With more and more skin care enthusiasts to choose from, things seem to be getting more complicated. Supermarket shelves are full of medicines, most of which contain illegible active ingredients. But what if the answer to eliminating puffiness, wrinkles and more has been under our noses for centuries?
The answer is the traditional Chinese gua sha. If you’ve seen your favorite celebrity or influencer adopt this therapeutic skincare ritual but don’t know how to scrape it yourself, read on. In this blog, we take a look at what scraping is, how it can benefit, and how to use scraping stones at home. Are you ready to become a Gua Sha master? let’s start.
Gua Sha How To Use?
To see the benefits listed above, it is recommended to practice facial scraping three or more times a week. But before using your stone, make sure it is completely clean. The last thing you want to do is rub bacteria into your skin pores. Wash tools thoroughly with soap and water, then air dry or pat dry with a clean towel.
You’ll also want to start the process with a cleansed and lubricated face, so consider incorporating gua sha into your morning or nighttime routine. We’ll show you how to prepare for gua sha below.
Gua Sha How to Prepare
We recommend using a spa headband to pull your hair back as it makes it easier to wash your face and massage during gua sha. First, clean with a foaming cleanser or cream cleanser. Next, apply a facial oil or serum to lubricate the skin and help the scraping stone glide as easily as possible. Friction is not your friend when you want to create pressure with a tool.
You can use any oil, cream or lotion that has become your morning and evening routine, but we recommend a delicate vitamin C serum for even better skin brightening results. It also doesn’t leave a sticky or greasy feel like some heavier oils. To use, just apply a few drops directly to the face and gently press into the skin.
If your eyes are the focus of your gua sha practice, consider using a light, non-greasy eye cream. In addition to lubricating the skin, it brightens the complexion and is the perfect complement to scraping.
Pro tip: For extra soothing and cooling effects, keep the cleaned scraping stone in the refrigerator while going through the above skincare routine for up to three hours.
Gua Sha Basic
Knowing roughly how to gua sha is half the battle. Whether you want to use Gua Sha to reduce puffy eyes, contour your jaw, or remove muscle knots from your neck, the basic techniques are the same. Follow this procedure for a successful, rejuvenating experience.
Hold the tool firmly and in the correct orientation. Typically, gentile sloping curves are used for flat areas like the cheeks or neck, while tighter slits or turf are used to follow the jaw or the bone under the eyes. The comb-like edge stimulates the forehead to actively target fine lines and wrinkles.
Hold the tool firmly and at a 30-45 degree angle to the skin in the direction you are scraping.
Scrape in one direction. Always scrape in one direction along the lymph flow, such as from the base of the neck to the base of the chin. Do not scratch back and forth, or you may be injured.
Apply the right amount of pressure. Use consistent, gentle pressure that isn’t too soft, but doesn’t make you uncomfortable. Use long, full blows in most areas (about 6 to 7 inches), switching to a vigorous pressing motion in areas of increased tension.
Change areas regularly. Too much repetitive stimulation in a single area can cause irritation. If there is less tension and puffiness in the area, shave up to five times before moving on to the next area in your routine. You can spend longer on the problem area, but listen to your skin! If you feel more irritation than relief, give the area a rest.
How to Gua Sha A Specific Area
While the above recommendations apply to gua sha anywhere on the body, there are subtle variations in scraping technique for different parts of the face, neck and back. Knowing how to use the gua sha stone on each affected area can help you get the most out of your practice.
Chin – Hold the scraping stone to expose one of the smaller parts. Starting at the chin, sweep up toward the ears, repeat the sequence, then switch to the other side.
Cheeks – Using the flattest part of the stone, scrape from the corners of the mouth to the temples. Each scrape follows the contour of the cheekbones and repeats on the other cheek.
Under the Eyes – Start at the inner corner under the eyes and gua sha towards the temples. Be especially careful with the pressure you use, as the skin near your eyes is especially delicate. Switch sides and repeat.
Forehead – Use the flattest part of the stone from the eyebrows all the way to the hairline. Do one half of the forehead first, then move to the other side.
Throat – Using the concave part of the scraping stone, sweep up from the collarbone to the base of the chin. Divide your throat into four vertical sections (or how many you need depending on the width of your gua sha tool) and repeat for each skin section.
Neck (back) – For the back of the neck, use a smaller slit (such as the “top” of a heart-shaped gua sha tool) to support the spine. Start at the bottom and drag it up towards the bottom of the skull. Repeat several times.
