I’ve read a lot of benefits online about gua sha and jade roller tools and was curious to know what they could do for my skin. It seemed that celebrities loved them to reduce puffiness in their face, but I wasn’t sure how much of a reliable source that was. So, I decided to purchase a gua sha tool and try it for myself. I have always wanted those huge French cheekbones, and I wasn’t loving how, with age, the puffy lines under my eyes were growing deeper. If it worked to get rid of those, I was sold.

How does gua sha work?

Facial gua sha is a practice used in traditional Chinese medicine that involves massaging the face to activate and increase the flow of blood circulation. It also promotes lymphatic drainage – helping to drain excess lymph fluid. The result of increased circulation and lymphatic drainage can be a reduction in puffiness in the face, tightening of the skin, and softening of fine lines and wrinkles through an increased production of collagen. This all sounds pretty great, right? After hearing about these benefits, off I went to try out a new gua sha routine.

My gua sha routine

I started incorporating a gua sha practice into my skincare routine every evening. I cleansed, applied my products as usual, and then after moisturiser (with an added drop or two of facial oil), I used the stone for around 5 minutes – on my cheek bones, jawline, neck, and forehead. Below, I have linked a video that I thought was helpful and used as a guide when I started out.

Results

Unsurprisingly, using the gua sha stone consistently and correctly worked. Well, I didn’t get ultra defined cheekbones, but I did see a difference in the tightness of my skin and my puffy eye lines had diminished considerably. As I am typically quite a lazy person, and I viewed this new gua sha routine as thirsty work, I searched for a shortcut. I wanted to see if using my hands would deliver the same results (I could use both hands simultaneously, saving time). I used the middle knuckle on both my index fingers and ran those along my upper cheek bones, underneath my eyes. After two days, I could see the result was the same.

When the day comes that I suddenly become more diligent about my skincare routine, or my urge to look like a French model grows too overwhelming – whichever comes first – I will use a gua sha stone. Until then, I think my process works well for me and is something that I feel comfortable to stick with – consistency is what is important.

Yours,

Kait x

Cover photo by Polina Kovaleva