In Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), gua sha is clinically used to treat ailments such as heatstroke, gastrointestinal issues, and chronic pain, and was originally used only on the body, explains Ervina Wu, PhD, L.Ac, who received her doctor of philosophy in TCM and Chinese herbology, before cofounding YINA, a lifestyle and wellness brand. The ancient practice of gua sha increases circulation to promote detox throughout the body and ease sore muscles.
“Gua sha is typically done on the back to facilitate muscle recovery, promote detox, and help to recover from a cold,” says Shari Auth, DACM, a board-certified Chinese herbalist and cofounder of WTHN, an NYC-based modern wellness studio focusing on ancient healing techniques. By applying pressure to specific areas of the body or face and "scraping" the stone up or down on the skin, you can increase lymphatic drainage, move stagnant energy, promote blood flow, and reduce inflammation.
We tested 20 popular gua sha tools across a variety of materials, including jade, quartz, stone, and modern metals, and designs, from the traditional gua sha to ultra-targeted spoons and wands, over a span of four weeks. We spent more than 320 hours using each one, evaluating for specific criteria, including the quality of the design and material construction, ease of use, and the results we saw in our faces and bodies both immediately after use, as well as at the end of the four-week test. Below you’ll find our curated list of only the top-performing and highest-scoring gua sha tools across each category.
Our Top Picks
Best Overall:
Best Budget:
Best for Sculpting:
Best Rose Quartz:
Best Gua Sha Spoon:
Best for Eyes:
Best Overall
Pink Moon Gua Sha Facial Tool
What We Love: The website showed how to use the product to help us seamlessly incorporate the gua sha into our skin care routine.
What We Don’t Love: We didn’t notice any long-term results.
Our skin care routine became 100 percent more exciting and effective when implementing the best gua sha we’ve tried into it—the Pink Moon Rose Quartz Gua Sha. By far, our top pick has to be this ethically-sourced heart-opening rose quartz tool because of its shape, how easy it was to hold, and how effectively it assisted in helping our skin absorb the oil we used.
The gua sha helped decrease puffiness slightly around our eye area, and our skin looked shiny and a little red due to using pressure on the tool. We found it to be very sturdy and lightweight, and it was easy to move around on our skin, ensuring to reach every inch. The tool has two sides to it: a ‘v’ side and a flat side. The ‘v’ side worked well around our chin and even on our lips for de-puffing and sculpting. The flat side was helpful with sculpting our forehead and cheekbones. The multisided option was perfect for reaching each part of our face that we wanted to work on.
We noticed that our skin looked free of puffiness after using it and the ritual felt very relaxing, however, we didn’t see any difference in our skin when it comes to radiance and sculpting.
Stone Type: Rose quartz | Best for: Face
Best Budget
Daily Concepts Gua Sha Facial Jade
What We Love: The gua sha was really lightweight, making it easy to use along our jaw and neck.
What We Don’t Love: We didn’t think our skin looked any more sculpted than before.
Upgrade your skin care routine with this budget friendly gua sha made from Xiuyan jade for enhanced product absorption, lymphatic drainage, and a sculpted jawline. This facial tool has a toothed end to help contour your jawline, improve the appearance of your neck, soften fine lines, and reduce dark circles and puffiness under your eyes.
The gua sha is fairly easy to use, thanks to its lightweight and sturdy structure. It’s also very easy to wash after each use—which we preferred doing to prevent any breakouts from occurring. Our skin felt very hydrated and cool after using the tool, and when applied along with our facial serums, it created a calming experience that we began to look forward to each day. The coolness of the stone also worked as a welcomed little pick-me-up in the morning.
We noticed that our skin felt more alive after using the gua sha and we could tell it helped push our serums deeper into our skin, creating more hydration that lasted. However, our skin felt better than it appeared. We didn’t really notice any visible results while we used the gua sha, and believe it may be a better tool for long-term use rather than short-term.
Stone Type: Xiuyan jade | Best for: Face
What We Love: The stainless steel remained cold for a good amount of time as we used the gua sha.
