I recently stumbled upon a skincare tool and technique that I'd never heard of before and was instantly intrigued although it certainly isn't a new concept, today I'm going to be talking about Gua Sha. This is an ancient Chinese medical treatment that can be done all over the body and is described as 'scraping', when done on the body it creates some very scary looking bruises and is a way of improving circulation and aiding with conditions such as back pain. When done on the face it's a more delicate technique that again improves circulation, helps with lymphatic drainage and gives the face a more firm, lifted and glowy look. Gua Sha is a technique that involves scraping the skin using different shaped tools often made out of rose quartz or jade but it can also be made of other materials.
Like I've already stated I was instantly intrigued by Gua Sha so I went straight online and ordered myself a rose quartz tool, I don't know if price affects the quality between tools so I opted for an inexpensive one from eBay so I could test it out before I consider purchasing a more expensive tool. It did take a while to arrive but I've had it for over a week now and have been using it most days so I thought I'd share my first impressions.
Gua Sha tools come in different shapes but are generally about the size of your palm and have different curves and notches to allow you to massage all areas of the face, they are completely smooth and polished to stop you from doing any damage to the skin. The tool I have looks like a slightly misshapen heart and it feels very cool to the touch which is really refreshing on the skin although after a few minutes of massage it does heat up so if you want to keep that cool refreshing feeling throughout your massage I would keep a bowl of ice water nearby and submerge it for a few seconds each time the tool heats up.
Before you begin you should have a clean face and apply a little moisturiser or oil to give the skin some slip and allow the tool to glide. You should try and keep the tool flat when 'scraping' it over the skin and apply a medium pressure. I start at the sides of the neck and this is the only area I use a downward motion to encourage lymphatic drainage, all the other motions I do are upward to lift the skin. How many times I go over each area depends on the amount of time I have to spend, on average I will go over each area between 5-10 times. Next, I go from the centre of the chin and upwards along the jaw using the heart-shaped edge. Then I use the curved edge and sweep up the face from the sides of the mouth to the ears before going back in with heart-shaped edge to 'carve out' the cheekbones. Next, I will use different sides of the tool to very carefully go around the eyes before finishing off going upwards along the forehead.
I really enjoy this process as a form of self-care, I find it very relaxing and it allows you to take a little time out in the morning or at the end of the day. I haven't been using the tool long enough to comment on any anti-ageing effects but I do think it gives you a temporary lifted look and aids in de-puffing. I will definitely continue with this routine as I'm really enjoying it, it's simple to do and you can tailor it to your own needs if you only have 5 minutes you can go over specific areas of the face and only do each motion 3-5 times or if you have all the time in the world you can go over every area of the face and really take your time to massage the skin and pamper yourself. I would recommend Gua Sha for anyone who takes their skincare seriously and is interested in trying out some new steps to give the skin that lifted and firm appearance.
Have you tried Gua Sha? Have you tried out any other unusual skincare tools?
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