Gua Sha and Kansa Wand: the trendy facial massage

Asian beauty tips and secrets continue to cause a stir in the West. Her perfect skin has become one of the most desired goals and therefore, her facial cleansing and Korean cosmetics routines are already used by many women outside the continent. As a result of this expansion of knowledge, we know Gua Sha, an ancient massage that you will not be able to resist .

Gua Sha is a facial massage technique that is carried out with a rose quartz or jade stone with a heart-shaped design to adapt to the face . Its origin dates back to more than 2,000 years ago when, in traditional Chinese medicine, these objects were used to perform a type of scraping or massage. This procedure, the result of traditional culture, became a symbol referring to lasting beauty.

Practicing Gua Sha by combining it with creams , oils and serums helps drain fluids, stimulate blood circulation, improve the absorption of its active ingredients into the skin and promote collagen production, minimizing expression lines and wrinkles on the face. Furthermore, depending on the stone you use, you can enhance some benefits or others. Jade stone has calming properties, helps stimulate vital energy and when applied cold it contributes to drainage. For its part, rose quartz contains a large amount of minerals that promote the elimination of toxins, reduce swelling and improve circulation.

If this type of massage sounds familiar to you, we encourage you to go one step further and discover the Kansa Wand .

What's the score?

Smoother and more luminous skin. It will also give you a moment of relaxation, relieving muscle tension in your face and giving you a few minutes in which you will be your priority.

Do you want to learn how to do it? We explain it to you!

As it is a relaxing massage, it requires time, so it is recommended that you practice it before going to bed and after having cleansed your face with your favorite products. When starting this ritual, it is essential that you prepare your skin with essences or moisturizing creams that fit the needs of your skin, this way you will allow the stone to slide over your face, avoiding irritation. It is also important that you know that the movements should be firm but gentle in one direction and always upward.

Depending on the area to be treated, the stone layout will be different:

• Neck: Ideally, you should slide the stone in movements from the outside to the inside using the heart-shaped side. Pass it three times over each area and try to exert light pressure on the lower part of the neck.
  
  
• Facial contour: using the heart-shaped side, start at the chin and make an upward movement to the top of the ear, applying pressure at the end of each movement. As with the neck, perform three repetitions on each side.
  
  
• Cheekbones : Starting from the nose, make a movement with the heart-shaped side of the stone towards the end of the face. Also perform three repetitions to achieve the best results.
  
  
• Expression lines around the mouth: you should draw diagonal lines from the outside of the lip to the end of the eyebrow. This time it is recommended to use the convex side of the stone and a number of repetitions similar to those of the areas already explained.
  
  
• Barcode ( colloquially called) : you can treat them by sliding the stone from the center outwards with the heart-shaped part. Do this a total of three times on each side.
  
  
• Eye contour: with the heart-shaped side, continue the eyebrow line in a curved movement that ends at the temple. Pay special care in this area since the skin is very thin. Also perform three repetitions on each side.
  
  
• Forehead and between the eyebrows : press on the area between the eyebrows and move up towards the hairline with the convex side of the stone. Thus, perform an inside-out movement with a total of three repetitions.

In addition to these guidelines, it is also important that you know some tips that will allow you to avoid making mistakes.

1. You should use the Gua Sha stone with an inclination of about 45 degrees and the massages should be gentle.
   
   
2. Avoid sudden movements or excessive pressure as they could lead to negative effects such as sagging of the tissue, capillary breaks or skin irritations.
   
   
3. Avoid sunbathing after this treatment as the skin will be a little red and sensitive. It is also important to note that it is not recommended for irritated skin, wounds, very thin skin or skin problems.

At theCosmethics you can find different products that will help you get started in the Gua Sha technique:

• Kansa Wand for facial massage : it is a tool that originated more than 5,000 years ago and is considered the Ayurvedic equivalent of the Chinese jade roller. It is a dome-shaped wooden and metal accessory. Its composition based on bronze and rosewood helps relieve muscle tension, relaxes the nervous system, improves skin elasticity and blood circulation. It can even help reduce expression lines and promote lymphatic drainage.
• Gua Sha for facial massage Crystal Contour Gua Sha Green by Odacité: hand carved especially for the face, it will make your facial massage comfortable and effective. Made with green aventurine.
• Kansa Wand:
• Gua Sha for facial massage Crystal Contour Gua Sha Blue by Odacité: a hand-cut blue sodalite crystal that will help you in your goal of firming and revitalizing the appearance of the skin through a stimulating massage.
• Jane Apothecary Rose Quartz Facial Massage Gua Sha – A staple for your revitalizing massage. Made with rose quartz and heart shape.

And these are some of our favorite oils to use with a Gua Sha stone:

1. Tata Harper retinoid facial oil.
2. Brightening facial oil with vitamin C from rms beauty .
3. Regenerating facial oil with argan oil and rosehip, Miracle Oil by Evolve .
4. The Light Fantastic facial oil with ceramides, Pai Skincare .
5. Brightening and antioxidant facial oil from On the Wild Side.

Enjoy more tips and tricks on Gua Sha in this video .