Gua Sha: Here’s What You Need to Know
Gua sha (pronounced “gwa sha”), is a traditional Eastern Asian practice known for its gentle scraping gestures along the skin using a smooth rounded tool. Skincare and wellness lovers around the world are embracing facial massage and lymphatic drainage techniques as a vital part of their rituals thanks to gua sha.
A revitalizing way to start or end your day, gua sha can be used to connect with your body and center yourself. Whether you spend 5 or 30 minutes a day, you will instantly improve your skin’s appearance and see greater results with continued use. Keep reading to learn more about this highly accessible and effective massage practice that has taken the world by storm.
Benefits
Lift and Sculpt
Gua sha techniques include various moves that guide the tool along the face’s natural bone structure to accentuate areas such as the jaw line, cheek bones, and eyebrow bone. Sculpt your face using repetitive upwards motions to leave you with a natural face lift overtime.
Check out our gua sha tutorial with skincare expert Rebecca Gomes featuring our Rose Quartz Gua Sha and Base 001 Nourish | Hydrate Facial Oil. Perfect for beginners, this video is amazing to follow along with for a guided practice.
Relieve Muscle Tension
Your face holds much more tension than you may know – just think about all of the facial expressions you can make in one day alone! Gua sha releases any tension in key points on your face including your temples, laugh lines, jaw, and in between your eyebrows.
Detoxify and Drain
Gua sha targets lymphatic drainage points to depuff and detoxify by guiding any activated fluid down and away from your face. You may see your skin start to get a little red during use, not to fear! This is a sign of blood rushing to the skin’s surface which is responsible for leaving you with a healthy glow.
Improve Fine Lines and Wrinkles
Massaging and smoothing out the skin during your gua sha ritual will minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles overtime.
Instant Results
Enjoy noticeable results in your skin’s complexion, puffiness, and overall glow after each use! We challenge you to work on one side of your face first and then the other to see a side to side comparison and prove the effectiveness of gua sha.
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Tips for Use
Moisturize Skin
Always moisturize before use so that your tool glides against the skin with ease. Base 001 Nourish | Hydrate Facial Oil is excellent to apply before practicing gua sha as it absorbs very nicely into the skin throughout the massage.
Be Gentle
Gently glide the gua sha tool along your face avoiding any pulling of the skin. The tool should smoothly travel along your supple skin for safe use and maximum results. Be cautious about how much pressure you apply – light to medium pressure will do.
Clean Tool
Similarly to a facial roller, remember to clean your tool after each use to avoid product build-up or bacteria growth. Simply lather up your facial cleanser or gentle soap with warm water for a quick and easy wash.
Body Friendly
Gua sha is not reserved for the face. Scrape your tool along your neck and down your upper back and shoulders to release any tension or small knots. Target your legs, thighs, and butt with upwards motions for muscle pain relief. Lower body massage and circulation may also help tighten loose skin and fight cellulite naturally. Try it with our Weightless Body Oil for a perfect after-shower treat.
Written By: Sarah Pasquini