Does massaging your face with a crystal really make wrinkles vanish?
We had to write this blog because we fully believe these $16 crystal tools have transformed our faces! We have fewer wrinkles, less sag in the jowl area and smoother “11’s” in between our eyebrows. We sell them every single day in the Venice studio and just had to keep spreading the word for our internet shoppers. We are in love with our Rose Quartz Gua Sha tool. Read on why you should be too!
GUA SHA (pronounced gwah-shah) tools ― smooth, half moon-shaped stones that massage your face ― seem to have popped up everywhere over the past few years. But the practice predates modern medicine. Originating in China, the stones have been used to treat all sorts of ailments by scraping (gua) the skin. Like acupuncture, it is based on the concept of promoting QI (pronounced chee), the balance and flow of our body’s energy. Facial gua sha claims to give you clearer skin, fewer wrinkles and a more sculpted appearance and many skin care brands now produce a facial gua sha tool to accompany their products. But does it actually do anything? And is it worth our money? We spoke to experts on two sides of the issue: a gua sha practitioner and an aesthetic medical doctor.
First up is Chinese medicine expert and founder of Hayo’u Method, U.K.-based Katie Brindle, who has researched the subject since 2002 and written a book about it. Brindle is a qualified Five Elements Chinese medical practitioner, having graduated from the U.K.’s Integrated College of Chinese Medicine. “We consider that beauty is the exterior manifestation of interior health,” Brindle told HuffPost. “This stands to good reason as you never look your best when you are feeling unwell. The idea is, focus on your health and beauty will follow. Shiny hair, a healthy weight, glowing skin ― in Chinese medicine, these are all signs your organs are happy.”
Brindle defines facial gua sha as a simple and gentle technique that will increase circulation and lymphatic flow in your face. The better quality gua sha tools will have been created using jade or rose quartz stone, and shaped without using unnecessary resins. The shape resembles a half moon, which cradles the shape of your face during the massage. If you’ve ever felt tension on your face, around your jaw or between your brows, gua sha might be the tool you’re missing. “Using a gua sha tool allows you to work deeper into the muscles and fascia than by using fingers alone, so you can consciously release where you are tight,” Brindle said. “Facial gua sha activates acupressure points along the 12 major meridian lines in your face.” Brindle also said that East Asian medicine places value in the energy that certain objects carry, and materials like rose quartz are known to carry healing energy.
Nyla Raja, an aesthetic doctor at MediSpa says “Using a gua sha tool at home essentially gives your face a mini workout ― you are stimulating blood circulation, which increases the amount of oxygen and nutrients to the skin, which can improve skin health,” Raja said. “There is certainly no harm in using it, especially as part of an at-home routine and in between facials and treatments. However, do not expect for a gua sha to solve all of your skin care needs. With all skin care routines, there needs to be consistency but also different elements. Those with deeper lines will not suddenly see their wrinkles disappear because of gua sha and should seek a collagen-boosting laser treatment where the effects can reach deeper into the skin, stimulating collagen production and strengthening elastin.” Many studies have shown impressive results. It certainly relieves tension and can be incorporated into one’s routine as a form of self-care practice.
Want to try facial GUA SHA ? Here’s how to do it.
“Gua sha is such a holistic treatment, there is no wrong way to do it,” Brindle said. She recommends using a stone for one minute daily, which is enough to start seeing benefits. But it’s also important to follow your intuition on how much or how little feels good.
It can be used in the morning in the shower or before you go to bed, along with some serum or face oil.
Press the tool gently all over your neck, face and décolletage.
Gently press and hold the tool under each eye, then over each eye, with the lids shut.
Starting at the neck, press-stroke up to your forehead.
Angling the tool at 45 degrees in the direction that you want to work, use the rounded edge to press-stroke the forehead, cheekbones, then the lips ― about eight sweeps in each direction. Use the double-curved end on your throat and jawline
-BY FANI MARI
We hope this encourages you to get on the Gua Sha train, it truly is the best $16 investment you can make and obviously so much cheaper than plastic surgery or laser facials. I would absolutely give it a try. Let us know how you do in the comments below!
With love always,
Heather
