Collection: GUA SHA

Gua sha (Chinese), or kerokan (in Indonesia), is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practice in which a tool is used to scrape people's skin in order to produce light petechiae. Practitioners believe that gua sha releases unhealthy bodily matter from blood stasis within sore, tired, stiff, or injured muscle areas to stimulate new oxygenated blood flow to the areas, thus promoting metabolic cell repair, regeneration, healing, and recovery.

Gua sha is sometimes referred to as "scraping", "spooning" or "coining" by English speakers. The treatment has also been known by the French name, tribo-effleurage. Gua sha has no known health benefits and can have adverse effects, some of them potentially serious.

Gua sha, the literal translation being "to scrape petechia" which refers to the sand-like bruising after the treatment, spread from China to Vietnam, where it became very popular. It is known as cạo gió, which roughly means "to scrape wind", as in Vietnamese culture "catching a cold" or fever is often referred to as trúng gió, "to catch wind".

The name gua sha — pronounced gwahshah — comes from the Chinese word for scraping. It may also be called skin scraping, spooning, or coining. According to traditional Chinese medicine, qi or chi is energy that flows through the body.

How to Use:

NOTE: Use the Gua Sha for 5 mins on your face. It is recommended to apply Gua Sha once or twice a week for several weeks to achieve the best results.

1 - Wash your Gua Sha tool with water and soap to ensure that it is clean. If you want you can even leave it in the refrigerator for a few hours for an additional cool and soothing effect on your skin. 

2 -  Cleanse your face and apply any oil or serum or even a moisturizer on your body. You need to use the Gua Sha with something. If you don't pair it with a product, it will pull at your skin, which is exactly what you don't want to be doing..

3 - Use the stone-like gua sha massage tool to scrape to your skin in long, downward strokes. This is when you’ll notice areas of petechiae on your skin.

Most people get gua sha on their:

• Back
• Neck
• Butt
• Arms
• Legs

At first, they'll gently use the tool on your skin. Gradually, add more pressure to the strokes. They’ll only apply as much pressure as you’re comfortable with.

This process is believed to help blood flow and create a “lifting” effect on your skin, which some say may help lessen toxins in your body and promote healing.

Incorporating gua sha into your morning and/or evening skin care routines is an easy way to make it a consistent practice. According to Chen, doing facial gua sha in the morning can help with “reducing puffiness in the cheeks and under-eyes”, while gua sha at night “promotes relaxation and better sleep.”

Things to avoid for the first 72 hours:

1 - hot tubs, swimming pools, saunas, lotions/salves that are not all natural, extremely hot or cold showers or baths

2 - Intense workouts/trainings/races etc., 

3 - Direct heat / sun (especially sunburn) / wind (including vents and fans) / cold (in other words: please keep your marks covered and out of the elements for the first 3 days)

4 - deep tissue massage over areas that have Gua Sha marks.

5- Do not use heat or ice therapies for 3 days after Gua Sha.

Do not receive Gua Sha if:

* You are within the first trimester, or last 6 weeks of pregnancy. 

* Have a blood disorder

* Are taking blood thinners!