Best Facial Oils for Gua Sha

10 gua sha facial oils to enhance your skincare routine

This year I’ve added gua sha to my facial routine and with all the popular TikTok videos, it seems like many of you have as well!

This ancient Chinese beauty technique is a type of facial massage that touts many benefits for the skin. Some of the benefits of gua sha include improving circulation, encourage lympatic flow, and sculpting and lifting features.

I added gua sha to my skincare routine near the beginning of the year since my skin was looking so dull during the colder months. Typically do it a 2-3 times a week as part of my evening skincare routine.

Some of the changes I’ve noticed are firmer skin with a glowier complexion. I also love how it relaxes me to help me get ready for bed.

In this post, I wanted to share some of my favourite gua sha oils that can help make the most of your facial massage by also providing skincare benefits to target your specific skin concerns.

What is gua sha?

TLDR: Before I jump into my the best face oils for gua sha, here’s a little overview and history of gua sha facial massage.

Gua Sha is a traditional Eastern Asian practice that utilizes a smooth edged tool along with a facial oil to stroke the skin. This practice stimulates circulation and enhance complexion, as well as relaxes the mind.

Gua Sha Tools

Gua sha tools typically made from jade, rose quartz and other semi-precious stones. These stones are carved into shapes designed to complement the contours of the face as you pass over the skin with them.

Depending on what the tool is made from – jade, rose quartz etc – which have supposed have different healing properties. Though personally I haven’t noticed a difference at all when it comes to the material of the gua sha tool.

Gua Sha Facial Massage

The idea is to massage the skin with a firm but gentle upward and downward motion to increase circulation, help with lymphatic drainage and massage the skin.

Like any other massage, it’s important to pair your gua sha routine with a facial oil to help lubricate your skin. This will allow your gua sha tool can pass along your skin smoothly without damaging your skin.

In addition, the gliding motion of the gua sha also helps the skin absorb all the goodness of the skincare oil you’re using. So it’s important to pick a facial oil that’s right for your skin type!

Benefits of gua sha:

Here’s a summary of the benefits from gua sha massage for your face:

• Stimulates circulation for glowing skin
• Assists in lymphatic drainage to eliminate puffiness
• Relieves tension and flushes toxins
• Smooths fine lines and winkles
• Promotes skin elasticity by stimulating collagen production
• Relaxation and increased sense of calm

What kind of facial oil to use with gua sha?

The best facial oils for gua sha will be lightweight, non comedogenic, and will provide nourishment to you skin.

Some common facial oils for gua sha are rosehip oil, argan oil, grapeseed oil. But now there are so many facial oils with a blend of ingredients to help you target your specific skin concerns.

In this beauty roundup, I’m sharing some of my favourite gua sha oils based on your skin type and the concerns you want to target most.

Here’s the quick list for you below, and keep scrolling for the deep dive!

• Best overall facial oil for gua sha: 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil, The Ordinary.
• Best facial oil for dry skin: Rosehip Nourishing Night Oil, The INKEY List
• Best facial oil for sensitive skin: 100% Pure Argan Oil, Josie Maran
• Best facial for acne-prone skin: U.F.O Ultra Clarifying Face Oil, Sunday Riley
• Best gua sha oil for oily skin: 100% Sugarcane Squalane Oil, Biossance
• Best gua sha oil for brighter skin: Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil, Biossance
• Best gua sha oil for aging skin: Phoenix Rosehip Anti-Aging Face Oil, Herbivore
• Best facial oil to reduce puffiness: Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil Herbal Concentrate, Kiehl’s
• Best facial oil to splurge on: Gold Camellia Beauty Oil, Tatcha
• Best for morning gua sha: Superberry Hydrate + Glow Dream Oil, Youth To The People
• Best for evening gua sha: Heavenly Sixteen All-In-One Face Oil, Summer Fridays
• Best for dark spots and pigmentation: Wild Rose Brightening Absolute Oil, Korres

Best Gua Sha Facial Oils and Serums for Dry Skin

The INKEY List (Budget friendly option)
Rosehip Nourishing Night Oil

A 100 percent cold pressed, natural rosehip facial oil with antioxidant properties hydrate dry skin and improve the appearance of skin tone and texture.

