Facial Rollers are Cool, But Have You Tried the Gua Sha Scraper?

Some years ago, I was introduced to jade facial rollers.  It was a neat little tool that designed to help with lymphatic drainage on the face.  When I first received my roller, I loved it! But, eventually, my jade roller took a back seat as I searched for more intense methods of lymphatic detox.

I veered back to manual facial massages because I found them to be a bit more intense and effective. But, in the back of my mind, I wish there was a better version of the facial roller out there.  It didn't take long before I was finally introduced to a new tool that revolutionized lymphatic facial toning.
What makes this new massager special is its unique design.  Jade rollers are great, but in my opinion, gua sha tools are better.

The term gua sha is derived from a traditional Chinese practice that involves using repeated strokes (scraping) on the skin using a specialized instrument. Sometimes they would use spoons, coins or even animal parts as a tool to perform gua sha.  This technique was used as a means to stimulate blood flow to injured, sore or stiff muscles as a means of rejuvenation.

 Today, gua sha facial massage has found its way into the modern day beauty space.  We now have access to specially designed gua sha facial inspired tools to incorporate into our beauty regimen.  From the moment I first used my gua sha scraper, I knew it was an ideal tool for facial massage.  I'm a huge fan of how effective the gua sha tool is at stimulating blood flow.  You guys already know that stimulating blood flow to the face is something that I strongly support.  I believe that diminished blood flow to the face is a huge factor in the appearance of aging.  Our face muscles work all day long. We sometimes hold stress in the face without realizing it.  A quick gua sha session works to relieve tension in the facial muscles while helping to keep them toned. 

@sunflowervalentine

A cool thing about facial gua sha is the tools come in several shapes.  This means that you can collect and experiment with different versions of these skin scrapers.  When I first began using a gua sha tool, I just haphazardly massaged my face and hoped for the best.  But since learning of trendy tool's long history in Chinese medicine, I did a little research to improve my technique.

Check out the videos below to see a gua sha facial massage in action.  The first vid gives us a quick look at how to quickly stimulate blood flow while reducing puffiness.  The second features a step by step instruction on how to use to tool for a complete neck and face massage.  In this video, she suggests that we mist our face prior so the tool can easily glide on the skin's surface.  I found that using the tool helps drive the moisture from the mist deeper into the skin leaving behind a feeling of deep hydration.   I will never gua sha on dry skin again.

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A post shared by Treatment by Lanshin (@treatmentbylanshin) on Nov 16, 2018 at 1:35pm PST