Gua sha is a centuries old practice for lymphatic drainage and acupressure. Also known as skin scraping or facial scraping, it’s traditionally done with a stone (like jade) or even something like a the edge of a coin to stimulate the skin to heal itself!
We don’t recommend skin scraping unless you’re in the hands of an expert, but we do absolutely love and adore gua sha you do at home with a special rose quartz crystal tool (like this one).
Rose quartz is cooling and brings a soothing, loving energy and presence. When used regularly, here are some of the benefits you might see:
- Improved blood circulation in the face + neck
- Improved lymphatic drainage (helloooo seasonal allergy sufferers!!)
- Reduced wrinkles and dark circles
- Alleviated acne
- Brightened complexion (peep that glowing skin!!)
- And more!!
We also love combining gua sha with a DIY facial massage oil to get all the great benefits of essential oils (recipe included below)!
Here’s our complete tutorial for gua sha:
Gua Sha Instructions
1. Start with clean skin (and hands!) and use a thick oil or moisturizer. You never want to pull or drag your stone; the oil helps the stone to glide deeply across your skin. You can also add a drop or two of lavender oil or blue tansy oil for additional soothing and refreshment, or use the facial massage oil recipe below.
2. Use consistent, flowing motions, holding the stone at a 45 degree angle to your skin. You can also press into pressure points and gently “knead.” Generally speaking, you want to go in the direction your lymph flows, to assist with lymphatic drainage. Follows the arrows on the charts in this post!
3. Adjust your pressure based on skin sensitivity and preferences. Do what feels good. Breathe deep and enjoy glowing skin! We like to use gua sha first thing in the morning because it wakes up the face and helps with de-puffing.
DIY Facial Massage Oil Recipe for Gua Sha
- 5 drops of lavender essential oil
- 2 drops of frankincense, blue tansy, ylang ylang, or tea tree oil
- Carrier oil (the best for facial massage are rosehip oil, jojoba oil, apricot kernel oil, almond oil, or olive oil)
Add oils to a dropper bottle or pump bottle, then top with your carrier oil of choice. Swirl gently to combine. Add generously to face and skin before massage.
