“Does gua sha work?” is one of the most asked after question that I get as a beauty journalist.
The process of gently scraping your skin to improve blood flow and create a more contoured complexion has gone viral on every social media channel with impressive before and afters created when use on just one half of the face.
The process is lauded for its ability to firm and sculpt and has even be praised for its anti-ageing benefits. More than anything, however, is that it’s a very relaxing and holistic wellness practice that can be easily incorporated into your skincare routine and be performed at home - as well as by skincare professionals. It’s stress-relieving for the muscles, boosts your mental health and has skincare benefits too - what’s not to love?
We called on Ada Ooi, TCM practitioner and Founder of 001 Skincare and Mimi Luzon, Skincare Specialist and Celebrity Facialist to decode the traditional healing practise.
What it gua sha?
Ooi explains that it is a “Traditional Chinese medicine technique that involves scraping the skin using a smooth edged stone or tool. It works on both Chinese meridian points and stimulates the lymphatic drainage system to promote blood circulation, enhance the skin’s oxygen levels, moving blood and qi [energy] to regulate bodily systems, enhancing nutrient transformation and transport, while also moving toxins and stagnated elements to be processed as waste.”
What are the benefits of gua sha?
“It promotes blood and qi circulation, increases white blood cell count to boost immunity, releases stagnation and tension”, Ooi reveals.
Luzon adds, “Through performing gua sha on the face, you can reduce puffiness and help to sculpt and tighten the skin, leading to an overall more youthful and plump appearance. It also helps improve the efficacy of your face oils and serums as it helps them to be absorbed by the skin, meaning you can get more out of your products in the long run.”
What do you need for gua sha?
The first and most obvious purchase is for one of the designated smooth edge stones mentioned above, but Luzon also suggests incorporating, “A hydrating and nourishing face oil or serum, which is key to a great facial massage.”
What do you do?
Ooni breaks it down:
- You will need to work on freshly cleansed skin to make sure you’re not pressing any dirt or pollution into the skin as this could cause irritation and breakouts.
- After cleansing, apply a face oil or serum to give slip - the gua sha will also help your skincare products to be absorbed better.
- For the gua sha, you want to use a smooth edged stone or tool to perform the scraping. Start by placing the gua sha tool at the masseter muscle (the Jaw chewing muscle), apply medium pressure and massage in a circular motion, I describe this as ‘grinding the fascia’ to unblock all the tension from eating, talking and unconscious grinding.
- Do this at least five times.
- Place the gua sha tool at the centre of the chin, glide upwards to the front of ears and wiggle to stimulate the triple warmer meridian. Points here are nerve related so it can really help relax the face for correct alignment, then bring it down to the side of the neck and end at the collar bone for drainage.
- Do this at least five times.
Luzon stresses that you should use a gliding motion “gently up and out” throughout the process. She also recommends to “stroke in a downwards motion towards the lymph nodes to drain fluid and use short strokes in one direction. If you want to reduce puffiness, work lightly, then more firmly, to relax muscles.” Don’t forget the forehead! “Work the tool in small horizontal strokes over the brow bone to lift, or hold and press upwards between the brows to release tension.”
Does it work?
Quite simply, “Yes!”, explains Luzon. “Massaging the face for just five minutes a day is a great way to incorporate self care, which is really important in decreasing stress and aiding healthy skin. As it helps to stimulate lymphatic drainage, it can be really effective at sculpting the face.”
Ooni agrees, “Gua sha can unknot muscle tension and promote drainage of unwanted stagnated fluids, which helps to reduce swelling, giving a lighter feeling and appearance.”
Shop the best tools for gua sha below
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FaceGym Multi-Sculpt High-Performance Gua Sha
Stroke this tool along the contours of your face to bring the FaceGym experience into your own home. The London and New York-based salon is changing up the facial game by offering a workout for the muscles, rather than a traditional lotion and potion-based treatment.
This is one of the pieces of kit that the brand uses with six edges for the ultimate multitasker. By adding into your skincare routine, you can lift, contour, remove tension, release blockages, aid in drainage, and even tackle fine lines and wrinkles. Keep in the fridge and the stainless steel construction will be a godsend for soothing and depuffing.
Buy now £45.00, Net-A-Porter
Odacite Gua Sha Blue Sodalite Beauty Tool
When the likes of poor skin, sleepless nights and bad digestion are getting you down, the ritual of this gua sha treatment is here to help calm anxieties. This tool isdesigned to stimulate the skin with massaging motions and smoothing and wrinkle-busting effects. The curvaceous side allows it to glide onto the skin without tugging, especially when paired with a face oil or serum. The Blue Sodalite stone is all about peace, balance and tranquility so your worries and cares dissolve with every swipe of the stone.
