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Gua sha, a traditional Chinese face-scraping tool, has become a beauty routine staple for influencers and beauty enthusiasts alike. On TikTok the best gua sha tools are praised for “providing an at-home lymphatic drainage massage,” says Grace Day, a UK-based esthetician. The massage technique can temporarily contour skin, depuff bloated faces, and treat muscle tension, she says. Most important, it's great for relieving stress and dedicating some time to yourself. Simply use a face oil or serum like a hyaluronic acid serum and sculpt away. “A little self-care can go a long way,” says Joseph Carrillo, a facial masseur. But do these smooth palm-size stones actually live up to the hype?
We spoke with estheticians, facialists, dermatologists, and beauty editors to understand how gua shas are effective for sculpting the face and body. Below, experts recommend their favorite gua sha tools that helped them relax muscles, reduce puffiness, and boost circulation.
Stainless steel gua shas, like this Tweezerman version, have a ton of built-in advantages. The hypoallergenic stainless steel has a natural pleasant cooling sensation to depuff the face or can be warmed up to soothe skin. Also, the durable material is shatterproof, so you’ll never have to worry about it breaking (unlike gua shas made from fragile stones). And most important, stainless steel is nonporous and antimicrobial, so it won’t hold on to bacteria and transfer it onto your skin, to help you avoid breakouts.
Review: I especially love that this gua sha is stainless steel, as it is easy to clean and store. I can easily pop it in an ice bath and use it gently around my eye area to depuff (it's so refreshing!). I also use it from my chest to my forehead to really work out the tension, improve circulation, sculpt and lift, and promote healthy toxin and lymphatic drainage. —Gillian Cahill, Hand & Stone’s esthetics operations manager
What it’s good for: Minimizes breakouts; de-bloats face; brightens complexion
Perfect for beginners, this easy-to-grip tool has a unique, dual-sided shape, so you can effortlessly customize your sculpting session as you go. If you tend to furrow your brows or clench your jaw, this gua sha is specifically designed to work out kinks to release and minimize tightness. Plus, it’s a jade gua sha, a stone known to calm and soothe, so use it at the end of the day to unwind and prep for bed.
Review: I enjoyed using this sculptor because the special shape makes it easy to hold and fits the natural contours of my face well, allowing me to apply even pressure. Almost immediately it made my face feel lighter and fresher—plus, the circulation increase gave me a great glow. —Grace Day, beauty editor and esthetician
What it’s good for: Antiaging; melts tight facial muscles; contours jawline
Rose quartz is known to promote feelings of love and happiness, so it’s fitting that this facial sculptor is heart-shaped. When used for facial massages, it increases circulation and expels toxins, which reduces inflammation and stimulates collagen production for more even, tighter skin. It can also be used to apply your daily moisturizers and lotions for deeper penetration into the skin.
Review: Using this gua sha regularly depuffed my face and eliminated inflammation. It’s perfect to use every morning or before a big event to create more natural contour in the cheeks and jawline. —Tobi Henney, celebrity makeup artist
What it’s good for: Deep facial massages
We love that this massage tool helps to relax large muscle groups and has really small teeth to work out tinier knots. It really hits the spot after a long day of sitting at your desk or when your body is feeling stiff postworkout.
Review: I find the smooth side’s great for working out those tough spots in my neck and shoulders after a stressful workday, while the serrated one works nicely on thighs and calves. —Elana Fishman, style editor
What it’s good for: Loosens up tight muscle knots
Lin Chen created this lightweight gua sha stone tool as a nod to her Chinese heritage. It’s made of ethically sourced rose quartz. Use it for a facial lymphatic drainage massage to help reduce puffiness, inflammation, and sinus pressure. It comes with a complementary, nutrient-rich face oil for a fresh and glowy finish.
Review: My mom and grandma have been using gua sha for years, teaching me techniques that help relax muscles and reduce puffiness under the eyes. What I adore about Pink Moon is it offers rose quartz, which has so many restorative qualities, and the necessary skin care products for achieving optimal gua sha benefits. —Donna Kim, beauty editor
What it’s good for: Facial lymphatic drainage
These hand-carved mushroom-shaped tools are engineered to fit the delicate eye, brow, and forehead areas. The set of two have a round shape that slips effortlessly into the palm of your hand so you can easily navigate both sides of your face simultaneously. The curve of these tools promotes better blood flow and lymphatic drainage, which can help reduce dark circles and improve skin tone. Use them to target undereye circles, puffiness, and wrinkles, and to relax your 11s (the tense muscle lines between your eyebrows).
Review: After use, I find my eyes looking brighter, open and lifted. And this shape is perfect for applying eye creams and serums. It allows them to penetrate deeper into my skin. —Joseph Carrillo, facial masseur
What it’s good for: Targets hard-to-reach areas on the face
Pros: Ideal for those with eye bags, fine lines, or dark circles; pair of tools makes sculpting sessions more efficient
Cons: Expensive; may be limited to eye area
Tapping into the power of cryotherapy (a medical treatment using extreme cold to freeze and destroy abnormal tissue or numb pain), this ice-cold two-in-one wand set is a gua sha game changer for alleviating common skin ailments. Simply store these stainless-steel tools in the freezer before use. However, do not place them on your face right away and wait up to 10 minutes (to avoid freeze burn). Once you put them to work, their frigid temp constricts capillaries to calm and soothe skin, which regulates blood flow and circulation. As a result, it's helpful with redness, inflammation, rosacea, and generally just feels nice.
