Why Gua Sha Should be your Go-To Skincare Tool: Benefits Explained

Gua Sha is one of the simplest, yet most beneficial, practices we use to care for our skin. Dating back thousands of years, Gua Sha is believed to have originated in ancient China to treat diseases and physical ailments by scraping the skin to stimulate blood flow and promote healing. The word ‘scraping’ sounds pretty scary, and painful, but I promise there is no intense scraping involved! In this blog post I’ll talk about the many benefits of Gua Sha for your skin and how to incorporate it into your daily skincare routine.

10 Benefits of using Gua Sha on your Face

Improved Circulation: Gua Sha promotes blood flow, which can enhance the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the skin, leading to a healthier and more radiant complexion.
Lymphatic Drainage: The technique helps stimulate the lymphatic system, reducing puffiness and promoting the removal of toxins and waste from the skin.
Reduced Inflammation: Regular Gua Sha practice can help reduce inflammation and calm the skin, which is beneficial for conditions like acne or rosacea.
Relief from Tension and Headaches: By massaging facial muscles, Gua Sha can relieve tension, reduce the severity of headaches, and even alleviate jaw pain from TMJ (temporomandibular joint disorder).
Enhanced Skin Tone and Texture: The increased circulation and lymphatic drainage can improve the overall tone and texture of the skin, making it appear smoother and more even.
Reduced Appearance of Wrinkles and Fine Lines: Gua Sha can help to relax tense facial muscles and stimulate collagen production, which may reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles over time.
Improved Product Absorption: Using Gua Sha after applying skincare products can enhance their absorption, allowing active ingredients to penetrate more deeply into the skin.
Natural Face Lift: Regular use of Gua Sha can help to lift and sculpt the face, giving it a more defined and youthful appearance.
Stress Relief: The gentle, rhythmic motions of Gua Sha are relaxing and can help reduce overall stress and anxiety, contributing to better mental well-being.
Detoxification: By promoting lymphatic drainage and circulation, Gua Sha aids in the detoxification process, helping to clear out impurities and enhance the skin’s natural glow.

See, I told you there are A LOT of benefits of this practice!

How to incorporate Gua Sha into your daily routine

Pick a part of the day in which you can include Gua Sha without feeling rushed. For me, this happens to be after I get my son off to school in the morning. At the end of the day I’m just too tired to do one more thing.
Always start with clean skin and a clean Gua Sha tool. Simply wash your face and tool with a gentle cleanser and warm water.
Apply a layer of face oil to your skin before starting as this will provide the base you need to use the tool without pulling your skin. Of course Avoila Nourishing Face oil is a great foundation for your Gua Sha practice but any oil you have handy will suffice.

A step-by-step Gua Sha guide

Basic Technique

Hold the Tool Correctly: Hold the Gua Sha tool at a 15-degree angle to your skin, almost flat but slightly tilted.
Gentle Pressure: Use gentle to moderate pressure, enough to feel the movement but not so hard that it causes pain or discomfort.
Direction: Always stroke in an upward and outward direction to lift and sculpt the face.
Repeat: Perform each movement 5-8 times before moving on to the next movement.

Start on the right side and then move to the left before moving on to the next movement.

Movements for Each Part of the Face

Neck:

Back of the Neck: Start from the base of your neck and stroke upwards towards the nape of your neck.
Sides of the Neck: Move from the base of your neck up to your jawline.
Front of the Neck: Stroke from the collarbone upwards towards the chin.

Jawline:

Jaw to Ear: Start at the center of your chin and move along the jawline towards the earlobe. Repeat on both sides.

Cheeks:

Chin to Ear: Begin at the chin and glide the tool up along the cheekbone towards the ear.
Under Cheekbones: From the nose, move the tool outward under the cheekbones towards the temples.

Under Eyes:

Inner to Outer: Use the smaller, curved part of the tool. Start from the inner corner of the eye and gently glide towards the temple. Be extra gentle in this area.

Eyebrows:

Inner to Outer Brow: Place the tool at the beginning of your eyebrow and move outward, following the arch of the brow to the temple.

Forehead:

Between Brows: Start from the middle of your forehead and move upwards towards the hairline.
Across Forehead: From the center of the forehead, move the tool horizontally towards the temples.

Nose:

Bridge to Sides: Glide the tool from the bridge of the nose outward across the cheeks.
Sides of Nose: Move down the sides of the nose to help with lymphatic drainage.

Finishing:

Starting at the side of the face, in front of the ear, move downwards all the way to the bottom of the neck to help toxins flow out of the face

If you find it difficult to follow the written instructions, know that there are plenty of videos on YouTube that you can watch until you get the hang of it. As with most things, consistency is key in order to see results. Be gentle with yourself and enjoy the relaxation that comes with the practice.