A sculpted face and blemish-free skin is the dream combination of most women and to achieve it most of them can literally undergo anything. But with the ever-evolving beauty industry bringing in new and improved technologies, we have come a long way from getting botox jobs or going under the knife to achieve celebrity-like glow and camera-ready skin. Did you know that there is a much more cost-effective, painless, and needle-free way to achieve a radiant complexion and take your skin game a notch higher? All you need is a stone-like blunt tool! Does it ring a bell? Well, Cue in Gua-Sha, a millennial-esque way to bestow you with soft, smooth, spotless skin right at home!

What Is A Gua-Sha, You Ask?

A Gua-Sha is a flat tool, composed of semi-precious stones and crystals like jade, rose quartz, clear quartz, amethyst, and blue spot jasper gemstones and sculpted in a way to properly fit the contours of the face. Originating in mainland China, Gua–Sha is an ancient form of healing practice that combines intense scraping and slight pressure to not only stimulate the flow of energy, blood, and fluids but also relieve muscle strain. 

The word ‘Gua Sha’ literally translates into ‘scrape away petechia’; where the word 'petechia’ refers to the reddening of the skin caused due to scrubbing off the dirt or dead skin cells or anything that blocks the skin pores to leave behind soft, smooth, clear skin in its wake. According to the early practitioners of Gua-Sha, the intense scraping of the skin during the process causes redness but it assists the skin to heal itself. Although the modern-day Gua-Sha routine is generally less intense, it still bestows a well-sculpted face and incredibly smooth and spotless skin.

Also Read: 5 Incredible Ways To Get Rid Of Face Fat 

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How Does The Gua-Sha Stone Work?

The upward direction of rubbing and scrubbing using the Gus-Sha tool usually works by stimulating blood flow and promoting tissue healing and repair. It also extensively eliminates toxins from the pores and skin surface by improving lymphatic drainage, making the skin look younger and rejuvenated.

Keep reading to know more about the wealth of benefits this simple beauty tool has to offer, the steps to use it correctly, and the precautions to follow to steer clear of side effects. 

Spectacular Benefits Of A Gua-Sha Stone

Treats Cystic Acne

Gliding the Gua-stone along the energy lines improves blood circulation and readily removes toxins from the lymphatic system and clears the facial pores. It also regulates sebum secretion thus remedying the underlying problem behind cystic acne. Additionally, stimulating skin rejuvenation helps fade away the marks from acne and pimples.

Offers A Facelift 

Gua Sha gives a botox-like facelift naturally to bestow a younger-looking appearance. The smooth, formed edges of the Gua-Sha stone help sculpt the jawlines and contour the facial muscles. The mild pressure used during the ritual not only scrapes away dead skin cells and tightens the skin but also promotes blood flow and replenishes the skin with nutrients. With time, your face looks rejuvenated, young, and plump with a healthy, natural glow.

Also Read: 5 Easy Steps To Treat Your Sagging Skin 

Releases Facial Tension

The slight pressure used while gliding the Gua-Sha tool across the face gives rise to friction that helps in breaking the adhesions between the connective tissue of the muscle and skin, thus relieving stress and tension from the facial muscles. By relaxing the facial muscles, one not only reduces pain ensuing from headaches but also routine use of this tool minimizes the formation of wrinkles, fine lines, and sagginess.

Reduces Puffiness

The firm, sweeping directional movements of the Gua-Sha tool, combined with the gradual pressure used while pressing it against the skin, extensively helps in eliminating the fluid build-up in the skin which in turn reduces puffy skin and under-eye bags.

Bestows Glowing Skin

Gua Sha stone is prized for promoting blood circulation and improving lymphatic function. The long, sweeping strokes of the Gua Sha tool across the skin not only disperse the stagnant blood and scourge away the blockages in the skin but also facilitates the serum or moisturizer to seep into the skin. The phytonutrients present in the skincare essentials thus travel to the deeper layers of the skin to provide more hydration. Gua Sha stone also promotes the synthesis of collagen and elastin and improves skin elasticity and firmness to bestow a fresh, dewy, radiant glow.

Steps To Use A Gua-Sha Tool

The face massage using a Gua-Sha stone usually begins from the neck, working up to the forehead, creating a pathway for the lymphatic fluids in the face to drain. The steps of the Gua-Sha Ritual include:

• Cleanse the Gua-Sha stone with mild alcohol or water
• Apply a generous quantity of serum or preferred facial oil on your face 
• Hold the Gua-Sha stone at a 30-45 degrees angle to gently press against the skin
• At the neck, start gliding the stone with mild pressure and sweep it from the collarbone to the jawline
• In the forehead region, glide the stone from the centre, outward on either side
• In the chin, massage the tool from the bottom of the chin, along the jawline towards the bottom of the ear
• In the cheeks, use the stone to massage outward from the nose and under the eyes and glide to the cheekbones
• Repeat the same step 3-5 times in every region on the face

Safety Precautions While Using Gua-Sha Stone

Although this facial routine using a Gua-Stone is usually a safe and non-invasive procedure, individuals plagued with the following conditions must evade using it: 

• People with active breakouts, irritated or inflamed skin (e.g., acne, pimples, eczema, rosacea, or other skin infection)
• People having a cyst, tumour, or an active wound 
• People who underwent recent local injections (such as from a Botox process)
• People who underwent a facial implant
• People suffering from chronic medical conditions affecting the skin or veins (e.g., deep vein thrombosis) or have blood clotting disorders
• People who are on blood thinners