Herbal Medicine Skincare Why Gua Sha Will Work for You
Gua sha (gwa-sha) is a traditional Chinese medicine practice that gently scrapes the skin with a smooth-edged device to improve circulation and promote healing. It has recently been gaining traction since being proven as an effective means of relieving and reducing facial tension, puffiness, and inflammation. Will this ancient organic skincare routine work for you? Absolutely! Here’s why:
Surprising Benefits
Apart from better facial health, some of Gua sha's benefits include relieving musculoskeletal problems, tension headaches, migraines, neck pain, anxiety, fatigue, and insomnia. It can even help improve your overall health by reducing anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, and perimenopausal symptoms.
Using a blunt object to scrape the skin is also said to improve blood circulation and relieve pain and other symptoms. Thus, Gua sha ensures your blood supply is good, and your nerves send signals properly so that everything works correctly in your body.
Lastly, Gua sha can be paired with acupuncture to magnify positive results. If you don't have good blood circulation and energy flow throughout your body, it can cause muscle knots, soreness, weakness, or pain. Acupuncture and gua sha help improve blood circulation and promote healthy tissue function. This helps the body reach a state of homeostasis or balance.
Using Gua Sha for the Face
Don't apply too much pressure when massaging the face, as the muscles in this area are much thinner and don’t react to stress like other body parts. Gua sha should only be done on the face, avoiding the outside edges.
To use a gua sha tool, you should start in the middle of your face and work the tool outward. Hold it in one hand while using the other to keep the skin taut. Then, you should scrape the gua sha tool across the skin in smooth, continuous motion. Never rub vigorously or in different directions because it will stretch and irritate the skin. Instead, move it in one smooth direction until you see some redness.
Before using the gua sha tool on your face, you can put a lotion or serum on your face to help it glide across your skin. You should avoid using the gua sha tool on swollen areas because you could burst the capillary beds and end up with bruises on your face.
Can Any Tool Be a Gua Sha Tool?
Yes, anything smooth or round without any edges will do for this organic skincare routine! You can use any type of small spoon or a gemstone gua sha tool. Keep it clean and in good condition.
Even if the two main types of gua sha tools are jade and rose quartz, there is no clinical difference, but some people prefer one over the other. Jade is said to be cooler to the touch, while rose quartz is thought to be more gentle. When choosing a gua sha tool, it's important to get one that is easy to clean and maintain. You also want to ensure that the tool is made from a sturdy material that won't chip or break easily.
Enjoy This Ancient Aesthetic Practice Today
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