When it comes to skincare, most of us have a steady routine that we swear by. However, every so often, we encounter new tools that pique our curiosity and inspire us to try something different. Among these, gua sha and face rollers have stood out, gaining immense popularity in recent years despite their ancient origins. These two skincare tools are celebrated for their ability to shape, depuff, and enhance your face. From celebrities to influencers and skincare experts, everyone seems to praise the benefits of gua sha stones and facial rollers. But when it comes to choosing between these two, which one is the right fit for you?
In addition to describing the key distinctions between gua sha and face rolling, we’ll also give you a quick rundown of each technique’s advantages. So jump right in and discover which instrument is best for you!
Gua sha has a long and illustrious history that is firmly established in conventional East Asian medicine. Although its methods have been effective since the dawn of time, gua sha has just lately come to the notice of Westerners. Sha alludes to the crimson petechiae that appear after the therapy, and gua literally means “to scrape.” Gua sha basically entails using a smooth-edged flat implement, generally made of metal or crystal, to press-stroke (literally, softly scrape) your face and body therapeutically.
The face roller was designed to be simple to use and intuitive, drawing inspiration from the gua sha tool. You might say it is the gua sha tool of the twenty-first century. They are fashioned into the shape of a little roller paint brush, with a round gemstone serving as the roller. If you’re wanting to invest in a gua sha or face roller, the crystal it is made of should be chosen based on the therapeutic characteristics you are seeking. Like the gua sha instrument, facial rollers are available in a variety of crystals, each possessing its own distinct healing capabilities.
The most well-liked face rollers are rose quartz and jade rollers, the latter of which gave rise to the phrase “jade rolling.” This is probably because they are the most widely accessible. Other crystals include:
Amethyst, sometimes referred to as the “stone of tranquilly,” naturally reduces stress, promotes general equilibrium, and wards off negativity.
Rose Quartz Roller helps remove toxins, reduce inflammation, lessen the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, contour their skin and bring about an overall sense of health and wellbeing. It cultivates inner fortitude and the resolve to endure adversity.
Black Tourmaline increases Blood Circulation and Collagen in your face.
Before you start, wash your Gua Sha tool with water and soap to ensure that it is clean. If you want you can even leave it in the refrigerator for a few hours for an additional cool and soothing effect on your skin.
Cleanse your face and apply any serum, face oil or moisturizer of your choice. Your skin should be slippery with some product to prevent the Gua Sha from causing any irritation.
Hold your tool firmly in the correct way. The curved part should hug the curves of your skin and the flat part should rest on your skin.
Begin by using the wider concave side of your tool. Start at the base of one of the sides of your well-moisturized neck, pulling it up, towards your jaw. Repeat this a few times and do the same on the other side of your neck. Then move to the front of your neck, making the same upward movement. Do not put too much pressure here, otherwise you will start choking and coughing.
Next, with the smaller cleft or divot in your Gua Sha, start scraping from the center of your chin. Scrape it along your jawline, going towards the bottom of your ears. Repeat this a few times and follow the same movement on the other side.
Take the flatter curve of your tool and scrape from the center of your face to massage the cheeks. You will have to do this in a couple of horizontal lines to cover the area.
Then, use the small rounded end of your tool to massage the area under your eyes, pulling it towards your temples.
Place your tool against your forehead in a way that the largest curve is just above and gently pull it up towards your hairline.
Finally, once you are done massaging all the areas of your face, finish your skincare routine, if need be.
Always roll upward in one direction — never up and down. We know; It’s hard when most rollers make that motion so easy! But remember: You’re trying to flush toxins and fluid out of your face, which means you don’t want to simply drag it back and forth. (Tip: Think of your roller like a push broom, not a mop, to keep your roll on track)
Roll up from your jawline to each ear, using gentle pressure. Any time you’re working the neck or jawline, focus on slow, gentle pressure rather than deep, fast motion.
Use brisk but firm strokes over and under your cheeks. Focus on working from the lower, innermost points on your face, all the way out to your hairline. When you reach your ear, roll downward to help direct excess fluid to the lymph nodes (aka the janitors of the lymphatic system).
Use a gentle pull to draw extra fluid up and out. Finish by using your face roller horizontally on your eyebrows, rolling flat and then up and out. Tip: Try the eyebrow roll next time you have a headache. It’s a whiz at activating pain-relieving pressure points.
Due to its ability to reduce dark circles, a face roller is a great resource for massaging the area beneath the eyes. However, it also functions as an eyelid de-puffer. Simply hold each area of your under-eye for two to three seconds. Additionally, before applying eye makeup, roll your eyelid and close each eye if you have general puffiness.
Overall, the benefits of using a face rollers are not too dissimilar to those of the gua sha-
A face roller usually has a single or double spinning roller head attached to a handle, and you use it by gently rolling it on your skin. While a Gua Sha is a flat stone or crystal that you hold in your hand, lay flat on your skin, and scrape to massage, a Gua Sha is a massage tool.
The handle on the face roller makes it much easier to handle than the gua sha stone because it is designed to be a simple-to-use instrument. The face roller stone’s cylindrical form also makes it easy to use on your face and neck without having to worry too much about pressure control or precise angling.
The degree of pressure you apply to each is another difference between the two. Since facial rollers are designed to softly roll over your skin, little to no pressure is used while using one. On the other hand, for a proper Gua Sha practice, you need to apply a little amount of pressure to the tool in order to loosen up any tight muscles, move some fluid, and dissolve any knots.
Face rolling can be completed in as little as 5 minutes, making it the perfect option for individuals who lead busy lives (most of us really). You must spend between 15 and 20 minutes every day to gua sha in order for it to be performed correctly. The face roller is the best facial massager if you want something quick and efficient. On the other hand, if you want to treat yourself to some well-deserved pampering, you can always choose a professional gua sha massage session for yourself.
This is unique to each individual since some users could just choose one method over another. Similar to anything else in life, consistency in your practice is the key to achieving faster outcomes. The most improvement over time comes from doing it once every day for 2–5 minutes. If you can’t dedicate that time, a change will still be seen, but it might not persist for as long.
Gua Sha produces greater results under deeper circumstances. This is not meant to discount the benefits of face rolling, but Gua Sha can be more effective when trying to get rid of deep wrinkles or encourage movement in cases of deeper cystic diseases. The cooling action of the roller may feel more pleasant to use for situations that may require more frequent application, such as relaxing the skin from a warm flush or inflamed rash. The roller is a less aggressive therapy that glides lightly over skin that is prone to acne without irritating it. On the other side, it has been shown that the deeper penetration provided by the gua sha instrument is substantially more efficient when used to target tiny wrinkles, promote blood flow, and perform manual lymph drainage.
