How to Get the Best Results From Gua Sha Facial Massage
Gua sha stones can be wonderful tools for ironing out wrinkles, giving your skin a lift, treating puffiness, contouring the face, and creating overall skin radiance. When you get a gua sha massage from an esthetician or trained gua sha therapist the results are like no other (dare I say life-changing?đ). But did you know if you are intentional about the way you use your own gua sha stone at home and follow the correct techniques you can get really similar results at home? Using your gua sha stone/tool correctly is key to getting the best results from your at-home facial massage treatments. Also, the more consistently you incorporate facial gua massage into your skincare routine, better/more visible results will start to appear. Letâs go over the most important gua sha basics so you can get the best results!
At the end of this blog post, there is a video that will go over all of these tips.
scrub me secret: something I hear from my clients so often is that they just canât get the same results at home from their own gua sha massage vs. the ones I give in the treatment room. While it is true that when you are laying down and relaxing we can get some better drainage, release, and facial contour results from a gua sha massage that doesnât mean that you canât get your own visible and amazing results at home! Itâs all about how you hold and use your gua sha stone.
Skin prep before gua sha:
Itâs important to have clean skin for your gua sha massage. Your skin will also need a very light layer of non-pore-clogging facial oil so your gua sha tool can have the right amount of slip. Cleanse your skin with a gentle cleanser and then apply a light layer of nourishing serum or your favorite facial oil. I like to place the oil in my hands and then pat it on my face. The Bybi vegan milk cleanser and scrub me balancing treatment bar are both great gentle cleansers.
scrub me secret: itâs also important to make sure your gua sha stone or other facial tools are clean before each use. I use one of my handmade soap bars to cleanse my gua sha stones.
My favorite gua sha stones:
These are my favorite gua sha stones to work with and recommend to my clients because they are high quality, have all the right contours and edges, and have a great weight and feel in your hand. Not to worry if you donât have one of these specific stones, any kidney-shaped gua sha will do or one with a couple of dips in it and at least one flat edge.
Wildling beauty empress stone.
Key gua sha tips:
These important notes are best understood when seen on the video at the end of this blog.
The proper way to hold your gua sha stone:
Proper placement of the gua sha on your skin is an important detail to ensure you get the best results from your gua sha treatments. When holding the gua sha stone it should be placed with the edge at a very acute angle on the skin. This means the stone should be laying almost flat while you massage. Holding the stone this way creates a better lymph drainage effect as well as helps to lift.
Another key detail when holding your gua sha is to use your other hand (the one not holding the tool) to create a small bit of tension between your skin and the tool. Place one hand on your face and apply light pressure to your skin; when you place the gua sha stone onto your skin and perform your massage movement it creates a small amount of âpullâ. This practice has a firming effect on the skin when performed correctly.
Once you perfect the way you hold and use your gua sha stone you will be a gua sha pro! Then you can move on to more advanced lifting, drainage, and sculpting moves.
How often should I gua sha, and when?
I think the best way to get the most optimal results is to gua sha yourself twice a week; this gua sha massage should last 10-20 minutes. Taking this time to do all the drainage moves slowly and fitting in some lifting massage movements really gives your skin the best treatment. Usually, with a massage like this, you can see visible changes in your skin/face right afterward. And over time you will have more long-lasting results like an even skin tone, more facial contour, and diminishing wrinkles. Gua sha massage fits in best in the morning after you cleanse, and before you do the rest of your skincare routine. OR you can gua sha in the evening after you cleanse and before the rest of your routine.
There is another option to perform specific gua sha massage movements on yourself, focusing only on areas you desire to treat like the forehead, neck, jawline, and others. This gua sha massage takes less time, but you must do it more often to see the best results. You could perform these types of focused gua sha massage movements 4-5x a week.
scrub me secret: Your serums and facial lotion wonât absorb into your skin if you have facial oil on it from your face massage. So what I do is after Iâm done gua sha-ing I use a hydrating toner or rose water and remove any facial oil with toner and a cotton pad. Then I apply my other skincare like serums, lotions, etc. You can apply facial oil again, over your serums and moisturizers if you desire.
The right pressure to apply with your gua sha:
On most of your face, you should use medium-firm pressure with your gua sha. Youâll want a gentle enough pressure for lymph drainage with a little firmness for collagen and elastin health. When using your stone on your neck you can apply firmer pressure than your face. The Lightest pressure should be applied underneath the eye area. The thin skin around the eyes is delicate and needs to be treated with lightweight pressure.
Amount of strokes and speed for each massage move:
Gua sha is a slow and relaxing practice. Each gua sha move should be performed 3-6x in a row. Donât rush this facial massage routine; in order to drain puffiness and provide skin-firming benefits, youâll need to move slowly. A facial gua sha massage can take anywhere from 5-45minutes depending on how many movements youâre performing. This basic routine I detail in the video below will take you 8-10minutes.
scrub me secret: In 2020 I was lucky enough to have the time to take an intensive course on facial gua sha from the Green Beauty Academy. In this 6 week course, I was able to learn in-depth about gua sha and perfect my practice. Then again in 2022, I took an in-person course with Cecily Braden to learn more gua sha techniques and expand my skills. I am now able to use my knowledge from my practice to treat my clients and myself. Always happy to share this knowledge with you all!
Beginner gua sha moves:
These moves are great to perfect and get the hang of when youâre a gua sha beginner. Try to incorporate these movements in this exact order into your wellness routine 1-3x a week. Learning and practicing these gua sha massage movements can help you perfect the foundational parts of this skincare ritual. These will be detailed in the video below.
Drainage under ears:
Use the âUâ part of your gua sha stone or tool to glide in the downward motion underneath your ear. Perform this movement on each side 3x. This stimulates lymph movement and drainage.
Along the side of the face:
Using a long flat edge or the comb edge of your gua sha stone glide from the corner of your mouth, across your cheek, and up towards your ear. Use your other hand to create tension for firming. Perform this movement 3-6x on each side.
Under the eye:
With gentle pressure glide your gua sha tool underneath your eye, from the inner part out. Using your fingertips on your free hand to create that small amount of pull will help to move around the drain fluid that creates puffiness under your eyes.
On the forehead:
Using the long flat edge or comb edge, glide the gua sha in upward movements, in sections over your forehead. I like to split up each side into 3 sections. By the temple, above the brow, and the middle of the forehead.
Final drainage movement:
This big sweep gua sha move helps promote more drainage and is a great way to end your gua sha practice for the day. Use the comb edge or a smooth edge for this. Starting in the middle of your forehead, glide out towards your temple, down the side of your face, and down below your ear following the same path as your first drainage movement.