What is a Gua Sha
This Gua Sha Trend Is All Over Instagram Right Now – but Its History Goes Way Back
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Chances are, you've started to see oddly-shaped pieces of rose quartz and jade strewn across your Instagram feed next to your handy face rollers. These stones, called Gua Sha tools, are part of an ancient Chinese tradition and are anything but new.
Searching the term on Google, you're likely to find some gruesome photos of bright-red backs, a result of the ancient Chinese massage technique that means "scraping." Luckily, the pretty tools you're seeing all across the internet are not meant for this intense massage, but for a much gentler version of the practice to use on your face.
Gua Sha is used to improve circulation in your body, or in this case, your face. The traditional massage is thought by its users to get stagnant energy in your body moving and reduce inflammation. Another added benefit is that with medium to heavy pressure, you can help to drain the lymphatic system and toxins from the face, and reducing puffiness. Plus, using the tool is easier than it looks: just take your favourite face oil and apply it to your skin before gently dragging the tool in an outward motion using the flat end of the tool with both short and long strokes.
Ahead you'll find some varieties of stone and crystal tools to use in your Gua Sha massage practice.
