How To Perform A Lymphatic Drainage Massage With Gua Sha
You’ve probably seen people using a gua sha on Instagram, showing their newly sculpted face; it’s a craze that’s been all over social media recently, leaving people looking chiselled and refined. However, despite its recent popularity, this is a technique developed by Chinese medicine that has been around for approximately 700 years. Traditionally gua sha, pronounced gwahshah, was used to treat disease. The gua sha would be rubbed along the body to cure illness, stimulate circulation and detoxify the body.
Nowadays, gua sha is a popular at home facial tool to help you achieve a more uplifted, brighter and younger appearance. A gua sha is a rose quartz, jade or crystalline flat edged stone, often with one curved edge which glides along the contours of your face. Some gua sha devices have a serrated edge, designed to massage the cheeks and the back of the neck.
What Is Gua Sha Good For?
Gua sha is often referred to as the face lift free alternative, most likely due to the fact it can smooth fine lines and wrinkles for a more youthful appearance. When it comes to line-eliminating, this is a brilliant alternative to anti-wrinkle injections and will leave your skin feeling refreshed and sculpted.
Dull, lacklustre skin can be rejuvenated with gua sha. As the tool glides along the skin it will firm and tighten the complexion, for a more sculpted, younger look. So, save on the make-up and invest in a gua sha to achieve that perfectly contoured look!
Does Gua Sha Actually Work?
An at-home or in-clinic gua sha massage will increase the tone of the skin. The gua sha is massaged in upward strokes on the skin with a gentle amount of pressure, by doing this blood flow increases, which stimulates the lymphatic system. Excess fluid in the face is then dispersed, reducing puffiness, and creating a more toned complexion.
- Reduced puffiness
- Increased blood flow and circulation
- Decreased dark circles
- Boost natural radiance
- Softens fine lines and wrinkles
- Stimulates the lymphatic drainage system
- Contours and sculpts
Firstly it’s important to apply your favourite serum, moisturiser or oil to your skin prior to the gua sha massage, this will help the tool to glide across your skin and promote absorption of the product.
There are several different areas that you’ll need to focus on to create an uplifted look. Gently glide your gua sha tool along the 5 arrows, making smooth strokes in an upwards direction.
Use the love heart side of the gua sha to massage the jawline, with the jawline fitting nicely into the groove (1).
Use the longest edge to massage the cheekbones (2).
To benefit the under eye area use the larger rounded side to apply light pressure in an outwards sweeping motion (3).
To create a defined eyebrow area use the love heart edge, using the dip in the love heart to guide the gua sha along the brow bone (4).
Finally, to smooth the forehead use the longest side of the gua sha. Place the tool against your skin, above your eyebrow and apply a small amount of pressure, moving the gua sha upwards towards the top of your forehead (5).
Repeat these 5 motions 5-10 times on each side to increase the circulation in your face, for a powerful boost in radiance and wrinkle reduction.
What Serum Should I Use With Gua Sha?
We’d recommend all skin types to prepare the skin with a hydrating facial mist, a great one is the Dr. Barbara Sturm Hydrating Face Mist. This super nourishing product contains a powerful blend of hyaluronic acid, antioxidants and aloe vera, to deeply hydrate and soothe dry and inflamed skin.
After applying the facial mist you’ll want to follow up with a thicker facial serum which will allow the gua sha to glide over your skin with ease.
For those with ageing or dry skin a vitamin C product will help to rejuvenate and plump your skin where it needs it the most, a great choice of facial serum is the Dr. Dennis Gross C+ Collagen Brighten + Firm Vitamin C Serum. This serum will help to stimulate collagen production, so combined with gua sha massage will create the perfect anti-ageing duo. In a consumer study, after just 21 days, this serum alone left 92% of people in agreement that their face looked and felt smoother. 83% also felt their skin looked more radiant - what’s not to love!
If you have congested or acne prone skin you’ll want a non-comedogenic serum that’ll keep your pores from blocking up. The
Obagi Hydro-Drops Daily Facial Serum contains hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and a potent antioxidant blend to leave your skin feeling soothed and refined. This celeb-fav serum will leave you with a radiant, healthy glow, without aggravating your skin.
If you have congested or acne prone skin you’ll want a non-comedogenic serum that’ll keep your pores from blocking up. The
Obagi Hydro-Drops Daily Facial Serum contains hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and a potent antioxidant blend to leave your skin feeling soothed and refined. This celeb-fav serum will leave you with a radiant, healthy glow, without aggravating your skin.
Now you know the facial serum combinations, will you be trying a gua sha facial massage? It certainly comes with many benefits! And for all of us looking to turn back the clock on ageing, a gua sha might just be the tool we’ve been looking for.
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