Using Our Bedouin Elixir with Gua-Sha
Over the years, we’ve borrowed quite a few skincare routines from ancient Chinese medicine and Gua Sha is no different.
We’ve spotted girls all over Instagram hopping on the trend and we felt the need to highlight Gua Sha facial massages and how to use the facial oil with it. But first, let’s dive into the basics.
What Is Gua Sha?
Facial Gua Sha is an ancient Chinese healing technique that uses a pebble or stone to stimulate the skin (Gua – scraping), boost blood circulation (Sha – redness) and encourages skin to heal itself.
Scraping the skin (using jade or rose quartz stone) helps treat all sorts of ailments to promote clear skin, banish fine lines and wrinkles, and sculpt the face for a firmer look. In actual fact, in doing Gua Sha you create a very minor and controlled skin trauma (being the redness), which stimulates blood flow, new collagen production and while shifting puffiness.
Gua Sha can be used on a daily basis to relieve muscle tension in the face, jaw or neck, whilst also diminishing wrinkles and providing lymphatic drainage.
Facial Oils are usually used with the stone, to allow for smooth gliding over the skin without pulling or dragging. Here’s how to use The Bedouin Elixir Facial Oil in Gua Sha facial massage:
1. Cleanse the skin with your desired cleanser.
2. Warm 1-3 drops of the Bedouin Elixir Facial Oil into your hands and press lightly onto your skin.
3. Using your favorite Gua Sha stone and use gentle pressure to apply short and long strokes over your entire face and neck for 2-5 mins, in upwards and outwards motions. Hold the stone flat to your skin using a light to medium pressure under the eyes or over any redness to soothe and depuff.
4. Use the curved side to work over the skin, doing shorter movements, in outwards and upwards movements (not back and forth).
5. Use the stone in downwards movements down the neck to drain any lymphatic buildup and to release tension.
6. Over the brow bone, work in small horizontal motions to lift, or hold and press lightly, then more firmly to relax the muscles.
7. Your skin may look red and flushed after, however this is the desired effect, and is the boosted circulation moving toxins and impurities out, whilst stimulating collagen production.
Pairing Gua Sha with a targeted facial oil boosts the effect of the oil, as it allows the oil absorb deeply into the skin, for best results. The key to getting face lifting and firming results with this Gua Sha technique is consistency and practice.
Those who have recently received botox (1-2 weeks) should consult with their practitioner before use. Gua Sha may not be the best fit for you if you are prone to broken capillaries, and should not be used in areas that have fillers.
