what is gua sha and how do i do it?

Although gua sha has become a huge internet trend over the last few years, it’s actually a centuries old cultural practice in traditional Chinese medicine that began as a way to help with internal illness and then became popular in skin care.

Gua sha is said to promote self-care and mindfulness, help with lymphatic drainage, improve your skin care products’ ability to penetrate skin, and reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles. The gua sha tool is often made from precious stone, such as obsidian, jade, or rose quartz, but may also be made of stainless steel.

How to gua sha:

  1. Start by washing hands and face.
  2. Apply Pure Haven brightening serum, soothing serum, or beauty booster to create a slick surface for the tool to glide across; you don’t want to tug or damage skin.
  3. Warm your gua sha tool in warm water or between your hands.
  4. Glide the tool across your skin at an angle, almost parallel to your skin, using light and gentle pressure and slow strokes.
  5. Complete one side of face and then the other.
  6. Sweep 3-5 times:
    • upwards from collarbone to earlobe.
    • from center of neck at collarbone up to chin.
    • along jawline from under center of chin toward earlobe, gently wiggling at the end to release tension.
    • across cheek starting at corner of mouth, under cheekbone, toward hairline.
    • under eye, making quick flicks out to temple.
    • over eyebrow out toward hairline.
    • from middle of forehead horizontally out to hairline.
    • up from the brow bone, over forehead.
    • from between eyebrows over the middle of forehead and up to hairline.
  7. Repeat on other side of face.

The entire process should take no longer than five minutes and may be repeated as often as you like.

To learn more about Pure Haven serums and other skin care products, please contact your Consultant.