The Gua Sha: The New Beauty Accessory For The Skin.
Have you heard of the latest beauty secret for having a more beautiful skin and a better defined face shape? The gua sha is a natural stone massage accessory traditionally used in Chinese medicine. We explain exactly what it is and how to use it in 5 questions.
"What is a gua sha?"
A gua sha is a massage and beauty tool made from natural stones such as rose quartz, jade, or amethyst. This flat stone usually has an ergonomic shape that resembles a heart. This particular shape allows it to follow the contours of the face during a massage with a facialist or at home on a daily basis.
2- What are the benefits of a gua sha massage?
Gua sha is a very popular facial massage tool currently. Followers of this massage inspired by Chinese medicine attribute multiple virtues to it:
• Anti-aging benefits, to smooth and firm the skin
• Benefits for skin quality, to even out and illuminate the complexion
• Anti-stress benefits to relax the muscles while reshaping the oval of the face.
3- Which gua sha stone to choose?
In addition to the benefits of facial massage itself, gua sha has additional virtues depending on the natural stone it is made of.
Lithotherapy enthusiasts believe that each type of stone or crystal has its own virtues for health and beauty. That's why you absolutely must buy this accessory in real stone.
To know if it is a real stone, and not a resin or glass accessory, know that a real natural stone is generally cool to the touch and of non-uniform color.
Natural rose quartz, which is a stone symbolizing sweetness and comfort, has the virtues of:
- relieving skin irritations
- soothing burning sensations
- activating the microcirculation of the epidermis
- facilitating the elimination of toxins
- preventing the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines
- having an overall soothing and anti-stress effect.
Although massage with this accessory is beneficial for all skin types, the jade gua sha is more suitable for combination to oily skin because this stone is renowned for its refreshing and purifying virtues. According to traditional Chinese medicine, green jade stone is one of the best stones for gua sha.
Finally, if your skin imperfections are related to stress, it is better to choose an amethyst stone because this soothing stone is supposed to act on the nervous system to better rebalance your skin.
4- How to use a gua sha on the face?
To massage your face using a gua sha stone, start by applying a few drops of vegetable oil on your face, such as jojoba oil for blemish-prone skin or plum oil for normal skin. It is not recommended to use this stone on bare skin.
Hold the stone tilted at a 45-degree angle to perform movements from the inside to the outside of the face. Thanks to its flat heart shape, the stone can be held horizontally or vertically to stimulate each area of the face.
Attention: do not make back-and-forth movements with the stone as this could irritate your skin. You can repeat the same movement several times on an area like the cheeks or forehead, but always in the same direction, as you can see in the video below:
5- What are the contraindications?
Massage using a gua sha stone is contraindicated if you suffer from certain skin problems such as:
• Rosacea
• Acne
• Skin lesions
If in doubt, seek the advice of a dermatologist before practicing this type of facial massage.
Furthermore, regardless of your skin type, remember to always use a light hand when using this massage stone. If you follow these precautions, using a gua sha is safe.