Review: I love these sticks. Since I'm using two gua shas at once, it takes me only half the time to wrap up my routine—which is wonderful for someone like me who isn't interested in spending a ton of time in the bathroom. As an added bonus, the cooling metal helps to curb inflammation and I’ve noticed less facial redness overall. —Kayla Greaves, beauty expert and consultant
What it’s good for: Reduces redness; soothes irritated skin
Consider this stainless steel gua sha your all-in-one tool for an invigorating full-body massage. The ergonomically designed tool is purposefully contoured to fit all your curves and makes smooth, broad strokes easy. Simply glide it on moisturized skin along all the areas you’d like to treat to reduce puffiness and tone the skin. There’s also a ridged edge that’s great for kneading into any spots that need a little extra love.
Review: The arrival of this body gua she happily coincided with the start of running season, and my sore muscles couldn’t be happier. I love scraping the curved edge across my legs and shoulders, using broad, medium-pressure strokes to loosen up some of the tension in those areas. The contoured shape glides easily along my skin. I like to prep it with a body oil, and the stainless steel offers a nice cooling effect and delivers a sort of “hurts so good” feeling to even the tightest knots. —Zoe Weiner, beauty editor
What it’s good for: Won’t cause breakouts because it’s antimicrobial; big enough for massaging large muscle groups for a full-body massage
A gua sha is a smooth, flat stone tool that originates from Chinese medicine. The technique involves gently scraping your face or body in outward strokes for a stimulating massage. The gua sha is shaped with specific angles and thickness to perfectly adapt to the curves of the face, for an effective and easy massage. “A high-quality gua sha massage helps to release tissue buildup that can hold repetitive facial movements in place, causing premature wrinkles, as well as relaxing muscle tension and stimulating blood flow,” says Jaclyn Palmieri, a director of esthetics at Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa. An effective gua sha treatment can chisel, lift, define facial contours, and make skin look more radiant, she explains. She says you can expect results instantly but you should continue to use the tool daily to maintain them. Note: Gua shas are not the same as face rollers. Rollers focus on the surface layers of skin, while gua shas target deeper muscle layers and can provide a more intense massage, she says.
The ancient ritual is believed to “stimulate blood circulation and the production of collagen—all essential ingredients for healthy, glowing skin,” says Joseph Carrillo, a facial masseur and founder of Sculpted by Joseph. Says Nicole Ruth, a board-certified dermatologist at WeiserSkinMd: “The increased circulation delivers vital nutrients and oxygen to skin cells, which results in a brighter, more radiant appearance. By stimulating collagen production, using a gua sha may help soften the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles over time.” Plus, it helps you get the most out of your products because it aids in deeper product penetration—for creams and facial oils—and reduces product waste by ensuring even distribution, says Rachel Liverman, the CEO and founder of Glowbar, a facial studio. When it comes to the body, regular gua sha massages can relax larger muscle groups (like the shoulders, back, and thighs) to reduce soreness and even tone skin, she says.
If facial puffiness is a concern—especially in areas like under the eyes or chin—sticking to a gua sha routine can help with lymphatic drainage. The massage technique drains excess fluid from the body and subtly sculpts facial contours. It works because the gua sha shape fits the exact areas of the face people need to hit for lymphatic drainage to be most effective. “Professional facial lymphatic drainage massage is amazing for reducing puffiness, facial tension, and sinus pressure, but it’s pricey and requires commitment if you want to maintain the results,” says esthetician Grace Day. “An at-home massage with a gua sha device is the next best thing and can replicate similar results—especially if you can incorporate it into your daily skin care routine.”
Keep in mind, using a gua sha doesn’t mean that your double chin or undereye bags will magically disappear. However, the versatile beauty tool can indeed give your face, especially your chin and jawline, a more defined appearance (if your puffiness is the result of built-up fluid as opposed to body fat or bone structure).
“When selecting a gua sha facial tool, know your skin type, and the specific concerns you are looking to address, to determine which material will best suit your needs,” says Liverman. Gua sha tools made from jade stone, known for its calming and gentle characteristics, “are ideal for those with sensitive skin,” she says. “They help to reduce puffiness, soothe the skin, and calm redness or inflammation.” Rose quartz is renowned for its healing properties and is “excellent for promoting relaxation and reducing tension in the facial muscles,” Liverman says. “It also have anti-inflammatory properties and can improve skin elasticity, making a rose quartz gua sha tool suitable for mature skin or those concerned with signs of aging.” Bian, a traditional Chinese stone, is known for its ability to improve circulation and detoxify the skin. “Tools made from bian stone can help boost blood flow and promote lymphatic drainage, making them a great choice for those dealing with congestion or acne-prone skin,” she says.
Unlike the stones, stainless steel is antimicrobial and the easiest to clean (soak it in warm, soapy water), so it’s the safest for acne-prone skin. Also, “it provides a cooling sensation when used on the skin, making it particularly refreshing for depuffing and soothing inflammation,” Liverman says.
When it comes to using a gua sha, your technique can make all the difference for actually seeing results. Palmiere explains how to effectively use the tool for best results below:
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