GUA SHA FAQs
For more information and videos, please follow Cecily on Instagram or email us at info@cecilybraden.com.
When you purchase one of our Gua Sha or facial massage tools, you will have access to our Video & Tutorial Facebook Page to support your self-care routine and answer frequently asked questions.
CJB Pro Nephrite| Awaken! Tutorial
Designed and patented by Cecily, this is our most resilient and versatile tool for professionals and an integral part of our Gua Sha Facial Fusion Workshop. Provides ease of use for beginners and those looking to add pro-like techniques to their professional and self-care routines. Also available in Rose Quartz. U.S. Patent D908,905.
CJB Mookaite Jasper | Awaken! Tutorial
Designed and patented by Cecily, this stone has specific angles not available on other tools that allow for more precise work around the nose, eyes, mouth and focusing on fine lines and deep wrinkles. U.S. Patent D908,906.
CJB Pocket Jade Style | Awaken! Tutorial
Foolproof! Excellent for a beginner, easy to use and affordable. Most popular for teaching clients a home care routine. Available in a variety of gemstones: Jade, Fire Quartz and Sodalite.
CJB Xiuyan Jade | Awaken! Tutorial
A multi-purpose high-quality Xiuyan jade stone board with gentle ridges to help smooth adhesions in the fascia that inhibit the flow of essential nutrients in the skin. Similar to the Pocket Jade style, its lightweight, travel-friendly and easy-to-use design is safe for all skin types, with no sharp angles or edges.
CJB Jade Comb | All Skin Types | Awaken! Tutorial
A versatile tool for self-care or working on clients. Includes the ability to add scalp massage or working through facial hair. Available with and without fascia ridges (aka “teeth”).
CJB Sculpting Spoons | Sculpt & Smooth Tutorial
An all-time favorite, especially for reducing puffiness and working around the delicate eye area. Excellent for makeup artists, or aficionado. Smooths the complexion for flawless application and professional contoured appearance. A great tool for working with acne or rosacea. Available in Rose Quartz or Mookaite Jasper.
CJB Mushrooms | Tension Tamer Tutorial
Use warm to reduce tension, combat tech neck and TMJ and relax tight muscles from clenching or grinding your teeth. They can be easily incorporated into any facial or massage routine. Available in Bloodstone or Clear Quartz.
CJB Spiked | Textured Beauty Rollers
Easy to use when on the run, during work or while watching TV. A great complement to any Gua Sha or facial massage routine. The texture provides all the benefits of a smooth roller, with the added ability to engage the deeper layers of tissue and muscle for increased treatment options. A variety available, includes Jaicui Swirl + Luxury Spiked Qi Rollers: Jade, Yellow Nephrite, Sodalite and Rose Quartz
To learn more and register for our CJB Online Self-Care Tutorials: Cecily Braden Spa & Wellness Academy
We’ve created 3 Online Tutorials for Self-Care that are tool-specific and designed to support the use of ALL our Gua Sha + Facial Massage Tools. Although techniques may be transferred to working on clients, they are NOT intended to replace our hands-on training and shouldn’t be considered a qualification for offering professional Gua Sha services.
A Self-Care Guide for Beginners: Professionals and Non-Professionals
Awaken! Gua Sha Self-Care | All CJB Gua Sha Stones (CJB Pro, Pocket Jade, Xiuyan Jade, Jade Comb)
A 60-minute online tutorial that focuses on a basic 12-step routine for self-care that incorporates a fusion of proven facial massage techniques to awaken your skin and the systems within that support its function and natural ability to cleanse and heal.
Tension Tamer Self-Care | CJB Mushrooms (Bloodstone or Clear Quartz)
A 60-minute online tutorial that focuses on relieving tension where stress manifests most in the shoulders, neck, jaw and around the eyes. Specialized massage techniques are combined with a series of breathing exercises intended to enhance lymphatic flow, increase circulation, soothe nervous tension and calm anxiety.
Sculpt & Smooth Self-Care | CJB Sculpting Spoons (Rose Quartz or Mookaite Jasper)
A 75-minute comprehensive online self-care tutorial developed to dive deep into the use of all the angles and edges of our CJB Sculpting Spoons for reducing inflammation, puffiness and dark circles, smoothing the complexion and sculpting.
Rest to Restore | Rest to Repair | Rest to Rejuvenate
by Beth Griffing Russell, CJB Educator and Oregon based L.Ac and Thai Massage Therapist.
