What if you could get the skincare results you want, but without Botox? Over the centuries, our ancestors created dozens of face sculpting tools and natural skincare remedies to plump, smooth, and nourish the complexion. One of our favorites is the gua sha tool. With its roots in ancient Chinese medicine, gua sha is a powerful technique that promotes vibrant skin in just five minutes a day.

Alongside the launch of our Nephrite Gua Sha, we’re releasing this guide: your ultimate resource for brag-worthy results.

What Is a Gua Sha Stone?

A gua sha stone is a natural tool used to sculpt the face, promote blood flow, and reduce signs of aging. A pillar of Chinese medicine, gua sha tools are typically made from jade. When picking out your gha sha stone, you may notice variations in shape and size of the jade. This is normal — every modern brand has a different spin on which stone shape is best for sculpting your jaw and cheekbones.

How Does Gua Sha Work?

Gua sha seems a little too good to be true, doesn’t it? It’s easy to see dramatic before-and-after pictures and wonder if this ancient remedy actually works. Don’t worry, there’s real science behind the method…

Muscle Structure

Think of it as a gym session for your face. Gua sha helps strengthen and sculpt certain muscles in the face to promote plump and bright skin. The light pressure from the gua sha stone also helps relieve tension, which can reduce wrinkles.

Lymphatic Support

Gua sha shouldn’t change the structure of your jaw and cheekbones — but it should make the natural structure more noticeable. A gua sha stone helps remove lymphatic fluid by draining and depuffing the face. Once the fluid is gone, your facial structure will be more defined.

Collagen and Blood Flow

By gently scraping the skin, gua sha brings blood to the surface. This is helpful for fading scars, reducing wrinkles, and promoting overall brightness. It should also prompt your skin to produce more collagen.

The Benefits of Gua Sha

Gua sha is a five-minute habit that comes with a myriad of benefits. Here are just a few you may experience when you make gua sha part of your routine:

Improved Blood Flow and Circulation

In ancient times, gua sha was used over the whole body to promote circulation. The goal was to bring blood to the surface and create a flushed appearance. Modern gua sha tools aren’t designed for full-body use, but they can improve blood flow and circulation to the face.

Brighter Skin

With healthy lymphatic flow and better circulation, it’s natural to notice your face and eyes brighten. If this is your goal, we recommend pairing your gua sha with a brightening serum.

Reduced Signs of Aging

Between relieving tension and sculpting muscles, a gua sha stone is a wonderful tool to help reduce signs of aging. It should promote blood flow, increase collagen production, and build muscles in the face to hold up loose skin.

Less Tension

If you tend to hold tension in your neck, face, or shoulders, a gua sha stone can help to massage those areas and reduce discomfort.

Lymphatic System Support

An essential detox pathway, the lymphatic system lives right beneath your skin. Its job is to balance your fluid levels and remove toxins from your body. But unlike other systems in the body, it doesn’t have a pump. Over time, stagnant lymph fluid can build up and cause swelling (especially if a chronic illness or infection is present). Gua sha is a great way to manually pump fluid out of the lymphatic system and back into the bloodstream.

Better Collagen Production

Remember, gua sha doesn’t change your face shape. But it should help increase collagen production, which leads to plump and smooth results. By scraping the skin, you’re telling your body to pay attention. Similar to an exfoliant or microneedling, small levels of irritation can prompt the body to send resources and rebuild.

How to Gua Sha Your Face and Neck in 3 Easy Steps

There are many reasons to add gua sha to your morning routine. The practice can help depuff your skin, reduce wrinkles, promote glow, and detox your body. But learning how to gua sha correctly is crucial.

The most important thing to learn is how the lymphatic system works. The lymphatic system sits right under your skin. It helps balance fluids in the body while boosting the immune system and flushing toxins. Your primary lymph nodes live in your neck, chest, armpits, groin, and abdomen. So it’s always best to massage these areas and then move fluid toward them.

Once you move fluid to the right places (and flush excess toxins), you can move on to safely sculpt the muscles in your face and neck.

Step 1

Gently massage your armpits and neck to open up your primary lymph nodes. This gives lymphatic fluid a place to go when you drain it from your face. Then, apply an oil or serum to a clean face.

