Different Types of Gua Sha Tools You Should Know About

If you’re an active follower of beauty trends, you’ve undoubtedly heard of the gua sha benefits, pronounced “gwah-shah.” You may have seen TikToks and YouTube tutorials of beauty fans massaging their faces with various gua sha types and tools. But have you ever stopped to dig a little deeper into this trend? How did it get so big, and can it really reverse the signs of aging? Well, I’ve got you covered! Let’s get into the details.

What is Gua Sha?

Gua sha is a traditional Chinese healing method. Usually, a professional uses a smooth-edged tool to gently stroke your skin while applying just the right amount of pressure. This motion raises small, red, rash-like dots under your skin, known as petechiae. It’s usually used to treat chronic pain all over the body, often in combination with herbal medicine, healing massage, acupuncture, and heat therapy. Ok, cool, that all sounds great, but how come it’s such a massive hit in the beauty world? Especially if petechiae look like a rash?

While petechiae is a technical term for “rash,” it’s not what you’re picturing. In essence, the gua sha practice promotes circulation and improved blood flow. By scraping your face or body with a small massage tool, you’ll experience tons of benefits.

Gua sha experts believe that the practice serves to address a person’s blocked chi or energy that has gone stagnant in the body. By unblocking chi, it reduces aches, stiffness, and pain. Gua sha practitioners believe that the technique helps decrease inflammation, which can be incredibly harmful.

Gua sha recently moved into the skincare space as a facial-massage method. While it can be pretty rough as a treatment option on the body - it’s a lot more gentle when you translate it to your face. I’m sure you’ve seen those videos where people almost go into a relaxed trance as they gua sha their cheeks. I don’t blame them. It can be the most amazing feeling. Check out beautylover2’s tips here.

The Benefits of Gua Sha

It’s no surprise that gua sha tutorials have exploded on TikTok recently. In fact, the hashtag #guasha has accumulated more than 432 million views, with so many beauty creators claiming that it’s their secret weapon for skin care. This all sounds exciting, but what exactly are the benefits of gua sha?

• Promote blood circulation, often reducing acne symptoms and blemishes
• Improve fine lines and wrinkles, providing a more sculpted appearance
• Promote lymphatic drainage, reducing puffiness Relieve tension from muscles, reducing pain and inflammation

Different Types of Gua Sha

Gua sha tools are usually made from different types of natural stone. My top picks include:

1. Jade One of the most common stones used for rollers and gua sha tools because it’s naturally cool. Many believe it has balancing qualities too.

2. Rose Quartz Known for its calming properties, rose quartz gua sha is a popular material for sensitive or rosacea-prone skin types.

3. Metal While it doesn’t have many traditional healing properties, metal can be super cooling if you’re struggling with hay fever or puffiness.

4. Black Obsidian Made from molten lava, it’s packed with microscopic materials that help to reduce inflammations.

5. Opal These aren’t as common, but opal gua sha tools are said to intensify emotions and stimulate creativity.

6. Blue Aventurine Said to resonate with your upper chakras, it’s a great choice if you want to stimulate your Third Eye.

7. Bian Stone Like rose quartz, bian stone gua sha is known for its healing properties. According to some studies, it may help to regulate blood pressure.

8. Amethyst You might be more familiar with Amethyst gua sha. This vivid purple crystal is commonly used in jewelry and is believed to reduce stress and negative energy. Like jade, it cools down the skin. On top of that, people claim it fights bacteria, targeting your pores.

My Favorite Gua Sha Shapes

Now that we’ve covered the most common materials for gua sha tools, there’s another subject to discuss: shapes. As each stone serves a particular purpose, so does the tool’s shape. If you want to make the most of your gua sha experience, it helps to understand the options.

Here are my top five shapes. I’m sure you’ve already seen them all over social media and beauty blogs. Now you’ll know what they can do.

1. The “Dolphin”

The dolphin-shaped gua sha massager is the most well-known of all. Take a look at the Gua Sha Facial Lifting Tool from Mount Lai for an example of this product.

This tool has curved and flat edges, allowing maximum flexibility and ease of use. What I love about the jade gua sha stone is its easy grip. I can manipulate it on different parts of my face, making it an ideal option for gentle massage.

Sophh_beauty said, “I really love this because I feel like I’m in total control of this product. I can decide how massaged I want my face and how much pressure I want to apply. You don’t understand how much I love this product. I literally want to use it on my face every day.”

2. Gua Sha Comb

The gua sha comb shape is exactly what it sounds like: a scraper equipped with comb-like prongs. You have the classic curved edge on one side of this tool, perfect for a facial treatment. On the other side, the stone is shaped into a comb so you can give your scalp a nice, deep massage. Check out the jade massaging gua sha comb from Mount Lai.

Sustainablysmitten has the Act + Acre gua sha comb. She says, “this was something I never knew I needed, and now I don’t know if I can live without it. There is something so satisfying about running this along your scalp and through your hair. It was a gift, and now it’s one of my favorite products!”

3. Jade Gua Sha Roller

Some people may not consider jade rollers to fall into the broader gua sha category, but I just had to include them. Like the practice of gua sha, jade rollers have skyrocketed in popularity in the United States in recent years, so I should mention them here.

Jade rollers are another type of facial massage tool traced back to China. These tools consist of a small cylinder (made of jade, of course) attached to an easily maneuverable handle. Jade rollers are super easy to use as facial massagers. Plus, they offer many of the same benefits as the other gua sha tools mentioned above.

carly says, “my eyes get really puffy in the morning, so I just rub this on, and it helps so much. If you don’t already have this, go and get your hands on it.”

Honestly, it’s impossible to list all of the gua-sha shapes out there, but these are just a few of the most prevalent.

Although gua sha emerged as a recent trend, it’s been around for thousands of years. There’s no denying that this massage technique is pretty powerful.

All of the tools are relatively easy to use—all it takes is a few YouTube tutorials and a lot of practice. Soon enough, you’ll perfect the art of gua sha. With any luck, both your skin and your soul will reap the rewards.

So, grab a gua sha tool and your favorite face cream and treat yourself to a luxurious self-care moment.

As always, if you try out one of these tools, be sure to share your thoughts with the Supergreat community by adding your review below!

Wrapping It Up

Honestly, it’s impossible to list all of the gua-sha shapes out there, but these are just a few of the most prevalent.

Although gua sha emerged as a trend only recently, it’s been around for thousands of years. There’s no denying that this massage technique is pretty powerful.

All of the tools are relatively easy to use—all it takes is a few YouTube tutorials and a lot of practice. Soon enough, you’ll perfect the art of gua sha. With any luck, both your skin and your soul will reap the rewards.

So, grab a gua sha tool and your favorite face cream and treat yourself to a luxurious self-care moment. As always, if you try out one of these tools, be sure to share your thoughts with the Supergreat community by adding your review below!