What We Don’t Love: There wasn’t much instruction on how to use each part of the tool.
Sculpt, reduce facial tension and release blockages in your facial muscles with this multi-sculpting gua sha from Face Gym. The tool features six different edges that allow you to sculpt and de-puff all areas of your face and neck. It helped our skin feel invigorated and healthy after each use, and we loved how it efficiently released pressure between our eyes.
We almost felt like a gua sha pro as we used the tool because of how intuitive it was to glide and sculpt around our face. The stainless steel is a bit of a diversion from the cooling stones that a gua sha is often made from, but we were pleased to find how cool it felt on our skin, no matter how long we used it. Its coolness also aided in de-puffing our under eyes, jaws, and cheekbones, as well as relieving sinus pressure when we were feeling a bit congested.
Our skin felt tighter and looked plumper after we incorporated the gua sha into our daily ritual, and our jawline looked more defined. We even noticed a few fine lines diminishing. While this tool is a no-brainer, there weren’t clear instructions on how to properly use each part of it.
Stone Type: Stainless steel | Best for: Face
What We Love: The gua sha sculpted our jawline and de-puffed skin with each use.
What We Don't Love: We found that it felt a little intense while we used it on our face.
Stimulate your scalp and face with the best gua sha comb we’ve tested—the Ginger Chi Jade Gua Sha Face & Comb Tool. With the included instructions to guide us on how to use it, we found this tool extremely easy to use and incorporate into our daily skin care ritual. Despite the larger shape, we found it a really smooth gliding process, and didn’t have any issues with handling it.
We used the oil that comes with the face and comb tool, and loved how it felt as we used it together to sculpt and massage our face. The genuine jade stone is a game changer compared to other stones. It felt cool and refreshing on our skin and we noticed de-puffing and sculpting along our jawline each time we used it. We worked the tool around our eye area first to tackle the puffiness underneath them, then moved on to our cheekbones, and then our jaw. We also made sure to glide the comb across our scalp to help with rejuvenating our hair follicles.
The gua sha is really sturdy and we were very impressed with its amazing quality. In return, it may feel a little intense while using it across your face.
Stone Type: Xiuyan jade | Best for: Face and scalp
What We Love: Our fine lines were visibly smoother after using the gua sha.
What We Don’t Love: We didn’t see many long or short term changes.
We could go on and on about the Herbivore Rose Quartz Gua Sha simply because it’s the best one we’ve used on our face. The one thing we looked forward to each morning was the natural coolness of the rose quartz coming in contact with our skin. It wasn’t shockingly cold, but it was enough to wake us up slightly before proceeding with gliding it around our skin.
The gua sha was very lightweight and smooth. We felt like we were getting a little massage each time we used it. We used light pressure to sculpt our cheekbones and jaw and noticed some redness, however, we didn't feel any pain during the process. The area where we saw the most difference was with the 11 lines between our eyebrows. They looked smoother and less noticeable, with that being said, this was the only difference we saw throughout the time we used this gua sha.
Stone Type: Rose quartz | Best for: Face
What We Love: It was great for de-puffing skin in the morning.
What We Don’t Love: We didn’t see any long term results.
If you’re worried about dropping your rose quartz gua sha and want to invest in an option that is super durable and won’t break, you’ll love the Stainless Steel Gua Sha Facial Tool from Kitsch. The cooling feeling of the stainless steel in combination with the massage the tool provides will become something you truly enjoy doing for yourself each day—we definitely did!
When massaging just one side of our face, we could visibly see that our skin was tighter around the jawline and cheekbones, and our dark circles began to look lighter each time we used the gua sha. For a spa-like experience, we would sometimes let the tool sit in warm water. The warmer sensation felt incredible on our skin and was perfect for those days when we were feeling a little more stressed and puffy.
Using this gua sha felt like a treat, and we loved the short term results such as de-puffing, lifting, and tightening. We weren’t able to see the long term effects within the testing time period, so it may not be a good option for those looking for a tool that provides long term results.
