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There’s a new tool taking over the skincare world: gua shas! Well, “new” to the 21st century world of online skinfluencers. The use of the gua sha stone tool can be traced back to the Paleolithic Age, according to chinaculture.org (which is guided by China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism). Gua sha, which can be translated to “scrape away illness,” went on to become incorporated in ancient Chinese folk therapy and involved “using tools such as bian stone, jade, or ox horn with lubricant liniment to scrape and rub parts of the patient’s skin repeatedly in one direction” to “activate blood circulation to dissipate blood stasis,” according to the website.
@lizzo Duet in a week to see what my gua sha results are!
While the medical benefits of the gua sha have been recorded since the Ming Dynasty, the gua sha tool is now seen as a way to tighten, contour and define your face while also depuffing it and increasing lymphatic drainage. Just scroll through skincare-related videos on TikTok, and you’re bound to see someone revealing their “before and after” results after three weeks of using a gua sha. These results are sometimes quite dramatic, if you incorporate the proper methods — even celebrities like Lizzo are joining the gua sha movement, as you can see in her TikTok above.
There are many types of gua shuas on the market: some are made of the jade stone, others of rose quartz crystal, and some are molded out of fire agate. Here are a variety of highly-rated gua shuas to shop:
1. Gua Sha Facial Tool, Natural Jade Stone
You can’t beat the price of this gua sha tool. It’s less than $5! Don’t let the low price point make you suspect this gua sha isn’ the real deal, though. This No. 1 best-selling item on Amazon is made of pure jade stone — not imitation material or plastic. This gua sha is shaped like an elongated heart, with each side carved in a way to target specific areas of your body and face (check those out below). $4, amazon.com
2. JOVIVI Handmade Natural Rose Quartz Gua Sha Guasha Scraping Massage Tool
Rose quartz is another popular material to carve gua sha tools out of. This gua sha is made of 100 percent rose quartz — again, no filler material here. Rose quartz also holds special meaning for many people. “Rose quartz is a powerful healing crystal,” Keith Birch, a crystal healer, reiki master and owner of KSC Crystals, told Healthline. “Its soft, gentle, almost pastel pale pink coloring is a good indication of its most commonly known property: that of pure love. It’s a stone of both giving and receiving love.” While these claims are not scientifically backed, the emotional healing properties of rose quartz have long been reported. $10, amazon.com
3. Stainless Steel Gua Sha Tool with Travel Pouch
Clumsy with your hands? Dealing with gua shas does call for the use of serum, which may lead to a slippery situation. Jade and crystal stones can break, and if you’re not ready to risk that possibility, here’s an alternative. This gua sha is made of medical grade stainless steel and won’t shatter the way its more traditional counterparts will. $14, amazon.com
4. Alo Yoga’s Alosoft Gratitude Bra
Here’s another alternative to the common jade and crystal stones! This gua sha set — that’s right you get three pieces instead of one — is made of 100 percent natural sibian bian stone. This type of stone was also used in ancient China. Each gua sha in this set has a specific shape to target different areas of the body. The “Heart” shape is for the “chin, nose, finger, face, neck, cheek, forehead, back, limbs, abdomen, around the eyes, [and] acupressure massage,”; the “rabbit ear” shape is for the “face, around the eyes, foreheads, temples, hand, foot, arm, neck, shoulder, back [and] leg”; and the “sheep cornu” shape is for the “eye, nose, chin, finger, arm, neck, back, leg, foot, around the eyes, forehead, [and] lip.” $19, amazon.com
5. Mei Apothecary Jade Gua Sha Facial Massage Beauty Tool
Here’s another gua sha tool that differs in form from its usual heart-shaped counterparts. This gua sha, made out of jade stone, is from the brand Mei Apothecary which makes sure all of its products are vegan, non-toxic and cruelty-free! $13, target.com
6. Rose Quartz Facial Roller & Gua Sha Set
Can’t choose between a gua sha and a face roller, which is also raved about for its depuffing benefits? You don’t have to pick! This set gives you both a gua sha and a face roller made out of “authentic non-porous Brazilian rose quartz” (the non-porous part is important, because you don’t want bacteria building up in these facial tools). This set even comes with a small, oval jade stone to use on your forehead, temples, and around your eyes and lips. $18, amazon.com
