Recently, I’ve witnessed the growing popularity of the traditional Chinese practice of Gua sha and jade rolling within the beauty and skincare communities. While this practice is not a new concept to me, the products presented on social media with their pretty pastel colors and fancy kits, look really different from what I remember during my childhood of using soup spoons as tools. If you have never before heard of gua sha or jade rolling, here is a brief breakdown of the two techniques to enlighten you!
What is Gua Sha?
Gua sha has been around for a very long time, exactly how long I’m not quite sure of. A small, flat handheld object is used for this practice. The phrase gua sha translates to “scraping” and the technique is mainly for the purposes of improving blood flow and releasing muscle tension. It is also used to prevent/treat illnesses since the repetitive strokes across specific points of the body supposedly help to unleash toxins. Because it is like a type of massage, it’s important to oil up the parts of your body that gua sha is being performed on. Rosehip oil is recommended, but, personally, it would fail to produce the same effect of childhood nostalgia as tiger balm. It is best to use jade or rose quartz tools in order to prevent any type of negative reaction on the skin from poorly made products.
What is Jade Rolling?
Jade rolling is basically a gentler version of gua sha, which I associate with using on the face since it’s less intense. Benefits include reduced inflammation, decreases in acne scarring, and fewer signs of aging, working to smooth over fine lines and wrinkles. In order to see actual results from jade rolling, it needs to be done consistently over a long period of time. Before applying the roller to your face, your skin needs to be freshly cleaned and moisturized. To use it, make sure to always roll away from the face, never towards it. This will maintain the firmness of your skin. The coolness of the jade will even assist towards decreasing any redness on your skin. When done properly, the results should leave you glowing and refreshed!
If you’re looking to add on to your skin care routine, gua sha tools and jade rollers can be easily found on amazon.com!