My skincare routine is a sacred part of my day. The more steps I add, the more relaxed I feel afterward. And the Gua Sha natural beauty tool is the addition I didn’t know I needed. Before you start judging me, I’m completely aware that a longer skincare routine doesn’t necessarily mean a better one. It’s recommended that you keep your skincare routine as simple as possible.
What is Gua Sha?
The Gua Sha, also known as the jade scraper skincare tool is currently the newest skincare hype. This simple tool seems like it has the potential to take your skincare routine to the next level. From highlighting cheekbones you never knew existed to brightening up your skin tone.
But, where did this whole applying pressure on your skin in a particular motion idea come from?
Modern beauty hypes are usually practices that exist years ago but have been recently commercialized, just like the Gua Sha beauty tool. The Gua Sha was traditionally used in Asia and Chinese medicine, stemming from the Gua Sha massage responsible for curing someone from muscle tightness and pain using pressure applied by the Gua Sha, currently used for beauty purposes.
What are the benefits of Gua Sha?
It is claimed that the Gua Sha treats a number of conditions. The most common ones are Migraine headaches, chronic neck pain, Tourette syndrome, Perimenopausal syndrome, and Hepatitis B.
Although there isn’t any solid ground on the validity of the Gua Sha tool to treat these conditions, there are case studies enough for you to put the Gua Sha tool into consideration.
Not only that. But women using the Gua Sha once a week have reported improvement in perimenopausal symptoms ever since they started incorporating the Gua Sha tool in their daily routine. Some of these symptoms include sleep disturbances, mood swings, hot flashes, fatigue, anxiety, and abnormal periods.
Some more benefits for women include help with breast fullness. Breast fullness happens to women who are breastfeeding; their breasts become overfilled with milk which swells them and causes pain. A woman who was breastfeeding reported that she noticed an improvement in pain levels after using the Gua Sha.
However, researchers haven’t yet confirmed the validity of the relationship between using the gua sha tool and the potential benefits.
Method of usage
The Chinese have been using it for years in medicine, they named the Gua Sha ‘Botox of the East’. Of course, it all comes down to its firming and skin tightening benefits. People have sworn that the Gua Sha helped them in tightening and brightening their skin as well as relaxing tensioned muscles. Another perk of this incredible beauty tool is how it aids in the absorption of skincare products.
Now that you’re excited to use this hyped beauty tool and want to test the benefits yourself, let’s get into how exactly to use the Gua Sha on different body parts. Grab your Gua Sha, your favorite serum, oil, or sheet mask, or even the tool alone, and let’s get into business.
For The Eyes:
Look at your Gua Sha, you’ll find a heart-shaped end, use this the longest curve on this end and gently massage your under-eye area with it. The right way is to apply pressure starting from your eye’s inner corner right until your hairline. Redo this a couple of times before moving on to the other eye.
For The Forehead:
Start from right above the eyebrows, using the longest side of the Gua Sha, all the way till your hairline or the end of your forehead. Keep repeating this a couple of times before moving to the other side.
For The Eyebrows:
Again look at your Gua Sha, you’ll find a heart-shaped side, use the small part of the heart for under the eyebrows, and the big part above the eyebrows. The pressure is applied outwards starting from the beginning of the eyebrow all the way to your hairline.
For The Eyes:
Using the longer side of the heart-shaped side of the Gua Sha tool, position the Gua Sha starting the inner corner of the eye and slowly move outwards toward your hairline. Remember to use gentle pressure on your eyes. Repeat before moving to the other side.
For The Cheeks:
To massage your cheekbones, apply pressure using the longest side of the Gua Sha. Begin with right next to your mouth and move upwards following your cheekbones until your hairline. On this part, you can apply a bit more pressure than the others.
For The Jaw:
Using the heart-shaped side of the Gua Sha, start applying pressure across your entire jawline, beginning with your chin all the way till you reach your ear. It’s fine if you apply a bit more pressure.
For The Throat:
Hold your Gua Sha from the pointed end, and using the heart-shaped end apply light pressure to massage your throat. Start from your collarbones, move gently upwards till your reach the start of your chin.
For The Neck:
Hold the longest side of the tool which is curved inwards, then begin to apply pressure starting from your collarbones all the way to the jawline.
For The Back:
Hold the Gua Sha from the pointed end, and using the heart-shaped end apply firm pressure from the lower part of your neck until your hairline. Apply vibrational pressure when you reach the area of the neck that needs to relax the most. Keep repeating the process till you feel your muscles loosening up.
Side effects of using the Gua Sha
The Gua Sha is a natural healing remedy. It doesn’t require the use of any harmful chemicals or aggressive procedures. However, if your skin is still new to the pressure, it may cause some change in its appearance.
As mentioned, the Gua Sha works by applying pressure or ‘scraping’ the skin. The skin tissue consists of tiny blood vessels (capillaries). When applied pressure on, these blood vessels may burst to lead to skin bruising or may look like a misplaced hickey. Fortunately, this effect typically diminishes in a few days.
The same as any beauty tool, disinfection is crucial. If you plan on sharing your Gua Sha with someone or even alone, make sure to properly disinfect it after every use. Since there is a possibility of the transmission of diseases that are bloodborne if someone bleeds on the tool.
Overall, the Gua Sha is a safe tool to use for everyone. But, there are certain cases where experts don’t recommend the use of the Gua Sha at all. People who’ve undertaken any kind of surgery within the past seven weeks or taking blood clotting medications shouldn’t be using this tool.
Conclusion
I understand it’s hard to believe that such an inexpensive and simple tool can offer all these benefits people have been trying to reap for years, even centuries! However, there’s nothing but time to prove that his skincare secret is worth committing to.
Although the Gua Sha promises to offer incredible benefits, it’s important to note that these benefits are temporary – meaning that they won’t last if you stop using this skincare tool. If you wish to maintain the benefits, make sure to count the Gua Sha as a staple in your skincare regimen.