My Nighttime Gua Sha Ritual
Gua Sha has recently become one of my favorite nighttime self-care rituals and I can’t wait to share it with you!
What exactly is Gua Sha, you ask?
Gua Sha is a 4000 year old Traditional Chinese healing technique that involves “scraping” or massaging oil into the skin with a smooth Gua Sha stone. The stone is usually flat, with curved edges and made out of medicinal crystals such as jade or rose quartz. This modality has been proven to improve blood circulation, strengthen the immune system, release toxins by cleansing the lymphatic system, and improve our overall health and wellbeing. Our facial and neck muscles typically hold a lot of tension which can cause headaches and pain in the neck and jaw. Gua Sha can be particularly beneficial because it removes muscle tension while at the same time sculpting and toning the muscles of the face.
Gua Sha may sound intense, but I promise it’s not! In fact, it feels incredibly soothing and leaves me feeling super relaxed which is why I love to do it first thing out of the shower right before bedtime. My go-to combo for this ritual is my Gua Sha stone used in tandem with my AltWell CBD facial serum. The consistency of this facial oil is so luxurious without feeling too greasy and it helps the Gua Sha stone glide perfectly over my skin. The argan and rosehip seed oils moisturize the skin while the CBD oil provides several healing antioxidant properties that can improve acne, lessen the visible signs of aging, and diminish the appearance of wrinkles. CBD is also known for its calming effects which make this oil perfect for my pre-bedtime routine!
Here’s how I do my Gua Sha ritual: (video tutorial coming soon!)
First I start by applying 3-5 drops of my AltWell CBD oil to my hands. I rub my hands together to warm the oil and then I pat and gently rub the oil onto my face, neck, and chest. I rub any residual oil left on my palms into the top of my hands where we all tend to show early signs of aging.
Then I use the indented edge of the Gua Sha stone to massage along my jawline, starting from the center of my chin and moving towards my jaw and earlobe. I pay special attention to the muscles of the jaw since I usually feel pretty tight in that area. I then massage from my nose along my cheekbones and up towards my temples. With the curved edge of the stone, I pull the stone from my brows over my forehead and towards my hairline. Lastly, I use the stone to massage all around my neck (front and back) and shoulders (particularly along my suboccipital muscles and traps which hold a lot of tension).
I promise to get a Gua Sha tutorial up on LEVEL UP ONLINE soon because in this case, a visual will be worth 1000 words! In the meantime, here is a helpful tutorial:
https://wildling.com/pages/videos-tutorials
Don’t forget to clean your Gua Sha tool after each use! I like to use a natural, gentle soap with water.
Think of incorporating a regular Gua Sha ritual into your nighttime self-care routine (I strive for 3-5 times per week) like exercise for your face! With consistency, you will start to notice and feel the results that this ancient practice promises to deliver!
Helpful Links:
AltWell CBD Facial Oil:
Use code LEVELUP for 25% off your first purchase!
Gua Sha stones:
For those of you who are local to Northern California, one of my fav Gua Sha stones is from The Tox WC- 120D Alamo Plaza, Alamo CA (925) 791-9800
The other stone I often use is the Empress Stone from Wildling: www.wildling.com
