Gua Sha and Crystal Rollers - What's the Hype About?

The beauty and skincare universe is getting a holistic obsession - this spring, rose quarts gua sha tools and jade rollers have been on every ones must-have lists! Although it initially felt like a trend that would disappear as fast as it came, the various benefits people are experiencing from the skin-boosting techniques may prove skeptics wrong. What was behind stones and crystals going viral in our Youtube and Instagram feeds?

Curious about what the hype was about we decided to try it out for ourselves. If you are craving more of a holistic beauty approach and simple self-care hacks, we think you'll love it!

We will now share with you everything we know about the DIY home self-care phenomena!

What is Gua Sha?

Gua Sha is an ancient natural therapy used in traditional Chinese medicine that involves a small, rounded stone that you 'scrape' on the skin. Gua translates into press or stroke while sha means rash or redness. Despite, traditional Chinese therapists working hard and deep resulting in red skin, using a lighter touch on your face is recommended to generate the beauty benefits. 

What is Crystal Rolling? 

Crystal rolling is a facial massage technique that helps boosts circulation in the skin. Just like we work out our bodies we can work out our face muscles! As if this was not cool enough, taking time out of your day to do the face rolling practice calls for calm and zen vibes. At MANTLE we love a simple yet effective self-care hack like this one!  

What's the difference between Gua Sha and Crystal Rolling?

The main difference between jade rollers and Gua Sha tools is that jade rolling is mainly a lymphatic drainage massage, and Gua Sha is a fascial (i.e., fibrous tissue) release massage. The strokes used in Gua Sha creates pressure and stretch at the same time, which makes it more effective than the jade roller if you aspire to sculpt facial features like the cheekbone or jawline. The various forms Gua Sha stones come in can fit well around facial curves which amplify the sculpting benefit even more.  

Why use Gua Sha or Crystal Rollers?

Well, if you take one thing with you from this article - remember the key concept of lymphatic drainage. It is type of massage that pushes fluids in your system to your lymph nodes that can then process and filter it out of the body. This way, you can drain sluggish lymph that may be resulting in stagnant fluid causing puffiness and inflammation. Performing such massaging technique through Gua Sha or Crystal rolling can de-puff and boost your skin! 

Benefits of Gua Sha 

• Relaxes the muscles
• Shifts puffiness
• Gets energy and blood moving
• Boosts circulation
• Clears out toxins and brings in oxygen and nutrients 
• Stimulates new collagen production 
• Releases tension (try it if you have headaches or tight jaws!)
• Leaves skin glowing 

Benefits of Crystal Rolling

• Boosts blood flow in the skin
• Anti-aging as it increases collagen and skin elasticity
• Helps products to absorb better into the skin
• Relaxes the muscles (perfect if you have some lines or wrinkles from harsh facial expressions!)
• If used consistently it can help lift facial muscles, defining them more
• Reduces puffiness and inflammation as it unblocks clogged lymphatic channels

Where do I buy a stone or crystal tool? 

Nowadays you can buy Gua Sha stones or crystal rollers at various beauty retailers. Since they come in all shapes and sizes you'll have to find which one feels right for you. To make the most out of the practice - choose a crystal or stone that speaks to you.

Here are some common crystals and their properties: 

Amethyst

Relieves day-to-day stress and clears negative energy to make room for clarity and relaxation. Amethysts are protective and can calm inflammation on acne-prone skin. Get your Amethyst Gua Sha Stone here.

Jade

The stone of universal love is the ultimate beauty crystal. Rose quartz purifies and opens the heart promoting self-love and peace. It can reduce and release impurities in the skin and heals you from within. This is our favourite to use for self-care practice.  

What else do I need? 

Grab your favourite serum, facial cream or an oil to use for the facial massage. It helps with the slip and can assist delivering the product's ingredients into the skin. We've actually been mixing a few drops of The Original Oil with our face creams to infuse our skin with the balancing effect of CBD!  

Whatever product you prefer, we recommend using one that doesn't have so much friction on the skin. Anything is better than doing it on bare skin. 

Now - let's try it!

How to: A step-by-step guide to Gua Sha

First things first, when should you be doing Gua Sha or crystal rolling? It depends, either morning, evening or both! In the morning it can be done to treat puffiness and energize the skin. Before bed you can use is to relax the muscles and release tightness.  

1. Hold the tool flat to the skin to with the curved side to your face and stroke/glide it up and out. Not back and forth!

2. Start with the neck, then jawline, chin and around the mouth. Repeat the stroke 3-5 times per area.  

3. To drain puffiness, start lightly, then more firmly to relax muscles. If your skin looks a little flushed afterwards it just shows a boost in circulation. 

How to: A step-by-step guide to Crystal Rolling

The face rolling tool often has dual ends. The long-oval shaped stone on one end can be used for the flat planes of your face like your cheeks, forehead and chin. The smaller, rounder stone on the other end can be used in under-eye areas, nose and eyes. 

1. Start with your neck to clear the lymph passageways before rollin your face. 

2. Apply gentle pressure starting in the middle of the face, rolling upwards and outwards. For instance, across your forehead or mouth to cheekbone. Repeat as much as you like! 

3. Lastly, roll downwards on the outside of your face to your collarbone to remove the toxins. 

Bare in mind there is no right or wrongs to doing a face massage! Do what feels good for you and be gentle and loving with yourself. 

Good luck with your self-care! If you want more self-care inspiration, check out our 10 easy self-care hacks here.