Stone Type: Stainless steel | Best for: Face
What We Love: The spoon shape felt easier to use than a traditional gua sha.
What We Don’t Love: We noticed a number of short term results, but they did not last very long.
There are a variety of different shapes and sizes of the gua sha, but the spoon may be the most interesting—and the easiest to use. There was a slight learning curve when we began using this gua sha, however, once we got the hang of it, we were obsessed with how easy it is to use. Its long handle made it easy to use and we were able to glide the tool across our face smoothly.
Once we used the tool on one side of our face, we could clearly see that it looked slimmer than the other side. We noticed that it helped to de-puff our cheeks and smooth our jawline. The massage the spoon provided was perfect. It relaxed our facial muscles and our mind, which was lovely for more stressful days. The sturdy tool felt really high quality and we weren't filled with an overwhelming fear of dropping and breaking it.
The gua sha works better with a thicker moisturizer or face oil, so those who are sensitive to heavier products may not experience all that it has to offer.
Stone Type: Rose quartz | Best for: Face
What We Love: We thought the size was small, but easy to use and maneuver around our delicate eye area.
What We Don’t Love: We experienced breakouts on our eyebrows after using it.
We found that the best rose quartz eye massage tool to help combat under eye bags and darkness is the Mount Lai Rose Quartz Eye Treatment Tool. Before implementing this tool into our skin care routine, we noticed that sometimes an eye cream or serum just didn’t get the job done. This soothing and cooling eye treatment tool was smaller than we expected, but we ended up loving the size because of how easy it was to maneuver around such a delicate part of our face.
The pamphlet that came with the rose quartz tool was very helpful in showing how to properly use it to see and feel results. It had one bigger size and one smaller side, and allowed us to use the appropriate one for our individual eye size and face shape. Since the eye area is more sensitive, we noticed instant redness after using it. But that didn’t hide the fact that the tool de-puffed our skin under our eyes.
We can’t forget to mention just how tiny the rose quartz tool is compared to others we’ve tested out. It’s smaller than the palm of our hand and is really light weight. Despite how slippery it got once the oils from our face got on it, for the most part, it stayed in place and we didn’t feel like we were going to drop it.
Unfortunately, even though we kept up with cleaning it, we noticed new breakouts appearing around our eyebrow area, which is one spot we used the tool on.
Stone Type: Rose quartz | Best for: Under-eyes and crow's feet
What We Love: It wasn’t limiting and we could use it all over our face with no complications.
What We Don’t Love: The wand requires 10 to 15 minutes of usage, which is a lot more time than other options.
Fairytales aren’t the only ones who have access to magical wands—this Kansa Wand from Ranavat is full of tricks, and you don’t need a spell to make them happen. This wand is a different take on other gua sha facial massage tools, and it’s made to help soften the look of lines while reenergizing your skin.
We enjoyed using this wand because it really did the work for us. We moved it in circular motions around our face with mild pressure. Our facial muscles felt more relaxed and we noticed that our skin wasn’t as puffy as before. The wand also made our skin look brighter and more defined, specifically our cheekbones.
The tool was really easy to use, and it wasn’t very heavy, which was appreciated since it does require anywhere from 10-15 minutes of massaging to see results. The amount of time may become a hassle as you implement it into your daily routine, and we thought it was a lot of time to be spent on our face in the morning.
Stone Type: 100% teak wood handle, pure kansa (copper and tin) base | Best for: Face
What We Love: Our skin felt more moisturized and youthful when using this gua sha.
What We Don’t Love: We had some trial and error before learning to use it correctly on our jaw, cheekbones, eyebrows, and forehead.
Preventing wrinkles, contouring our skin, and relieving muscle tension are just three of the plethora of benefits we noticed while using Sacheu’s Stainless Steel Gua Sha. The cold to the touch feeling of the tool helped to create a meditative spa-like experience each time we used it on our skin. The first thing we noticed about it is how red our face looked in the concentrated areas immediately after use, but that did subside after a few minutes.
