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I love nothing more during a skincare treatment than when my esthetician starts a facial massage.
Aside from feeling blissful, facial massage packs some powerful benefits into the look and feel of your skin, like promoting better circulation and blood flow, helping reduce signs of puffiness, and reducing tension around facial muscles and pressure points.
As someone who can book a facial every four to six weeks, there’s still plenty of time in between sessions where I want to reap the benefits of facial massage. For those who aren’t able to visit a studio as often throughout the year, there’s a solution: facial gua sha.
Whether at home or on the go, Wildling Beauty makes it simple to implement this traditional practice into an everyday skincare routine.
Credit: Wildling Beauty
What Is Gua Sha?
At first glance, the gua sha facial stone might look a little intimidating, but once you start using it in conjunction with skin care products (or even on its own!), you’ll find it’s very easy to use.
Browse Instagram or TikTok, and you might be tempted to think a gua sha facial is a new trend, but it’s actually a traditional Chinese practice. The word gua translates to scrape, while sha refers to sand.
A gua sha facial stone is used to gently pass over the skin to promote lymphatic drainage (reducing signs of puffiness while boosting blood circulation) while simultaneously relaxing facial muscles.
Gua sha isn’t just helpful for skin health – it also alleviates tension and stress from the face, neck, and scalp muscles. As someone who deals with tension headaches and migraines, having a gua sha stone on hand to apply to pressure points helps reduce discomfort.
Credit: Wildling Beauty
Gua Sha Facial Tools You Need
Finding a good quality gua sha stone is the first step in an effective practice. The easiest to find are gua sha tools made of jade or rose quartz, but choosing a stone made with quality materials is important.
Wildling Beauty takes a traditional gua sha tool to a more holistic level with its Empress Stone, made of Bian stone. The Bian stone dates back to ancient Taoist healing practices when the stone’s properties were used to elevate facial and body treatments.
As explained by Wildling Beauty, “the Bian stone is said to emit ultrasound pulsations, far infrared rays, and negative ions, all of which are known for their antioxidant and anti-aging effects on cells and DNA.”
From the first use, I could see and feel a difference in quality from the Bian stone to other gua sha facial stones I’ve tried. Beautifully crafted and heavy, the stone is a luxurious touch to my daily skincare routine.
Empress Stone also features several edges specifically designed to boost circulation, reduce tension, and smooth out areas of the face. (Learn more about how to use it here.)
Credit: Wildling Beauty
In addition to the gua sha stone, it’s recommended to use a face mist and oil to hydrate skin and promote smoothing and brightening effects in the process. I start my routine with the Empress Sweetfern Hydrasoothe Face Mist ($52), followed by the Empress Balm of Gilead Barrier Repair Oil ($82) before using the stone.
The mist and repair oil are made using an assortment of organic, active botanicals such as Bulgarian rose, Douglas fir, and Balm of Gilead – all heavenly and calming scents without overbearing or artificial fragrance.
Implementing Gua Sha Into Your Routine
Thanks to the Wildling Beauty system, getting started with a gua sha facial routine is easy. For anyone new to gua sha (or those like myself who want to elevate the gua sha game), the Empress Collection has everything you need to get started.
While each product works well on its own, they come together beautifully with quality ingredients and soothing facial treatment. Plus, gua sha isn’t just beneficial for the face, either.
Wildling Beauty has the gorgeous Aura Collection of stones, body brushes, and formulations so you can treat the rest of your body to the relaxing and therapeutic benefits of this ancient practice.
5 More Reasons to Love Wildling Beauty
1. Need help determining which tool or collection is right for you? There’s a quiz available to help you narrow down the options.
2. Want to maximize your budget? Check out the travel sizes and collection sets to get the most bang for your buck.
3. Learn how to give yourself a gua sha facial or body treatment with Wildling Beauty’s 21-day challenges!
4. Wildling Beauty strives to be as sustainable as possible by using small-batch ingredients and limiting water usage in formulations.
5. We love a cruelty-free brand. Wilding Beauty is 100% vegan, and Leaping Bunny certified.
Looking for a way to elevate your self-care routine? Wildling Beauty has everything you need.
