Over the last few years, gua sha has exploded in popularity. Much of the current “clout” surrounding gua sha has been driven by Hollywood Celebrities – from Jessica Alba to Margot Robbie to Justin Bieber – who now swear by gua sha. As one commentator has observed, gua sha has become one of the few Chinese phrases that Westerners can actually pronounce correctly. 

However, as most Hong Kongers know, gua sha is not just a celebrity-approved beauty trend. It is an ancient traditional Chinese practice that has been used by Eastern societies for thousands of years.

Many of us wake up with a puffy face, fact. And for those of us who enjoyed a few too many cocktails the night before, our faces may appear even puffier. Cue, baseball caps, our most oversized pair of sunglasses, and now how thankful are we to wear a mask everyday! Gua sha to the rescue: the hangover cure for your face. In less than ten minutes, you can reduce facial puffiness and inflammation, and even help stimulate collagen production, all the while staying within the comfort of your own home. 

Gua sha crystals come in many different shapes these days from hearts to butterflies. It all depends what you want to achieve. Here are some of our favourite picks from our friends over at Moon Convos who have just launched their awesome new gua sha range. 

We love gua sha because arguably, it has democratized skincare. You don’t need to spend an extravagant amount of money getting a bespoke gua sha facial. Instead, you can go on YouTube and parse through countless gua sha tutorial videos to learn and master the various facial-contouring techniques.

Newsflash: you don’t need the fanciest facial roller to maximize your gua sha routine. According to many dermatologists, any flat, grooved tool made of jade or other crystal can achieve the same effects.  

One of the more exciting features of gua sha is that it offers a natural alternative to Botox and fillers. At 8Shades, we believe that every woman should undergo whatever cosmetic procedure makes her feel the most confident in a way that’s free of judgment. As pop culture icon Britney Spears once sang, our body, our prerogative. 

Against this background, gua sha is being championed as an effective alternative to fillers. 

It’s worth highlighting, however, that traditional uses of gua sha did not serve an aesthetic function, but a medical one: the scraping method was principally used to draw out bodily toxins. Like cupping and foot reflexology, gua sha is animated by yangsheng 「養生」which translates directly to “nourishing life”, a long-standing principle of Chinese medicine. In a society that flouts increasingly unattainable beauty standards, gua sha serves as a gentle reminder that “to be beautiful is to be healthy.”