If you’ve been feeling like it’s time to take your at-home skincare regimen to the next level (btw, a regular facial can never hurt), we have the perfect suggestion for you. It’s called gua sha and it’s been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for millennia. Gua sha is believed to reduce puffiness and increase circulation, both of which in turn help to give you a glow and overall improve your complexion.[1] When used in conjunction with lotions, serums, and creams, it can help make a big difference in your skin. Gua sha has other benefits, too, particularly for the body. In studies, it has proven effective in temporarily relieving pain, like, for example, in the neck.[2] It has even been shown to alleviate migraine headaches.[3]
Using tools on your face that you’re unfamiliar with can be intimidating, but gua sha is simple to use and very gentle. Gua sha is basically a face (and body) scraping technique (its literal meaning is “to scrape sand”), or lymphatic drainage tool. The tools are handheld, and made of polished materials like rose quartz, jade, amethyst, or stainless steel. As you stroke your skin with this tool for about 3 to 5 minutes, you can help to improve circulation, relieve stress, relax tension, and encourage healing.
You can use a gua sha tool regularly, particularly in the mornings when many people experience puffiness in the face. Apply the Image Skincare VITAL C hydrating facial oil or desired serum (check out the hidden gems of the VITAL C collection if you need ideas) onto the puffy area (or all over your face, if you like) and use your gua sha tool to evenly and delicately distribute the product onto your skin.
Helpful Tips:
- Use a combination of short and long strokes.
- Use feather-like strokes. Do not press down hard.
- Use it about once a week (although frequency will vary based on skin needs).
- As you familiarize yourself with the tool, you can move on to using it two to three times a week.
- Make sure your gua sha tool is comfortable to grip and has rounded corners.
To help reduce eye puffiness
- Use an Image Skincare eye cream of your choice to moisten the eye area.
- Sweep your gua sha tool slowly over the under-eye area (beginning in the corner of the eye) and out toward the temple, all the way up to the hairline.
- Repeat three to five times for each eye.
To help reduce cheek puffiness
- Beginning at your nose, sweep the tool out and upward along the cheekbones, moving toward the ear. Follow by moving downward toward the jaw.
- Repeat three to five times on each side of the face.
To help de-puff the chin and jawline
- Lightly sweep the tool from the middle of your chin up along your jawline toward the ear.
- Repeat three to five times on each side of the face.
For the forehead
- Start at the center of the forehead and sweep the tool outward.
- Move downward toward the brown bone.
- Repeat three to five times.
For the brows
- Glide tool upward along the brow bone, beginning at the inner brow and moving outward toward your temple.
- Repeat three to five times.
[1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17905355/
[2] https://academic.oup.com/painmedicine/article/12/3/362/1829149
[3] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17971671/
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