Do you like making yourself feel good? Well, how does a facial and body massage sound? Good right? Because, of course, the beauty tool we’re about to talk about is multi-purpose. Ok, back to making you feel good. Keep reading…
So, what is a Gua Sha?
A Gua Sha, AKA a face (and body) sculpting tool actually originates from Chinese medicine, specially a healing technique. It is flat in shape and made from stone, but it comes in different shapes and colours to target different areas of your skin. At Tailor, we’ve selected just one shape and material / colour, Black Obsidian, in a heart shape. The reason we selected this type of Gua Sha is because it naturally retains warmth which promotes lymphatic drainage and increases circulation, clears congestion in your skin, and relieves negative energies and reduces stress. To support these benefits, the heart shape allows for stroke-like motions on the skin. It just slots right into our range, as did you notice it’s multi-purpose.
What benefits am I going to see from Gua Sha-ing?
Not only is it a massage for your face (and body), but also a tool to:
- Reduce puffiness: By applying a facial massage technique to your skin, you’re stimulating movement and therefore improving blood flow and circulation, to ultimately reduce puffiness in your skin.
- Promote lymphatic drainage & smooth fine lines: With the increased stimulation in your skin from a facial massage technique, you’re promoting fluid drainage from the tissues which is going to: 1) Help clear any nasties out of your skin to improve congestion and blackheads. 2) Improves your skin’s overall appearance e.g., smoothing fine lines, brightening and evening complexion, promote firm, defined and tighter skin.
- Calm & reduce stress: This simple evening ritual calms your mind and relaxes your body, before hopping into bed.
*Supported by a study from the journal "Dermatologic Surgery" in 2011.
As you can see, a Gua Sha is going to fill more than one gap in your skincare routine. You know this facial massage technique is really a goodie when it survives the test of time, innovation and new technology.
How is it going to fit into my routine?
Ok when Gua Sha-ing your skin, you want to lubricate your skin to reduce any friction between the two, allowing this clever beauty tool to move freely and provide the most benefits to your skin, we spoke about above. With this in mind, we’d recommend you to mix and match your Gua Sha with a facial oil, AKA Tailor Illume, typically applied at night in your evening routine, it fits into your routine as a last step, after you’ve cleansed, applied your serums, and moisturised your skin.
Now, according to licensed esthetician Ali Tobia this is how often you should use your Gua Sha in your routine, “as you start to familiarize yourself with it and get more comfortable with your techniques, you should aim to use gua sha at least two to three times per week…” But, “once you get into a routine of performing gua sha on yourself… you’ll achieve the best results doing it daily.” So, there you have it.
Tailor’s top tips (from our team)
- Pop your Gua Sha in the fridge (not freezer) to chill down, so when you use it next it has a cooling effect! Perfect for de-puffing.”
- Put your Tailor Illume and Gua Sha next to the couch, so when you’re watching TV at night, you can *multi-task* and get your evening ritual in!”
- Use it on your body with Tailor Oil Cleanse, I find it really helps to relax and loosen my skin ready for bed, but also soaking in the same benefits my face received, added bonus!”
- The best way to store your Gua Sha for safe-keeping is to wrap it in your Tailor Towel!
- When you apply your Tailor Oil Cleanse to remove makeup and grime in the evening, add in your Gua Sha routine and then jump in the shower to wash your cleanser off.
Here’s how you use a Gua Sha:
Now, for our visual learners (AKA myself). We’ve included a how-to-use video below…
How to clean and store your Gua Sha:
Step 1: Wet your hands with warm water, apply soap to your hands and lather.
Step 2: Apply and massage into your wet Gua Sha for 30 seconds. Don’t be afraid to get in and focus on areas of potential build up e.g., inside the curve.
Step 3: You’re going to rinse with warm water, drying with a microfibre towel like our Tailor Towel.
Step 4: To store in a safe place, you can either put it in the fridge for an added cooling effect for when you next use, or you can just store it in a safe, dry area like your bedside table.
See, it’s not just a fad. It holds a legitimate place in your evening routine, so if I was you, I’d look at getting one.
Talk soon,
Tailor x
References:
Alam, M., et al. "Effects of facial massage on signs of aging: A randomized controlled trial." Dermatologic Surgery, 2011
Peter, S., & Burcham , C. (n.d.). Gua Sha 101: How and When to Use It for Sculpted Skin. Byrdie. https://www.byrdie.com/gua-sha