Gua Sha

Recently, weird foot shaped tools have started to pop up in stores and online. But what are these things? Do they shave our legs? Open amazon packages? 

These tools are known as gua sha. Although they seem to have shown up recently, these tools have been around for centuries. Gua sha dates back to premodern medicine in regions of East Asia, mainly China. It involves scraping a flat jade or rose quartz stone over the skin in order to increase circulation and lymphatic flow. Gua sha is mainly performed on a person’s back, buttocks, neck, arms, and legs, and a gentler version is performed on the face. 

So, is this something we should be investing in? Apparently, dermatologists say that gua sha isn’t able to get under the surface layer of the skin in order to affect elastin production and reduce wrinkles. There have been studies showing impressive results, such as relieving muscle and joint pain, but they mainly focus on practices on the body, not the face. Another heads up is that this practice is not recommended for people with rosacea. With all that said, gua sha does have the benefit of increasing circulation in the face and aiding in the relief of tension. So, adding it to your routine is by no means a negative. 

If you want to try it, there are specific ways to use gua sha. Start by putting carotene oil on the face and then press the tool all over your neck and face, and over and under both eyes. Next, stroke all the way up to the forehead starting at the neck. Lastly, angle the tool at 45 degrees and use the rounded side to stroke in outwards directions at the cheeks and forehead; the double curved end is used on the throat and jaw. Even with these tips, however, it is important to be sure of what you are doing in order to get a result. Doing the process improperly could potentially lead to bruised or bursted capillaries, so if you don’t feel confident, letting an expert do it is always another option. 

At the end of the day, gua sha is just another way to add self care into your life. Whether you’re into holistic health, love to pamper yourself at the end of the day, or are just intrigued by its pretty pink rose quartz color, there seems to be no harm to adding this product to the list of things we do to make ourselves feel happier and healthier.