Are you Making these Mistakes with your Facial Gua Sha?

Hello Merbabes! Last week I posted this blog article here about 10 things you might be doing incorrectly with your jade rollers and – oh my sweet lord! I received so many amazing feedback from you over on Instagram on how these tips have literally saved lives (or skin disaster)! Because after all, it’s the gua sha technique that matters, and it’ll make a huge difference in terms of seeing results or not on your skin with your facial gua sha practice.

By requests from you all, here’s my follow up post on mistakes you might make with your gua sha tools.

Again, I’ve seen way too many misleading facial gua sha tutorials all over the web that makes me cringe! 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♂️

A point to note is that we’re focusing on facial gua sha, which means using the gua sha stone for skin benefits. It’s based on the same lymphatic drainage and Traditional Chinese Medicine principle of gua sha for relieving body tensions. However, there are a few things you’d do differently while performing a gua sha facial ritual on your delicate skin.

Ready to roll? Read on to find out if you’ve fallen victim to these incorrect techniques of gua sha facials:

10 commonly made facial gua sha mistakes + how to fix them

• First of all, always PULL with your gua sha tool upwards and outwards on both sides of your face. Never push your skin downwards. We’re trying to work against gravity here. Be mindful about creating unnecessary friction on your skin with your gua sha strokes.

• Secondly, always hold you gua sha tool with a 10 to 45 degree angle. For beginners I’d suggest holding the stone as flat as you can against your skin (10 to 15 degrees). This ensures you’re not applying too much pressure and friction on your skin when you’re still trying to master the correct gua sha techniques. We have a complete step-by-step gua sha tutorial on our listing here.

• Use both hands. While you use one hand to hold your stone, use the other hand to hold your skin firmly. By doing this, you’ll avoid unnecessary friction and push on your skin. This is especially important when working your gua sha tool around your cheeks.

• Go soft with your pressure. You might have seen some full-on bruising ‘after’ photos of gua sha on the body after treatment. However, you never, ever, want to let that happen on your face! A little bit of redness post facial gua sha is normal, it actually indicates healthy blood circulation (think of it as skin yoga or skin workout!). As a beginner to gua sha, always work with the softest pressure and observe how your skin reacts.

• Be very mindful with each and every stroke. Pause, breathe slowly and observe if there’s any sensation over certain parts of your face. I’ve created this facial mapping chart on our previous post here, which could be helpful to refer to when you experience any kind of uncomfortable sensation while working with your gua sha tool. They could signal some forms of imbalance in your body and your organs. Make sure you consult professional medical advice if any continuous discomfort occurs.

• Do not skip the neck. Both sides of your neck serve as important lymphatic drainage pathways. Make sure you always start your facial gua sha downwards on each side of your neck. Finish your routine with 3 to 4 downwards strokes on your neck.

• Clean your gua sha stone properly after use. Unlike jade rollers, gua sha stone can be washed with warm water. I don’t recommend cleansing with harsh chemicals as authentic crystals are porous. Make sure you store your stone away from dust and moisture after use. When you purchase from Julisa, you’ll receive a piece of soft cloth to wipe your rose quartz gua sha and also a pouch for hygienic storage – win (have a look here)!

 

• Drink up! I go for at least 2 glasses of water right after my gua sha ritual. This is essential to promote healthy lymphatic drainage which is what your gua sha facial is all about. Hydrating your body will help it flush any toxins away efficiently via your lymphatic system. I’d avoid any alcohol at least 2 hours before and after gua sha as alcohol dehydrates your body.

• Be consistent. The same goes for any skin routine. You won’t see immediate results after a session or two (though its de-puffing benefit is rather visible right after your first treatment for some). I’d recommend performing gua sha facials at least 2 to 3 times weekly. I create a night time routine which includes warm bath, short meditation followed by gua sha.

• Enter your chill-zone! Create a relaxing spa-like ambience at home for your gua sha routine. You’ll only reap maximum skin benefits when your mind and soul are ready to receive. Check out this crystal based meditation clip that I co-created with a yoga instructor, designed to help you melt away facial tensions and clear you mind before your heavenly facial time.

BONUS TIPS: Have you tried pairing your gua sha facial with an essential oil blend? Our own lovely in-house naturopath Sarah has recommended a few essential oil blend recipes specific for each skin concern for use with your gua sha facial tool, check them out!

Remember that facial gua sha is NOT for you if you’ve recently had botox or any kind of fillers on your face. Also avoid performing gua sha facials on broken or inflamed skin.

Here you go, Merbaes! I’d love to know what you think, and if you’ve made any of these gua sha mistakes yourself? Sharing is caring, so be sure you share this post with your mer-friends who’re keen to experience for themselves the wonderful skin benefits of gua sha facials.

I’ll also shoot an IGTV vlog on this topic so follow along and see you over on Instagram!

Until next time. Namaste. xx

Juliet

Chief Mermaid

@MermaidJulisa