Jade rollers and gua sha tools seem to be everywhere you look these days. It’s in no small part thanks to influencers who use them to improve their skin quality and get that Instagram-worthy glow. But, if you’re not using them properly, you’re not doing much to boost your complexion. To keep your jade roller and gua sha tools from gathering dust on your shelf, here’s our guide to correct and proper usage that will de-puff, calm, tighten pores, improve circulation and help prep skin for the application of various serums and creams.
How to Use a Jade Roller
Jade rollers are great at depuffing because of their ability to remove excess fluids. Lymphatic drainage is a type of massage that pushes excess fluids toward your lymph nodes, where they will be naturally filtered out. As a result, your face and body become more contoured, without all that excess fluid causing unwanted, and oftentimes uncomfortable, bloating and puffiness. As crazy as it sounds, you might even look like you’ve lost weight if the massaging is done properly. With a jade roller, you can achieve this for yourself as long as you do it consistently and, of course, correctly.
The key to using a jade roller is to begin from your neck and move in upward strokes toward your jawline. At your jawline, you can shift to a back-and-forth motion beginning from the middle of your chin toward your ears, and then up to your cheekbones. Once you get to your forehead, apply the same back-and-forth motion beginning from the middle of your forehead. Around the eye area, use a back-and-forth motion as well, gently moving from the inner eye toward your temples.
Don’t apply too much pressure when using a jade roller – you may actually end up irritating your skin, which will cause unwanted redness. Moreover, you should either wash your roller with soap and water or sanitize it by using an alcohol pad. Although you should begin with a properly cleansed face, you can continue adding skincare products (serums, oils, moisturizer) as you massage your face. This will actually help the products absorb better, and thus, give you better results.
Because they are made of jade stone, these rollers are already naturally cool to the touch, but some people like to store them in the refrigerator or even freezer to make them even colder. This cold temperature will also help de-puff and calm redness or irritation. It also just feels pleasant on the skin.
LATHER’s Jade Facial Roller is double-sided, which is extremely helpful when using on different areas of the face. The larger side is great for the neck and forehead, while the smaller side will glide easily along the eye area. Cheaper alternatives may tempt you, but the truth is you shouldn’t opt for saving money in this particular instance. A cheaper jade roller is often not even made of real jade but plastic or other synthetic materials! Thus, you will not get nearly the same results. These types of rollers will also break more easily. Keep in mind that jade rollers under $20 are almost usually not real.
How to Use Gua Sha Tools
Gua sha tools are also used to massage your face, albeit a bit differently than with jade rollers. They are also made of jade or rose quartz, and have been used in Chinese beauty practices for centuries. Gua sha tools can help release tension in the neck and face, making you feel more relaxed, and also consequently relaxing facial muscles that can cause wrinkles from repeated frowning, etc. Gua sha tools are flat with rounded edges and points, and meant to be scraped along the skin to enhance blood flow and promote lymphatic drainage much like a jade roller. It is believed to tone skin and tighten and firm, improving overall elasticity, with regular use.
The scraping technique done with gua sha tools is what differs it from jade rolling. This technique involves scraping the edge of the tool along your neck and face. As with jade rolling, begin with your neck and scrape upward while applying very light pressure. Slowly move onto your jawline, chin and around the mouth area, scraping upward, then turn your attention to your cheeks, moving in a sweeping motion, left to right. From there, concentrate on your undereye area (sweep very gently) and brow area, before moving onto your forehead, sweeping up toward your hairline. The whole process should take about five minutes or so, and you can repeat it a few times a week.
Always cleanse your face before using the tools, and apply a facial oil or moisturizer afterwards, to help the tool glide and sweep more fluidly along your skin. Using a gua sha tool can also be a relaxing, meditative experience to do during your nighttime skincare routine to help you calm down from the day’s stress.
