How To Gua Sha (EASY 2-Minute Routine!)
Mmmmm, if ya know, YOU KNOW. I have been sharing my daily gua sha ritual on my Instagram stories for literally 3+ years at this point.
It’s SOOO simple (but so impactful). And while I share these sped-up, time-lapse gua sha vids on the reg on Insta,
….I’ve never ACTUALLY shared my step-by-step gua sha tutorial?!
Today, we’re changing that!
watch it video style:
On an average Tuesday in November, I recorded my *real life*, busy-girl-approved gua sha routine in the morning. This is the step-by-step of:
1) What is gua sha?
2) Who is it for? (…and who is it NOT for…)
3) What is its history? Evidence?
4) Do I need to “prep” my skin in any way? Any certain products?
5) HOW do I do it?
6) How long does it take??? (Because I don’t got much time in the AM, ya feel???)
7) What stone do I get and why?
This is me — just chillin’ in my bathroom, doing the gua sha thaaaang I do every. single. morning.
…but, if you don’t have time to watch… keep readin'!
my experience:
I have always been very self-conscious about the bags & dark circles under my eyes. I remember first being aware of them when I was in 8th grade.
I spent a good DECADE of my life self-conscious about my under-eyes.
BUT THEN I FOUND GUA SHA. Sorry for the caps letters right there, but it was necessary to shout about it from the rooftops because this little beauty stone has become my skincare MVP and is my secret for reducing a puffy morning face, brightening my eyes, and diminishing puffiness of the face (and eyes!).
gua sha 101
Gua sha refers to a small stone tool has been around for centuries (it originated in traditional Chinese medicine), and helps to promote circulation, reduce inflammation, promote lymph flow, clear congestion…and has been dubbed as “nature’s Botox” #byewrinkles.
Sound too good to be true? I thought so too. So I did a classic before and after photo, and let’s just say the results speak for themselves (peek below).
A #nofilter before + after morning puffy face photo (less than 15 minutes apart!) doesn’t lie. It’s that good.
how I use gua sha:
Personally, I mostly use gua sha for contouring my face/jawline, reducing swelling, and helping diminish the intense under-eye bags that I have in the morning. Life with a newborn makes ya look….. tired (to put it mildly). And I genuinely notice a difference in how “awake” I look on the days I do versus don’t gua sha. It DOES make a difference!
Yup. A #nofilter before + after photo (less than 15 minutes apart!) doesn’t lie. It’s that good. For this photo I took about 3 minutes using the gua sha technique, sipped my coffee and journaled for about 10 minutes, annnnnd looked in the mirror and was shocked to see the “after.”
how to gua sha…
HOW I USE THE GUA SHA:
Wet my face with warm water and gently pat to semi-dry
Apply a Primally Pure facial mist to face, neck, and chest
Apply a Primally Pure serum to face, neck, and chest
Then use the gua sha tool to glide along the skin and PULLLLLL *lightly* from the center of my face outwards (I give waaay more specifics on the video!)
Downward strokes with the stone “drain” the skin and upward strokes “perk up” and plump tired skin.
Use the tool to very gently “dig”/contour into crevices on the face (cheekbones, jawline, etc.)
Altogether this takes me about 2 minutes!
Again, you can watch all of this^ in this YouTube video tutorial I made
how long does gua sha take?
You can do this for as long or as short as you’d like (while you can take 10-15 minutes to gua sha ~perfectly~, I usually only spend about 2 minutes), but it’s a great grounding ritual to help you look way more awake and way less puffy.
It’s truly my MVP — I cannot even express how much gua sha has helped to contour my face, brighten my skin, and reduce those puffy “I just woke up” eyes. Highly highly recommend grabbing a stone and teaching yourself the skill!
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where did i get my gua sha stone (this is important!)
I got my gua sha from Primally Pure (duh) because I LOVE the unique shape of their stone. like, for real.
Before you think I’m just saying “it’s great” because I love anything & everything Primally Pure does… I actually have tried THREE other brands of gua sha stones.
Annnnd primally pure’s is genuinely the best.
Why? It’s the unique SHAPE.
Most gua sha stones don’t have as many edges/curves and so you are WAY more limited in how you can utilize it to contour. The way that Primally Pure shaped the stone allows you to “dig in” and along your jawline, cheek bones, neck, etc. much more easily. Not to mention, they sustainably sourced their serpentine jade (so rare!). You can grab it here!
bonus tip: use this part to fight wrinkles:
Using the ridged side of the gua sha to do quick, light, back and forth motions around the area where you may get wrinkles. (Again, I explain this in the video.)
This gentle (but impactful) stimulation produces collagen, improves circulation, and boosts skin renewal. This is a huge trick for wrinkle-prone areas and is such a simple add-on to your gua sha routine. I plan to do it for 2ish minutes each day. I can’t wait to get started with this!
that’s a wrap!
Ugh, I LOVE GUA SHA.
And while I have truly noticed a difference in my skin tone, acne, ~glow~, and wrinkle prevention, there is another factor.
Something to consider: these tools are AMAZING, but shouldn’t be used alone — they are here to supplement your skin routine! Mini rant, buuut I firmly believe that good skin starts with beautiful, nourishing food, drinking lots of water, and investing in quality skin products. (Cough cough — if you haven’t tried Primally Pure yet…)
It’s probably a “duh” at this point because I’m always rambling about starting FIRST with your foundation before you get into the nitty gritty — focusing on the basics can transform your health (and skin!). I just want to be a voice of reason in the blogging world that you don’t need 90480835043 steps in your beauty routine — start first with taking care of your health and watch your skin transform!
Buuuuut if you’re like me, and have your basics covered (nutrition, hydration, sleep) this tool is an AMAZING supplement and is the cherry on top for glowing skin. :)
One small tool that is simple, straightforward, IMPACTFUL, and affordable — enjoy!
XX,
Kate
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