A complete Facial Gua Sha routine that includes the neck and scalp, can be done every 2-3 days or weekly. This equates to completing a full 15-30 minute routine that stimulates your blood and lymph systems to “clean up” the areas treated from within. Gua Sha, even a mild massage-type routine used on the face and neck, creates counter-irritation to the tissues in order to stimulate a healing response.
Gua sha doesn’t just push fluid around. The actual “smoothing” and “lifting” action means that you are stimulating your body to activate its cellular clean-up crew. That clean-up crew works best at night, so for your body to benefit fully from the treatment, it needs a period of rest of at least one night and ideally two or three nights.
- For focus areas, or shorter routines targeting a specific area such as the eyes or puffy face, daily (very light) Gua Sha is okay.
- Daily pressure point work using a Gua Sha tool to simply press acu-points, without scraping across the skin is encouraged. But anything involving deeper pressure paired with directional movement or scraping should ideally be spaced a couple days apart.
For more information, personalized instruction, enroll in one of our 3 Gua Sha & Facial Massage Self-care Tutorials; Awaken!, Tension Tamer and Sculpt & Smooth. All our tutorials are LIVE, so you can ask questions and receive feedback.
Gua Sha is available at leading skin studios, spas and acupuncture clinics. Please visit our Spa Directory for a Certified & Licensed Professional near you, or email info@cecilybraden.com.
Consistency is the Key to Success
By Cecily Braden & Beth Griffing, CJB Educator and L.Ac.
Just like exercise to keep your body fit, a series of treatments is recommended and consistency is key to keeping your skin healthy.
The length and number of treatments depend on the current health of your skin, but an excellent rule of thumb is to start with 2 treatments per week for 2-4 weeks, spaced 3-days apart. The length of each treatment varies and will be determined by your skincare professional. If bi-weekly treatments are not possible, begin with weekly sessions coupled with a self-care routine in between services.
As the systems of your skin begin to wake-up, your treatment needs, number of sessions and frequency will change as your skin improves.
Frequency in the beginning is important to give your practitioner the clearest picture of how your body and skin is responding and creates the clearest path for your best treatment and maintenance practices. If you’re working on a skin imbalance that has been chronic, or if you are working to build up new patterns of expression to ameliorate wrinkles, weekly visits are necessary until sufficient progress has been made. However, if you have responded quickly to treatment and are able to pair with self-care at home and/or with recommended herbs or products, once a month is sufficient for maintaining the lift, glow, and general renewal accomplished by your Facial Gua Sha treatments.
Again, think of it as fitness for your face. Your skin requires sufficient nutrients and movement to keep fit.
When in doubt, leave it out!
The guidelines below are intended to provide a general and safe range for giving and receiving facial massage treatments. They are for informational purposes only and NOT a substitute for professional medical advice or consultations with your healthcare professional.
Delay Treatment 6-12 weeks if you:
• received a topical peel or laser treatment that has removed tissue (resurfacing)
Gua sha is healing to the epidermis, so it can be used to help heal from damaging procedures such as strong peels, but the counsel of a Licensed Professional is recommended. A clean, chilled stone can be applied flat on the skin without ANY movement to calm inflammation and cool the skin.
• Botox
• Dermal filler or injections
Gua sha can cause the body to metabolize fillers and botox so the effect will be shortened, and there is a risk of moving the injectables to other areas of the face. You may work gently around and below the area of the fillers and focus on other areas other than the injection site.
• Retin-A
• Accutane
Use caution during and after using Retin-A. The active ingredient tretinoin can cause mild increase in irritation when using facial gua sha, so be extra gentle with your pressure when concurrently using a product containing tretinoin.
• After any cosmetic surgical procedures (3 weeks)
Depending on the surgery, lymphatic drainage techniques under the treated area and gentle movements on the neck can be used to encourage healing and the health of the tissue.
Yes, absolutely! And, we’ll show you how.
A common myth about puffy eyes and dark circles is that it’s always an issue with the eyes and therefore, must be treated directly and/or can be diminished topically with a range of miracle eye creams. It’s important to learn the root cause and how to eliminate stagnation in your face, neck and identify other contributing factors such as lifestyle, work ergonomics and diet.
All our Online Self-care Tutorials provide instruction and techniques for improving puffiness and dark circles.
- Awaken!
- Sculpt & Smooth
- Tension Tamer
We also recommend facial/cosmetic acupuncture to complement your Gua Sha routine.
Coming soon…
For more information and videos, follow Cecily on Instagram or email info@cecilybraden.com. PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN THE BODY OF THE EMAIL.
When you purchase one of our Gua Sha or facial massage tools, you will have access to our Video & Tutorial Facebook Page to support your self-care routine and answer FAQ’s.