How to Do Gua Sha Face Massage with Essential Oils (+ Blends for Every Skin Type)

This post is sponsored by NOW®. All opinions are my own.

As someone who usually rolls her eyes at beauty fads, I can honestly, finally, say that I’ve found one that lives up to the hype—and I won’t be tossing it in the trash anytime soon. 

Gua sha, dubbed nature’s botox, refers to the process of using a jade stone to promote circulation, reduce inflammation, and encourage lymph flow to clear congestion in the face. Gua means “to scratch,” and sha refers to what the skin looks like after the scratching occurs. Basically, it causes a subtle local skin irritation leading to a mild immune response. 

By using the edge of the gua sha tool, you can also essentially coax lymph and other puffiness-causing fluid toward the lymph nodes and out of the face. This simple technique has been shown in studies to increase the immune system of the skin and enhance blood flow to the area [source]. It has also been shown to work for low back pain [source] and even better than a heating pad to help with chronic neck pain [source]. 

It is so easy that it’s almost hard to understand the hype. But if it can get a beauty minimalist like me hooked, well then you know it’s good with a capital G.

To make my gua sha routine more effective, I love incorporating soothing and hydrating essential oils to target my skin’s particular issues. My skin is super sensitive, so I only choose pure essential oils from NOW to make my own personalized blends. 

NOW has been a pioneer of the natural foods industry since 1968, and its sole mission is to provide value in products and services that empower people to lead healthier lives. When it comes to their essential oils, they’ve established long-standing relationships with high-quality essential oil vendors that allow them to purchase oils in large quantities at a bulk discount. They then pass those savings on to consumers, so you can get the same quality oils as the overpriced brands, but for a lot less.

All of their oils are given loving attention from start to finish. NOW insists on only the best raw materials, gentle processing methods, and an industry-leading commitment to quality when creating their oils. And I have a whole cabinet chock full of ’em so I can attest to their quality. I swear by them for everything from beauty DIYs to aromatherapy.

Why add essential oils?

Things like carrot seed and neroli soften skin and boost firmness, while chamomile is calming, and sandalwood soothes irritation. Simply whip up one or two of the blends mentioned below and apply it to the skin using a roller bottle. As you massage your skin with the gua sha stone, it helps the oils sink in and boosts blood flow to the area, so skin looks healthier and more radiant.

You can mix and match within these recipes, using whatever combination of essential oils you think will work best according to their specific properties. The individual oils you might choose can be different, but the basic supplies are the same:

Supplies

Combine oils directly in the base of your roller bottles. Put the roller back into place, and screw on the lid before gently shaking to combine the oils. Apply to target areas such as under eyes, forehead, and over fine lines. Or use more liberally to moisturize general areas as needed.

From the recipes below, choose the oil blend that best suits your particular skin type.

1. Aging Essential Oil Blend

This highly moisturizing combination of oils helps to mitigate the tendency toward dryness environmentally induce stress that becomes more evident with advancing age. Known as an excellent source of vitamin A, carrot seed oil has calming and cleansing properties [source].

And studies have shown that neroli oil has beneficial effects on areas of irritation [source]. Grapeseed oil is packed with fatty acids and antioxidant compounds that can protect against skin pollution and other environmental factors [source]—and so does sandalwood oil [source]. 

2. Moisturizing Essential Oil Blend

Almond oil has long been known for its emollient properties. [source]. Rose hip is a big player in the world of skin calming oils, and it’s full of fatty acids that provide protection against oxidative stress [source].

Jasmine oil is also an antioxidant [source], but I recommend using it here because, well, it just smells beautiful!

3. Oil Balancing Essential Oil Blend

One of the best ways to balance the oils your skin produces is to address anything that causes irritation. Both chamomile and geranium essential oils are known to do just that [source].

Cypress oil is another one that has proven itself as a good cleanser in quite a few studies [source]. Jojoba is a good carrier oil; it has a balancing effect on the skin in various skin conditions [source].

4. Soothing Essential Oil Blend for Problem Skin

Chamomile oil has an interesting action on skin in that it has skin calming properties [source]. Lavender oil, along with its cleansing properties [source], was shown to have skin soothing qualities when studied in volunteers undergoing needle insertion into the skin [source].

Akin to other plants that have an orange color, apricots possess the beneficial action of beta carotenes (as well as vitamin C), which are antioxidants that help to protect the skin from environmental stressors [source]. 

How to use the Gua Sha

Before you get started, apply essential oils to targeted areas or put a few drops of plain carrier oil to your hands and pat directly on your skin. If you would prefer not to use oils, I highly recommend applying some sort of serum or lotion to your skin first to help the gua sha glide smoothly. Otherwise, it could snag and cause further irritation and swelling.

Then watch this video to learn how to gua sha or read on for step-by-step instructions.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-Mvzg9qnzY]

1. Hold the gua sha tool with the curved side toward your skin. You want it to be almost lying flat against the skin, not perpendicular or at a 45-degree angle (I’ll admit, I’m not the best at remembering to do this and still works! Just be as gentle as possible when you use it).

2. Start with two to three upward sweeps of the neck. More than anything, this is said to clear the energy meridian that runs to the face. Even if you’re not feelin’ it when it comes to energy meridians, you might like the way it helps release some of the tension carried in the neck and jaw.

3. Next, gently glide the gua sha tool up and out toward the hairline or ears, starting with the jawline and moving on to the chin, cheeks, cheekbones, and under both eyes. Since there are lymph nodes by the ears where the lymphatic fluid flows, always push in the direction of the ears to coax fluid out of the face entirely. Do between three and five strokes per area.

4. Move on to the brows, brow bone, and forehead. An upward stroke helps to lift skin, so use soft upward strokes when working on the forehead area, and if you feel you have extra fluid in the face, sweep it down toward the ears at the end.

5. Lastly, spend some time on the areas of the face that may be tense at times, like the forehead, around the mouth, or near the jawline. And then lastly, focus on the happy spots like the laugh lines and crow’s feet.

This article was medically reviewed by Dr. Gina Jansheski, a licensed, board-certified physician with more than 20 years of experience. Learn more about Hello Glow’s medical review board here. As always, this is not personal medical advice and we recommend that you talk with your doctor.

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