While using this gua sha, our under eyes were experiencing some puffiness, but it was no match for this Sacheu sculpting tool. It also helped with toxin drainage and even congestion when we weren’t feeling the best. We noticed that it helped penetrate our skin care products deeper into our skin, resulting in more moisturized and youthful-looking skin.
The high-quality gua sha was perfect for lymphatic drainage, but we didn’t see any visible changes in regards to looking more sculpted.
Stone Type: Stainless steel | Best for: Face
What We Love: It made applying our serums easy and more effective.
What We Don’t Love: The gua sha didn’t do much for sculpting our jaw.
This jade heart shaped gua sha was a cute addition to our vanity, and it was even a better addition to our skin care routine. Some facial tools require a bit of patience and trial and error upon the first use, but this wasn’t the case when we tried out the Jade Heart Gua Sha Tool from Skin Gym.
The jade stone promotes harmony and enhances relaxation all while massaging our large and small facial areas with ease. It provided a refreshing experience, and we were really pleased with how our skin reacted to using this gua sha. Puffiness around our cheekbones diminished immensely, and as we continued to use it, our skin only looked better and better.
A gua sha facial tool is a great way to contour your face as well as aid in lymphatic drainage, however, while we did notice a decrease in puffy skin, we didn’t notice much of a difference in definition.
Stone Type: Jade | Best for: Face
What We Love: This stone is easy to use and it's even easier to see its effects.
What We Don’t Love: It was easy to use too much pressure on our face.
The bian stone is used to help tone, smooth, and improve circulation of the skin, that being said, it’s not much of a surprise that we found the Wilding Empress Stone to be extremely effective. The included instruction guide detailed how to use each side of the gua sha as well as the benefits of them, so once we skimmed through it, we found it to be an easy tool to navigate.
The stone was big yet very comfortable and fit in our hand with ease, and it didn’t slide around as we used it. We noticed a difference in our skin immediately upon using the gua sha for the first time. It seemed to work deeper than any other gua sha we’ve tried out, and people even pointed out visible differences in our jaw and cheekbones.
The Empress Stone was a great addition to not only our skin care ritual, but also our morning routine. It was enjoyable to use on our skin as we got ready for the day, and it’s a tool we don’t anticipate retiring anytime soon. The results of the gua sha were a pleasant surprise, and we think it made our skin look younger and more toned. It is a very powerful tool, and it could be easy to use too much pressure on skin.
Stone Type: Bian stone | Best for: Face
What We Love: Our jawline looked and felt more relieved and relaxed after using it.
What We Don’t Love: We experienced a breakout on our face after a few uses.
Our in depth full body skin care routine was missing something for so long, and after trying Yina’s Bian Stone Gua Sha we knew it’s exactly what we were looking for. The bigger size of the stone was easy to hold and helped us sculpt our face and body with zero hassle. It made our skin feel lighter and more relaxed, which is always welcomed during a soothing nighttime ritual.
The high quality gua sha can be used to massage your face, neck, shoulders, and anywhere else on your body that is craving a little nurturing. We found that the tool works best when using it alongside a body oil or lotion. We glided the stone on our limbs and face using medium pressure, we’d do about five to 10 strokes before moving onto the next area. It’s become our ideal way to care for our body and unwind from the day.
The bian stone was very easy to clean, and looked brand new each time we washed and dried it. But we did experience a breakout on our face after a few uses, so it may not be ideal for those with sensitive and acne-prone skin.
Stone Type: Bian stone | Best for: Face and body
What to Keep in Mind
- Stone Type: Gua shas are most commonly made from jade, rose quartz, bian, or amethyst stones. Naturally, jade is a cooler stone, which helps reduce any puffiness in the skin. You can also store it in a mini fridge for extra cooling. If you struggle with inflammation, use a jade tool to help with lymphatic drainage. For those that have sensitive skin or suffer from rosacea, opt for a rose quartz tool. Synonymous with love and healing, rose quartz reduces inflammation in the skin.