Farmacy
Honey Grail Ultra-Hydrating Face Oil

A fast-absorbing, noncomedogenic face oil that’s great for gua sha that delivers intense hydration and helps to smooth the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

With honey, sea buckthorn oil, and a 5 flower oil blend, it’s packed with antioxidants,and vitamins for super soothing, skin-loving moisture and nourishment.

Best Gua Sha Facial Oils and Serums for Combination Skin

The Ordinary (budget friendly option)
100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil

This sustainably sourced, organic, cold-pressed rose hip seed oil is the perfect consistency for the purpose of gua sha. It’s hydrating, but not heavy and leaves the skin with a soft glow and calms irritated skin.

Herbivore
Orchid Antioxidant Beauty Face Oil

This facial oil defends against free radicals, supports natural elasticity, and contains beneficial vitamins and fatty acids. 

It has a blend of orchid extract, jasmine sambac, and Japanese camellia flower oil to defend against free radicals, support natural elasticity, and feed the skin with beneficial vitamins and fatty acids, such as omega 3 and 6, to protect against premature aging.

Best Gua Sha Facial Oils and Serums for Anti Aging

Biossance
Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil

When it comes to face oils for gua sha, this one is my favourite and was actually part of my skin care routine before I even started facial massage. (I’ve mention a number of times on the blog both here, and here!)

The Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil is hydrating vitamin C oil that moistuizes with sustainable squalane. It both brightens and firms skin while giving skin a radiant glow. And yes, it’s pricey, and totally worth it!

Sunday Riley
Juno Antioxidant + Superfood Face Oil

With a powerhouse of superfood seed oils, the Juno Antioxidant + Superfood Face Oil nourishes the skin with antioxidants, vitamins, essential amino acids, omegas 3, 6, and 9.

It also contains Vitamins A and C help to brighten the skin’s appearance for healthy-looking vibrancy, while they fortify the skin with antioxidants to support anti-aging.

Best Gua Sha Facial Oils and Serums for Sensitive Skin

Josie Maran
100 percent Pure Argan Oil

If you have sensitive skin, Josie Maran’s 100 percent Pure Argan Oil is a great face oil for gua sha. This multitasking oil contains just one ingredient in its most pure and potent form. And becuase it’s pure you don’t want to worry about sensitivity from other ingredients.

Kiehl’s
Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil Herbal Concentrate

The Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil Herbal Concentrate is another great face oil for gua sha for those with sensitive skin with its calming properties. It’s lightweight, noncomedogenic herbal concentrate facial oil infused with cannabis sativa hemp-derived seed oil.

It helps to improve skin’s barrier, reduce visible redness, and relieve discomfort while calming and soothing skin. It also contains Green Oregano Oil to help relieve problem skin and breakouts.

Best Gua Sha Facial Oils and Serums for Oily Skin

Sunday Riley
U.F.O Ultra Clarifying Face Oil

This quick-absorbing, this medicated dry oil from Sunday Riley is a great face oil for gua sha if you have skin that’s on the oily side.

It helps to clear congested pores, treat and prevent acne, and smooth the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles for clearer, smoother skin.

Biossance
Sugarcane Squalane Oil

A quick-absorbing, weightless, and hydrating facial oil with combination of sugarcane and squalane for a multipurpose oil that’s perfect for gua-sha on oily skin.

It helps reduce the appearance of blemishes, enlarged pores, and other imperfections, while the plant-derived squalane acts as a natural moisturizer to hydrate skin.

Have any favourite gua sha facial oils that you love?
Let me know in the comments below!

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• I Used Bio-Oil Dry Skin Gel for 14 Days and This Is What Happened
• How to Get Glowing Skin
• Best Sunscreens for Face
• Vitamin C Serum Benefits for Skin
• How to Get Rid of Hyperpigmentation

XOXO,