If you're a fan of jade rollers and tools for skin care, then no doubt you've heard of gua sha, the flat little pebbles that are beloved for their ability to chisel out cheekbones you didn't know you had. Pronounced "gwah-sha," it's an ancient Chinese practice designed to improve circulation, relax muscles and improve blood flow. In this sense, you can think of it as a trio of skincare, massage and self-care.
The meaning of Gua sha: "The direct translation of 'gua' means 'to scrape' and 'sha' means ' sand', referring to the sandy dark spots that appear after a scraping body treatment and look like minor bruises on the skin."
Facial scraping is especially popular right now, but it can be done on the entire body. Although the movements are very light - no real scraping, only the lightest of pressure is applied - the technique helps to make the complexion and skin more radiant and toned.
Types of Gua Sha
Gua Sha tools come in many different shapes and sizes, designed to fit different parts of the face and body.
Gua sha tools come in different variants in the shape of hearts, moons and rectangles. Some have comb-like edges, sharp edges, curled edges and concave surfaces to fit different areas of the face, and there are also scrapes designed for special, specific functions, such as the knobby 'mushroom' scrapes for the eye area and the longer stick-shaped acupressure scrapes.
Either tool features gently rounded edges that won't damage the skin. In addition to the variety of shapes, you'll notice that the scraping tools are made of various types of materials, including rose quartz, turquoise, jade, obsidian, glass and even wood. The idea is that each stone has a unique therapeutic purpose.
Each material can benefit our bodies through different energetic and healing properties, so when you choose a gua sha tool for yourself, choose one based on your needs.
Benefits of Gua Sha
Avid gua sha practitioners agree that it has two core benefits: physical and mental.
Physically, gua sha can brighten skin tone, contour and shape, and diminish wrinkles and fine lines, and can help relieve TMJ, headaches and sinus pressure.
The Gua Sha tool can help reduce inflammation and puffiness by compressing the facial massage, and it can also help with microcirculation of lymphatic drainage in the facial beauty subunit. This is especially true for the dark eye areas in the morning, which can reduce puffiness because interstitial fluid can build up in these areas overnight when lying flat.
As for the spiritual benefits, any type of self-care practice can become a ritual for you. Performing scraping allows spiritual and inner self-care to take hold. When including this ritual, I feel balanced as part of my skincare regime; I breathe and clear [my thoughts] through these techniques.