The bian stone is the most traditional gua sha medium, as it is strong and is able to deeply massage the skin, relieving you of any tension or stress. Speaking of tension, if you struggle with TMJ or hold a lot of stress in your jaw, amethyst will become your new favorite stone—gua shas made from this stone help alleviate tension in the jaw and improve circulation.
There are stainless steel gua shas that are great in terms of hygiene. Stainless steel doesn’t transfer bacteria as it’s nonporous, making it super easy to wipe down after each use, and the durable material won’t absorb any skin care or cleaning products.
- Gua Sha Design: Gua shas come in a variety of shapes and sizes—some feature jagged edges, while others are curved and smooth. When it comes to finding the right sized tool for you, you want to take a look at your skin’s needs. If you’re looking to relieve any tension you hold in your skin, opt for a tool that features sharper, rugged edges as they knead out any tension you’re holding onto, while if you’re looking to intensify your lymphatic draining system, find a tool that has a slightly round edge that cups onto the surface of your skin to glide along your contours.
- Size: If you're looking to use a gua sha to sculpt and define your facial features, a small stone that feels comfortable and controlled in your hand is best so you can reach tight corners and contours easily. However, gua sha isn't just for the face, and to reap all the lymphatic benefits on your body, a larger design will cover more surface area per swipe than a smaller option.
Your Questions, Answered
How often should you gua sha?
While it depends on your skin needs and concerns, Elizabeth Trattner AP, DOM, says that “Gua sha should be performed every day or every other day.” She explains, “If you wake up with a puffy face, had salty food the day before, or clench and grind your teeth at night, I would suggest the morning.” For those who sit at a computer every day for work, “I would suggest evening time before bed.”
The amount you gua sha is also dependent on the sensitivity of your skin and whether you have any active breakouts or open wounds on the face, neck, and chest. “For maintenance, I suggest two to three times per week,” says Dr. Trattner.If you’re new to using a gua sha, she suggests starting an every day or every-other-day schedule, “then move up to a maintenance routine and add as needed depending on the stress level of a day or waking up with a puffy face.”
How is facial gua sha different from body gua sha treatments?
“Facial gua sha is different from gua sha on the body because it does not leave a mark,” explains Dr. Auth. “Typically, a polished tool made from jade or quartz is used to massage the face to increase circulation and the production of anti-aging molecules, collagen and elastin. Collagen helps to reduce wrinkles and elastin helps to firm and tone the face. This increased circulation always increases detox for a clearer complexion.”
How do you use a gua sha tool?
According to Melissa Medvedich, founder of Supernal, an introductory method for gua sha is to tilt the tool to a 15 degree angle before gliding it across your skin. “The intention is to have the majority of the flat stone surface make maximum contact when possible,” explains Medvedich. “A gentle to light-medium pressure as you swipe for facial gua sha is recommended for an optimal technique.”
How do you clean a gua sha tool?
“Gemstone gua sha tools are durable and long-lasting when treated with care—however, they are still vulnerable to breakage or chipping if dropped and won't be suitable for continued use,” says Medvedich, adding that simple soap and water will do the trick. “As gua sha stones can become slippery with soap or oil residue, be sure to take extra care when cleaning. Handle your gemstone gua sha tools the same way you would a sentimental piece of jewelry or your favorite porcelain mug."
Why Shop With Us
Olivia Cefalu is a Brooklyn-based freelance beauty writer. For this story, she interviewed registered TCM dermatologist and fo-founder of Yina, Dr. Ervina Wu, board-certified Chinese herbalist and co-founder of WTHN, Dr. Shari Auth, and Melissa Medvedich, founder of Supernal.
Sydney Wingfield is a freelance beauty writer. For this story, she collaborated with InStyle editors who tested each gua sha for four weeks and reviewed their insights and experiences using them, and interviewed Dr. Elizabeth Trattner for her guidance on the most effective gua sha techniques.