There are never enough tips and advice on how to rejuvenate your face and be even more beautiful. There are several tricks, and something different applies to everyone. But if you look at the flawless skin of Asian women, you’ll wonder what’s behind it. One reason for their ageless skin is the Gua sha massage.
This massage is really easy, and you can do it at home. This article will let you know everything about Gua Sha massage.
Table of Contents
What is Gua Sha?
Gua sha is a facial massage with a special jade plate to help eliminate wrinkles and have a more radiant complexion. It also can improve blood circulation to your skin, get rid of bags under your eyes and age spots, and relieve tension in your facial muscles.
Ancient Chinese used a stone or bone tablet to get rid of diseases and inflammation in the body by literally scraping the impurities from the body and restoring the stuck energy in the affected areas. Eventually, this method moved into beauty salons.
Preparing for Gua sha massage
Suppose you have been living under the assumption that you can reach for a gua sha plate at any time of the day and massage randomly. In that case, it is time to disabuse you of your misconception. The skin needs to be thoroughly prepared for this type of massage.
Begin by thoroughly cleansing it of makeup and everyday impurities. Do not hesitate to use an exfoliating scrub to rid your skin of dead skin cells. You can even lightly steam your face, which will not harm anything.
What is the best way to perform a massage?
When massaging, always hold the Gua sha pad at a 45-degree angle to your face and use the strokes in one direction, not in any direction you like. Repeat the movement from the centre outwards, ideally five to ten times at each spot.
Begin at the neck and move from the bottom to the edge of the face, but never pull the skin down to the collarbones. Continuing with the chin, use the wavy part of the plate to massage the jaw and stroke towards the ear to shape it properly.
In time, you can get rid of the other chin. Then, move to the cheeks and cheekbones with the straight part of the plate and massage them with the half-lobes running under the cheekbones and from the chin to the temple. Apply straight strokes to the sides and top of the nose from the tip to the root. Make small movements for the eye area and massage it in a circle.
Begin from the root of the nose through the arches of the eyebrows and then from the outer corners of the eyes, under the eyes and back again. Lastly, pick up the forehead and work in long arcs from between the eyebrows up to the hairline and sideways to the temples. Finish with a few more movements from the neck downwards to relax and stimulate the lymphatic system.
Which cosmetics to use?
Note that Gua sha massage should never be performed dry. When using a lotion plate, it is ideal to use a lotion that Gua sha slides easily over and does not disturb the surface of the skin. You can also use light serums, though, as the pad makes it easier for their active ingredients to penetrate deeper beneath the skin’s surface.
There are also different types and shapes of wafers to choose from. They are usually made of jade, amethyst, rose quartz, crystal or tiger’s eye. You can find the typical rounded shape with two protrusions, a rectangle or even a heart. Nothing is wrong with any of these; it is purely up to you what shape and stone best fit you.
Why should you be careful?
Photos of women getting a Gua sha massage sitting or standing in front of a mirror are often seen on the internet. But remember that this massage should be done lying down. Earth’s gravitational pull affects the skin, so if you are pulling the Gua sha from the bottom up and standing there, this is not good for the skin. Therefore, the ideal is to perform a Gua sha massage once every ten days while lying on your back.
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