There are a host of micro current skin toning devices available on the market which use pioneering technology to contour, tone and sculpt the face, but these often come with a hefty price tag. If you are looking for a more affordable yet effective treatment, you might want to consider facial Gua Sha – say what?!
“We have seen a real return to old-school beauty treatments in recent years,” says Camilla Bankes, founder of Luminous Facial Yoga, “Facial gua sha has been used as a rejuvenating skin treatment for thousands of years, with origins in the ancient medical traditions of South East Asian and China” she continues, ‘whereas traditionally a more vigorous ‘scraping’ technique was used on the body using spoons, coins or horn, facial gua sha adopts a gentler approach and there are some really cool tools available on the market to perform these rituals now days.”
“Our heads, necks and faces carry a huge amount of tension. Holding on to this tension is not only bad for our general wellbeing, but over time, it begins to take its toll on the face, through the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. There are significant short-term and long-term benefits from taking the time to perform relaxation techniques like facial gua sha, in order to de-stress and relax the muscles in the face” Camilla continues. “Gua sha helps relieve the tension we hold in the 50 or so muscles in the face and neck, whilst boosting circulation and aiding lymphatic drainage to depuff the face which, in turn, helps brighten the skin.
Gua sha can be really effective in smoothing out deep set wrinkles, often referred to as ‘natural botox.’
Get your roll on…! What exactly is a crystal roller?
Like Gua sha, derma-rollers have also been around for hundreds of years and have been a big part of ancient Chinese beauty culture. Rollers target lymphatic drainage which moves fluid that collects under the skin, which has a depuffing effect.
When you practice facial rolling you are literally removing toxins from under your skins delicate tissues. The fluids under your skin and in your facial tissue must be moved to your lymph nodes in order for proper filtration of bacteria and viruses. When there is an excess of fluids; blockages in the pores can occur, which results in puffiness and can contribute to causing acne.
A crystal roller is a paint roller-style tool for the face, typically made from solid jade or quartz stone. The tool typically features a larger stone designed for use on the cheeks, jaw and forehead, while the smaller stone is ideal for under the eyes and around the mouth.
Get Started!
For tutorials and routines that use crystal roller and Gua Sha techniques click here. Keep an eye on this page as more massage tool routines are coming very soon!
Looking for more detailed information on what and where to buy?
Over the coming week we’ll be adding a specific ‘massage tools’ section to the website which will give you more information on tools such as gua sha stones and crystal rollers. Watch this space!
In the meantime, if you want to buy a good gua sha tool, we are loving the Wildling bian stones – check them out here.
