Quick overview
Living Libations calmative Classic Quartz Gua Sha stone has all the right curves to smooth, sculpt, and uplift every face and body shape.
Vivify your visage, beautify your body, and subdue your stress by stroking our sculpted Gua Sha stone over freshly washed skin lubricated with a generous squeeze of a Libations serum for a smooth glide.
Each Gua Sha quartz stone is parceled in a Perfect Puffer Pocket for safe keeping. Perfect Puffer Pocket color may vary.
Details
Gua Sha facials bring beauty and mindfulness together for radiant, smooth, and lifted skin and deeper relaxation. There are sixty Traditional Chinese Medicine meridian points on the face, and a Gua Sha facial is a meridian massage that can tame tension, release tightness, and open meridian channels throughout the body. This technique can be used every day or a few times a week.
Originating from Traditional Chinese Medicine, Gua Sha is an ancient skin rejuvenation technique in which lubricated skin is stroked with a smooth, hard tool. The tradition and the tools of Gua Sha have been passed down through families for centuries, and only recently have cultures outside of Asia become familiar with its therapeutic benefits.
In Chinese, gua means “to rub” and sha is the slight reddening of the skin that occurs after the treatment. The Gua Sha technique differs from other cultural skin scraping methods, such as the ancient Greek and Roman strigil, in that it transcends hygiene and bathing practices. The tradition began when Zhang Fengkui, a physician in the Ming dynasty, discovered that stroking a stone along meridian points relieved and rejuvenated the skin and underlying tissues.
While Gua Sha implements can be comprised of any number of hard materials, we prefer the smooth, cool beauty of crystal quartz. Quartz stones are prismatic crystals of silicon and oxygen compressed by geologic forces into hardened, sparkling light. Throughout history, the enchanting and reflective colors of quartz stones have attracted healers because quartz naturally amplifies energy and seems to transpose its light onto the human receiver.
How to Use
To begin, wash the face and neck, spritz with Rose Glow Complexion Mist or Frankincense Face Tonic to hydrate, and then smooth on a generous squeeze of a lubricating serum such as Rose Glow, Soothsayer, Open Sky, or any Best Skin Ever for the best stone slip. Then, simply select the perfect curve in our Gua Sha stone to hug the area you are stroking.
We use the notched curves of the Gua Sha stone on the neck over the spine and along the trachea, over the jaw and brow bone, and under the eye. We use the long, slightly curved edge along the neck, over and under the cheekbone, and along the forehead.
Hold the tool angled flat against the skin instead of using the edge, and use light to medium pressure to stroke slowly and mindfully, as relaxing is an essential part of the technique. Give the tool a wiggle at the end of each stroke for a little pressure point massage, and repeat each stroke at least five times.
For the best results, anchor the skin with one hand and use the Gua Sha stone with the other hand. Begin by anchoring the skin at the base of the neck and glide upward in long, slow strokes until the whole neck is stroked.
For the face, anchor the skin at the center of the face in the area to be stroked using one or two fingers, and move the stone outward into the hairline.
Start with the jaw, and then move to the cheeks, the eye area, the forehead, and the lips, always anchoring the skin and gliding the stone from the center of the face outward.
Our Classic Quartz Gua Sha stone is also an excellent implement to smooth and tend to tightness in the rest of the body, carefully massaging areas with cellulite, crepey skin, and tight fascia. To bless your body with a Gua Sha massage, stroke oiled skin with the quartz stone upward moving slowly and mindfully, using significantly more pressure than one uses on the face until there is a feeling of tissue release.
Quartz Gua Sha Care: Clean with Illume Hand Sanitizer or wash the stone with hot water and a little lather from our Clarifying Clay Soap or a dash of Living Libations Shampoo, and dry it thoroughly. Store it in the muslin bag.
THE ART OF GUA SHA: A MERIDIAN MASSAGE FOR BODY + SOUL
Gua Sha facials bring beauty and mindfulness together for radiant, smooth, and lifted skin and deeper relaxation. Originating from Traditional Chinese Medicine, Gua Sha is an ancient skin rejuvenation technique in which lubricated skin is stroked with a smooth, hard tool. In Chinese, gua means “to rub” and sha is the slight reddening of the skin that occurs after the treatment. This is a meridian massage that can tame tension, release tightness, and open meridian channels throughout the body, transcending hygiene and bathing practices. While Gua Sha implements can be made of any number of hard materials, we prefer the smooth, cool beauty of crystal quartz and jade as they both naturally amplify energy.
A Gua Sha Ritual: A Step-by-Step Guide
This ritual can be performed daily or a few times a week. The most important elements are to be mindful, slow, and to use the correct pressure and technique.
1. Prepare Your Skin
Begin with a freshly washed face and neck. Spritz with Rose Glow Complexion Mist or Frankincense Face Tonic to hydrate, and then smooth on a generous squeeze of a lubricating serum such as Rose Glow, Soothsayer, Open Sky, or any Best Skin Ever for the best stone slip.
2. Master the Grip & Anchor
Hold the tool angled flat against the skin instead of using the edge, and use light to medium pressure to stroke slowly and mindfully, as relaxing is an essential part of the technique. For the best results, anchor the skin with one hand and use the Gua Sha stone with the other hand.
3. The Neck, Jaw, & Cheeks
● Begin by anchoring the skin at the base of the neck and glide the long, slightly curved edge upward in long, slow strokes until the whole neck is stroked.
● For the jaw, anchor the skin at the center of the face in the area to be stroked using one or two fingers, and move the stone outward from the chin along the jawline.
● Next, move to the cheeks, anchoring the skin at the side of the nose and moving the stone outward toward the hairline.
4. The Eyes, Brow, & Forehead
● Use the notched curves of the Gua Sha stone to gently glide under the eye, anchoring the skin at the inner corner and moving the stone outward.
● Continue with the brows and forehead, anchoring the skin at the center of the brow bone and gliding the long, curved edge of the stone outward toward the hairline.
5. The Finishing Touch
At the end of each stroke, give the tool a wiggle for a little pressure point massage. Repeat each stroke at least five times.
Gua Sha for the Body: Beyond the Face
Our Classic Quartz Gua Sha stone is also an excellent implement to smooth and tend to tightness in the rest of the body. To bless your body with a Gua Sha massage, stroke oiled skin with the quartz stone upward, moving slowly and mindfully, using significantly more pressure than one uses on the face until there is a feeling of tissue release. This can be especially beneficial for carefully massaging areas with cellulite, crepey skin, and tight fascia.
Additional Resources:
We also recommend checking out this lovely video by Noy Skincare on how to Gua Sha for additional tips. You may also enjoy viewing Julie Civiello Polier's Instagram page for further reference as well.
