If you have been struggling with where to begin on your gua sha journey, you aren't alone! Here is a list of gua sha basics to keep in mind:
- Always use an oil or serum- if you practice on dry skin, it will damage your collagen bonds, the protein that keeps your skin elastic & youthful. (I recommend Living Libations 'Best skin ever- Seabuckthorn' oil as pictured in the last photo)
- Upward & outward strokes on the face- this is to promote lifting & sculpting
- Don't apply too much pressure, your skin will have a pinkish glow which is fresh blood brought to the surface. Any harder can burst blood vessels.
- Go in a single direction, not back and fourth (like a cheese grater, one direction)
- Focus on these 5 locations- jaw, cheek, cheek bone, eyebrow, and forehead.
- If your strokes feel a little rigid/bumpy, that's good! You are breaking apart tension and stuck fascia (connective tissue in the body).
- If you are looking for more, gua sha your scalp starting at the forehead and stroking back. The skin on your scalp is much thicker, you will release a lot of built up tension. Wherever you feel the most tension, that is your holding pattern (where you store tension). This will move blood, energy & qi
- Your routine does NOT have to be long or elaborate, it is ALWAYS better to do some gua sha than none... even if it means 2 minutes before bed or first thing in the morning
- Drink lots of water throughout the day. You are moving waste and toxins under the skin, water will help flush them out of your system. (Think of it like dirt at the bottom of a lake; if you stir it up, it gets murky. Your gua sha is stirring up settled waste under the skin that needs to be drained out. The more you practice gua sha consistently, the less waste that gets to settle)
- You might go through a slight purge if you are new to gua sha and have acne prone skin. This is because you likely have a lot of built of waste & toxins to eliminate, part of which will be drained and part of which will manifest on the skin... keep going, it won't last.
- NEVER gua sha over top of active acne, focus on the neck (most of your lymph nodes are located on your neck so if you struggle with acne, this is always a great place to focus on)!
- Check our our instagram @by_stacy_ to see gua sha tutorials from registered acupuncturists & medical estheticians!
