Among the many high-tech microcurrent devices, LED masks and ultrasonic scrapers flooding the beauty market, certain lo-fi skin tools have remained perennially popular. Gua Sha, for example, is a centuries-old practice that has since inspired hundreds of thousands of posts on Instagram and over a billion views on TikTok.

Still, pick one of these posts at random and you might see that someone is using a Gua Sha stone all wrong. It is impossible for you to fully understand the history, purpose and technique of Gua Sha in a few minutes video. If you want to get some background on gua sha and learn how to use a gua sha tool at home, read on.

What is Gua Sha?

While gua sha may seem like a new trend from a social media perspective, it first emerged during the Paleolithic era as a cultural practice of Chinese medicine. According to an article published in the journal Discovery, practitioners use flat tools to repeatedly scratch the skin, causing blemishes (which are not acne) without causing abrasions on the skin. “gua” means “to scrape,” and “sha” means “sand, sharkskin, or ‘red, raised, millet-sized rash,'” referring to the resulting blemish,

“[Gua Sha] was originally used to treat medical ailments. So for febrile illnesses, colds, flu, muscle aches, etc., Gua Sha is applied to the body in a very quick, vigorous motion to help eliminate any internal pathogens or Body aches.”

Facial gua sha did not become a thing until the Empress Dowager Cixi “really popularized gua sha for beauty”. She began repurposing Gua Sha tools using gemstones such as jade and began applying them on her face for cosmetic benefits, which then became very popular among China’s upper-class elite.

What are the Benefits of Gua Sha?

The human body has more than 2,000 points connected by meridians (channels), through which, according to Chinese medicine, an energy called qi flows. Gua Sha is designed to help keep Qi flowing in these channels. Broadly speaking, the goal is to avoid meridian stagnation, which is thought to lead to negative health outcomes.

In addition to general health promotion, you can customize your session based on the benefits of Gua Sha you want. That might mean relieving tension from craning your neck to look at your phone, boosting circulation in the morning, or calming the nervous system by lighting a few candles and slowly sliding tools over your skin at night. Whatever your focus, Gua Sha is an opportunity to show some love to yourself.

In fact, the purpose of Gua Sha is widely misunderstood. In the west, Gua Sha has a lot of predatory marketing, like eliminating wrinkles, reducing fine lines, getting rid of double chins. Traditionally, the purpose of spiritual practice has nothing to do with erasing oneself. In fact, Chinese medicine says that if you change your face, you change your destiny.

For example, you might notice “11 lines” between your eyebrows, which may be the result of frowning, and reflect on whether you have unresolved anger. Gua Sha can be a way of communicating with [yourself] and sitting down with it and trying to change and soften it. Once you start a dialogue between your spirit, your face and yourself, then your spirit will emerge. When your spirit is present, it really shines through any imperfections. Then you get into a place where you can easily cope with aging or the state of your face.

So despite a popular saying that Gua Sha is not a Botox replacement, the truth is, the two treatments are worlds apart. While Botox can relax muscles to prevent wrinkles—which can limit your ability to make emotional facial expressions—Gua Sha is about processing your emotions. When you compare the two, it does a disservice to indigenous practice because [gua sha] is not Botox. When it doesn’t work like Botox – it doesn’t freeze your muscles – then people believe TCM doesn’t work.

How to Choose Gua Sha Tools

Gua sha tools are readily available in brick-and-mortar stores and online marketplaces that sell beauty products. These tools are usually made of different types of stone (such as obsidian or jade) or stainless steel. A good choice is a Gua Sha stone made of rose quartz, as some darker stones are “more coveted” and therefore may be subject to potentially unethical sourcing practices. Additionally, you can inquire about the source of the brand’s material. Smaller mines adhere to more ethical standards, and the general rule of thumb is that the darker the stone, the more coveted [it is] and the more conflict around its mining, but that’s false. As a leading factory, we know that it is not its color that determines the value of Gua Sha. Quite the opposite, light colored stones are generally more expensive than dark colored stones. The best way to find out if it was ethically sourced is to investigate your supplier and get as much evidence as possible.

How to Use Gua Sha Stones

To get the most out of your Gua Sha practice, you should prep your skin beforehand and apply gentle pressure.

Apply face oil or lip balm.

Before using a Gua Sha stone or tool, the key is to wash your hands and face, then apply a face cream or about five drops of face oil to create a smooth surface for the tool. Sometimes high-quality facial oils can get absorbed quickly, so your skin won’t stay smooth for very long.

Warm up tools if needed.

You can soak the tool in warm water or warm it between your palms before use, but this is not required. [Traditional Chinese medicine preference] Warm heat, because warm heat promotes qi and blood.

Slide the tool across the skin at an angle.

When using a Gua Sha tool, you should hold the tool at a very slight angle, almost parallel to your skin. Many times we see videos where the tool is perpendicular to the skin and actually cuts into the meridians like a knife cutting bread. For Chinese medicine, you are trying to move with the meridians to help them open.

Also, you should use “soft” pressure. When you push too hard, the meridian actually closes to protect itself, because it’s a very smart system.

Start with your neck and move to your face.

During use, you should start at the neck and work your way up. A lot of people want to go straight to the face because they think that’s where they’re trying to get results, but actually relax the neck and chest first. The neck is the bridge between the face and the body, so it will help blood circulation. Also, if your neck is too tight, your face won’t do well when you jump over it. The muscles in the neck are very strong and can pull the face down, causing it to sag or causing a sad expression.

You can choose fast or long-term gua sha tools according to your own feelings, and the frequency is as you like.