The practice of gua sha can cleanse and beautify your skin, improving circulation and lymphatic drainage.
This healing technique is something that comes from ancient China and is used throughout the eastern world. Now that it’s making its way west, people are experiencing first-hand the kind of benefits they’ve only heard about before.
Gua sha promotes healing on any point of the body where you use it. By reducing inflammation and rejuvenating cells, it makes your skin look more youthful and less damaged.
The years are not often kind to our skin, and it can take powerful healing methods to bring back some of that youthful smoothness and beauty to replace the evidence of time.
Gua sha can be used on oily skin and congested skin as well. It cleanses the pores so that they open up and release toxins. The light pressure that’s required for the gua sha method drains out lymph nodes and detoxifies the skin so that you can appear radiant and youthful.
As you massage your skin with the gua sha tools, you’ll enjoy the anti-aging effects as those tools tighten and lift your skin.
What Oil to Use with Gua Sha?
The gua sha method typically requires the use of specialized tools, a massaging stone, and an oil. What oil to use for gua sha, though?
Your skin type will primarily determine what kind of oil to use. You want an oil that won’t make you break out or cause any kind of reaction with your skin. You don’t want the oil to make oily skin even greasier. These are the general rules, but let me give you some specific suggestions.
I recommend using jojoba oil because of how gentle and regenerative it is. This oil is actually able to treat several medical conditions, like eczema and psoriasis, and it acts a lot like the natural oil in your skin- sebum.
It also helps to regulate sebum production. Jojoba oil is not going to clog up your pores and make your skin break out, which is good news for acne sufferers.
Jojoba will work with combination skin and oily skin both, and it is known for nourishing your skin cells and helping them to be much healthier with repeated usage.
I also want to recommend sunflower oil. I like this one because it is not greasy. It feels light when it is applied to the skin and absorbs quickly into the surface of your skin.
This oil is so gentle on your skin that many people use it as a carrier oil when they are applying essential oils to their skin.
When used with a gua sha tool, sunflower oil helps to smooth its path over your skin so it does not damage or scrape the skin. This oil is good at keeping moisture locked into your skin, naturally hydrating it so it stays smooth and supple for a long time. That makes it particularly gentle and perfectly suitable for gua sha oil.
What Oil to Use with Gua Sha on your Face?
If you are doing gua sha on your face, you will want to use an oil that is gentle and that doesn’t cause any kind of reaction or irritation with your skin. Some oils are okay to use almost anywhere when doing gua sha, but what facial oil to use with gua sha? You want to be very particular.
Rosehip seed oil is especially good for use on your face. It offers anti-aging benefits, and who doesn’t want their face to look younger? This oil is rich in antioxidants, so after you are done massaging it into your skin, your face can look cleaner and cleaner, displaying fewer blemishes over time with repeated use.
I also recommend plum kernel oil for those who are wondering what face oil to use with gua sha if they have dry skin. Plum kernel oil is super gentle and will not dry out your skin further.
What Oil to Use with Gua Sha for Acne Prone Skin?
If you have acne, you want to be careful about using any kind of oil that can clog the pores, especially when doing gua sha, where the oils could be pressed into your pores a bit. So, what is the best oil for gua sha if you are someone who has oily, acne prone skin?
My number one recommendation is tea tree oil. I like this one because it is great at creating your skin thanks to its anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and antibacterial characteristics. This oil deals with a lot of skin problems that cause acne or that make acne worse, so it’s a great choice.
It is also very gentle and unlikely to cause a rash, redness, or irritation on your skin. Tea tree oil is extra beneficial for acne-prone skin because of its soothing properties. On top of that, it helps regulate oil production so it doesn’t get out of hand.
Grape-seed oil is another good option if you want to know what kind of oil to use with gua sha on your skin so that you don’t break out. It is very light, which means it won’t make your skin feel greasy. It is also a good source of multiple antioxidants and vitamins, both of which are great for healthy, clear skin.
Acne creates swollen areas in the skin, and grape-seed oil reduces the inflammation. That keeps irritation to a minimum, and it does all this while the oil keeps your pores free and clear too.
What to Use with Gua Sha instead of Oil
Gua sha should be gentle on your skin, smoothing it out and improving the way it feels and looks. It can’t do that if you do the process dry. So, you will need to do gua sha with something, even if you don’t use an essential oil.
How to use gua sha without oil? You could use something that isn’t your standard oil, and my suggestion would be a moisturizer. This will be less greasy than most essential oils, so it may be more to your liking. It will also ensure that the gua sha process is smooth and does not pull at your skin.
Any kind of serum works too, and you can use whatever you feel comfortable and any kind of serum you are used to using. It doesn’t have to be an essential oil, and you can still get all of those great gua sha benefits.
I understand that essential oils can be kind for powerful and have strong smells, so I realize they aren’t for everyone.
Remember that these include lymphatic draining, healing, and detoxification, so gua sha is so good for you that you don’t want to miss out just because you would prefer not to use an essential oil.
Make sure you checkout our article on How to Clean a Gua Sha to ensure you keep your tools clean!
I’m Jennifer a beauty and wellness expert. I believe in promoting a sustainable and healthy lifestyle from within. Helping people feel good is my passion; whether it’s teaching yoga or offering skincare advice.
