleviating pain as well as increasing energy and flow, there are massive benefits to the skin with regular use.
Some of the benefits we have observed and loved include:
- Promote blood circulation.
- Improve fine lines and wrinkles.
- Promotes lymphatic drainage. We love that Gua Sha can eliminate fluid build-up, which can in turn reduce puffiness.
- Relieves tension from muscles. By applying pressure with a Gua Sha tool regularly, users can untangle knotted areas and release built-up muscular tension.
Though some TikTok & Instagram users say they have used Gua Sha to sculpt their faces, there are no studies to show that it can enhance a user's jawline. Instead, Gua Sha works by engaging tissue to eliminate fluid build-up in the lymph nodes (which can give the illusion of a more contoured face) — it can’t actually remove fat from certain areas.
There are studies that encourage people who struggle with seasonal allergies or tend to catch colds easily to try Gua Sha. This is because it can be useful for those people to repeatedly stimulating certain areas and allow the Gua Sha to help purge non-circulating blood and toxins from the body. Visual signifiers of this purging can be anything from redness to slight bruising.
How to use Gua Sha on your face:
The first step we recommend is cleansing. By starting with a clean face, you can ensure your face is free from any impurities that may get into your skin when scraping. From there, lather a facial oil or hydrating serum to protect your top layer of skin from abrasion.
For best results, use the Gua Sha tool at least 3 times per week. Hold the Gua Sha tool with the curved side to your face and gently glide it up and out. Begin with the neck, then work your way up to the jawline, chin and around the mouth. From there, sweep across your cheeks and gently glide under the eyes, across your eyebrows and from your forehead, up to your hairline. Do this 3-5 times per area. By dragging the crystal along your face in broad even strokes from the neck up, you’ll see a reduction in the appearance of wrinkles and notice a temporarily more firm complexion. Another important thing to remember is to scrape in one direction: By channeling the motion in one direction, you will attract more blood and stimulation to a specific area.
Which Gua Sha should I choose?
It really is a case of which crystal should you choose. Here are the 3 most popular crystals and their benefits:
1. Rose Quartz
This crystal is great for fighting ageing and is best for soothing! Known for channeling love and positivity, true Rose Quartz will maintain a cool temperature as you use it. Because it stays cool, this helps to soothe any inflammation and redness that may be present. Another thing that we love about rose quartz, is that it contains minerals like magnesium, iron and oxygen. This combination helps to remove dead skin cells, reduces tension and relaxes facial expressions.
2. Jade
On the skin, Jade won’t feel as silky and glassy in texture because it naturally has more resistance and it’s this quality that makes it the go to crystal for firming and lifting! This crystal also promotes balance, positivity and restores harmony to the skin. Unlike Rose Quartz, Jade will quickly warm up to the temperature of your skin. We love it because it revitalises energy, relaxes the nervous system and even eliminates toxins from the skin. With regular use, you will be able to soften wrinkles, help to sculpt facial muscles and tighten the skin.
3. Amethyst
If you are feeling stressed and overwhelmed with negative energies, this crystal is the best at helping you relax and improving mental clarity. Amethyst is negatively charged, this allows it to draw out positively charged toxins and free radicals whilst also cleansing and detoxifying the skin, mind and body. As it emits infrared rays, it will subtly raise the temperature of the skin to increase healthy circulation. We love this crystal because it helps to soothe inflammation and redness, whilst deeply nourishing the skin cells with oxygen. This helps to prevent bacteria growth and promotes skin rejuvenation.
