Gua sha has become a bit of a trend these days, and I see people trying it all over social media. I have actually been holding on to this gua sha tool since the last time I visited the U.S., I just haven’t had the time to thoroughly use it and test it out. Until now.
This is the Lanshin Intro Tool made of high quality Jade. Lanshin is a healing studio in NY that uses Traditional Chinese medicine to aid the skin and the body, so this is not just cosmetic in nature but truly healing. They have other tools and even skincare that you can purchase as well to help you along your gua sha journey. According to their website, the purposes of this gua sha tool are to: release tight muscles; improve circulation and energy; lift, and contour your facial features; create a smoother and brighter appearance; improve appearance of acne-prone skin, and even going so far as to help congestion. Actually, everything I’ve learned about gua sha has been from referring to Lanshin’s website, YouTube, and TikTok, so if you’re interested in getting to know all the nitty gritty details about gua sha, I’d suggest you read and see all their material on the subject.
Now if you want a full tutorial on how to use a gua sha tool, you can watch Lanshin’s full tutorial here, but the goal of this article is to give you some tips and some common mistakes to avoid.
Tip #1: Use a Facial Oil
I personally really like The Ordinary’s 100% Squalane, which I have made a whole separate post about if you want to read more about it (click here). Why is an oil needed? Well, if you try using this tool on dry skin, it’s going to pull and tug the skin, which I think is quite damaging and it’s going to do more harm than good. Applying a facial oil first allows some slip for the tool to glide across the skin.
Tip #2: Hold the Tool Flat
I know it feels instinctual to press the edge of the tool to the skin before pulling it across, but this is actually not the correct way to hold the gua sha tool. Instead, your goal is actually keep the jade tool flat to the skin, or well, as flat as you can while holding a thin rectangular object. As you reach the edge of you face, Lanshin encourages you to give a nice little wiggle or massage.
Tip #3: Use Light to Medium Pressure
It’s tempting to push hard while doing gua sha to try and get a sculpted and lifted look as fast as we can. However, Lanshin recommends using light to medium pressure while completing this facial technique. Around the eyes, they recommend to use a featherlight touch. So please don’t press too hard. Be kind to your skin.
Tip #4: Get in Touch with Your Body
Facial gua sha isn’t meant to be a quick and easy massage that you can complete in a few minutes. For each part of the face and neck, you should move the tool slowly and repeating each movement at least five times. It might take a while, but it a good opportunity to engage in mindfulness. In our day to day lives, we don’t have that many opportunities to connect with ourselves, to feel how tense we are, to check in with our feelings, to soothe and relax our minds and our bodies. As you become more mindful of these things, you can start to release the tenseness in your muscles that you might not have even known was there!
The Experience & Results
In terms of any physical changes, I think you’ve probably seen a lot of pictures of drastic results in just a few short weeks, and I am not discounting those experiences. In may case, I feel like the lifting and contour effects are minimal, despite the fact I have been doing facial gua sha every other day for two months.
However, I still believe facial gua sha is beneficial in helping my mental state because it leaves me feeling relaxed and calm, and I also believe in the associated health benefits. I’m going to keep doing gua sha in the hopes that with continued use, I’ll eventually have a more sculpted and lifted look as well!
Cost & Where to Buy
Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with any of the following links. They are merely suggestions of where they can be purchased, so please proceed at your own discretion when purchasing. Furthermore, sites labeled “Internationally” or “Worldwide” may not offer shipping to all countries.
Worldwide
Cost:
35.00 USD
Beauty Bap 