Gua sha is offered in beautiful high-end spas but there's no reason you can't practice it at home. A few minutes, several times a week is all you need to give your face a wonderful massage that can be both relaxing and beautifying.
We've put together a guide as well as these 5 helpful tips to answer your biggest face massage questions:
1. The tool should glide effortlessly over skin. If there's any tugging, stop and add extra cream or oil to skin. We recommend using a moisturizer with natural ingredients as the skin readily absorbs much of what we slather on top of it. Shea butter (pictured here) melted between your palms works great, especially during the dry winter months.
2. Lay the tool flat on your face and then tilt it up slightly as you would if you are buttering bread. This is the proper angle at which you should be massaging your face. It should be closer to parallel rather than perpendicular to your face.
3. Use a light hand. The massage is, by design, a relaxing, de-stressing activity. Gentle motions facilitate the releasing of tension. If your face is bright red after a session, it's a sign you should use less pressure. Always take care to go extra light around the eye area as this part of your face is more sensitive.
4. If you feel small bumps or bulges under the skin, they may actually be the knotted-up little muscles of your face. (A reminder to stop furrowing your brow perhaps.) Go over them softly with the tool several times until they loosen up. These little knots are not to be confused with active acne or blemishes in the process of healing, which you should avoid massaging. Instead, wait for them to heal before proceeding with massage.
5. Drink a glass of warm water when you're done. This is actually a wonderful thing to do after any massage to help boost hydration which is an essential part of keeping skin plump and healthy.
If you have any questions, we recommend checking in with your doctor or dermatologist before proceeding. If you've had fillers or other procedures to your face, we strongly urge you to check in with your dermatologist before proceeding.
Gua sha is a low-cost way to practice self care and can help your face look brighter and healthier. It's a practice that is meditative with benefits inside the body and out. How often do you gua sha?