Step 2

Using your gua sha tool, push lymphatic fluid from your forehead, cheeks, under eyes, and nose toward your ears. Then, move the fluid down your neck and into your primary lymph nodes.

Step 3

Now you can begin sculpting the muscles in your face. For this part, you’ll want to primarily pull in an upward motion. Use the ridged edge of your tool to pull from your forehead to your scalp. Then, use the wavy edge to sculpt your cheeks and eyes. Finally, finish with the round side of the stone on your cheekbones and neck. The goal here is to gently strengthen the muscles, boost blood flow, and improve the structure of your skin.

Bonus: Always Clean Your Tool

To avoid spreading bacteria, always clean your gua sha stone after each use. You can use our charcoal tallow soap or another gentle cleanser.

How to Gua Sha for Lymphatic Drainage

Along with the dry brush, gua sha is a powerful tool for lymphatic drainage. If lymphatic drainage is your main goal, it’s best to start by massaging (or opening) your primary lymph nodes. Spend a few minutes moving lymphatic fluid in your armpits, neck, groin, and abdomen. If you want, you can go one step further with an entire dry brushing routine.

Once your primary lymph nodes are open, start with your gua sha stone. You’ll want to use light to medium pressure to ensure you’re actually massaging the lymphatic system (not the muscles underneath). Push lymphatic fluid from your forehead, cheeks, and nose toward your ears. Once you finish, move the fluid from your ears into your neck (specifically, the terminus). Complete these steps until there’s a noticeable difference in swelling levels.

Regular gua sha is extremely helpful for lymphatic drainage. But make sure you’re also making the necessary lifestyle changes, too. Reduce toxins in your environment, consume whole foods, and take milk thistle or dandelion root to support your liver as you cleanse.

How Often to Use Gua Sha

If you’re new to gua sha, it’s best to start at once a week. Sensitive skin may need some time to get used to the pulling of the gua sha stone. Not to mention, if you have stagnant lymphatic fluid, you don’t want to release it into your bloodstream all at once.

After you’ve mastered the gua sha practice (and learned your skin’s tolerance level), you can expand your routine to 2–3 times per week. The more often you do it, the more benefits you’ll get from your gua sha routine.

Tips and Tricks for Best Gua Sha Results

Here are a few simple hacks to help you get the most out of your new morning reset:

Cool Your Gua Sha Stone Before Use

Especially if gua sha is part of your morning routine, using a cool stone can help you depuff and reduce inflammation faster. Put your stone in the freezer for a few minutes or dunk it in an ice bath before use.

Pair Your Gua Sha with a Serum

Find a serum that helps you reach your skincare goals, and use it during your gua sha session.

Use Nontoxic Skincare

Obviously, we’re biased about what goes in your skincare. But if you’re using a gua sha stone to depuff and move lymphatic fluid, it’s even more important to know what’s in your personal care products. Toxins, hormone disruptors, microplastics, and other synthetics can further disrupt your lymphatic system and create more fluid.

Use Light to Medium Pressure

While it may seem more productive to press hard with your gua sha stone, this isn’t helpful for your lymphatic system or your face muscles. The lymphatic system sits close to the surface, so to target it, you need light pressure. And you don’t want to sculpt your muscles so much that they break down.

Does Gua Sha Actually Work?

Take it from us — gua sha actually works. It’s an ancestral tool that’s been used for thousands of years in Chinese medicine. It’s good for the immune system and circulatory system, can improve blood flow, and should get your lymphatic system moving.

If you don’t get results from your gua sha practice, it could be due to a simple mistake. Inconsistent practice, using too firm pressure, and pushing lymphatic fluid into the face (instead of the neck) can all interfere with your results.

Get the Viral Gua Sha Stone That’s Better Than Botox

We combined the ancestral practice of gua sha with a modern stone that’s elevated, royalty-grade, and effective. Our Nephrite Gua Sha is unlike any gua sha stone on the market. It turns your everyday gua sha practice from a chore to a luxury spa session. Best of all, it promotes glowing and vibrant skin without the use of chemicals or plastic.

If you’ve lost the wonder in your gua sha routine or simply have been waiting for the best tool, we’re happy to announce the Nephrite Gua Sha is officially here.

Learn More About What Makes the Nephrite Gua Sha One-of-a-Kind