Gua Sha – All you need to know!

What is Gua Sha?

Gua Sha is the ancient Chinese healing practise of using stone to massage (or scrape) the face, neck, back and shoulders. It was first recorded in medical journals at the time of the Ming Dynasty ( that’s over 700 years ago!).

What are the health and beauty benefits of using Gua Sha?

There are numerous benefits that can be gained from introducing gua sha into your daily beauty routine.

Lymphatic drainage and improved circulation – One of the main functions of the lymphatic system is to rid the body of toxins, by carrying waste away from tissues via an extensive network of vessels and delicate tubes. A build up of lymph fluid in the face can result in dull, tired-looking, puffy skin. using both the roller and gua sha stone will help detoxify, reducing the puff looking and promoting better drainage. By stimulating the lymphatic and circulatory systems, this will help increase collagen production, thus filling in wrinkles, smoothing fine lines and plumping and toning the skin.
Relieves stress and reduces anxiety – The gentle strokes from a gua sha facial massage will release oxytocin (the feel-good hormone), thus helping to ease stress and the feelings of anxiety.
Relax sore muscles and reduce pain – When applied to the neck and shoulders, a gua sha massage will break the tension in tired muscles, reducing soreness and relieving pain.
Enhance benefits of face serums – Using gua-sha in conjunction with a serum, moisturiser or facial oil, will help the nutrients penetrate into the skin better.

Which gua sha tools are best to use?

Not all gua sha products are created equal. The ideal gua-sha tools should be made of natural stone and cool to the touch. Be aware that there are cheaper knock-off versions on the market made of glass or even hard plastic. Because gua-sha is a practise originating from Chinese, we thus felt using a traditional stone aligns most correctly. So at Forbidden Beauty we evaluated all traditional gua sha stones types, and chose the quartz stones we felt provided the most authentic benefits to the user :

Jade – Xiuyan jade is from the Liaoning province in China and is considered the traditional gua sha jade, helping to balance the yin and yang energy in our body.
Obsedian – A naturally occurring volcanic glass that is used in naturopathy to promote blood circulation, and is also often used in feng shui because of its powerful healing properties.
Black Bian (coming soon) – Has a deep history in ancient Chinese traditional medicine. The black bian stone cleanses the user’s aura, balancing the body’s energy levels.

How do I correctly use my gua sha facial massage kit?

When performed correctly the visible results from a gua sha facial massage can be witnessed in a very short period of use. It may take some effort and dedication to get used to the correct method of gua-sha, but we promise it will be worth it when you see the visible results within a relatively short period of time. Of course you can use your roller anywhere and even carry it with you, in our cotton drawstring bag, when you are travelling. You can even try chilling your gua sha stone and roller in the fridge to ten give yourself a cool gua-sha experience.

Inside your Forbidden Beauty gua sha box, we have provided instructions showing how to use the gua-sha stone and both ends of the roller. Correct use will rev up circulation, promote lymphatic drainage, improve your skins elasticity, de-puff, and relieve tension.

Practicing gua-sha should start with cleansing your face to remove any impurities that may get into your skin when massaging with the stone and roller. A high-quality moisturiser, or facial oil, can be applied beforehand to protect your skin’s top layer from abrasion, but this is optional. Generally gua-sha is performed by following the meridians (pathways along the body where vital energy flows – Chinese medicine), then working upwards and outwards – moving from the Yin side to the Yang side. This can be shown in our instructions on the inside of each box (see below).

Facial Lymphatic Drainage Massage Using Gua Sha Roller

Forbidden Beauty offers their gua sha roller and stone sets in jade or obsedian quartz stone. Each gua-sha kit can be bought individually or included with some of our gift sets. Perfect for your gua sha healing journey!