Try this one-minute depuffing facial gua sha routine at-home

Could just two minutes a day of facial massage mean you can forgo your fancy face cream?

If quarantine has you wanting to brush up on your beauty regimen, rather than overloading your skin with layers of products, which can sometimes lead to breakouts, how about finally learning how to properly use that crystal facial tool that's been gathering dust on your shelf.

​Gua sha is a traditional Chinese self-care ritual, which involves using a smooth crystal plate to unblock stagnant "qi" (energy flow) along channels in your body.

"It is an Eastern technique that uses a scraping motion to improve circulation," explains Ada Ooi traditional Chinese medicine practitioner and founder of 001 Skincare London. 'Gua' translates to 'scraping' while 'sha' refers to the red flush of the skin that can be seen afterwards representing the delivery of fresh oxygen and nutrients.

TCM practitioner and founder of the Hayo'u Method Katie Brindle suggests spending just two minutes a day on facial gua sha – one in the morning and another in the evening – is enough to forgo fancy face creams altogether. "Facial gua sha is a simple, at-home massage technique that supports collagen and elastin production and releases tension to relax facial muscles. It lifts, plumps and sculpts, nourishing your skin by boosting circulation and lymphatic flow, for a brightened complexion and radiant glow.

"It negates the need for expensive face creams or single-use plastics. You can take it into the shower and use the water as a lubricant. Simply press-stroke gently all over your face for about a minute or, if you prefer, you can use it after your shower with facial oil."

Jade and rose quartz are two of the most commonly used crystals for gua sha tools. The former is known for its healing and cooling properties. "Jade is the perfect all-rounder, it's used to balance yin and yang energy," says Brindle.

Opt for rose quartz if you have sensitive or inflamed skin. "It's especially good to use in the morning and is ​said to support heart energy in particular," says Brindle. "So it's good to gua ​sha on the chest with rose quartz because the action tonifies the heart qi. It’s believed that the properties in rose quartz help to generate skin cell renewal, as well as improve uneven or dull skin complexion."

Here, and in the video at the top, Katie Brindle shares her simple one-minute routine using the Hayo’u jade Beauty Restorer (£38). Try first thing in the morning and after removing make up in the evening.

1. Starting at the neck, press-stroke downwards to help drain excess fluid.

2. Press the tool gently all over your neck, face and décolletage.

3. Gently press and hold the tool under each eye, then over each eye, with the lid shut.

4. Angling the tool at 45 degrees in the direction that you want to work, use the rounded edge to press-stroke the forehead, the cheekbones, then the lips – about eight sweeps in each direction.

5. Finally use the double curved end on your throat and jawline.

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