Our Gua Sha Stone
We found the special one! When it comes to skincare, there are a lot of different products and treatments.
The Detox Girl’s favorite tool is this Gua Sha stone! But not any Gua Sha stone so, continue to find this unique Gua Sha. Gua Sha is an ancient Chinese medicinal practice known as Traditional Chinese Medicine or TCM that uses a rounded tool or stone to scrape the skin helping to alleviate suffering from symptoms such as heatstroke, mucus buildup, cold, Inflammation, or fever. There are some amazing benefits you should know about Gua Sha. Here we will discuss Gua Sha, including its benefits, techniques, why we love it, how to use it, and where to get the best we have found!
Gua Sha is in written records as early as during the Ming Dynasty, 1,500 A.D, but I think the practice itself is much older. In TCM, Gua Sha works to clear stagnant energy known as “chi” and by balancing qi, the energy that flows through the body—scraping the Gua Sha along specific pathways or meridians releases blockages and moves the stagnant energy. The idea is to encourage lymphatic drainage resulting in firmer, more toned-looking skin, boosting collagen production filling in wrinkle lines, reducing scar tissue, moving lymphatic fluid out of the area, and increasing circulation. Gua Sha increases circulation, exerts anti-inflammatory effects, protects cells from oxidative stress, modulates the pain response, or all of the above.
(The effects of Gua sha on symptoms and inflammatory biomarkers associated with chronic low back pain: A randomized active-controlled crossover pilot study in elderly – PubMed (nih.gov)) (Bioluminescence imaging of heme oxygenase-1 upregulation in the Gua Sha procedure – PubMed (nih.gov)) (Gua-sha: application and therapeutic results in musculoskeletal pain situations. Systematic review (brjp.org.br))
The lymphatic system circulates a fluid called lymph the same way your circulatory system moves blood throughout the body. Lymph sits in the space between cells and acts as a collection system for cellular waste products and debris. Lymphatic vessels drain the lymph and transport it to lymph nodes that act as filters before returning the lymph to the bloodstream to be deposited back among the cells. Your lymphatic system cleans your tissue and creates antibodies for infection. The lymphatic system also delivers immune cells called lymphocytes throughout your body to fight off foreign invaders.
(The effect of Gua Sha treatment on the microcirculation of surface tissue: a pilot study in healthy subjects – PubMed (nih.gov)) (Gua Sha, a press-stroke treatment of the skin, boosts the immune response to intradermal vaccination – PMC (nih.gov))
Studies are emerging that Gua Sha can alleviate symptoms of diabetic peripheral neuropathy,
and improve the breastfeeding experiences of new mothers,
([An experience applying Gua-Sha to help a parturient women with breast fullness] – PubMed (nih.gov))
and provide relief for women experiencing perimenopausal complaints like hot flashes and insomnia.
If you are looking for a Gua Sha stone, we recommend checking out this Gua Sha. Unlike other Gua Sha, it can also be used as an exfoliating scrubber and helps in the removal of impurities from within the pores. This one is our favorite!
Our Technique!
- Use gentle pressure. Lymph responds to gentle pressure because it is close to the surface. If your pressure is too firm, quick, or rough, you can risk bruising, or “sha” coming up on the skin, so please be gentle with your beautiful face!
- Keep the Gua Sha tool at a 15-degree angle to the skin—almost flat but not quite. This covers more surface area and gives a gentle pull on the skin.
- All of our lymph drains into the area called the “terminus” in the little dips right above the middle of each collarbone; think of this area as the “dump.” The direction of the lymphatic pathways on the face is from the center of the face outward. Move all of the stagnant lymph, or the “trash,” out to the outer sides of the face and then sweep it all down the neck to the “dump” above the collarbone.
How to do it!
- Down the neck: Choose the side of the face, to begin with. Start at the outer corner of the jaw, near the earlobe. Sweep down to the dip above the middle of the right collarbone. Use the larger, flatter edge of the Gua Sha. Repeat 5-10 times.
- Under the chin: Sweep from the middle of the soft under chin, where a double chin would be, out to the bottom of your earlobe. Use the small mood-shaped curve of the Gua Sha here. Repeat 5-10times.
- Chin: From the middle of the chin, under the lower lip, sweep out to the earlobe. Again, use the small mood-shaped curve of the Gua Sha here. Repeat 5-10 times.
- Cheek: Sweep from the corner of the nose out to the middle ear. Use the larger, flatter edge of the Gua Sha. Repeat 5-10 times.
- Under-eye: Be gentle and slow here, sweeping over the under-eye area, where “eye bags” would show up, and out to the temple, all the way to the hairline. Use the larger, flatter edge of the Gua Sha. Repeat 5-10 times.
- Under the eyebrow: Avoid any pressure on the eye or eyelid itself and stay on the brow bone. Sweep from the inner corner out to the temple. Use the larger, flatter edge of the Gua Sha. Repeat 5-10 times.
- Third eye: Stroke from the center of eyebrows up to the hairline. This one is super relaxing for the nervous system and great for insomnia, so do more strokes if it pleases you. Use the larger, flatter edge of the Gua Sha. Repeat 5 to 10 times.
- Lower forehead: Stroke from the center of the forehead above the eyebrow out to the temple. Use the larger, flatter edge of the Gua Sha. Repeat 5-10 times.
- Big sweep. Here we bring everything we’ve moved to the outer edges of the face and back down to the terminus. Start at the center of the upper forehead, trace down the hairline, over the temple, then curve behind the ear, and down the side of the neck to the terminus. Use the larger, flatter edge of the Gua Sha. Repeat 5-10 times.
- Repeat the whole routine on the other side of your face!
5-10 times is the magic number, more than 10 is too much. If your lymph is extra stagnant, you may consider starting with 3 strokes and working up to 5-10. Remember to ALWAYS take your Clean Slate when working with lymph to help eradicate the toxins from the body to avoid retoxing!
