Depuff, sculpt and lift. Once an ancient form of ‘scraping therapy’ associated with traditional Chinese medicine, gua sha is now a widely adopted wellness practice, purported for its multitude of health benefits. A means of promoting blood circulation; reducing inflammation; eliminating toxins; relieving aches, and the list goes on. But of course, its widespread reach can be attributed to the beauty cognoscenti’s fairly recent realisation of its more immediate aesthetic effects, the key one being a reduction in early morning puffiness via lymphatic drainage and the relaxation of one’s face muscles.
The technique of gua sha involves applying pressure or massaging specific points of the face in a certain direction, preferably after the skin has been prepped with a facial oil or moisturiser. In ancient Chinese philosophy, this is meant to kickstart the process of directing one’s inner ‘energy’ or chi. At its core, it’s the stimulation of one’s lymphatic system, which is working to maintain the balance of the body’s fluids and steer the expulsion of toxins and waste from our system. It’s understandable that many have reaped its more popular benefits from repeated practice; think a morning debloat or a temporary face lift that is a direct result of less tense muscles.
If anything, the act of masssaging one’s face is also an ideal form of self-care, and enables any serums or moisturisers to be absorbed more efficiently. Considering the hold gua sha has had on the beauty set in recent times, it’s been no holds barred on the range of luxurious massage tools the beauty market has been seeing. Here, a Vogue-approved edit to the best facial massage tools to switch up your routine, be it creative shapes to target specific areas of the face; stainless steel alternatives to the traditional natural stones like jade or rose quartz; and tech-imbued options that improve the efficaciousness of serum absorption.
Facial wands
Fuss-free and beginner friendly, these tools come with a wider and narrower wand end on each side, the latter meant to be easier to hold. So you can perform circular motions and adjust the pressure as you see fit.
Just for the eyes
The eyes have it. If you harbour specific concerns like sagging under eyes and the like, then these rounded tools are made to naturally glide across the delicate eye area.
Calm and soothe
To maximise its effects, these ones are best cooled in the fridge first. Be it cooling globes or metallic wands, the intended effects of these cryo massagers would be to let yourself indulge in a moment of self-care, whilst helping to soothe inflammation or redness.
Creative new shapes
Beyond the typical gua sha shapes, these new tools come equipped with more interesting sides and curves, to target different points of the face, be it the chin, edges of the nose, or around the eyes.
Cup it
To reduce muscle tension and fine lines, these suction-enabled cupping tools can be used to stimulate the skin and reduce puffiness early in the morning.
Metal alternatives
Whilst we still wouldn’t recommend using gua sha tools if you’re susceptible to extreme skin irritation such as psoriasis or eczema, metal tools—be it stainless steel or aluminium blends—would ultimately be more hygienic alternatives and are easier to clean after.
Facial rollers
The classic roller is often used to achieve a temporary face lift and firm up fine lines, on top of being easy to use. Opt for the traditional jade roller or more modern materials like stainless steel.
A high-tech update
Let’s face it, it wouldn’t hurt to get a little help in massaging out the face—especially after an arms day. Let these advanced tools do the trick for you, some equipped with pre-set functions where you can adjust the intensity of the microcurrents applied to your face.
