BENGALURU: If you are active on social media, you would have come across an advertisement for a gua sha stone or a jade roller, a tutorial for how to use one or a post about how these new tools have become a mainstay in beauty routines. Gua sha stones and jade rollers are gaining popularity as facial massage tools that can help reap the benefits of ancient Chinese healing. Dr Chytra Anand explains that these apparatuses replace the fingers when it comes to massaging facial muscles.
“They increase the blood circulation, which gives you a light flush. When you increase circulation,lymphatics also increase and they drain into lymph nodes that are on the periphery of our face and neck,” adds the founder of Kosmoderma Clinics. This benefit is what makes Aarathi A turn to her jade roller every morning. “It reduces the puffiness on my face, especially under the eyes,” says the marketing professional, who uses the tool to roll over sheet masks to aid better absorption of the serum in them. Jade and rose quartz are the two most popular variants of these tools, with both believed to have healing properties. “Not everyone believes that though,” says Sneha Bhagwat, founder,Nailbox Salon, where such tools are incorporated as part of services.
“But even so, there’s consensus that these are relaxing. You also get bigger gua sha stones for other parts of the body,” adds Bhagwat. While gua sha stones and jade rollers have been around, the pandemic and remote working has shined a new spotlight on them. Ask Priyanjana Roy, who after a hiatus, picked up these tools in March. “There was a boom in the self-care phenomenon and now, everyone wants to take some time out for themselves. I use my gua sha stone as an essential part of my night routine since it helps me let go of the day’s stress and prepare for bed,” says the lifestyle blogger.
Agrees Aarathi, who finds that more than anything, her skin feels relaxed. Anand too points out that gua sha stones or jade rollers may not do much when it comes to anti-aging or corrective measures or producing long-term benefits such as increasing collagen production. “But there is a short-term feel-good factor that people enjoy,” she says .
And it is this wave Indian beauty brands are hoping to ride out too. Many are now adding these products to their catalogue. Take, for instance, The Ayurveda Co. (TAC). This on line ayurvedic skincare brand will soon launch jade rollers and gua sha stones too. “With a lot of time being spent in front of screens, people can notice the skin being impacted with blue light. The skin a little extra pampering,” says Shreedha Singh, CEO and cofounder.
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