A common question my clients often ask me is "is jade rolling any good?" or "are you using that rolly thingy on me?" (while i'm mid Gua Sha). I then take the time to explain the difference between the two, and why i prefer Gua Sha over jade rolling. Heres how it works--
Jade Rolling
Although it's been around in ancient China since the 7th century, Jade rolling has gained a lot of recognition over the last decade. I always say "the rise of social media has spread awareness over a lot of historical skincare practices". As you scroll through your timeline, you'll see people rolling either jade or rose quartz stones on their face while showing off their skincare routine. Sure it looks nice, but what are they accomplishing?
Jade rolling helps to stimulate blood flow and circulation throughout the face. This helps to promote the skins healing process while also increasing collagen production. Jade rolling is best done while your sheet mask is sitting or after you've applied your favorite serum. This will help to penetrate the products deeper into the skin, enhancing their benefits.
These all sound pretty sweet huh? Jade Rolling is a great addition to your routine, yes. So why do I prefer Guasha over it? Let me explain--
Why I Prefer Gua Sha
Gua Sha is another ancient practice with Chinese origin. Gua Sha has no moving parts, but is instead an often flat, smooth stone with angles cut into it that work with the faces natural features. Gua Sha uses sweeping motions, working deeper to stimulate blood flow, flushing out the lymphatic system, and working the facial muscles.
What are the end results? Due to the deeper lymphatic drainage / blood flow, the face will have a more sculpted and "de-puffed" appearance. This will also increase the skins healing rate and collagen production/elasticity.
Additionally, because you're able to have better control of the stone, you can work certain areas of the body with more intention. For example, working the back of the neck/ sternocleidomastoid muscle helps to relieve upper body tension and has anti-inflammatory properties, helping to ease inflammatory skin conditions such as acne.
This is why I choose to incorporate Gua Sha over jade rolling and basic facial massage in every facial.