Face Time: Gua Sha at 92?

Okay, Clock App, you win this round of “TikTok made me buy it.” Because I’m not gonna lie, when you find something that makes your 92-year-old mama look in the mirror and use the viral expression, “Wow! My jaw looks snatched” I’m just gonna hand you my debit card and call it a day. That’s how real the viral Gua Sha facial trend is for me right now.

My mom came to live with me a few months ago and it turns out TikTok videos are exactly the right duration for her dementia limitations to enjoy. As a retired New York City fashion designer and graduate of Parsons School of Design, she is gut-hooked on scrolling through fashion and beauty trends.

I heard her shout from two rooms away, “Why is this young woman scraping her face with a stone and what the hell does ‘snatched’ mean? It sounds dirty.” I swear I get more laugh lines every time Mom scrolls through TikTok.

As a professional journalist, I took a deeper dive into Gua Sha to make sure it wouldn’t do Mom any harm. She’s always been a total sucker for potions, wrinkle removers, and such.

When I cleaned out her house in New Jersey to move her to Virginia to live with me the bathroom was a dermatological hoarder’s paradise. There was enough Retinol in there to melt off the faces of every supermodel in a 10-mile radius.

Thankfully, Gua Sha is legit, and easy to do and to my shock and awe it drastically reduced her jowls, eye bags, and loose neck skin issues.

WHAT I BOUGHT

I went to Amazon and ordered a set of two tools from FUASHA for $23.95. (They also sell just the jade tool for around $10, but I splurged.)

You can use any type of oil from baby oil to essential oils to help the tool you use to glide across your skin. I prefer Kate Blanc’s organic rosehip oil for $9.49 for 1 fluid ounce.

TOTAL EXPENDITURE FOR TWO FACES: $33.44.

Full disclosure, you don’t have to buy a fancy-schmancy tool to perform Gua Sha, a regular spoon will do. However, I’m kind of hooked on the aesthetically pleasing jade and rose quartz tools I bought.

I expected nothing. I am amazed at the change in both of our faces in under a month of a daily routine that takes about five minutes for both of us combined. Also, it’s easy, fast and you really do see immediate results.

HOW IT WORKS

Facial or cosmetic Gua Sha has been known to sculpt the face shape, increase collagen production, reduce puffiness, and improve lymph drainage. These results are achieved by stimulating blood flow in the area of treatment.

Gua sha originated in ancient China. It’s one of the most ancient forms of traditional Chinese medicine dating back to the Stone Age, according to China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism (CMCT).

Gua sha, meaning to "scrape away illness", involves using tools such as bian stone, jade, or ox horn with lubricant liniment to scrape and rub parts of the patient's skin repeatedly in one direction. The aim is to "activate blood circulation to dissipate blood stasis," according to the CMCT.

“Scraping” or applying pressure to the skin increases circulation, thus bringing more oxygen and blood flow to the area you’re focusing on. This scraping also releases stuck toxins and impurities allowing them to enter the bloodstream and be released. Muscle tension is also released and alleviated through this process. It also helps drain lymphatic fluid from your system.

There are dozens of great diagrams online and How-To videos abound. My mom looks forward to seeing herself in the mirror for the first time in a decade and that’s my litmus test. Also, she’s totally made the word “snatched” her new favorite which is a big bonus.