Gua Sha, Jade Rolling, Facial Icing, Dry Brushing, Are these natural skincare trends worth the hype?
Are These Natural Skincare Trends Worth The Hype?
It seems like every other week there’s a new skincare trend to hit our social feeds, influencing us to click ‘add to cart’ on yet another item we don’t need.
We’re here to help you figure out whether these natural skincare trends are here to save the day, or whether they’re just not worth your time (or money).
Facial Lymphatic Drainage Massage (AKA Gua Sha, or Jade Rolling)
Originally, gua sha (pronounced ‘gwah-shah’) was a traditional Chinese healing method where a smooth-edged tool is pressed down against the skin on a patient’s body, with the goal to raise petechiae - the bleeding of tiny capillaries under the skin.
It has long been used as a method to treat chronic pain all over the body and improve circulation, but more recently, its uses for the face have become popular in the online world of beauty and natural skincare.
When gua sha is performed on the face with a lighter hand, it doesn’t leave bruise-like spots but instead works to depuff, improve circulation and promote lymphatic drainage.
Jade rolling is a similar technique where a jade roller is rolled over the skin in upwards motions to gently massage the skin. Many skin-thusiasts like to apply natural facial oils, like our Australian Jojoba, to the face first, then follow up with a cold jade roller to massage the oil into the skin.
Why not use our natural Australian Jojoba as part of your Gua sha routine?
Where did the trend come from?
The act of performing gua sha isn’t a new trend by any means. Gua sha massage dates all the way back to 700 years ago, during the era of the Ming Dynasty in ancient China.
It would usually be performed on the body if a patient fell ill or entered a coma, in order to help reduce the side effects and symptoms of their illnesses.
In modern-day, gua sha has been popularised as an easy (and aesthetic) method to depuff the face and slim/sculpt the jawline, being promoted by beauty and skincare influencers on social media like Instagram and TikTok.
The popularisation of gua sha has also led to increased selling of gorgeous jade and rose quartz gua sha stones, which has made it a highly sought after skincare practice.
Is it worth the hype?
There’s not much evidence to suggest that using a gua sha will actually slim the jawline or sculpt the face - which is what has been claimed by many "skin-fluencers'.
However, gua sha techniques have been proven to help relieve tension in the face and reduce puffiness and inflammation.
It is an easy, natural remedy to help restore a youthful glow, smooth, decongest, de-puff and brighten the skin.
How do I perform gua sha?
Before you begin performing gua sha, we suggest using a natural facial oil to help the gua sha stone slide more easily across your face.
We recommend applying our Australian Jojoba all over your face before you start. Or, to target specific skin concerns, it would be beneficial to use one of our targeted oils like Rosehip and Jojoba Oil for dryness,Pigmentation Oil for pigmentation,Skin Balancing Oilfor uneven tone or Ultimate Youth Potion for anti-ageing.
To properly perform gua sha on the face, we recommend you watch this YouTube video tutorial (below), taught by Chinese Medical skincare professional, Sandra Lanshin Chiu.
Once you get comfortable with your technique, aim to incorporate gua sha into your weekly routine 2-3 times a week, or daily for best results.
Jade rolling is similar to gua sha, except you want to focus on moving the jade roller in an upwards direction, starting from the chin and moving it towards your ear.
Explore our range of natural facial oils and start your gua sha routine today!
Facial Icing (Cryotherapy)
Facial icing is exactly what it sounds like - it’s the process of applying ice to the face.
Where did the trend come from? Facial icing has been known to be performed by many famous Hollywood icons, like Marilyn Monroe and Linda Evangelista.
Is it worth the hype? Facial icing has been known to be good for the skin, as it improves blood circulation, giving the skin a healthy glow. It can tighten the skin, reduce large pores and minimise the production of excess oil. If you deal with dark circles, using ice in this area can shrink dilated blood vessels, helping to reduce the appearance of puffiness and dark circles.
If you’re looking to incorporate facial icing into your daily routine, we suggest performing it once a day at most, after cleansing. Then follow up with your regular skincare routine - serum, facial oil and moisturiser.
Some say facial icing is great to do after applying a natural facial serum, as it helps the skin contract and pull the product in, helping it to absorb better. Try this next time you apply your Ultimate Serum,Transformative Eye Serum or Jojoba Probiotic Milk!
If your skin is quite reactive, try using a refrigerated jade roller instead of applying ice straight from the freezer to achieve brighter skin.
The great thing about facial icing is that you don’t have to just use water. You can also use frozen milk cubes, green tea cubes or even aloe vera cubes to add extra calming and soothing properties to your icing routine.
Don’t have a skincare routine yet? Explore our natural facial cleansers, natural facial serums, natural facial oils and natural facial moisturisers.
Dry Brushing (For Face and Body)
Dry brushing involves taking a soft bristle brush and using it to gently massage the body in an upward motion - while the skin is dry. It has been known to brighten the skin, exfoliate and make moisturiser more effective.
It’s most commonly done on the body, but can also be done to the face too (just don’t use the same brush for body and face!). When used for the face, dry brushing gets rid of skin flakes and dead skin cells, plus works to prevent acne breakouts.
Where did the trend come from?
While it seems like a relatively new skincare trend, the technique of dry brushing has been around for centuries, found in many cultures - from Ayurveda (a natural system of medicine in India) to Ancient Egyptians, Romans and traditional Chinese medicine.
From linen gloves to raw silk and strigils, ancient cultures have used different instruments to engage in dry brushing, however, in modern-day it’s most common to use a natural bristle body brush.
Is it worth the hype?
All in all, dry brushing is a great way to slough away dead skin, keeping your skin exfoliated and smooth. It also helps detoxify skin by promoting circulation and lymphatic drainage.
How can I perform dry brushing?
Body: While the practice is called ‘dry’ brushing, some like to apply oil to the brush before using it for ease of use. If this appeals to you, we recommend adding some of our Australian Jojoba to the brush before you begin.
You can dry brush at any time, but dermatologists recommend dry brushing before you shower as it loosens the skin cells which can be easily rinsed away in the shower.
To effectively dry brush, begin at your feet and slowly move upwards, brushing over your skin in long circular motions that go toward the direction of your heart.
Since dry brushing is technically a whole-body exfoliation, it is recommended to only engage in it once or twice a week - or potentially even less often if you deal with sensitive skin. Avoid dry brushing over broken skin or more sensitive areas altogether.
Face:If you’re going to dry brush your face, make sure you only do it once a week, or once every two weeks if you have sensitive skin.
Dry brushing should be performed on dry skin for about 2-3 minutes, after cleansing. Start from the décolletage and move the brush upwards in small circular motions, being extra careful of the delicate skin around the eye area. Many suggest following it up with a facial oil, like our Australian Jojoba, or you can go in with the rest of your skincare routine.
While dry brushing will work on most skin types, be extra wary if you have dry skin, acne, rosacea or you’re prone to inflammation as dry brushing may irritate the skin and strip it of its protective barrier.
Tip: Remember to wash the brush with baby shampoo regularly to get rid of any build-up of dead skin.