Buy now £40.00, Space NK
Hayo’u Clear Quartz Beauty Restorer gua sha tool
With its clear design, you might find this tool runs the risk of disappearing on the side of your bathroom sink but it’s a small and mighty addition to your skincare routine that allows you to incorporate the ancient ritual.
The soothing practise of sweeping over your complexion encourages nutrients and oxygen to the skin surface - and it takes just one minute. Use the curved edge to press on the accupressure points on the face, while the flat edge should even out skin tone and help with lympatic drainage.
Buy now £42.00, Selfridges
Skin Gym Cryo stainless steel heart gua sha
Take your facial massage to new heights with this stainless steel tool that comes in a handy heart shape for ever facial contour - whether big or small. This is another option that will give each part of your face a thorough seeing to, whether it’s the jawline, chin, forehead, cheek, under eye or brow that needs a muscle release. Relax and refresh with added cooling and soothing benefits if you keep in the fridge.
Buy now £38.00, Selfridges
Psychic Sisters Gua Sha Facial Wand in Amethyst
Soothe and calm tired skin with just a few sweeps of this Amethyst-based tool. From the experts at Psychic Sisters, this tool have been cleansed with sage to maximise the healing and balancing properties of this type of facial massage. Use all over including the neck to boost circulation and counteract puffiness.
Buy now £24.95, Beauty Bay
MZ SKIN Gua Sha
Promote a brighter and lifted complexion with this tool that comes as part of the range at MZ SKIN. The label was founded by celebrity plastic surgeon Dr. Maryam Zamani to bring the clinic experience to the comfort of your own home. Made from rose quartz, it should encourage better circulation, reduce sagging and release toxins, while offering a wellness boost from the ritual itself.
Buy now £40.00, Liberty London
ESPA Rose Quartz Gua Sha Tool
Just a few sweeps of the rose quartz tool from ESPA is the ultimate self-care experience. Use on every part of the face to encourage nutrients and oxygen to the skin’s surface that you then send down your neck in order to clear the lymphatics. Recreating the ancient-beauty ritual has a lifting, contouring and relaxing effect, while soothing, tightening and reducing puffiness.
Buy now £40.00, ESPA
The White Company White Jade Gua Sha
The ancient Chinese massage therapy of gua sha has benefits for the skin as well as creating a mindful ritual that will encourage you to feel beautiful from the ouside in. From The White Company, this tool has been hand-crafted from natural white jade quartz with a heart-shaped design that can reach all the different contours of the face.
Buy now £20.00, The White Company
Wild Source Rose Quartz Gua Sha
The combination of gentle and deeper strokes will work wonders for muscle tension release as well as to kickstart lymph draining. Incorporate this rose quartz gua sha tool from Wild Source into your regular skincare and you’ll feel the benefits to facial stress - whether that’s caused from furrowed brows, grinding of the jaws, or tension headaches - while your stresses will melt away.
Buy now, Liberty London
Lanshin Intro Gua Sha Tool - Nephrite Jade
If you are just beginning your gua sha journey, this tool may be just the one you are looking for in order to nail the basics. It uses a dark green hued nephrite jade stone to reinvigorate the complexion and fight against congestion of the skin.
Buy now £60.00, Net-A-Porter
Angela Caglia Rose Quartz Gua Sha
Rose quartz is said to encourage healing and loving energy so it makes sense that it is a common material used for gua sha. It is placed at the centre of this stone from celebrity aesthetician Angela Caglia (the ‘Hollywood Glow Girl’ as she is known). Replicate the facial massage treatment in her New York and LA spas with this sculptuing tool that counteracts the visible signs of ageing by increasing blood circulation, toning and smoothing.
Buy now £46.00, Net-A-Porter
001 Skincare MicroSculptor No.3
The founder of 001 Skincare, Ada Ooi explains, “The MicroSculptor No.3 is fabulous for facial and body massage. It is designed to fit precisely with every facial contour to perform both a stimulating and relaxing massage across the face, neck, jawline and décollete.”
It is larger than the majority of other gua sha tools on the list so you can use around the face as well as the body to maximise the lifting, toning, and circulation-boosting that it provides from head to toe.
The ergonomically-shaped design is crafted from Chinese medicine favourite Bian stone from Shan Dong and infused with 40 minerals that can be used cool or slightly warmed for all the brightening, detoxifying, dark circle reducing and puffiness-fighting benefits.
Buy now £48.75, 001 Skincare
