Gua Sha vs Face Roller

Gua sha a.k.a. “The scrapper". Comes in flat pieces of stone and other materials in various shapes.

Face roller a.k.a. “Jade Roller”. Looks like a mini rolling pin with a handle, can also be made of jade and various other materials.

Both tools have been made very popular with the appropriation of ancient Traditional Chinese Medicine skincare, especially in the time of Sephora and social media. They are traditionally made from jade because of its cool quality and its claim to also be able to draw out toxins from the body. 

My choice of material and shape of the tools depends on the specific context in which I will be using them (I can make another post about this if anyone is interested). 

Both tools stimulate muscles, encourage lymph, fluid and blood circulation, and can be considered very relaxing when used with appropriate technique and pressure (especially on the face so as not to leave any lasting marks).

The core difference is that the gua sha tool is designed to apply much more pressure and is shaped to access smaller muscles in the face to work out tension and move fluids. 

A Gua sha massage tends to generate a little bit of heat from the skin, which in TCM means that inflammation is being released. Gua sha is also often used on other parts of the body for musculoskeletal conditions. 

The face roller on the other hand, covers a wider surface area at once to give a very subtle, cooling and relaxing experience. It feels great on the under eye area, and with the coolness encourages pores to shrink and absorb product. 

Both of these tools are often used in a cosmetic rejuvenation treatment with me. 

Hopefully this is interesting and/or helpful and if this is something you are interested to try, or want to know more about, DM me, or book a consultation at @acucollective or @eqlybrm