Gemstone Gua Shas & Facial Rollers All Entries
Gemstone Gua Shas and Facial Rollers:
How to use them & their benefits
Gua Sha
Used in traditional Chinese medicine,
gua sha involves scraping a flat, rounded tool over the skin. Translated, gua
means press or stroke, and sha refers to a rash or redness, but while
traditional Chinese therapists work hard and deep – skin can be left bright red
– for its beauty benefits, you need a lighter touch on the face. “Even if you
have a facial once a week, you still need to do something every day,” says
Katie Brindle, who has been working with Chinese medicine for more than 15
years and who created the Hayo’u Method, which makes use of gua sha tools. “Gua
sha treatment relaxes the muscles, gets the energy and blood moving and shifts
any puffiness. It boosts the circulation – studies show up to 400 percent – which
takes away toxins and brings in oxygen and nutrients.” Best described as a
hands-on mix of massage and workout, it helps release tension (I find it
amazing for headaches and tight jaws) and leaves skin instantly more supple,
glowing and healthy-looking. “You are also creating a controlled trauma [that
short-term flush of redness], which the skin then starts to repair by making
new collagen.”
1. You can use a gua sha on the face,
body and scalp, and it’s best to use with water or an oil – but never on bare
skin.
2. Hold the gua sha tool with the
curved side to your face and glide it gently up and out, starting with the
neck, jawline, chin and around the mouth, between three and five times per
area. Always take short strokes in just one direction, not back and forth.
3. Work the tool in small horizontal
strokes over the brow bone to lift, or hold and press upwards between the brows
to release tension.
4. Stroke down the neck, never
upwards, to drain fluid.
5. If you want to reduce puffiness,
work lightly, then more firmly, to relax muscles.
Facial Rollers
Facial Rollers are designed to be
used to gently massage the face and stimulate the lymphatic system to get rid
of toxins, ease muscle tension, decrease puffiness and stimulate blood-flow to
increase your skin’s glow. This act of a face rolling massage over the skin
(always with an oil or serum for slip) is key to draining excess fluid from the
face and, with regular use, will tone and lift the skin. Some face rollers have
two ends: one with a large-sized stone – intended for the forehead, cheeks,
jawline and neck – and one with a smaller stone, which snugly fits under the
eyes. Keep your face roller chilled in fridge. While most crystal face rollers
stay cold naturally, using an extra-chilled tool tightens pores and wakes up a
weary face at the end of a long day (or early in the morning), making it
particularly good to use before an event. It’s also great to use for headaches.
“Use it two to three times a week, for at least five minutes, and you’ll see
the difference to your face in a couple of weeks.
1. Always do face rolling upwards and
in one direction – never roll up and down.
2. Repeat up to five upward rolls in
each area. First, roll outwards under the jawline.
3. Next, use the face roller to roll
out, towards your hairline, under the cheekbones and then along them.
4. Lastly, roll flat along the brows,
and then upwards on the forehead.
5. Work more slowly over the neck and
jawline, but be brisk to firm over and under the cheeks, advises A-list
aesthetician Joanna Czech.