Choosing the best tool for guasha.

One of the most common questions I get about guasha is what kind of tool to use. The market for guasha tools is growing, and it’s no longer about a coin or soup spoon, but several shapes, materials, and sizes to choose from. So, I thought I´d share some of my insights and thoughts around the best tools I use and recommend.  

Don’t overthink it

First, I think that many may overthink it all. Which I understand, when you see all those different choices, making you believe that the more angles, the better. But it doesn’t have to be that complicated. 

Personally, I divide my tools in two categories: face and body. I could use the same tool for both parts, but I don’t – because facial guasha and body guasha is done in different ways. 

Face

For the face you want to stroke and massage very gentle. A tool with round and smooth edges and corners works the best, because you don’t want to break up any “sha”, the red marks you’ll see when treatments are done on, for example, the back.

Moreover, you don’t want too big and heavy tool for your face, since it may create hand and arm fatigue. Jade, obsidian, and other mineral stones tend to be a bit heavier, but they do have the smooth and thicker corners perfect for facial guasha. Personally, I use my own signature obsidian stone + Majestic Maldives palm tree wooden tool for my face, that are both quite small and light, but still got some thickness to it. My signature obsidian stone is made in a small size, so it´s still light and easy to carry with you in you bag. (Might want to reach for it for some acupressure during the day!).

I also use those same tools for rubbing acupoints on my body, since they got some good thick and strong corners great for acupressure. And when it comes to scraping on my body, I also use another tool, made of ox horn. I also love porcelain soup spoons.

Body

For my neck, arms, legs, and body in general, I do more strong scraping to break up possible blood and qi stagnation, which will result in redness. My obsidian tool is too soft and thick for this, as I want sharper edges and a lighter tool. My personal choice for this is my wood tool, a porcelain soup spoon or small bowl, or a tool by buffalo ox horn. The ox horn tool is less fragile too, perfect for stronger scraping for the back. It´s light and thin, giving a sense of sharpness that isn’t suitable for the face, but great for the body. If you don´t have a tool made by ox horn, I recommend jar lids, especially for the spine/back. I use those in my clinic room, since they are easy to disinfect and keep clean. They also don´t cost much. You probably have a few in your fridge. Just make sure the corners are smooth. And don’t use it for the face.

For my hands and feet, I love to use a sea shell. Since I live part time in Maldives, I have the privilege of finding amazing shapes on the beach, perfect for guasha and to bring a sense of nature and ocean into my healing practice.

Choose what feels good to hold

Jade is quite popular for facial guasha. Other popular materials are bian and obsidian stones, as well as sea shells, metal, porslin and buffalo ox horn. My message around material is quite consistent though. Choose what feels good for you to hold. And choose the right weight and size. Tools can range from 3 mm to 1 cm in thickness. And since there will be a mechanical load on your hand and arm, if you use a tool that´s too big and heavy for your hand, to avoid that arm and hand fatigue I mentioned earlier. 

Does it break easily? And is it cleanable?

Stones made of mineral can easily break. Therefore I´ve chosen to keep my signature obsidian stone in a box and sell them in boxes. Obsidian won´t break when you use it on your face or body, but it can easily break if you drop it on the floor. It´s a bit fragile, and that´s also why I believe it´s more aimed at facial guasha. Good thing about the obsidian, is that it´s easy to clean. This is important if you´re going to use it on someone else too, since skin and blood cells stay on the tool. For this reason, I use obsidian in my akuYin® classes. They are easy to disinfect. If it´s just for yourself, dishwash liquid might be enough. 

Buffalo horn great natural material, and it´s very common in Asia. Although if you disinfect it repeatedly, it might crack and bend. So, buffalo horn is best to have your own and just use for yourself. 

Warmness and coolness

Some minerals, like jade and obsidian, are quite cold to the touch. And although they will feel warm in your hand as you start your treatment, the nature of those stones is cold. This makes them great for summer when you might want to feel some coolness on your skin, and it´s also great when it comes to women experiencing menopausal hot flashes. This doesn´t mean these stones are good during winter. For example, the obsidian, is said to hold properties such as working with transformation and letting go, usable all year round. 

Buffalo horn is a bit more stable in temperature and have a warmer feel. This also goes for my other brand guasha, the palm tree wood guasha tool made in Maldives. It´s light and have a warmer feeling than the obsidian. So, some days I will just hold both in my hands and feel which one will do the work that day. 

Get at least two tools

I always carry a guasha tool with me since I kind of use them all the time. And the ones I personally use, are obsidian, palm tree wood, and buffalo horn. Together they give me smoothness for the face and sharpness for the body. Could I boil it down to just one tool? To be honest, no.

I mean, it´s not the tool that will change your skin. It´s what you do with the tool. But as said, guasha for the face and body are done differently with separate purposes. To be able to do what I want to do with the tool, the tool need to be suitable for that purpose. 

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