By now, most of our skincare regimes have gone beyond cleanse-tone-moisturise.
Maybe you use exfoliators, acids, retinol, sheet masks… but have you started using facial tools?
You will have seen them online, in magazines and on social media – because these facial rollers tend to be incredibly Instagram-friendly.
They usually come in pastel green or pink, depending on whether they’re made of jade or rose quartz, and they are said to improve circulation in the face, which can make your skin look brighter and feel firmer.
Face rollers are designed to gently massage the face and stimulate the lymphatic system to get rid of toxins, ease muscle tension, decrease puffiness.
They come in all different shapes and sizes, with different ends designed to be used for different parts of the face – to help make sure you can effectively massage every nook and cranny.
Keep your facial roller in the fridge
This is a top tip recommended by experts.
While most rollers made from crystal tend to stay pretty cold naturally, using an extra-chilled roller helps to tighten pores and makes a tired face look more refreshed at the end of a long day – or for early morning starts.
What is gua sha?
Gua sha is part of traditional Chinese medicine where you use a tool to scrape the skin on the face.
Like with facial rollers, gua sha is all about massage and circulation. There is also a school of thought that scraping the skin causes light tissue damage so stimulates the skin to start repairing itself.
Gua sha facial tools are flat-edged and smooth, and usually come in crystal materials – similar to the facial rollers. They have a wave along one side to allow you to apply pressure to the specific contours of your face.
How to use these facial tools
Jennifer Sullivan – elite skincare specialist for Secret Spa – spends her time performing luxurious facials and has an extensive knowledge of the latest brands and techniques to create a healthy, balanced and radiant complexion.
‘Using a roller or gua sha as part of your morning and/or evening skin care regime, can help enhance absorption of your serum, oil or moisturiser, reduce puffiness, drain the lymphatic system, increase blood flow, give a natural face lift effect and to help prevent fine lines and wrinkles,’ says Jennifer.
Here is her step-by-step guide for using these tools at home:
Hold the gua sha tool with the curved side to your face and glide it gently up and out, starting with the neck, jawline, chin, around the mouth, cheekbones and forehead, between three and five times per area.
Both the gua sha and roller should be used to firmly stroke the skin from the centre of the face, working out.
The tools should always be used with sweeping motions in just one direction, not back and forth.
Use a medium to firm pressure on the neck and face and a light pressure over the delicate eye area.
Starting at the chin, stroke down the neck for lymphatic drainage.
Use small horizontal strokes over the brow bone to lift, or hold and press upwards between the brows to release tension.
Working from the forehead back through the hair is said to help hair growth and is a great relaxation technique before bed.
You can also place your tool in the fridge to add a cooling effect which helps reduce puffiness and is wonderful when using it on your eyes.
Do you have a story to share? We want to hear from you.
Get in touch: metrolifestyleteam@metro.co.uk.
MORE: Eight houseplants to add to your home to boost your wellbeing (and how to care for them)
MORE: The emotional impact of watching white people wake up to racism in real-time
MORE: ArtActivistBarbie is taking on the white male art world so you don’t have to
source https://metro.co.uk/2020/06/13/how-use-facial-rollers-gua-sha-tools-12846330/
0 Comments